Eternal Father, Strong to Save -William Whiting

England has a long history of being a maritime nation.  Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England was recognized as a strong naval power with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. British explorer Captain James Cook mapped Newfoundland and took three voyages to the Pacific Ocean in the 18th century. Cook made the first European contact with Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. In the 19th century, there was a worldwide missionary effort by the English that was made possible by the support of the seafaring explorers, merchants, and the British Navy. 

It’s no surprise that “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” known to many as the “Navy Hymn,” was written in 1860 by an Englishman, William Whiting (1825-1887). Whiting was headmaster of the Winchester College Chorister’s School for more than 35 years. One time, a student came to him expressing his fear about an upcoming voyage across the Atlantic Ocean; he’d heard that Whiting had once survived a terrible storm on the Mediterranean Sea. Whiting told the student, “Before you depart, I will give you something to anchor your faith.” He then wrote a poem that gave the young man comfort and confidence and reminded him of God’s power over the mighty winds and raging waters. The poem became the hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”

Most hymnologists believe that the inspiration for “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” came from the description of God’s protection over the dangers of the sea, as recorded in Psalm 107:23-32. The hymn first appeared with some revision in the 1861 “Hymns Ancient and Modern.” The hymn presents such a strong impact with the stirring tune, “Melita,” composed specifically for Whiting’s text by John B. Dykes. “Melita” was an ancient name of the island now known as Malta, the location of the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck on his voyage to Rome, as recorded in Acts 27 and 28. And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita (Acts 28:1).

“Eternal Father, Strong to Save” appears in some hymnals as “Almighty Father, Strong to Save” and has been called the Navy Hymn in both England and America. Its popularity in America is partly due to the tradition that began in 1879 of singing it at the conclusion of the Sunday services at the U. S. Naval Academy. In 1941, at the request of Winston Churchill, it was sung at a church service aboard the Royal Navy battleship, the HMS Prince of Wales, during a conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It’s often sung at official state ceremonies and events. It has been used for the funerals of a number of presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. It’s also believed that it was sung at the Sunday service on the Titanic only hours before it tragically sank.

Each of the first three stanzas addresses a different person of the Trinity, asking each to control the sea and nature. The last stanza then petitions the full Godhead for protection and concludes by admonishing men to praise the Lord for His goodness. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. (Psalm 107:8, 29-30).

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