In 1876, while she was on vacation in south Wales, she caught a severe cold with inflammation of the lungs. Her friends thought that she might die, and when she heard this sad news, her answer was: “If I am really going, it is too good to be true.” Her friends were amazed about the peace that Frances had in the Lord. She did survive that illness and later on the same year, she got the inspiration for a hymn about the peace that the believer might have in God. She based her new hymn on the words of the book of Isaiah chapter 26, verse 3: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Yes, she trusted in her Lord every day of her life, therefore she was able to say:
Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.
Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
May this prayer be our prayer for this year.
In His service.
Israel.