Be Thou My Vision - Trusting Like a Blind Man

By Tammy L. Hensel

His hunger for knowledge consumed him. Day and night he studied Scripture, history, and literature. But he paid a heavy price to quench this hunger. While still a young man, he lost his eyesight forever. He could have felt betrayed. Instead, he bowed to God and cried out: Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart.”

Thus Irish folk legend gives us the origin of the great hymn Be Thou My Vision, ascribing the words to the 6th century monk and poet known as, Saint Dallán Forgaill, whose name meant “the blind man of eloquence.” The words of this magnificent hymn resounded in Irish churches for centuries, first as part of monastic liturgy, and then sung to an Irish folk tune called “Slane.” Although the composer remains unknown, the music originated around the 8th century. The title suggests it commemorates a famous confrontation between Saint Patrick and the High King Logaire of Tara at Slane Hill in 433. Irish linguist Mary Elizabeth Byrne translated the lyrics into the English in 1905 for the rendition we know today.

Despite his disability, Saint Dallán held a position of great power and influence as Chief Ollam (Bard) of Ireland and a church scholar. The Bardic tradition goes back to the pre-Christian days when Druid poets kept the history and genealogy of the particular king or chieftain they served. When Saint Patrick converted the nation to Christianity, he incorporated poetic forms into his own writings and encouraged its use to spread the gospel. (See my blog on Saint Patrick http://dedicatedwriter.blogspot.com/search/label/St.%20Patrick) From time to time, both before and after the nation’s conversion, disreputable bards and their followers took advantage of their positions, causing unrest among the people. This happened during Saint Dallán’s time. He worked successfully to reform the Order of Bards, which kept the king from expelling them from the country. Tradition says that Saint Dallán died during a pirate raid while visiting the Monastery of Inneskeel at Donegal.

Of course, we do not know at what point in his life Saint Dallán wrote the words to Be Thou My Vision, if he is indeed the author. But keeping his story in mind, listen to the video below. He offers every thought and emotion to the Lord—his discouragement in his blindness; his thirst for knowledge; his fears in life’s battles; and his pride at earthly accomplishments. In the end he joyously receives the victory, no longer blind, but rejoicing in the light of heaven.

Blog Copyright by Tammy L. Hensel, 2014, All Rights Reserved.





Sources:
http://www.hymntime.com

http://be-thou-my-vision.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dall%C3%A1n_Forgaill

http://lookingatdata.com/d/143-dallan-forgaill.html

http://www.irelandhistory.org/st-patrick-to-the-norse-invasions/the-schools.html

http://www.newmanconnection.com/faith/saint/saint-dallan-forgail

Macmanus, Seumas, The Story of the Irish Race, Old Saybroook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 1921)

Jesus Paid It All - In Full!

Jesus Paid It All – In Full!
By Tammy L. Hensel
Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved

What would you do if you had a benefactor who paid your bills for you every month so that every statement you received was stamped Paid-In-Full? How amazing that would be!

So much more amazing is the fact that our debt of sin has been Paid-In-Full by Christ’s death on the Cross. That is the truth that inspired Elvina Marble Reynolds Hall (Meyers) to pen the words to Jesus Paid It All.

Jesus Paid It All
Words by Elvina Hall
Music by John T. Grape

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Elvina Hall was born June 4, 1822 in Alexandria, VA. None of my sources listed her mother’s name, but her father was Capt. David Reynolds. She married Richard Hall and they were active members of Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore.

One Sunday in the spring of 1865, she was overwhelmed during the sermon with the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice in her behalf. The words to a poem of thanksgiving formed in her mind, so she wrote them on the flyleaf of her hymnal. Although a little sheepish for writing in the church hymnbook, she presented it to her pastor, Reverend George Schreck’s, following the service. (My sources varied on the spelling of this name. I found it as Schreck, Schnick, Schrick)

We do not know the exact text of Rev. Schreck’s sermon that day, but there are many Bible verses that correlate with the message of this hymn. The verses that first came to my mind reading over these lyrics were:

1 John 1:2
And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Some days later Schreck went to visit the church choir director, John T. Grape, a successful coal merchant and amateur musician/composer. Grape played for him a tune he had written and Schreck thought it went perfectly with Hall’s poem. Grape wrote about the event:

Rev. George W. Schreck called on me to select anything new that I had to offer. On hearing this piece he expressed his plea sure with it and stated that Mrs. Elvina M. Hall had written some words that would just suit the music. I gave him a copy of it and it was soon sung in several churches here in Baltimore [Maryland] and well received. At the suggestion of friends I sent a copy to Professor Theodore Perkins and it was published in Sabbath Carols. Under the providence of God it has been going ever since. I trust that it has not failed to accomplish some good to my fellowmen for the glory of God. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm

After her husband Richard’s death, Hall married a Methodist minister, Thomas Myers in 1885. She died at Ocean Grove, NJ, on July 18, 1889. Other than the story of her writing of this hymn, I found little else about her life. John T. Grape was born in Baltimore Maryland May 6, 1835 and died there November 2, 1915. Besides being choir director and organist for the church, he was also very involved in the Sunday school.


VIDEO: I was hoping to find a video with all the verses, but couldn’t find one. I chose this video because I think these young people did an excellent job.

"Jesus Paid It All" - MS Baptist All-State Youth Choir & Orchestra 2008



SOURCES:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/p/jpaidall.htm

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/g/r/a/grape_jt.htm

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/h/a/l/hall_em.htm

http://rgbaptist.org/wordpress/2007/09/11/jesus-paid-it-all-hymn-story/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/566530/

http://www.songtime.org/hymn/hymn0404.htm

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/jesus-paid-it-all.htm

http://www.gospelpiano.com/articles/jesus-paid-it-all-55.htm

Even Babies Sing "To God Be The Glory"

By Tammy L. Hensel
Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved

It is a snapshot etched in my memory. We were visiting my grandmother for the day and my two young sons went outside to play. My oldest was somewhere between 4 and 5 years old and his brother barely walking. So I was keeping a strict watch on them from the window. Suddenly I discovered they were out of my line of vision. Heart pounding I raced outside to be sure they hadn't found a way out of the enclosed backyard. As I turned the corner of the house my worry changed into great joy.

"Praise Lord . . . praise Lord," I heard my oldest singing at the top of his voice as he stood in front of his brother waving his hand like a choir director. My baby sat on a log and though he couldn't say the words he joined in with enthusiastic "Ah, ah, ah, ah," clearly following the tune to the chorus of "To God Be The Glory." Oh, how their sweet young voices thrilled my heart!

Here are the beautiful words my youngsters were singing in their young hearts, even if they couldn't really master their articulation:

“To God Be The Glory”
Words By Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)
Music: By W. Howard Doane (1832-1915)

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Known as one of the most prolific American hymn writers, Frances Jane Crosby (Fanny) was already one of the most famous published American women poets of her time before she ever penned her first hymn at age 41. Hers was an amazing life and one well worth studying. As I will cover more of her hymns in this series, I will share bits and pieces of what I have discovered about her in each one.

Fanny was blinded at age 6 months by the mistreatment of a an eye infection by an incompetent doctor. Her father died when she was only one year old and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. She began writing poetry at age 8 and published her first book at age 24. She was also a teacher at the New York School for the Blind and a popular speaker. Before her death at age 92, she had authored somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000 hymns and more than 1,000 secular poems and songs. The exact number of her hymns is unknown because of the practice of hymnbook editors of assigning pen names. For some reason the editors felt they should not use too many hymns by the same person, so often used pseudonyms to disguise their favorite writers. Fanny was published under more than 200 different names.

To God Be The Glory was one of several hymns on which Fanny collaborated with composer W. Howard Doane. Besides being a prolific composer of more than 2,000 hymns, Doane was also a successful businessman and inventor. He was president of the J. A. Fay woodworking machinery company, and patented more than 70 inventions.

I could not find any information on how or when Fanny and Doane met, but apparently it became common for Doane to bring a composition to play for Fanny. As she listened to the music the lyrics began to form in her heart. While the inspiration behind some of their hymns are preserved through letters and memoirs of Fanny, Doane, and people who knew them the writing of "To God Be The Glory" is a mystery. There is simply no mention of it.

Although we do not know if there was a particular verse or passage of which Fanny was thinking when she penned the hymn, its theme is found throughout scripture. God has done great and wonderful things, the very greatest of which is the gift of His Son as our redeemer.

He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. Deuteronomy 10:21 (KJV)

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV)

We do not know exactly what year the hymn was written, but Ira Sankey, songleader for D. L. Moody, used it at a crusade in England in 1873 and included it in his Sacred Songs and Solos, published in 1874 in England, but not in his American version Gospel Hymns. Its first publication in America was in the 1875 collection Brightest and Best compiled by Doane and Robert Lowry It was picked up by a few other American hymnals in the following years, but for the most part remained unknown to American churches.

Then a little over 80 years after Sankey used it in England, it was chosen by songleader, Cliff Barrows for Billy Graham's 1954 London Crusade.

It was suggested that we include "To God Be The Glory" in a song-book we were compiling for the London crusade of 1954. Because of its strong text of praise and its attractive melody, I agreed. We introduced the hymn during the early days of those meetings in Harringay Arena. As a result, Billy Graham asked that we repeat it often because he was impressed with the enthusiastic participation of the audience. In the closing weeks of the crusade it became our theme hymn, repeated almost every night. The words well expressed our praise to God, who was doing wondrous things in Britain. http://www.sermonaudio.com/hymn_details.asp?PID=togodbetheglory

Popular gospel singer George Beverly Shea sang the song the next year at Graham's Toronto Crusade and soon it became one of his standards. His tender rendition propelled it into popularity and it soon became a well-loved hymn sung in churches everywhere.

I looked on YouTube to see if I could find a video of Shea singing the song, but there wasn't one. However, I think the video below does justice to this truly inspirational hymn.




Sources:
http://hymntime.com/tch/bio/c/r/o/crosby_fj.htm

http://hymntime.com/tch/bio/d/o/a/doane_wh.htm

http://www.squidoo.com/To-God-Be-the-Glory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Crosby

http://www.joyfulministry.com/togodt.htm

http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=83

http://www.sermonaudio.com/hymn_details.asp?PID=togodbetheglory

http://www.gaffneyledger.com/news/2008-04-04/Columns/Stories_Behind_The_Hymns.html

http://www.pdmusic.org/biographies/Doane%20William%20Howard%20Doane.pdf

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hymnstudies/621407/

Cherishing The Old Rugged Cross

By Tammy L. Hensel
Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved

The Old Rugged Cross has been called one of the most beloved hymns written in the 20th century. In fact I am writing this blog by special request from one of my faithful readers who wrote me of his love for it. I am so glad he asked me to review it, as I have been very blessed by my research on the song and its author. Both the lyrics and the music were written by Rev. George Bennard (1873-1958).

Here are the beloved lyrics:

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross
Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Bennard, who was born in Ohio and raised in Iowa, made a confession of faith in Christ at a Salvation Army meeting sometime before the age of sixteen. When he was that age, his father died and he had to help support his mother and sisters. This delayed, but did not derail, his ambition to become an evangelist. After he married, he and his wife became brigade leaders for the Salvation Army in Illinois, until he was ordained as a minister in the Episcopal Methodist Church. Finally, his dream came true, as he joined the revival circuit as a travelling evangelist in Michigan and New York.

While in preparation for a series of revivals in 1913, Bennard was overwhelmed by the incredible sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It helped him to see his own trials in a new perspective. "'I saw the Christ of the Cross as if I were seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form and act out the meaning of redemption,' he said later." (http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/DAILYF/2002/06/daily-06-07-2002.shtml)

John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV

Another related verse mentioned in a couple of my sources as inspiration for the hymn is 1 Peter 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. KJV

Bennard wrote the music on that day, but the only lyric that came out of his anguished soul was "I'll cherish the old rugged cross." He said later that he struggled for weeks for just the right words to express his deep spiritual experience. He wrote: "I composed the melody first The words that I first wrote were imperfect. The words of the finished hymn were put into my heart in answer to my own need." (101 Hymn Stories, p.255)

He sang his finished work for the first time at a revival meeting in the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Pokagon. Mich., with the church choir joining him from his penciled notes.
The old church is now on the National Historic Register known as The Original Old Rugged Cross Church. It was restored and is maintained by The Old Rugged Cross Foundation. It had served as a barn by a farmer who bought it from the church when they moved to a new location.

Below is a YouTube video from the Gaither Israel Homecoming DVD filmed on Golgotha hill. I only wish they had included more verses of this truly great hymn that will be cherished for many years to come.



Sources:
101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck (1982 Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan, p. 254-256)

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/b/e/n/bennard_g.htm

http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/DAILYF/2002/06/daily-06-07-2002.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Rugged_Cross

http://www.albionmich.com/history/histor_notebook/930405.shtml

http://www.the-oldruggedcross.org/history.htm

JOY TO THE WORLD - HE CAME AND HE IS COMING AGAIN!

JOY TO THE WORLD - HE CAME AND HE IS COMING AGAIN!

By Tammy L. Hensel
Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved

In a sermon during the Christmas season last year, our pastor mentioned that the Christmas carol Joy To the World, penned by Isaac Watts, was actually written about the SECOND coming of Christ, not the first. Intrigued by that claim, I decided to research Isaac Watts and the song.

Watts was one of the most prolific hymn lyricists of all times, having written more than 750 hymns. He was also a theologian and logician, writing many articles and books on these subjects, including a logic textbook.

Joy to the World was part of a book The Psalms of David published in 1719, in which he paraphrased several Psalms in his own lyrical style. Lowell Mason used an adaptation of portions of Handel’s Messiah to give the poem its present tune. Mason’s original name for his music composition was Antioch, but in 1839, it appeared in a collection he edited as Joy to the World with the Watts poem as lyrics.

JOY TO THE WORLD

Words by Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748)

Music by Lowell Mason (1792 – 1872)

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Watts’ inspiration for this particular poem was Psalm 98, which prophesizes the coming of Messiah as victorious king and judge.

Psalm 98 (KJV)

O sing unto the LORD a new song;

For he hath done marvellous things:

His right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The LORD hath made known His salvation:

His righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel:

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth:

Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Sing unto the LORD with the harp;

With the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

With trumpets and sound of cornet

Make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;

Tthe world, and they that dwell therein.

Let the floods clap their hands:

Let the hills be joyful together

Before the LORD; for He cometh to judge the earth:

With righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.

When you think of the lyrics as relating to Psalm 98 and the second coming, it makes the message even clearer. In the time between His first advent and His second, the hearts of men are being prepared to welcome Him with joyful praise. In fact all the earth will praise and welcome Him.

Phil. 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The curse on the earth will be broken. Sin and sorrow will no longer reign throughout the earth or in the heart of man. It is a beautiful message filled with the "wonders of His love."

Revelation 19:7-9 7 "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

What a wonderful day that will be! The joy in the Lord we have today is but a foreshadowing of the joy we will have that day. This is the wonderful truth Isaac Watts so brilliantly wrote about in his lyric. I encourage you to sing this song not just at Christmas, but all year long to proclaim - JOY TO THE WORLD - HE CAME AND HE IS COMING AGAIN!

References.

http://www.answers.com/topic/isaac-watts

http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Isaac-Watts

http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Joy-to-the-world

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/joy_to_the_world-1.htm

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/w/a/t/watts_i.htm

http://www.surfinthespirit.com/music/joy.html

http://www.jesuswalk.com/psalms/psalms-worship.htm

Hymn Series - It Is Well With My Soul

INTRO

Last year a friend sent me a link to a wonderful site called the Cyber Hymnal, which is now called Hymn Time www.hymntime.com. It has thousands of wonderful church hymns, many which I have loved for years, and hundreds of which I have never heard.

As much as I love contemporary praise music, I think it is sad that we are losing these great hymns in our worship. They are so rich in doctrine and speak of great struggles and victories. So I hope especially my younger readers, will take some time to listen and appreciate these classic worship songs.

A few months ago I began copying the words of a hymn and posting it on my Myspace Dedicated To Christ profile. I tried to change it every couple of weeks or so. Now I feel led to post these hymns as a blog series instead on both my Myspace blog and here. I will include brief histories of the hymns and the writers and composers. I will also add a Scripture reference and a little about how each hymn encourages me. When I can find a video on YouTube I will add it also.

(I know I promised that my next blog series would be on the subject of prayer, and I will still pursue that as I have time. It will take more preparation than this hymn series, and I want to be at a point where I can do justice to it. My schedule right now is so hectic. When I do I will intersperse it with this series.)

I am going to begin the series with one of my favorite hymns: It Is Well With My Soul.

It Is Well With My Soul
Words by Horatio Gates Spafford 1828-1888
Music by Philip Paul Bliss1838-1876


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.

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

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
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!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

And 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.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Spafford was born in New York, but was living in Chicago just before this song was written. He died in Jerusalem, Israel in 1888 at the age of 60. Spafford wrote this encouraging hymn during a time of great suffering. Actually, I chose this as my first hymn of my series, because rather than writing the story of this hymn, I am posting a video which tells all about it below. That will shorten this first post since it includes my introduction.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Philip Bliss was born in Pennsylvania in 1828. Bliss was a prolific writer of hymns. According to Wholesome Words Christian Biorgraphy Resources (http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biobliss.html) he was "the second most famous Christian song writer in history." He was so moved by Spafford's poem that he decided to put it to music. He first introduced it at a ministers meeting held by D.L. Moody in Chicago in 1876. Over 1000, preachers were present. It was published in his Gospel Hymns No. Two compiled in collaboration with Ira Sankey later that same year. Unfortunately, 1876 was also the year of his tragic death in a train crash December 29.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
I am not sure if Spafford actually based the hymn on these passages, but one site I found about the history of the hymn listed them as relevant passages and they certainly are in my opinion.


Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:" 2 Kings 4:26

“Praise the Lord, O my soul.” Psalm 146:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3

Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD executeth righteousness
and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psalm 103: 1-6

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

VIDEO:
"It Is Well With My Soul" narrated by Bill Gaither, sung by the Gaither Homcoming gang with solos by Guy Penrod And David Phelps,


MY THOUGHTS:

I cannot sing this song without tears filling my eyes, especially thinking of Spafford's circumstances when he wrote it. To be encouraged in the midst of so much tragedy has to be a God thing. These verses speak so poignantly of the hope we have in Jesus. No matter what our trials or the storms that assail us, He gives us that peace. The Philippians reference above is the first verse that always comes to my mind when I sing or hear this song. How blessed is that peace that surpasses all understanding. And then the glorious thought this song expresses that our trials here are merely temporary. The One who took our sins upon Himself will return in all His splendor and glory for us!

Please leave some of your own thoughts in my comments.

REFERENCES:
www.hymntime.com
101 Hymns Stories by Kenneth w. Osbeck (Copyright 1982 by Kregel Publications, p. 126-128)
http://www.wholesomewords.org
http://biblestudycharts.com/A_Daily_Hymn
..lmn("n/e/New%20Britain")..