Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great.” (1 Chronicles 21:13).
“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.”

This is the first stanza of a very powerful hymn called, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me God” written by George Matheson, a scotch minister. He was born in Glasgow, March 27, 1842. He was a very smart young man, but he had poor eyesight. Nevertheless, he graduated from Glasgo University at the age of nineteen. But when he started his studies for ministry, he became totally blind.

A great help for him was his own sister. This young lady became a student as well, learning Greek and Hebrew to help her brother during his studies.
Matheson became a faithful preacher, his congregation loved him, but a sad moment came into his personal life. He was engaged with a young lady, but his fiancé, unwilling to be married to a blind man, broke their engagement and returned his ring.

This pain of rejection never left him. Years after, his own sister came with the news that she was engaged and ready to marry a young man, George was happy for her, but his mind went back to his own heartache. It was this moment that he remembered and comforted himself with the idea that God’s love will never leave him. During this sad moment he wrote this hymn.

“O Light that foll'west all my way,
I yield my flick'ring torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine's glow its day
May brighter, fairer be.”

About this hymn, the author tells of its writing:
“It was composed with extreme rapidity, and I felt myself rather in a position of one who was being dictated to than of an original artist. I was suffering from extreme mental distress, and the hymn was the fruit of pain.”

He was a preacher in a small church in Innellan, and during a particular Sunday evening service, when the crowd was very small, he felt discouraged, nevertheless, he preached his very well prepared sermon. In the audience was a visitor for the large St. Bernard’s Church in Edinburg, which was seeking a pastor. In 1886, Matheson became the pastor at St. Bernard’s where he became one of Scotland’s favorite preachers.

“O Joy that seekest me thro' pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow thro' 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 hide from Thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red,
Life that shall endless be.”

Read this hymn and you can find that it is like a small sermon. Use it during your quiet time, it will be a blessing for your soul.
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In His service,
Israel