Scripture Verse

He was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. You of little faith, He said, why did you doubt? Matthew 14:29–31

Introduction

portrait
James Rowe (1865–1933)

Words: James Rowe, 1912.

Music: How­ard E. Smith (🔊 pdf nwc).

Rowe and Smith wrote this song in Saugatuck (now part of West­port), Con­nec­ti­cut.

If you know where to get a bet­ter pho­to of Rowe,

Background

According to Rowe’s daugh­ter:

Howard E. Smith was a lit­tle man whose hands were so knot­ted with arth­ri­tis that you would won­der how he could use them at all, much less play the pi­ano…I can see them now, my fa­ther strid­ing up and down hum­ming a bar or two and How­ard E. play­ing it and jott­ing it down.

Lyrics

I was sink­ing deep in sin,
Far from the peace­ful shore,
Very deep­ly stained with­in,
Sinking to rise no more,
But the Mas­ter of the sea,
Heard my des­pair­ing cry,
From the wa­ters lift­ed me,
Now safe am I.

Refrain

Love lift­ed me! Love lift­ed me!
When no­thing else could help
Love lift­ed me!
Love lift­ed me! Love lift­ed me!
When no­thing else could help
Love lift­ed me!

All my heart to Him I give,
Ever to Him I’ll cling
In His bless­èd pre­sence live,
Ever His prais­es sing,
Love so migh­ty and so true,
Merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, lov­ing ser­vice too,
To Him be­longs.

Refrain

Souls in dan­ger look above,
Jesus com­plete­ly saves,
He will lift you by His love,
Out of the an­gry waves.
He’s the Mas­ter of the sea,
Billows His will ob­ey,
He your Sav­ior wants to be,
Be saved to­day.

Refrain

illustration
St. Peter Walking on the Water
Alessandro Allori (1535–1607)