One cold, rainy night in London in 1853, nineteen-year-old Samuel T. Francis stood on a bridge over the Thames River. After the death of his father, he’d withdrawn from the medical apprenticeship that his father had chosen for him, and he didn’t have any direction for his life. He was in poor health and experienced deep loneliness. Staring down into the icy waters, he was tempted to throw himself into the waters to end his misery.
As a child, Samuel enjoyed music and poetry and joined the church choir when he was only nine years old. That night on the bridge, the Lord confronted Samuel with his need for a renewed relationship with Him. His surrender to the Lord transformed his life and gave him purpose. Francis spent some time as a merchant in London, but he wrote hymns and did open-air preaching during the rest of his life. He also traveled around the world as a preacher in the Plymouth Brethren Church. At the age of 92, Samuel Francis went to be with the Lord in 1925.
“O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus,” written in 1875, is the most well-known hymn that Francis wrote. The inspiring tune “Ebenezer” was written by the Welsh organist and choir director Thomas J. Williams. Francis’ powerful imagery sung to this tune makes this hymn a great proclamation and testimony of Christ’s immeasurable love.
The original eight stanzas of the hymn picture the vastness of Jesus’ love as an unfathomable ocean. This testimony of Francis’ life-changing experience that night on the bridge shows the power of Christ’s love in one’s life, regardless of how hopeless one’s circumstances may seem. The Apostle Paul describes the love of Christ: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19).
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free;
Rolling as a mighty ocean In its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me, Is the current of thy love;
Leading onward, leading homeward, To my glorious rest above. - O the deep, deep love of Jesus, None can tell the reason why
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Spread his praise from shore to shore,
How he loveth, ever loveth, Changeth never, never more;
How he watches o'er his loved ones, Died to call them all his is own,
How for them he intercedeth, Watcheth o'er them from the throne.
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Love of ev’ry love the best,
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'Tis a haven sweet of rest;
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Ah! when standing by his side,
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ‘Tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me,
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ‘Twould take ages to explore
- O the deep, deep love of Jesus, It will soon be satisfied,
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