Edward Hopper was born on February 17, 1818. He was a gentle, humble, Presbyterian minister. Every inch of him was of a man, with bright eye, fine face and later, a snow-white beard. He did not show any decline of health until his wife passed away when he was almost 70.
After becoming a noted pastor, he took the Church of Land and Sea in New York in 1870. He was 62 years old at the time. It was just a small chapel located in the harbor area. The church was started in 1864. It continued meeting until 1907. It was here that he wrote the famous hymn text, "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me." The theme was from Matthew 8:23-27, where Jesus calmed the raging sea. He had quite a ministry there with seamen and so influenced families around the globe. He also would often be the last pastor to talk to many who were lost at sea. At one particular meeting they had to remove 400 sailors from their society rolls.
Fanny Crosby often came to their annual Sunday school excursion, and her hymns were often first sung there. Everyone would load up on a barge and a tug would tow them to a grove or to the Hudson. They used a melodian and sung hymns. Tickets were $.50 a person.
On April 22, 1888, he preached on "Watch ye therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." The next day at noon, his niece found him in his study chair, pencil just fallen from his lifeless hand, having been writing a last poem, "Heaven."
Sources:
Frederick Burckbaurer. Drawings from Pauline Stone in "The Kirk on Rutgers Farm" found at www.webincunabula.com.
Christian History Institute at www.gospelcom.net
Harry Macy, Jr. "Presbyterian Records of New York City (Manhattan) in the NYG&B Library." The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society at www.nygbs.org.
Osbeck, K.W. 101 More Hymn Stories. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1985. Page 165.
Osbeck, K.W. Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1990) page 21.
