Like A River Glorious

In 1876, while vacationing in the south of Wales, Frances Havergal caught a severe cold and suffered inflammation of the lungs. Told she might die, her response was: “If I am really going, it is too good to be true.” Her friends were amazed at how peacefully she faced the prospect of dying. That same year, she wrote the hymn: Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace.

Three years later, while meeting some boys to talk with them about the Lord, she ran into cold, wet weather and became chilled. As her fever grew worse, her family became alarmed. It gradually became apparent that Frances, 42, was dying. On Whitsunday, as one of her doctors left the room, he said, “Goodbye, I shall not see you again.”  “Then you really think I am going?” asked Frances. “Yes.”  “Today?”  “Probably.”  “Beautiful,” said Frances. “Too good to be true.” A little later she whispered, “Come, Lord Jesus, come and fetch me.” Frances’ sister later wrote: “Then she looked up steadfastly, as if she saw the Lord. Surely nothing less heavenly could have reflected such a glorious radiance upon her face. For ten minutes we watched that almost visible meeting with her King, and her countenance was so glad, as if she were already talking to Him! Then she tried to sing, but after one sweet, high note, “HE-,” her voice failed and her brother commended her soul into the Redeemer’s hand.”