How did Spafford
come to write the beloved hymn? Traveling to Europe, the Spafford girls and
their mother were involved in a shipwreck that implicated a British vessel. Will
Horatio Spafford lose his children or will they be saved from this tragic disaster? Why did he write the hymn? Who put the song to music?
The Spafford
girls and their mother were on the liner when
it rammed into a British vessel on November 21, 1873. Sadly, the ship sank in
twelve minutes. The crew of the Lochearn frantically looked for and found Anna, Horatio’s wife, floating unconsciously of a plank. Although the Lochearn was in danger as well,
they rescued her. A Trimountain cargo sailing vessel arrived on scene to save
the survivors. Nine days after the ship sailed Spafford obtained a telegram.
The liner the Spafford was on collided into a British vessel on November
21, 1873.
Spafford and
Anna lost their very-loved children. Tragically, 226 people along with their
four girls perished in the aftermath of the wreck. Complete despair was Anna’s
first reaction. As she was coming to consciousness, she heard a voice
articulate, “You were spared for a purpose.” Spafford traveled to be with his
wife. Years after the shipwreck, the couple’s life started becoming happy
again. Or was it? Anna happily delivered a son and name
him Horatio and also had a daughter whose
name was Bertha. Sadly, their son died at three years of age from scarlet
fever. Spafford and Anna sorrowfully had their children ripped away in a shipwreck.
When did
Spafford write the hymn? Upon sorrowfully receiving a telegram, which stated, “saved alone” went to his wife. Sailing over the
location, the captain stated, “A careful reckoning has been made and we believe
we are now passing over the area the ship went down. The water is 3 miles
deep.” Although Spafford was grieving over the loss of his children, after he
heard they were passing over the area, he went back to his cabin and began
writing the hymn. The first verse states:
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.
While passing
over the shipwreck Spafford wrote the beloved hymn.
Phillip Bliss
was deeply impacted by Horatio’s story. Bliss
was a composer for many songs. Impressed with Spafford’s life
and words to the hymn, he composed a piece of music. The song was published
by Bliss and Sankey in 1876. The reason Bliss was impressed by Horatio was that
through it all Spafford held to Romans 8:28. Phillip Bliss was
impacted greatly by Horatio’s story.
The S.S. Ville
De Havre wreck while sailing to Europe. After the
loss of their girls, the couple had two more children but tragically
lost their little boy at three years old from scarlet fever. Spafford’s life
was changed forever after the tragedies. Passing over the place his daughters
died he wrote “It Is Well With My Soul.”
Conclusion
When Spafford became a man, he received a job as a lawyer. Being
successful in his practice, he invested heavily in real estate, however,
everything changed after the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost everything
including Spafford’s investment. While traveling over to Europe to be with his
wife, he wrote the well-loved hymn, because of the loss of his children. As
long as they were in Europe things were going well. They were helping Moody
successfully and they had three children - one son and two daughters – however,
their son died at age three. In 1881 they moved to Jerusalem to help serve the
poor. Happily, they took their two daughters, who were born after the
shipwreck, with them.
Unfortunately, Spafford died
while he was in Jerusalem on October 16, 1888 - four days before his 60th
birthday. Horatio Gates Spafford is buried in Jerusalem, Israel. Spafford’s
life impressed and inspired many people especially Phillip Bliss. Phillip Bliss’s
impression and inspiration was because even though Spafford lost nearly
everything, he still had the willpower to trust in God and articulate “It is
well with my soul.”
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