George Matheson

GEORGE MATHESON

George Matheson was born with extremely poor eyesight which in later years he could only see faint shadows. Yet he was called to preach and pastored several churches for many years. He had been in love and desired to marry a certain girl, but eventually she realized he would become completely blind so she refused to continue the relationship. Matheson was truly devastated but God’s grace saw him through.

Although his music skills were very small, he wrote the words to several hymns. One of his sisters stayed by him and helped him with his church duties. Eventually she fell in love and George presided over the ceremony. Once again he battled a sense of despair. It was during that time that Matheson wrote these words in a matter of minutes. He would later say it was if the Spirit dictated them to him as he wrote. It became a well known hymn called “O Love that wilt not Let Me Go".

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.