Biblical Connections

Verse 1

• “When peace like a river attendeth my way” - Isa 66:12
• “Whatever my lot” - Php 4:12-13

Verse 2

• 1 Pet 1:1-9
• “Though Satan should buffet” - 2 Cor 12:7
• “Though trials should come” - James 1:2, 12; 1 Pet 4:12
• “blest assurance” - Rom 4:5-8; Eph 1:3; Heb 6:11; 10:22

Verse 3

• “My sin… is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more” - Col 2:14

Verse 4

• Rev 19; 1 Th 4:16
• “Even so” - Rev 1:7 and Rev 22:20 (KJV)

Chorus

• Php 4:4-7

Compared to Hymnals

	No.	Words	Music
Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs	409	Changes “His cross” to “the cross”	Adopts several small alterations (as in Sacred Selections)2
Songs for Worship and Praise	504	Changes “His cross” to “the cross”	Key of D instead of D♭; Adds descending bass run in final stanza
Songs of Faith and Praise	490	Lacks vs 2; Changes “His cross” to “the cross”; “Even so” in quotation marks1	Key of D instead of D♭; Adds descending bass run in final stanza
Praise for the Lord	345	“Even so” in quotation marks1	Identical
Hymns for Worship (Revised)	626	“Even so” in quotation marks1	Adopts several small alterations (as in Sacred Selections)2
Songs of the Church	280	Lacks vs 2; Changes “His cross” to “the cross”; “Even so” in quotation marks1	Identical
Sacred Selections	561	“Even so” in quotation marks1	Adopts several small alterations2
Christian Hymns No. 2	94	Lacks vs 2; Changes “His cross” to “the cross”; “Even so” in quotation marks1	Identical
Great Songs of the Church No. 2	299	Lacks vs 2; Changes “His cross” to “the cross”; “Even so” in quotation marks1.	Identical

¹In the first 1876 publication, the words “Even so” in the final stanza were put in quotation marks, indicating it is quoting the Bible, most-likely Revelation 1:7 and, in particular, the King James wording of Revelation 22:20 (KJV). Current Bible translations rarely use this specific wording, so we have chosen to omit the quotation marks.

²Several unique, small alterations to the music appear in Sacred Selections:

• The tenor begins on DO instead of SOL
• The tenor stays on SOL in measures 3-4 instead of ending with TI DO
• The bass sings SOL TI DO instead of SOL SOL DO when repeating “with my soul” in the chorus (adding a parallel fifth)

These distinct changes are very uncommon in hymnals more broadly, but they can be found in the 1908 Seventh-Day Adventist hymnal Christ in Song.

Sources

• Philip Bliss, Gospel Hymns No. 2 (1876)
  https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=aeu.ark:/13960/t3fx80s47&view=image&seq=83

References

• Chris Fenner and Chuck Bumgardner, “It is well with my soul,” Hymnology Archive:
  https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/it-is-well-with-my-soul
• J.R. Watson, “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,” The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
  https://hymnology.hymnsam.co.uk/w/when-peace,-like-a-river,-attendeth-my-way