The Moving Story Behind the Hymn ‘It is Well with My Soul’

Today in history, 1873, the steamship Ville du Havre was struck by an iron sailing vessel while crossing the Atlantic. 246 people died, including the four daughters of Chicago lawyer Horatio Spafford. His wife Anna survived. Just two years earlier their four-year-old son died of scarlet fever, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 financially ruined him.

While sailing the Atlantic to reunite with his wife after the death of their girls, he penned the beloved hymn, It Is Well with My Soul (the original manuscript is pictured to the right).

Here is Mars Hill on his life:

(ht: Justin Taylor)

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4 Responses to “The Moving Story Behind the Hymn ‘It is Well with My Soul’”

1. Tweets that mention The Moving Story Behind the Hymn ‘It is Well with My Soul’- Irish Calvinist -- Topsy.com says:

   November 21, 2009 at 2:27 pm

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Wesley Thompson and Christ Community, Erik Raymond. Erik Raymond said: The Moving Story Behind the Hymn 'It is Well with My Soul' http://is.gd/50t7T [...]
2. Michele says:

   November 24, 2009 at 2:33 pm

   OK, I hate to be the wet-blanket, but I’ve also heard that Horatio went nuts at the end of his life and thought had delusions of being Jesus. Have you ever heard that version?
3. Erik says:

   November 24, 2009 at 5:45 pm

   Hadn’t heard that Michele. H
4. Samuel Watterson says:

   November 25, 2009 at 8:38 am

   Yep. Ditto about Spafford going bonkers.