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Horatio G. Spafford

Horatio G. Spafford

1828–1888

Presbyterian Elder & Hymn Writer

Author of ‘It Is Well with My Soul,’ written out of grief and Christian hope

Biography

Horatio Gates Spafford was an American lawyer, Presbyterian church elder, and hymn writer best known for penning ‘It Is Well with My Soul.’ A close friend and supporter of evangelist Dwight L. Moody, Spafford wrote the hymn after the deaths of his four daughters in the Ville du Havre tragedy. The hymn has endured as one of the church’s clearest expressions of grief, submission, and confidence in God’s providence.

Faith & Testimony

Spafford’s public life and the hymn for which he is remembered are explicitly Christian. Contemporary and historical accounts identify him as a Presbyterian church elder, and ‘It Is Well with My Soul’ itself is a distinctly Christ-centered confession of trust in God amid suffering. That combination makes him a strong fit for SDG as a historical hymn writer whose work arose from recognizably Christian faith.

Sources