History is full of tragedy and full of people who seem to have had more than their fair share of misfortune. One such person was Horatio Spafford, an American lawyer and the author of “It is Well with My Soul.” For over a century this hymn, set to music by Philip bliss, has been an inspiration to those in dark times.
Horatio Spafford was born in New York state in 1828 and worked is a prominent lawyer in Chicago until a series of tragedies struck him and his wife Anna beginning in 1871. That year, their only son died suddenly. Shortly thereafter, Horatio was rendered financially destitute when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed much of the real estate in which he had invested a large portion of his wealth. Given that this occurred at a time long before the government would have dreamed of assisting the victims of such a tragedy, he never quite recovered financially.
The fire did not take away his abilities as a lawyer, however, so Horatio continued working and was able to provide a reasonably comfortable living for his wife and their surviving children, four daughters. In 1873, Horatio decided that the family needed a holiday and planned a trip by boat to England were he planned to listen to the preaching of his friend D.L. Moody, then on a preaching tour of England. Horatio was delayed at the last minute by business, however, and was forced to send his wife and girls ahead without him. He planned to follow shortly. He never saw his daughters alive.
While crossing the Atlantic, the ship that carried the Spafford family, the S.S. Ville Du Havre collided with another ship and sank. Anna survived, but her four children drowned in the wreck. When she finally made it to England, Anna sent her husband a telegram telling him what had happened. It began, “saved alone.” What a shock this must have been to Spafford. Surely, he expected the telegram to say “arrived safely” or “come soon.” Instead, it informed him that all of his remaining children were dead.
Horatio soon boarded a ship to rendezvous with his wife. While crossing the Atlantic near the spot where his children had drowned, he penned the words to the hymn “It is Well with My Soul.” The words were later put to music by Philip Bliss, and it has been sung by churches ever since and continues to be an inspiration to those facing hard times. As Horatio Spafford so eloquently put it, Òwhatever my lotÉit is well with my soul.Ó
These are the words to “It Is Well with My Soul”
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
