Ministry & Encouragement

by Jack Strahan, Enniskillen

"O LOVE THAT WILT NOT LET ME GO"

GEORGE MATHESON (1842—1906)

"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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

George Matheson, the author of this beautiful hymn, was born on the 27th March, 1842 in the city of Glasgow. His father was a successful merchant there and had earlier come with his wife from Sutherland in the north of Scotland. As a boy, George was afflicted with defective vis-ion, possibly hereditary in its nature and by the age of 18 years, he was practically blind. He had, however, brilliant Intellectual gifts and despite his serious handicap had a very distinguished career both at Glasgow Academy and Glasgow University. He finished university and the Seminary of the Church of Scotland with high honours and was licensed to preach in 1866. His first experience in ministerial life was as an assistant for about two years to Dr. J. R. Maeduff in Sandy-ford Church in Glasgow. In 1868, he was appointed to the parish of Innelian on the Firth of Clyde in Argyllshire and there he ministered faithfully for a period of 18 years, while at the same tome he proved his singular ability in theological, devotional and poetical contributions to literature. In 1886, he was called to the very large parish of St. Bernard's in the city of Edinburgh and there remained for 13 years till ill health compelled his resignation in 1899. Dr. Matheson died at North Berwick, August 28th, 1906 and is buried in Glasgow.

Dr. Matheson never married but throughout his busy ministerial life his devoted sister Elizabeth was his constant companion. She aided him in every way possible, reading to him, writing for him and she herself learned Greek, Latin and Hebrew in order to help him in his studies.

Dr. Matheson has gone down in history as one of Scotland's out-standing preachers, highly esteemed throughout the land and especially in the city of Edinburgh. In his ministries, both at Innelian and St. Bernard's, crowds flocked to hear him for there was a magnetism about the man that attracted people from all classes of society. The learned and the unlearned alike sat spellbound under his ministry for they discerned him to be not only a man of outstanding oratory and with unique intellectual powers but one who was in touch with the Living God. He poured his soul unreservedly into his messages and it was said that George Matheson's sermons not only stirred his listeners to their core but thereafter vividly lived with them for the remainder of their lives. He preached before the Queen, Victoria, and she was so impressed by the blind preacher that she later presented to him a sculptured memorial of herself.

As a writer, Dr. Matheson contributed much. By his early thirties, he had already emerged in the literature world as no mean scholar and though many fine theological works from his pen appeared through the remaining years of his life, many consider that the finest book he ever wrote was his, "Studies of the Portrait of Christ." In later life he concentrated more and more on devotional writings. These were unique in their character, widely read and greatly treasured; and such publications as, "Moments on the Mount," "Searchings in the Silence," "Words by the Wayside," "Rests by the River," "Voices of the Spirit" and "Leaves for Quiet Hours" ranked among the finest in the English language. His poetry in verse and song was published in one volume in 1890 ("Sacred Songs") and therein were to be found compositions that will never die as, "O Love that wilt not let me go," "Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free," "Jesus, Fountain of my days" or "Gather us in, Thou Love that fillest all"

It is, however, as a hymn-writer that Dr. Matheson is best remembered and none of his compositions is more loved than his "O Love that wilt not let me go." Dr. Matheson tells us that this hymn was the "inspiration of a moment" and has left for us a very interesting account of its writing. "My hymn was composed in the manse of Innellan on the evening of the 6th June, 1882. I was, at that time, alone. It was the day of my sister's marriage and the rest of the family were staying overnight in Glasgow. Something had happened to me which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression rather of having it dictated to me by some inward voice than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. The Hymnal Committee of the Church of Scotland desired the change of one word. I had written originally, "I climb the rainbow in the rain." They objected to the word "climb" and I put "trace." Though the author refers to his hymn as, "the fruit of suffering," it is interesting to note that he does not disclose to us the nature of that suffering, but simply says "it was known only to myself."

The hymn first appeared in the Church of Scotland magazine, "Life and Work" in 1893 and was entitled, "Jesus, Ail in All." Today it is found in many hymnbooks in almost every land. This beautiful and tender hymn has been complimented and further enriched by its fitting music, "St. Margaret," composed by the Scottish organist Albert L. Peace in 1884. Dr. Peace, having been requested by the Scottish Hymnal Committee that he write a tune for Matheson's text, read the hymn over and wrote the music straight off, adding "I will say that the ink of the first note was hardly dry when I had finished the tune."

This hymn, born in the very depths of the heart's experience, is at once an aspiration, a prayer, an affirmation. Matheson, in his hour of trial, when oppressed by disappointment, swamped by grief and attacked by doubt lifted his eyes from the futile and temporal to the imperishable and eternal. Though things human and tangible had taken their flight and Life's props been all removed, he perceived that there was something abiding, and that behind the shadows and through all the way there is ever "a Love that holds us," "a Light that follows us," "a Joy that seeks us" and "a Cross that lifts us." There had to be no withholding if he is to know life's best. In his "Moments on the Mount" he had prayed, "0 God, Thou living God, let me fall into Thy hands; it is only in Thy hand that I can be perfectly safe. There is a pain with Thee which is not found without Thee, but it is the pain of love . . ." He shrank not back but his soul rose to grasp the abiding, assuredly knowing that love, light and joy are inseparable from the cross of sacrifice and the tearless morn from the night of weeping.

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