me too sbenard1 i love that line but i love t wen it starts from "prone to wander LORD i feel it, prone to leave the God i love, heres my heart .......
After the Global Day of Prayer in London , when my wife and i was coming in the Tube , the whole crowd in the train started singing this Beautiful Hymn. It was like Journey to Heaven. No wonder the psalmist says , How beautiful is the company of Saints with Gods Holy presence. Amen.
However this song was written, be it a hymn or poem, it will provide a powerful message that even you stray from the fold YHWH (GOD) will not abandon you. To me it so beautiful and heartfelt it nearly brings me to tears by realizing how much YHWH loves me and will not forsake me as his child. "Blessed are they that believe yet can not see."~Jesus, Christ~ (Yeshua)
"In the last stanza, Robert had written: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love Take my heart, O take and seal it Seal it for thy courts above. Prone to wander Robert was. He left the Methodists and became a Baptist. Later on, having become a close friend of Joseph Priestly, he was accused of becoming a Unitarian. Priestly and other Unitarians denied the full divinity of Christ. However, in a sermon he preached after he supposedly became a Unitarian, Robinson clearly declared that Jesus was God, and added, "Christ in Himself is a person infinitely lovely as both God and man." Robert Robinson died on this day, June 9, 1790. Had he left the God he loved? A widely-told, but unverifiable, story says that one day as he was riding in a stagecoach a lady asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." " *Chances are, it's not true that ever happened though, since the lyrics match up with his past, not the present though it is something all might be able to relate to in countless ways.
We are all prone to wander. It is part of growing. As we get older many of us find our way back home, where we started. The answer was there all along, and not in the world we traveled.
Struggling with my sister (three yrs older). She was widowed at 40; raised two kids. She’s delaying a knee replacement until the new year. In the mean time she can only move about five feet. That affords her to her desk (to work at home). I think when I do get her out for dinner, she’s mixing meds with Vodka(?). She walks funny, has a stone cold expression. A guy we know asked her who she’s mad at. I’m thankful that my husband has patience to allow me to help her where I can/is ok with including her in dinner. Thank you for asking. How are you Charu?
Thank you so much. This is actually my Favourite hymn. And found this by accident. I've been looking into the lives of the old hymnists and this is very well done. God Bless and thank you
"A widely-told, but unverifiable, story says that one day as he was riding in a stagecoach a lady asked Robert Robinson what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, 'Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.'" I did some additional research and came across this account. His father died when he was very young and he fell in with a gang of vandals. Robinson knew something was missing in his life and wanted to hear George Whitefield preach. "Robert Robinson decided to go hear the Methodist preacher George Whitefield. To cover his "weak" urge, he suggested that the boys go with him and heckle the gathering. Whitefield preached on the text: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matthew 3:7). Robert left in dread, under a deep sense of sin that lasted for three years. Finally, at the age of twenty, Robert made peace with God and immediately set out to become a Methodist preacher himself. Two years later, in 1757, he wrote a hymn which expressed his joy in his new faith: Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, ... This was printed the next year. In the last stanza, Robert had written: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love Take my heart, O take and seal it Seal it for thy courts above. Prone to wander Robert was. He left the Methodists and became a Baptist. Later on, having become a close friend of Joseph Priestly, he was accused of becoming a Unitarian. Priestly and other Unitarians denied the full divinity of Christ. However, in a sermon he preached after he supposedly became a Unitarian, Robinson clearly declared that Jesus was God, and added, "Christ in Himself is a person infinitely lovely as both God and man." Robert Robinson died on this day, June 9, 1790. Had he left the God he loved?"
The story, though poignant, is almost certainly untrue. Robinson wrote the words as a poem/psalm, not a hymn, in 1757. The first known time it was put to music was to John Wyeth's "Nettleton" tune, which was first published in 1813, 23 years after Robinson's death. It's possible that both the anecdotal woman and Robinson knew his poem put to another tune, but highly doubtful.
he did not leave the God he loved,but went to Heaven to be with the God he Loved. Just as all who love God will go to be with him when it is our time,or when He calls us home.but til then here in the Power of Christ I stand! let us go in peace and serve the lord our God amen!
I heard this song on the radio 2 days ago. I typed in the last phrase (I wander, please seal my heart), which was all I could remember the next day and found it sung by quite a few artists. Then came here and read the next comment that he heard Whitefield preach Mat 3:7 "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Oh be careful all not to be or fall in with the sons of the vipers.
In the scheme of things it doesn't matter when it was written, by whom it was written, or how it was written. It doesn't matter who knows the history of it or how accurate that history is. The main reason is WHY it was written, and how it inspires those who enjoy it and will enjoy it. May God add his blessing.
I like this song... the melody is quite nice and the words are a great reflection on our humble attempt to address God for what He's done and can do despite what we've done and tend to do. Pleading for Him to save us from ourselves because we know He's the only one that can do it is truly a gift from God. To have been given the heart of repentance is essentially the gift of salvation that is so freely given.
This is my favorite hymn. The RU-vid thumbnail initially made me think this was just some random cell phone video of an old guy you ran into on a bus. I'm glad I clicked on it anyway.
just like the prodigal son I have returned home. and found the joy of forgiveness and as David wrote Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and renew a right spirit with in me O Lord
God knows man and what is in him. We are truly at His mercies, each and every one of us. - We forgive because we are forgiven - we know not what we do, that's why we must have faith and place our hope in Jesus Christ.
It was written by a man named Robert Robertson in the 1700s. I can't remember the story exactly and I may be wrong, but I believe he wrote the first two verses, then fell into sin. After he got back on track, he heard someone singing Come Thou Fount and, remembering his past, he wrote the third verse. I have no proof, I only heard it from my pastor once long time ago, but I hope I could shed some light on it for you. :)
this video show me that no matter what I am or who I am or how old I am I can give my heart to the lord and I shouldn't follow friends that lead me away from the lord coming from a 12yr old child
Vasaun Gooden Yes! Please stick with Our Father. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever, so if any of your so-called friends try to get you to sin, saying the Bible is old and outdated, you tell them to go on their way because your Heavenly Father's Words are never wrong and never out of style. God never changes His Mind.
Only thing I have a problem is that it doesn't actually tell the story behind that hymn. Kinda wasted my time. I love the hymn but was looking for the story behind the hymn not whatever this was.
+David Freeman I agree. I kept waiting while the clock ticked down. I think many of us know the story behind "It Is Well with My Soul." That's what I was looking for here.
This is very well done and I appreciate your work. You might consider the words of the man in the beginning though. One is never a "poor, unhappy man" if he knows Christ. It is a well done video and I appreciate your work, but remember that all of us that truly believe should follow the commandment to "Be of good cheer."
''Mount of Thy redeeming love,:" - not ''unchanging love.'' It makes a huge difference. His love redeems - that's the power of it. And the way it was originally written by the author.
Robert Robinson penned the words at age 22 in the year 1757. Set to a tune probably written by John Wyeth (1770-1858). Not sure where this story came from.
@ tigerlilly66..... you are right that lost people don't just need to be close to the Lord, they need salvation. However as I listen to this song the words lead me to believe this was written by a man who was a genuine believer in Jesus Christ. Lets not forget that even after salvation there is a work of sanctification that God is doing in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. We will not be finally perfected until we meet him face to face on that day.
This video resembles the story behind this song. Just because it is not the actual man who wrote this song doesn't mean there is no resemblance. If you watch the video it follows Robert Robinson's life story to an extant. His father died when he was eight and his mother sent him to London at age 14. When he was 17 he and his drinking buddies went and attend a evangelistic meeting where he became close to the Lord and wrote this song not Long after.
KIM!!! You nailed it, either way that one choses stay with your decision and don't waffle. What ever is said will either be a blessing or a determent of your faith. Thanks so much from this saved Baptist.
Kim, it's too bad that RU-vid only allows me to give your comment just the one vote. But I have this comment to tell you that I truly appreciate what you said.
I agree with so many of the comments. The song is beautiful, written over 250 years ago. But how is this a "telling" of the story? It makes it look like Robinson wrote the song and then turned into some old derelict. In reality he'd experienced a tumultuous childhood but came to Christ as a young man. The joy and blessing he experienced in coming to Christ was and still is his to this very day. The storyline told in the pictures of this video make no sense. But listen to the words of the song people. They do! The resonate with the message of Second Corinthians Chapt. 1 that joy and comfort come through Christ
There is a well-known story of Robinson, riding a stagecoach with a lady who was deeply engrossed in a hymnbook. Seeking to encourage him, she asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. Robinson burst into tears and said, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." songsandhymns . org
Commemorating God's help after a victory. I Samuel 7:12 - "Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us."
It's like raising a standard at the front of a military marching formation also. In this way, it is to keep the memorial ever before your eyes. You place a memorial where it occurred for when you return, and then you keep it ever before you also.
Another piece of info: I've seen the word "Ebenezer" changed to "cup of victory" in some hymn books so that that exact confusion is avoided and people can understand it easier.
teller121 - the old man in the video is a modern day Robert Robinson (the author of the hymn) - in the real story, it was a woman on a stagecoach that was reading his hymn out loud and told him how much she loved it - he had been a preacher and for some reason had gotten away for God -so go back and play the video again and listen to what he told her and watch his life story play out in his memory
For the record...this song was written by Robert Robinson in 1758...so i'm pretty sure, as nice as this video might be, its not accurate. Just look up the history of Robert Robinson if you want to know the truth. He lived in London.
Very well that you uphold the song - But how can I say amen?This is all mightily misleading, and lacking in doctrinal exposition, nor does it tell the story behind the hymn, rather has two men arriving in what appears to be an New York Catholic church and receiving some words from the priest, whom was not sent.The song was written by a Methodist preacher who would thereafter become a Baptist preacher - During a time in which a man who declared himself a Catholic priest would be sentenced to life in prison in England.Certainly I would imagine Mr. Robinson was firmly against popery. - You do him a disservice and present a stumblingblock.
Eli, take the example of your own avatar, Hank Williams, he was a very flawed man, yet he believed in one thing, that Christ was the savior, that's why we will see him in heaven someday. The church, or whatever denomination can't save us, only Jesus can do that.
Please don't take this wrong...I'm not trying to nit-pick, but lost people do not "become close to the Lord" in an unsaved condition. Regeneration is needed, not "closeness". That is reserved for AFTER salvation for believers. It's just that so much that has nothing whatever to do with genuine salvation, even in great hymns like this one, is bandied about constantly. No wonder Matthew 7 talkes about "narrow is the path and strait is the gate that leadeth unto everlasting life and FEW find it.
It's not misleading, but it does merit a bit of poetic license. As the on-screen captions say, the song was written in 1757 by Robert Robinson, and this is a modern telling _inspired_ by his story, not a literal depiction of it. He wrote it at age 26, after turning from a life where he and his immoral friends went to harass an influential preacher of the day, to becoming converted by that preacher and going onto his own time in the pulpit. Years later after his life had taken several twists and turns, he met a young lady on a stagecoach humming this song. His response to her was exactly as depicted in this video, down to the exact quote spoken by the old man. The lyric perhaps most prophetic of his life was, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." Yet grace would bring him to say, "Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above."
You answer your own disagreement when you use the phrases "back to him", and "for the first time in years". Can you go "back" to somewhere you've never been? How long was the Prodigal Son away from his Father before he realized his sin and and sought restoration? We don't know and it frankly doesn't matter. He, like you, was STILL the son of the father during the entire time. Why? Because he had been BORN into the family, just as you and I must to become spiritual "sons" in like manner.
If you are a Christian you should never misguide or even have any intention to misguide. The title of this video is completely misleading. Needs to be taken off! A mark down from me.
