I literally tear up/cry every time I hear that hymn. My all time favorite. The hymn may have inspired him but 1 Samuel 7:12 may have as well. “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.” Ergo, the hymn and “Here I raise my Ebenezer….” It’s the monument to God’s miraculous intervention/help. I think few stories reveal the beauty of grace, love for the unlovely and unlovable, better than “A Christmas Carol.” How we can never earn His love and God doesn’t have favorites, that he’d even love Scrooge enough to send the three ghosts to show him love and teach him about love.

I was about to post a beautiful, orchestrated version of “Come Thous Fount” on my Facebook page, when I thought of the Dickens character “Ebenezer” Scrooge, and I wondered about what may have been the inspiration behind his choice of that character’s name. Since “Come Thous Fount” was written in 1758, and “A Christmas Carol” was written in 1843, I think you are correct: It is entirely possible that Dickens may have chosen this character’s name from his familiarity with that classic hymn. Otherwise, why where and why would he have come up with such an unpopular and unusual name. Thanks for your verification of same. God bless, as “Come Thou Fount” is one of my favorite hymns also.

I’m a sucker for Dickens’ story and have almost all of the versions because I watch them all the time. You gave the best dissection of the story I’ve ever read though. Wonderful.

And for what it’s worth;

Prone to wander Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love,
Take my Heart Lord, take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.

Is where I stop singing and just start sobbing. So meaningful for me.

thank you