O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

Representative Text

1 O Love that will 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 follows all my way,
I yield my flick’ring 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.

Source: Voices Together #608

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 >

Text Information

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
Notes: Spanish translation: See "Oh amor que no me dejarás" by Vicente Mendoza
Copyright: Public Domain

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 [sic 1882]. 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)

Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #292
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The Cyber Hymnal #5160
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
The United Methodist Hymnal #480
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #446

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 667)

A Hundred Songs of God and His Kingdom #d61

A Hymnal for Friends #45

A Hymnal for Friends #90

Page Scan

A Hymnal for Joyous Youth #40

A Messenger for Jesus #d218

A Selection of Hymns #d46

A Service Hymn Book #d108

A Treasury of Hymns, the Best-Loved Hymns, Carols ... #d175

A. M. E. C. Hymnal #286

A.M.E. Hymnal #d282

Abiding Songs #d96

TextPage Scan

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #302

Alexander's Gospel Songs #164

Page Scan

Alexander's Gospel Songs No. 2 #181

Alexander's Hymns No. 2 #132

Page Scan

Alexander's Hymns No. 3 #255

Page Scan

Alexander's Hymns No. 4 #219

Page Scan

Alexander's Male Choir #25

Page Scan

Alexander's New Revival Hymns #92

Page Scan

Alleluia #183

Ambassador Hymnal #572

American Church and Church School Hymnal #d229

Page Scan

American Church and Church School Hymnal #174

TextPage Scan

American Lutheran Hymnal #208

American Student Hymnal #d231

An Nou Chanté! #41

Text

Ancient and Modern #752

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #571

Armed Forces Service Book for Public and Private Use. 2nd rev. ed. #d68

Army and Navy Service Book for Public and Private Use. Rev. ed. #d57

Page Scan

Assembly Songs #237

Australian Hymn Book #525

AudioPage Scan

Awakening Songs for the Church, Sunday School and Evangelistic Services #137

Baptist Hymnal #290

Baptist Hymnal (1975 ed) #368

TextAudioPage Scan

Baptist Hymnal 1991 #292

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Baptist Hymnal 2008 #110

Page Scan

Best Endeavor Hymns #284

Book of Common Praise #d409

Booth-Clibborn Victory Songs #d82

Page Scan

Brotherhood Hymns #61

Page Scan

Cân a Mawl #221

Carmina Sacra #d146

Celebrating Grace Hymnal #631

Page Scan

Celestial Songs #50

TextPage Scan

Chalice Hymnal #540

Chapel Conference Songbook #d63

Chapel Hymns and Services #d89

Chautauqua Hymns & Songs #d54

Children's Chapel Song Book #d50

Choice Collections #d136

TextPage Scan

Christ in Song #401

Christian Hymnal #d347

Christian Hymns and Songs #d147

Christian Hymns III #d255

Christian Hymns #260

Page Scan

Christian Hymns #78

Christian Hymns #376

Christian Hymnways #d124

Christian Praise #d260

Page Scan

Christian Praise #275

Page Scan

Christian Song #328

Christian Worship and Praise #245

Christian Worship #388

Christian Youth at Song #d66

Christian Youth Hymnal #202

Page Scan

Church and Sunday School Hymnal with Supplement #468

Church and University Hymns #d139

Church Gospel Songs and Hymns #171

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #592

Church Hymnal, Fourth Edition #594

Page Scan

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #434

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #434

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d393

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #674

TextPage Scan

Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #557

Page Scan

Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #206

Page Scan

Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #206

Church Hymns and Services, Published under License of the Church Pension Fund #d169

Page Scan

Church Service Hymns #159

Coleman's Songs for Men #d97

Text

Common Praise #542

Page Scan

Common Praise #438

TextPage Scan

Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #348

TextPage Scan

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #517

Page Scan

Complete Mission Praise #515

Convention Hymnal #d60

Convention Hymnal #d54

Convention Hymns Selected from Sunday School Melodies #d24

Page Scan

Coronation Hymns #281

TextPage Scan

CPWI Hymnal #458

Cross and Crown Hymnal, 3rd ed. #d298

Crown Him King #227

Crowns #d128

Crusade for Christ Songs #d86

Crusade Songs #d50

Crusader Hymns and Hymn Stories #d176

Devotional Hymns #d178

Devotional Hymns #d182

Devotional Hymns #ad182

Pages

Exclude 603 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us