Tossed Upon Life's Raging Billow

DESCRIPTION: "Tossed upon life's raging billow. Sweet it is, O Lord, to know, Thou didst press a sailor's pillow. Thou canst feel a sailor's woe... Thou the faithful watch art keeping; 'All is well,' thy constant cheer." In time, the sailors will be free from storms
AUTHOR: George W. Bethune (1805-1862) (source: hymnary.org)
EARLIEST DATE: 1830 (The Christian Lyre, according to Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad sailor storm
FOUND IN: US(NE)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors, p. 177, "Tossed Upon Life's Raging Billow" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [114 words]: John Julian, editor, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1892; second edition 1907 (I use the 1957 Dover edition in two volumes), pp. 138-149, says that George Washington Bethune (1805-1862) was "A very eminent divine of he Reformed Dutch body," born in New York; he went to Dickinson College. He served various different congregations, then went to Italy for his health, dying there in 1862. Julian lists several books of hymns and sermons. Hymnary.org lists several dozen hymns he wrote; this is the first (and presumably most popular) of fourteen Bethune songs listed by Julian. I don't recall ever hearing any of the songs Julian lists. This one is said to have been Bethune's favorite. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.4
File: LaGo177

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