Francis was born in a village north of London (UK). The family later moved up to Hull. Samuel returned to London as a teenager looking for work, and his life was at such a low ebb that, as he was walking over Hungerford bridge, he was tempted to throw himself into the Thames and commit suicide. Instead God met with him, and his life was changed and from then onwards he served the Lord. Although he was a merchant man by trade his real passion was for preaching for the Plymouth Brethren and hymn writing. ‘O the deep deep love of Jesus ..’ being perhaps his best known.
1.
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 Thy glorious rest above!
2.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o’er them from the throne!
3.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
’Tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
’Tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee.
*******