O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

O Love that wilt not let me go

Author: George Matheson (1882)
Tune: ST. MARGARET (Peace)
Published in 541 hymnals

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O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

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O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

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O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

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1 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.

2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

Amen.

The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895

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Author: George Matheson

Matheson, George, D.D., was born at Glasgow, March 27, 1842, and although deprived of his eyesight in youth he passed a brilliant course at the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated M.A. in 1862. In 1868 he became the parish minister at Innellan; and subsequently of St. Bernard's, Edinburgh. He was the Baird Lecturer in 1881, and St. Giles Lecturer in 1882. He has published several important prose works. His poetical pieces were collected and published in 1890 as Sacred Songs, Edinburgh: W. Blackwood. In addition to his hymn "O Love that wilt not let me go" (q. v.), four others from his Sacred Songs are in Dr. A. C. Murphey's Book of Common Song, Belfast, 1890. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)  Go to person page >

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First Line: O Love that wilt not let me go
Title: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
Author: George Matheson (1882)
Meter: 8.8.8.8.6
Language: English
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Notes

O Love that wilt not let me go. G. Matheson. [Jesus All and in All.] Dr. Matheson says this hymn was "written in the Manse of my former parish (Innellan, Argyleshire) one summer evening in 1882. It was composed with extreme rapidity; it seemed to me that its construction occupied only a few minutes, and I felt myself rather in the 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." [L. MSS.] This hymn first appeared in the Church of Scotland magazine, Life and Work, in 1883. From thence it passed into the Scottish Hymnal 1884; and there set to special music by Dr. A. L. Peace. It is a beautiful and tender hymn and worthy of extensive use.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Timeline

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Media

Baptist Hymnal 1991 #292
Timeless Truths #392
  • O_Love_That_Will_Not_Let_Me_Go.sib (SIB, Scorch)
The United Methodist Hymnal #480
Worship and Rejoice #446
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Instances

Instances (53)TextImageAudioScore
Hymns of Faith #26TextImage
The New Canadian Hymnal: a collection of hymns and music for Sunday schools, young people's societies, prayer & praise meetings, family circles #32Image
Golden Bells #32
Great Revival Hymns No.2 #45Image
Baptist Hymnal 2008 #110TextImage
Awakening Songs for the Church, Sunday School and Evangelistic Services #137ImageAudio
Hymns for the Living Church #351TextImage
Timeless Truths #392TextAudioScore
Hymns for the Family of God #404
Church Hymnal, Mennonite: a Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs ... 1st ed. [with Deutscher Anhang] #434
Sing Joyfully #439TextImage
Worship and Rejoice #446TextImageAudioScore
Lift Up Your Hearts: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs #457Image
The New Century Hymnal #485Image
The Worshiping Church #531TextImage
Chalice Hymnal #540Text
Celebrating Grace Hymnal #631Image
Hymnbook for Christian Worship #17
A Hymnal for Friends #45
Favorite Hymns of Praise #74TextImage
Sing Your Way Home: hymns and choruses for use at hospitals, nursing homes, and retirement communities #80
Inspiring Hymns #86
Edward MacHugh's Treasury of Gospel Hymns and Poems #96
The Beacon Song and Service book #97
The Church Hymnal ... Seventh-Day Adventist Church #145
Service Songs for Young People's Societies, Sunday Schools and Church Prayer Meetings #191Image
The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada #192
Christian Youth Hymnal #202
Make Christ King: a selection of high class gospel music for use in general worship and special evangelistic meetings #226
The Hymnal: as authorized and approved by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1916 #236TextImage
The Cokesbury Hymnal #241
The New National Baptist Hymnal #268
The Mennonite Hymnal #269
Praiseworthy for the Church and Sunday School #282
Baptist Hymnal 1956 #290
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #292TextImageAudioScore
The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada #311
The Hymnary for use in Baptist churches #311
Revival Hymns and Choruses #313Audio
Worship and Service Hymnal: For Church, School, and Home #323TextImage
Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #360
Presbyterian Hymnal #384TextImage
Christian Worship: a hymnal #388
Hymnal of the Church of God #398
Pilgrim Hymnal #399
The Hymnbook #400
The Book of Praise #447
The United Methodist Hymnal #480TextImageAudioScore
Complete Anglican Hymns Old & New #528
Trinity Hymnal #594Text
Celebration Hymnal #606Image
Voices United: The Hymn and Worship Book of The United Church of Canada #658Text
Trinity Hymnal #708Text
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