Scripture Verse

Introduction

Origin of the Hymn

My hymn was com­posed in the manse of In­nel­lan [Ar­gyle­shire, Scot­land] on the even­ing of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age.

I was alone in the manse at that time. It was the night of my sis­ter’s mar­riage, and the rest of the fa­mi­ly were stay­ing ov­er­night in Gla­sgow.

Something 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 of hav­ing it dic­tat­ed to me by some in­ward voice ra­ther 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.

I have no na­tur­al gift of rhy­thm. All the oth­er vers­es I have ev­er wri­tten are ma­nu­fac­tured ar­ti­cles; this came like a day­spring from on high.

George Matheson

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This hymn was sung at the fun­er­al of Ame­ri­can pre­si­dent Cal­vin Cool­idge, Jan­ua­ry 7, 1933, at the Ed­wards Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church, North­amp­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts. Ac­cord­ing to Mrs. Cool­idge, it was his fa­vor­ite.