It Is Well With My Soul

It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio G. Spafford 1828-1888

Philip P. Bliss 1838-1876

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, with my soul,
It is well, It is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, Tho' 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, O the bliss of this glorious tho't,
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.

3 John 2
Psalm 46:1

This hymn was written following a series of major traumatic events in the life of Horatio G. Spafford. The first was the death of his son. Shortly after the death of his son came the great Chicago fire of October 1871. Spafford had invested heavily in real estate along the shores of Lake Michigan and his holdings were wiped out by this disaster. Feeling a need for a vacation for his family and desiring to join his friends D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey in an evangelistic campaign in Great Britain, Spafford planned a European trip for his family in 1873. Due to a last minute business development, he remained in Chicago and sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the S. S. Ville du Havere. His plan was to join them a few days later. While crossing the Atlantic, their ship was struck by another ship and sank in a matter of minutes. All four of Spafford’s daughters died in the tragic accident. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write the words to this beautiful hymn. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief may befall them on earth.

Philip P. Bliss was so impressed with Spafford's text that he very shortly wrote the music for it. The hymn tune is named Villa du Havere after the ship on which Spafford’s children perished. Ironically, Bliss himself died in a tragic train wreck shortly after writing this music. He survived the initial impact, but died when he went back into the flames in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue his wife.