This hymn is considered to be one of the best-loved hymns written during the last part of the nineteenth century. The text of this beautiful hymn is even more remarkable when we become aware of the fact that it was authored by a man who was totally blind and who describes the writing as the “fruit of much mental suffering.” Born in Glasgow, Scotland, March 27, 1842, George Matheson who was born with only partial vision. His sight failed rapidly after he entered Glasgow University, and became totally blind at the age of eighteen. Despite this handicap he was a brilliant scholar and finished the University and the Seminary of the Church of Scotland with very high honors. In 1886 he became pastor of the 2,000 member St. Bernard's Parish Church in Edinburgh. He went on to become one of Scotland's outstanding preachers and pastors, greatly highly esteemed in Edinburgh, where his eloquent preaching consistently attracted large crowds. Matheson never married, but throughout his fruitful ministry he was aided by a devoted sister, who decide to learn Greek, Latin, and Hebrew in order to help him in his theological studies. She was his faithful helper and co-worker throughout his life, assisting in his ministry and many pastoral duties. It is believed that heavy mental distress prompted the author to write this text. A very popular account, is that this text was an outpouring from the heart of Matheson after his fiancée left him just before their marriage when she learned of his impending total blindness. There are many significant hints in this hymn reflecting a broken and saddened heart, such as the “flickering torch” and “borrowed ray” in the second stanza, the tracing of the “rainbow through the rain” in the third stanza, as well as the “cross” in the last verse. Fortunately, Dr. Matheson did leave an account of his writing of this hymn: 'My hymn was composed in the manse of Innellan on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882. I was at that time alone. It was the day 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 rather of having it dictated to me by some inward voice than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure 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. I have never been able to gain once more the same fervor in verse.'This hymn first appeared in the Church of Scotland monthly magazine 'Life and Work' in January, 1883. The tune was composed one year later by a prominent Scotch organist and composer of his day, Albert L. Peace. Albert was requested by the Scottish Hymnal Committee to write a tune especially for Matheson’s text. Albert's own account of the writing of this fine tune is as follows: 'After reading it over carefully, I wrote the music straight off, and may say that the ink of the first note was hardly dry when I had finished the tune.'The later years of Matheson’s life were spent in writing some of the finest devotional literature in the English language, including Moments on the Mount, Voice of the Spirit, and Rests by the River. Although this is the only hymn found in most evangelical hymnals, Matheson wrote a number of other fine hymns, including a very thoughtful text entitled “Make Me a Captive Lord, and Then I Shall Be Free.