When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
ReplyDeleteHoracio Spafford had sent his family ahead of him to Europe in 1873,
while he remained behind a few days to care for business. A few days
later the ship in which they were travelling collided with another
ship and sank. His four daughters from 11 to 2 years all drown in the
tragedy, only his wife survived the ordeal. On his way to France to
meet his wife the captain showed him where the ship sank. Standing on
the bridge of the ship weeping and contemplating the loss of his
precious daughters, he was moved with words from deep within.
Returning to his cabin he wrote the poetic words of this heartfelt
song, "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrow like sea
billows roll, whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say, It is well,
It is well with my soul." To add to their grief just a few years
before the Chicago fire wiped out Spafford's real estate holdings and
in 1871 their fourteen year old son died of scarlet fever. Christian
friends accused them of some great secret sin that caused these
tragedies to come on them resulting in the family being asked to leave
the church. P.P. Bliss, the composer of the music, similarly was a man
of suffering when in 1874 while traveling by train in Ohio, a bridge
gave way and the train plunged into the icy river below bursting into
flames. He escaped through a window but returned to try to rescue his
wife and both died in the fire. This hymn of faith in the midst of
tragedy has ministered to untold millions who have suffered in this
life.
What a heartbreaking story! And what a true, strong faith to still be able to honestly say, "it is well with my soul."
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