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George Matheson
George Matheson (March 27, 1842 – August 28, 1906) was a Scottish preacher, hymn writer, and theologian whose ministry overcame blindness to inspire congregations across Scotland for over three decades. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, to George Matheson, a prosperous merchant, and Jane Matheson, his second cousin, he was the eldest of eight children. Educated at Glasgow Academy and the University of Glasgow—graduating with a B.A. in 1861 and an M.A. in 1862—he lost nearly all his sight by age 20 due to a degenerative condition, yet pursued divinity studies with his sisters’ aid, earning a Bachelor of Divinity by 1866. Matheson’s preaching career began as an assistant at Sandyford Parish Church in Glasgow in 1866, followed by his appointment as minister of Innellan Church on the Argyll coast in 1868, where he served for 18 years, earning fame as “Matheson of Innellan” for sermons memorized and delivered to crowds of up to 2,000. In 1886, he became pastor of St. Bernard’s Church in Edinburgh, ministering there until 1899 with a reputation for radiant faith despite his disability. His sermons, preserved on SermonIndex.net, and books like Unspoken Sermons and Studies in the Portrait of Christ blended theological depth with devotion, while his hymn “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” written in 1882, reflected personal sorrow after his sister’s wedding and a broken engagement due to his blindness. Never married, he died at age 64 in North Berwick, Scotland, from a stroke.
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Sermon Summary
George Matheson explores the concept of natural law in the context of God's providence, using the example of the east wind that brought locusts to Egypt as a means of deliverance for His people. He questions why God chose to use a natural phenomenon instead of a more direct intervention, emphasizing that divine actions often come through ordinary channels. Matheson encourages believers to recognize that God's answers to prayers may manifest in everyday occurrences and interactions, urging them to remain open to the ways God communicates through the natural world. He reassures that even when divine help seems delayed or indirect, it is still a manifestation of God's supreme power and care. Ultimately, he calls for a deeper awareness of the divine in the mundane aspects of life.
Scriptures
Natural Law
"The Lord brought an east wind...and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts" (Exod. 10:13). One is inclined to ask, Why bring the east wind at all? God was about to send a special providence for the deliverance of His people from Egypt. He was about to inflict the Egyptians with a plague of locusts. The locusts were to be His special providence, the evidence of His supreme power. Why then, does He not bring the locusts at once! Why evoke the intervention of an east wind! Would it not sound more majestic if it had simply been written, "God sent out a swarm of locusts created for the purpose of setting His people free"! Instead of that, the action of God takes the form of natural law, "The Lord brought an east wind; and, when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts." Why send His message in a common chariot when it might fly on heavenly wings! Is there not even something disappointing in the words "when it was morning"! Why should God's act have been so long in working the cure! Is not the whole passage an encouragement of men to say, "Oh, it was all done by natural causes"! Yes--and to add, "All natural causes are Divine causes." For, why is this passage written? It is just to tell us that when we see a Divine benefit coming through an east wind, or any other wind, we are not to say that on this account it comes less direct from God. It is just to tell us that when we ask God's help we ought to expect that the answer will be sent through natural channels, through human channels. It is just to tell us that when the actual heavens are silent we are not to say that there is no voice from our Father. We are to seek the answer to our prayers, not in an opening of the sky, not in an angel's wing, not in a mystic trance, but in the seeming accidents of every day--in the meeting with a friend, in the crossing of a street, in the hearing of a sermon, in the reading of a book, in the listening to a song, in the vision of a scene of beauty. We are to live in the solemn expectation that, any day of our lives, the things which environ us may become God's messengers.
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George Matheson (March 27, 1842 – August 28, 1906) was a Scottish preacher, hymn writer, and theologian whose ministry overcame blindness to inspire congregations across Scotland for over three decades. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, to George Matheson, a prosperous merchant, and Jane Matheson, his second cousin, he was the eldest of eight children. Educated at Glasgow Academy and the University of Glasgow—graduating with a B.A. in 1861 and an M.A. in 1862—he lost nearly all his sight by age 20 due to a degenerative condition, yet pursued divinity studies with his sisters’ aid, earning a Bachelor of Divinity by 1866. Matheson’s preaching career began as an assistant at Sandyford Parish Church in Glasgow in 1866, followed by his appointment as minister of Innellan Church on the Argyll coast in 1868, where he served for 18 years, earning fame as “Matheson of Innellan” for sermons memorized and delivered to crowds of up to 2,000. In 1886, he became pastor of St. Bernard’s Church in Edinburgh, ministering there until 1899 with a reputation for radiant faith despite his disability. His sermons, preserved on SermonIndex.net, and books like Unspoken Sermons and Studies in the Portrait of Christ blended theological depth with devotion, while his hymn “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” written in 1882, reflected personal sorrow after his sister’s wedding and a broken engagement due to his blindness. Never married, he died at age 64 in North Berwick, Scotland, from a stroke.