In Hereforsdshire, England, in 1731, the Reverend John Cowper and his wife, . . .

In Hereforsdshire, England, in 1731, the Reverend John Cowper and his wife, Ann Donne, welcomed a little baby boy into the world.  They named him William; and like most first-time parents, they showered him with love and attention.  But William’s idyllic childhood proved short lived.  When he was just six years old, his mother suddenly took ill and died.

As a result, young William was sent to the Pittman’s Boarding School in Bedfordshire.  Although he excelled in his studies, his shy nature made him an easy target, and he was routinely bullied by the older kids.  He became withdrawn and reclusive, and often struggled with depression.  Upon graduation, he apprenticed to a solicitor with an eye toward practicing law, but found that he had no passion for the public life of an attorney.

Through the influence of his father, who managed to pull a few strings, William was appointed Commissioner of Bankrupts in London.  Four years later he was preparing to be named Clerk of Journals in Parliament.  It represented a huge advancement for William’s career, but it also brought about a severe panic attack—so much so that he suffered a complete nervous breakdown.  On three separate occasions he attempted suicide, and eventually he was committed to St. Albans Insane Asylum.

When he was finally released two years later, he moved in with the Unwin family of Huntington.  Mary Unwin had befriended William while doing mission work at the asylum, and became like a mother to the troubled young man.  The Unwins worshipped at a church in Olney, where John Newton was the pastor—the same John Newton who authored the well-known hymn “Amazing Grace.”

Newton recognized William’s talent for poetry and encouraged him to think about writing some hymns for the congregation to sing.  Over the course of his life, William wrote dozens of hymns; but he had not escaped his demons entirely.  One night, after sinking into a deep depression, he decided to commit suicide by drowning himself.  He called a cab and told the driver to take him to the Thames River.  However, a thick fog came down and prevented them from finding the river.  After driving around lost for a while, the cabby finally stopped and let William out.  To his astonishment, William found himself on his own doorstep.

Convinced that it was the hand of God that had saved him, William Cowper wrote the familiar words of the hymn that we still sing today:

                       God moves in mysterious ways
                       His wonders to perform:
                       He plants His footsteps in the sea
                       And rides upon the storm.

And now, as Paul Harvey used to intone, you know the rest of the story!