Jesus, Savior, pilot me

In 1870 Edward Hopper became the pastor of a small church in New York Harbor known as The Church of Sea and Land. Hopper‘s father was a merchant in the area, and his mother was a descendant of the persecuted French Huguenots. Many who attended the service were sailors who passed through the harbor. Edward enjoyed getting to know the sailors traveling through New York and from all over the world and sought to minister to their needs. Using language they could understand and relate to, Edward composed this hymn specifically for them, but also for anyone seeking to find comfort and peace in their lives. Sometimes known as the “Sailor’s Hymn.” He wrote other hymns but this one is the most remembered. The theme of the text comes from Matthew 8:23-27, where we read how Jesus calmed the raging Sea of Galilee.

Major D. W. Whittle told the following incident in connection with hymn: “I went with General Howard to hold meetings for the soldiers at Tampa, Florida, and one day while going through the camp, I found a young man dying of a fever. I kneeled by his side and asked him if he was a Christian. He replied that he was not, but he asked me to pray for him. I did so, though he did not give his heart to Jesus at that time. I went away with a sorrowing heart and promised to return another day. Two days later, I visited him again and, praying with him once more, the Lord put it into my heart to sing, ‘Jesus, Savior, pilot me.’ The dying man said: ‘Oh, that sounds good; it puts me in mind of my beloved sister in Michigan, who used to sing this hymn for me before I entered the army.’ He wanted me to repeat it over and over again for him and finally, he asked: ‘Will Jesus be my pilot into the heaven of rest?’ I told the young man that Jesus would. ‘Then,’ he said, ‘I will trust Him with all my heart.’

The next day I called to see him again, but his comrade said: ‘he passed away during the night.’” (L. Codington)

“…troubled on every side,
yet not distressed;
perplexed, but not forsaken;
persecuted, but not in despair
cast down not destroyed…”
-II. Corinthians 4. 8 - 11

Happily an humbly, I submit, in Jesus’s name; bc, i’m saved and sanctified the Bible way; he’s my elder brother, his Father is my Father and am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ ~sisteregina k

🧕🏻

Wow so fantastic song

Amen to the words of hymn Jesus Savior. , pilot me.

What a comforting song in our times of distress. Jesus, Savior, pilot me. Thank you and God bless you all for this service.

This song has blessed me today. I sang it with my KICC Prayer Team, and the Lord touched me in that I should not fear the Coronavirus and other ills befalling us today, for Jesus Christ will pilot me. Yes, Jesus will pilot His Church, he will pilot the nations of the world, he will pilot president Trump and all the presidents and the monarchs of the world. Lord Jesus, we hide under your protective wings. Indeed, this Coronavirus plague has come as a judgment upon the earth. The reason because of disobedience and abandonment of worshiping and serving the living God. Lord, I repent my sin and the sins of my fathers, yes, the sins of the nations. Create in us a clean heart, and let the hearts of your people be broken and become contrite, for this is the sacrifice you desire (Psalm 51). We pray that we will hear us say to all of your people today, "Fear not I will pilot thee." Amen!

Cuánto me constriñe este himno. Señor Jesús revela tu corazón a tu iglesia, tu obra maestra!! Gracias porque somos tu satisfacción, tu alegría, gracias porque me elegiste ser parte de Tu plan!

"As I understand it, this hymn was written especially for sailors. You can almost feel the stroke of the oars and the roll of the sea as a shipwrecked crew tries to make it safely to land. The appeal of this song, however, could no more be limited to sailors than, say, 'The Ninety and Nine' could be limited to shepherds. The message is for everyone. 'Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life's tempestuous sea ...' Life is a stiff voyage through a storm - so help me, Jesus, pilot me, take hold of my ship. With you to guide me ... I'll make it." - Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919-91)

Born in New York City, Hopper became a Presbyterian minister. After pastoring 2 Presbyterian churches in New York, he pastored a small church [Church of Sea and Land] in the New York harbor, ministering to many sailors. It was while he was there that he wrote this hymn anonymously. When asked to write a hymn for the Seamen's Friend Society, he instead read this already published hymn. It was then that the people, who already knew this song, became aware of its author. - Songs of the Spirit by Martin

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There are additional stanzas between stanzas 1 & 2 above:

2. While th’Apostles’ fragile bark
Struggled with the billows dark,
On the stormy Galilee,
Thou didst walk upon the sea;
And when they beheld Thy form,
Safe they glided through the storm.
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3. Though the sea be smooth and bright,
Sparkling with the stars of night,
And my ship’s path be ablaze
With the light of halcyon days,
Still I know my need of Thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
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4. When the darkling heavens frown,
And the wrathful winds come down,
And the fierce waves, tossed on high,
Lash themselves against the sky,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me,
Over life’s tempestuous sea.
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The original last stanza is different:
When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
’Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
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Major D. W. Whit­tle told me the fol­low­ing in­ci­dent in con­nec­tion with this hymn: “I went with Gen­er­al O. O. How­ard to hold meet­ings for the sol­diers at Tam­pa, Flor­i­da, and one day while go­ing through the camp I found a young man dy­ing of fe­ver. I knelt by his side and asked him if he was a Christ­ian. He re­plied that he was not, but said that his fa­ther and mo­ther were Christ­ians; and he asked me to pray for him. I did so, but no deep im­pres­sion was made up­on his heart. I went away with a sor­row­ing heart and prom­ised to re­turn ano­ther day. Two days lat­er I vi­sit­ed him again and, pray­ing with him, the Lord put in­to my mind to sing, ‘Je­sus, Sav­iour, pi­lot me.’ The dy­ing sol­dier said: ‘Oh, that sounds good; it puts me in mind of my be­lov­ed sis­ter in Mi­chi­gan, who used to sing this hymn for me be­fore I en­tered the ar­my.’ He want­ed me to re­peat it over and over again for him, and fi­nal­ly he asked: ‘Will Je­sus be my pi­lot in­to the ha­ven of rest?’ I told the young man that Je­sus would. ‘Then,’ he said, ‘I will trust him with all my heart.’ The next day I called to see him again, but his com­rade said: ‘He passed away dur­ing the night.’” - Story of Gospel Hymns by Ira Sankey

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me... as the fear grows within me while I saw downwards when floating on the ocean deep, I have a way...a Pilot, a Jesus & Saviour in me!!!