Horatio Gates Spafford
Born October 20, 1828 New York.
Died October 16, 1888 Jerusalem.
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL: 2 Kings 4:26.
Died October 16, 1888 Jerusalem.
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL: 2 Kings 4:26.
Horatio married Anna Larsen, a Norwegian on September 5, 1861 and the union was blessed with four lovely daughters. He was a prominent lawyer, a senior partner in a large thriving law firm in Chicago and a devout Presbyterian church elder. He was a friend and a great supporter of the famous Evangelist D L Moody. He had invested extensively in real estate north of an expanding Chicago early in 1871. However, on October 8 of the same year a great conflagration, (The Chicago Fire) broke out, devastated the entire city killing 300 people. Horatio’s huge investment was consumed in the inferno. In late 1873, Horatio scheduled a boat trip to Britain with his wife and four daughters for a much needed holiday to get away from all the stress of the disaster, and also join D L Moody who was on an evangelistic tour of Britain at that time. Spafford sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of a last minute business development, with plans to join them later.
In November Spafford received news that the ‘Ville du Havre’ encountered a collision near England, drowning 226 passengers including his 4 daughters. His wife was one of 27 survivors of the disaster. In Chicago, Horatio received a telegram from his wife: ‘Saved alone, what shall I do now?’ On board the next ship to bring his grieving wife home, the Captain called Spafford to the bridge as they passed over the spot where the Ville du Havre had sank. Overcome with intense grief, he went back to his cabin and penned the words to the hymn, “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL.”
It was beautifully set to music by P P Bliss and remains one of the best loved and most sung hymns in the English hymnody. The Spaffords later had 3 other children, including a son who tragically died at age 4 in Feb 1881. It was reported that their Presbyterian church regarded their series of tragedies as a divine punishment. This led to their leaving the church to form their own sect which they called ‘The Overcomers’. In August 1881, the Spaffords moved with their remaining two daughters and a company of thirteen adults to Jerusalem where they engaged in philanthropic work among the people in Jerusalem regardless of their religious affiliation, with no intention to preach or proselyte the locals.
It is difficult to conceive the notion that a man so greatly devoted to the LORD, considered the Job of the 19th century, whose comforting words after such intense loss have touched millions of souls, would miss it towards the end of his life. Only eternity will tell. For now, ‘IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL’ keeps the memory of Horatio Gates Spafford alive!
1.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!”
2.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.
3.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!
4.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”
5.For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;
If dark hours about me shall roll
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul!”
2.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.
3.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!
4.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”
5.For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;
If dark hours about me shall roll
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
PRAYERS:
- Stanza 1 – 2 Kings 4: 23, 26. To all the questions the woman was asked, her reply was, "t is well."
- Stanza 2 – Job 1: 20-22. Job fell to the ground and worshipped. He said ‘blessed be the name of the LORD. He did not sin or charge God with wrong.
- Stanza 3 – Matt. 16: 26, 1 Thess 4:13-14. In the heart of his grief for his physical loss, this brother remembers the great sacrifice Christ paid to redeem his soul which is of eternal value. He also sees his young daughters in the bosom of the Saviour, so he would not allow himself to sorrow like those who have no hope.
- Stanza 4 – Acts 1: 9-11, 1 Thess 4: 15-17, 1 John 3: 2-3. A joyful, hopeful looking forward to the appearing of our Christ in the sky, to be with the Lord and our loved ones forever. Hallelujah!
- Stanza 5 – Gal 2: 20, Phil 1: 20-23. Even like Paul, for this brother, physical death was of no consequence. It is only a transition to the presence of the LORD, therefore death becomes an advantage!
- Please LORD, help us not to be like Job’s friends who, instead of comforting him, added to his grief with their judgemental attitude towards a man that was already down.
- Dear LORD, please, help us to keep brotherly love alive so that when a brother seems to be missing the mark, Your love should compel us to labour to restore rather than castigate them and blame You for punishing them with some disaster.
