Horatio Spafford House

Hymn History: It Is Well With My Soul

Author: Horatio Spafford

“One of the most comforting and triumphant expressions of faith in the entire hymnody of the
Christian church.”
(Kenneth W. Osbeck)

The beloved hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” was born out of one of the most profound personal tragedies in American Christian history. Its author, Horatio Spafford, was a successful lawyer and devoted Presbyterian layman in Chicago. A close friend of evangelist Dwight L. Moody, Spafford was deeply involved in Christian work during a time of great spiritual awakening in the United States.

Yet behind the hymn’s calm assurance lies a series of crushing losses. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city, destroying much of Spafford’s real estate investments and bringing serious financial hardship. Even more painful was the earlier death of his young son from scarlet fever. Despite these trials, Spafford and his wife, Anna, sought to rest their hope firmly in God’s providence.

In 1873, desiring rest and spiritual refreshment, the Spaffords planned a family trip to Europe. Business concerns delayed Horatio’s departure, so he sent his wife and four daughters ahead by ship, intending to follow shortly thereafter. On November 22, 1873, their vessel, the French liner Ville du Havre, collided with another ship in the Atlantic Ocean and sank within minutes. Of the 226 passengers aboard, 152 perished. All four of Spafford’s daughters were among the dead.

Anna Spafford survived the disaster and was rescued unconscious from the water. Upon reaching Wales, she sent her husband a brief and heartbreaking telegram: “Saved alone.” Horatio immediately set sail to join her. During his voyage across the Atlantic, the captain reportedly informed him when they were passing near the spot where his daughters had drowned. It was there, amid immeasurable sorrow, that Spafford penned the words that would become “It Is Well with My Soul.”

The opening lines are remarkable in their restraint and trust:

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.

Rather than denying grief, the hymn acknowledges it plainly—“sorrows like sea billows roll.” Yet it also affirms a settled confidence in God’s sovereignty. The peace described is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of divine assurance in the midst of it. That conviction reflects the sturdy, Scripture-rooted faith that characterized much of nineteenth-century evangelical Christianity.

The hymn was later set to music by Philip Paul Bliss, a prominent gospel composer and associate of Moody. Bliss’s strong, steady melody perfectly complements the text’s firm declaration of trust. First published in 1876, the hymn quickly spread through revival meetings and church services on both sides of the Atlantic.

In subsequent years, the Spaffords endured further hardship, including financial struggles and misunderstanding from some within their religious circles. Eventually they moved to Jerusalem, where they devoted themselves to Christian service. Yet the hymn endures as the clearest testimony of Horatio Spafford’s faith.

“It Is Well with My Soul” remains one of the most cherished hymns in the English-speaking church. Its enduring power lies in its authenticity. It was not written from comfort, but from deep waters. It speaks to generations who have faced loss, reminding them that peace is not found in circumstances, but in confidence that Christ has “regarded my helpless estate” and shed His own blood for the soul.

In that conviction, sorrow does not have the final word. Faith does.

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Image Source/Credit:
• Photograph of Home of Anna and Horatio Gates Spafford, Lake View (Chicago), Illinois – PICRYL – Public Domain Media Search Engine Public Domain Image. 18 Feb. 2025 (itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/media/photograph-of-home-of-anna-and-horatio-gates-spafford-lake-view-chicago-illinois-080613