It Is Well With My Soul

It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio G. Spafford

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."

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, It is well, with 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!

It is well, with my soul,

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

O, 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.

It is well, with my soul,

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

Horatio Spafford wrote this song in 1873 after he had suffered from many losses. He lost a fortune in real estate in the Chicago fire of 1871 and around the same time lost his only son (age 4) to scarlet fever. He decided to vacation to Europe (and to go visit D. L. Moody) with his wife and four daughters. He was detained in New York but decided to send his family on ahead. During the trip, their ship collided with another vessel and sank within two hours. He received a telegram from his wife saying, "Saved. Alone." He had lost all four of his daughters. On the trip to join his wife he said to himself, "It is well; the will of God be done." He later wrote this famous hymn.