218 OUB HYMNS :
Gifford, &c., 1758." This is the well-known hymn (No. 666) in the " New Congregational Hymn Book." He also mentions that he "reprinted Barton s Psalms, and wrote part of the preface, 1768." He thus refers to his other celebrated hymn, "A Christmas Hymn, set to music by Dr. Kandall, and, with the notes, engraven on a copper-plate half-sheet. It begins,
Mighty God, while angels bless Thee, &c.
1774." This is the 811th hymn in the " New Congregational Hymn Book."
Both his well-known hymns express his adoration of Christ, as he felt it before his doctrinal difficulties had darkened the bright ness of his view. And there is " a very current tradition, that on one occasion, when he was preaching from home, his two well- known hymns were sung, and that he afterwards expressed very strongly his wish that he could feel as he did when he wrote them."
A long controversy has recently been carried on with respect to the first-mentioned hymn,
" Come, thou fount of every blessing."
Mr. Daniel Sedgwick, the well-known hymn-book collector, claims it for the Countess of Huntingdon, because of the evidence afforded by a manuscript in his possession which the writer of this sketch has examined in which it is attributed to her by her friend Diana Vandeleur, afterwards Diana Bindon, and because the writing is thought to be of an earlier date than that at which liobinson wrote his hymn. Over against this we have the definite claim made to it by Robinson, in the church book as given above. It has been sought to invalidate this claim by producing a hymn of the same length and metre attributed to Robinson, and be ginning,
" Hail ! Thou source of every blessing."
And much has been made against Robinson of his words in a letter dated December 3, 1766. He writes : " Who could tell you I was an author ? my works consist of II hymns, which Mr. Whitefield printed ; besides these I have printed nothing." The
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