“Like a River Glorious”: Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn of perfect peace
A river does not stand still. It flows, widens and deepens as it travels. Frances Ridley Havergal used that image to describe the peace God gives his people. “Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,” she wrote, “over all victorious in its bright increase.” Published in 1874, the hymn draws on the promise of perfect peace in the book of Isaiah, and it has comforted believers facing illness, grief and uncertainty ever since.
Havergal, her faith and the river
Havergal was born in 1836 in England, the daughter of a clergyman. She was a gifted musician, linguist and poet who wrote many hymns. She experienced a deep spiritual renewal in her thirties, which shaped her later hymns. She also wrote “Take My Life and Let It Be”. The hymn is based on Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.”
The first verse describes peace that is “perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day”, a paradox that suggests growth without lack.
Stayed upon Jehovah
The refrain declares, “Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest; finding, as he promised, perfect peace and rest.” The second verse speaks of being “hidden in the hollow of his blessed hand”, safe from worry and enemies. The third verse says that “every joy or trial falleth from above”, trusting God in all circumstances. Havergal suffered from poor health and died in 1879 at the age of 42.
The hymn is usually sung to a tune by James Mountain, a minister who worked in evangelism. The hymn is sung in churches across denominations, especially in times of difficulty.
In Africa and her other hymns
African hymnals include it in several languages. Where do you need peace that flows deeper than circumstances? Havergal wrote many hymns and devotional books, including “I Gave My Life for Thee” and “Who Is on the Lord’s Side?”. Her writing combined careful craftsmanship with personal devotion, and she was also an accomplished singer and pianist.
The hymn is often sung slowly and gently. Havergal knew illness and early death. She still wrote about a peace that grows fuller every day, and congregations keep singing it when they need that peace most.
