Horatio Spafford was a prominent American lawyer and Presbyterian church elder who was a close friend of evangelist D. lL Moody. He is best known for penning the Christian hymn; It Is Well With My Soul, following a family tragedy in which his four daughters died aboard the S.S. Ville du Havre on a transatlantic voyage to Europe. They were traveling to Europe to attend a Moody Crusade.
On November 22, 1873, the ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel, killing 226 people, including all four of Spafford's daughters: Annie, age 12; Maggie, 7; Bessie, 4; and an 18-month-old baby. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford that read "Saved alone." As Spafford sailed to England to join his wife, he wrote the powerful hymn sung today in many church services, Is Well with My Soul. After Anna was rescued, Pastor Nathaniel Weiss, one of the ministers traveling with the surviving group, remembered hearing Anna say, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”
After receiving Anna’s message, Horatio set off at once to be reunited with his wife. On one day during the voyage, the captain summoned Horatio to the bridge of the vessel. Pointing to his charts, he explained that they were then passing over the very spot where the Ville du Havre had sunk, and where his daughters had died. It is said that Spafford returned to his cabin and wrote the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul”
Following the tragic loss of four of their children, Anna gave birth to three more children; Bertha, Grace and son, Horatio, who died of scarlet fever at the age of three. The Spafford's also suffered another tragedy October 1871, when a massive fire swept through downtown Chicago, devastating the city, including many properties owned by Horatio Spafford. That day, almost 300 people died, and around 100,000 were made homeless. Despite their own substantial financial loss, the Spafford's sought to demonstrate the love of Christ, by helping those who were grief-stricken and in great need.
After suffering through these tragedies, and after a decade of financial loss and personal grief Spafford began to move away from material success toward a life of spiritual pilgrimage he helped build and hosted prayer meetings which was dubbed the press of that day as "the Overcomers." in 1881, the Spafford's moved to Jerusalem to set up an American colony of Christian believers. Horatio Gates Spafford died of malaria in 1888 in Jerusalem. His wife Anna followed his death in 1923, survived by the two daughters who were born after the shipwreck tragedy that changed their lives.
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.
(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (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 hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)
And Lord haste the day, when the 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. (Refrain)
- Horatio G. Spafford, 1828-1888
I WILL PRAISE HIM WHILE I HAVE MY BEING
"On Thursday last we passed over the spot where she went down in mid-ocean, the water three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe, folded, the dear lambs, and there, before very long, shall we be too. In the meantime, thanks to God, we have an opportunity to serve and praise Him for His love and mercy to us and ours. I will praise Him while I have my being. May we each one arise, leave all, and follow Him."
- Horatio Spafford (1828-1873) American Evangelist, Lawyer and Writer
COUNT IT ALL JOY
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
- James 1:2-4
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