He has been characterized by some as the "second most famous
Christian song writer in history," taking a backseat only to Fanny J. Crosby. M.
Laird Simons, in the year 1877, stated this great man made up "the trio of the
chief evangelists who were used of the Lord in promoting the Great Awakening
of this generation." Simons called him "the Charles Wesley of the 19th
century." Edward S. Ninde, in 1921, said that the hymn Almost Persuaded,
which was written by this man, "is said to have brought far more souls to Jesus
Christ than any other song he ever composed" [The Story of the American
Hymn].
The man of whom I speak, of course, is none other than
Philip P. Bliss, who was, without a doubt, one of the greatest hymn writers
of all time. He was born in the little village of Rome, Pennsylvania on July 9,
1838. His family was very poor, living in a small log cabin and working by the
sweat of their brows to make ends meet. His parents were quite religious,
however, being members of the Methodist Church, and each day witnessed
times of family devotionals, prayers, and the singing of songs of praise unto
the Lord. These were some of Philip's earliest memories, and they had a lasting
impression upon him. He would sit and listen joyfully and attentively to the
sound of his parents singing, and soon developed a love of music. Although he
received no formal secular education during his early years at home, he was
nevertheless tutored by his mother, with the Bible being the primary text for
the fundamentals of his early education, such as reading and writing. Thus,
God's holy, inspired Word early on had a powerful influence upon his life. His
parents were fond of saying of Philip, "He loved music like a bird." He took to
it naturally, and as an adult, according to one biographer, "his voice developed
into a bass of great range and beauty." Another biographer observed, "He had a
deep bass voice of wonderful compass and pathos, yet with all his strength he
possessed the delicate feeling and tenderness of a woman."
Bliss was unable to afford musical instruments as a child, so
"the only things he could play melodies on were reeds plucked from the marshes."
He was ten years old when he saw and heard a piano for the first time. To help
the family financially, young Philip would often go into town and sell
vegetables from their garden door to door. One day, while thusly employed, he
heard the sound of a piano being played from inside one of the houses. He was so
overcome by the music that he wandered right into the house and stood there at
the parlor door listening to a young woman playing. When she spotted him, she
was startled, and stopped playing. He pleaded, "O lady, please play
some more!" However, this lady, seeing this barefoot, ragged child, simply
exclaimed angrily, "Get out of here with your big, bare feet!" Crushed, Philip
immediately left. However, he never forgot the sweet sounds coming from that
instrument of music. It convicted him all the more that he wanted music
to be a part of his life, though he could not as yet perceive what that role
would be.
The next year (1849), at the tender age of only eleven,
Philip Bliss left home to earn his own living. It is said he departed with all
of his earthly possessions tied up in a handkerchief. For the next couple of
years he worked on a farm, doing the work of a man, for which he was paid $9 per
month. It was during this time, when only twelve, that he made his
first public confession of Jesus Christ and was immersed. This was 1850. He then
began attending a Baptist church that was nearby. Bliss had always been
very spiritually-focused as a youth, and just naturally sought out such
fellowship. As opportunity presented itself, he also began taking some classes
at the local school. At the age of fourteen he left the farm and became
an assistant cook in a lumber camp. The next year he was cutting logs, and then
moved into the sawmill. One biographer stated that Bliss was well-suited to this
hard labor, as "he possessed a strong physique" and was thus able to keep pace
with the seasoned lumberjacks. "Young Philip remained strong in the Lord amongst
the rowdy, laboring men of the camp, although it was not easy, but the spiritual
implants of his godly parents were now bearing fruit" [Ed Reese, from the
Christian Hall of Fame biography series].
In the year 1855, at the age of seventeen, Bliss
decided to finish the classes required for him to become a school teacher. This
he did in fairly short order, working on a farm to support himself at this time.
The next year, he was made the schoolmaster at Hartsville, New York. It was the
following year, 1857, that he met J. G. Towner, who was the master of a singing
school in Towanda, Pennsylvania. Towner spotted Philip's natural talent
immediately and began providing him with his first formal voice lessons. Later
that same year he helped the young Bliss attend a musical convention in Rome,
Pennsylvania (the place of his birth). While at this convention he met William
B. Bradbury (1816-1868), one of the best known composers of Christian music at
that time. A few of his musical compositions are: 'Tis Midnight, And On
Olive's Brow -- Savior, Like A Shepherd Lead Us -- He Leadeth
Me -- My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less -- Soldiers Of Christ,
Arise -- Sweet Hour of Prayer -- Just As I Am --
Jesus Loves Me -- and countless other Christian classics that have been
sung for many generations, and whose well-known melodies fill our memories.
By the end of that convention in Rome, Pennsylvania, Bradbury
and Bliss had become quite close, and Bradbury convinced the young Philip to
seriously consider giving his life into full-time service to the Lord in the
area of Christian music. Therefore, Bliss began to try his hand at composing
hymns (both the words and music). His very first composition he sent to George
F. Root (of the firm Root & Cady in Chicago) with the request, "If you
think this song is worth anything, I would appreciate having a flute in exchange
for it." Apparently it was, for Philip received his flute.
In the year 1858, at only twenty years of age,
Philip Bliss was appointed a school teacher at the Rome Academy in his
own hometown. While teaching at this institution, he boarded with the family of
O. F. Young, which would turn out to be one of the most fortunate moves of his
life. He soon fell deeply in love with the daughter of this man, Lucy J. Young,
who was also one of his own sister's best friends. They were married on June 1,
1859 [a picture of Lucy, which was taken around the time of the marriage,
appears above]. Not only a strong Christian girl, Lucy was also a musician and
poet, and she would prove to be a devoted helpmeet to him throughout his life of
ministry in song. Not long thereafter, Bliss heard about the Normal Academy
of Music located at Geneseo, New York. He desperately wanted to attend, but
his wages were only $13 a month. Thus, Lucy's grandmother, seeing how deeply
Philip longed to attend this school, produced a stocking filled with silver
coins totaling more than $30, which she gave to him so that he might go to this
music school. Upon completion of this difficult six week course of instruction,
Bliss was certified as a music teacher. He began traveling about the area, with
a $20 melodeon and an old horse, teaching music classes to whomever was
interested. In time, he came to be known as quite an authority on music.
In the year 1864, Philip and Lucy Bliss moved to Chicago. He
taught numerous classes on music while there, and his fame as a teacher and
singer began to spread. He was also producing a number of hymns at this time. In
the summer of 1865 he went on a concert tour that lasted two weeks, and for
which he was paid $100. He and Lucy were amazed that so much money could be made
in such a short time, and he began to see this as an avenue where he could not
only serve the Lord but also support his family. His dreams were almost
shattered, however, when he was drafted into the Union Army. However, after a
couple of weeks it was decided that they did not need his services after all
(the war being almost over). Therefore, Bliss was release to return to his home.
He was then offered a position with the Chicago music publishing firm Root &
Cady at a salary of $150 per month, which he readily accepted. For the next
eight years (1865 to 1873) he and his wife, sponsored by the above firm, held
countless musical conventions, singing schools, and spiritual concerts. During
this same time he affiliated himself with the First Congregational Church
in Chicago, where he served as chorus director and superintendent of the Sunday
School.
·
Philip Bliss was absolutely awesome with young
people, and they loved him dearly. Some regard him as the "Father of Youth
Ministry." I have in my possession an article written by Philip Bliss in
April, 1873 titled "How Should Children Sing?" It is a most inspiring little
piece, and Bliss definitely shows he knew how to relate to young people. He
also was insistent that the older members not quench the spirit of
the youth with their traditions and regulations. In this sense, he was
certainly well ahead of his time! He wanted the children to be free to
express themselves according to what was in their hearts, rather than
according to the "proper forms" of accepted worship. He wrote, "I cannot
sympathize with those who would have only doctrinal, didactic, dogmatic
songs!" "Let song develop feeling," he urged the adult members of
the congregation. "We must not expect ten-year-olds to appreciate and enjoy
as we do that which we call the best in song," he opined.
He really laid into the older members when he wrote of the
"woefully apparent hypocrisy" of "church members turning leaves or idly
gazing about the room while singing Nearer, My God, To Thee" and of
song leaders who stand before the assembled church "with tobacco-stained
teeth, and with smoke-tainted breath, singing the sweet, pure songs of
Zion." Yes, Philip Bliss was not afraid to "lay it on the line," and yet his
general demeanor and spirit were such that young and old alike listened with
respect, and even altered their behavior accordingly.
During his time with the publishing firm of Root & Cady,
during the summer of 1869, Philip Bliss happened to pass by a church one evening
where Dwight L. Moody was preaching a revival. He decided to go in and listen to
the message. That evening, D. L. Moody was without a musical director, and the
singing from the audience was rather poor. However, Philip's voice rang out
above the others to such an extent that it attracted the attention of Moody, who
sought out Bliss and urged him to come to his Sunday evening meetings and help
with the singing. This he did. In 1873, D. L. Moody wrote Bliss from England,
and then later from Scotland, urging him to become his music director. Bliss
declined. Not long afterward, though, Bliss did decide to commit
himself to full-time evangelistic ministry. He joined together with Major D. W.
Whittle, a popular evangelist of the day, and a preaching/singing team was born
that would long be remembered, even after both had passed from this life. Their
first gospel meeting was held in Waukegan, Illinois, on March 24-26, 1874. It
was during this meeting that Philip Bliss sang one of his most famous hymns --
Almost Persuaded -- which had a tremendous effect upon the crowd. Some
present would later write, "The Holy Spirit seemed to fill the hall" when Bliss
sang that particular hymn. The day after the meeting, when Bliss reflected upon
how powerful the impact was upon the audience, he knelt in prayer and vowed to
God to surrender everything so that he might serve Him fully.
·
And this he did. Bliss trusted God to
meet his every need, and thus chose to forfeit any earthly gain. He wrote
numerous hymns during this time, which were published in quite a few
hymnals, but he refused to ever take any royalties from them. Instead, he
gave all of this money away to charities. The royalties from his revival
song book titled Gospel Songs, for example, brought in $30,000.
Bliss gave it all to D. W. Whittle to be used to fund the evangelistic
campaigns. Another book brought in $60,000. This too was completely
surrendered to charities. Major Whittle would later write, "Up to the day of
his death I never heard him express a regret that he made his surrender and
gave himself to God for His work." M. Laird Simons, in the year 1877, wrote,
"He labored only for the love of God, and declined any share in the profits
of the copyright, so that the entire royalty of $60,000 was distributed to
worthy charities. Although he owned no dwelling, and had little means, he
even refused to later retain the $5,000 which Mr. Moody sought to press upon
him." Bliss had no desire for earthly gain. His only desire was to serve the
Lord by bringing spiritual, soul-stirring music to His people.
The fame of the preaching/singing team of Whittle and Bliss
(and it should be noted that his wife Lucy was always there with him, constantly
assisting him in his work) grew and grew, until finally it was requested they
bring their evangelistic ministry to England. Moody urged them to accept this
invitation, and so they agreed. Their plans were to hold a meeting in Chicago,
at Moody's congregation, shortly after Christmas, and then leave for a preaching
tour of England. On November 24, 1876, Philip Bliss sang at a large gathering of
ministers hosted by D. L. Moody in Chicago's Farwell Hall. Over a
thousand preachers of the gospel were present. It was at this gathering he first
sang a new song for which he had written the music -- It Is Well With My
Soul. Bliss then conducted an evangelistic service at the Michigan
state prison, with over 800 inmates present. It was later reported that many of
these inmates wept openly as he sang another of his hymns: Hallelujah,
What A Savior!
Philip and Lucy Bliss spent the Christmas holidays of 1876
with his mother and sister at Towanda and Rome, Pennsylvania. Their two small
sons were also with them -- Philip Paul (age: 1) and George (age: 4). After
Christmas he wired a telegram to D. L. Moody, "Tickets for Chicago, via Buffalo
and Lake Shore Railroad. Baggage checked through. Shall be in Chicago Friday
night. God bless you all forever." Deciding at the last minute to leave the two
small boys with his mother, as Philip and Lucy would be quite busy with the
large event upcoming, they boarded the train for Chicago on December 29, 1876.
There was a huge snow storm taking place that day, with drifts piled high. It
was later reported by passengers that the train never was able to gain any
significant speed during the journey. There were eleven coaches pulled by two
engines, with about 160 people aboard. In that number were Philip and Lucy
Bliss. At eight o'clock that evening, while crossing a ravine that was 75' deep,
the bridge gave way and the entire train, except for the first engine, plunged
into the depths below. This was just outside the town of Ashtabula, Ohio.
Five minutes after the train fell, fire broke out and, fanned
by gale force winds, quickly consumed the wreckage. Two out of every three
passengers aboard that train perished in the fall and the fire. According to a
dispatch to the Chicago Tribune the next day, "When morning came, all
that remained of the Pacific Express was a row of car wheels, axles,
brake-irons, truck-frames and twisted rails lying in a black pool at the bottom
of the gorge. There are no remains that can ever be identified. The three
charred, shapeless lumps recovered up to noon today are beyond all hope of
recognition. Old or young, male or female, black or white, no man can tell. For
the rest, there are piles of white ashes in which glisten the crumbling
particles of calcined bones." According to an eye-witness (who happened to be
one of the surviving passengers), who was in the car next to the one containing
Philip and Lucy Bliss, "When the train fell, Mr. Bliss succeeded in crawling
through a window, supposing he could pull his wife after him. But she was jammed
fast and every effort of his was unavailing. The car was all jammed up, and the
lady was caught in the ironwork of the seats. Finding that he could not save
her, he stayed there with her and died." Simons wrote, in 1877, "He would not
escape by deserting his noble wife, and they went Home together, in a baptism of
fire." A newspaper reported, "Mr. Bliss succeeded in extricating himself and
crawling to safety through a window. Finding that his wife was pinned under the
ironwork of the seats, he returned into the car, bravely remaining at her side,
trying to extricate her as the flames took their toll. All that remained was a
charred mass. No trace of their bodies was ever discovered." Major D. W.
Whittle, who went immediately to the scene of this great tragedy, and who
remained there for three days searching for any sign of personal effects, later
wrote, "We found nothing. They have gone, as absolutely and completely gone as
if translated like Enoch."
Memorial services were held throughout the nation in honor of
Philip Bliss and his wife Lucy. A monument to him was also erected in Rome,
Pennsylvania. On December 31, D. L. Moody officiated at a memorial service in
Chicago at which 8,000 gathered inside the hall, and another 4,000 outside in
the cold, to pay tribute to this man and his wife. It was said, "No private
citizen's death brought more grief to the nation!" Moody declared, "His face was
always bright and his heart full of Christian love." A collection was taken for
the two surviving children of Philip and Lucy Bliss, and over $10,000 was raised
for them. They were also assigned what their father had always refused to accept
for himself -- a share in the copyright royalties of his many beloved hymns,
which included such favorites as: Hallelujah! What A Savior -- I
Gave My Life For Thee -- It Is Well With My Soul -- I Will
Sing Of My Redeemer -- Wonderful Words Of Life -- Let The
Lower Lights Be Burning -- More Holiness Give Me -- and countless
others. When the baggage that had been sent ahead arrived, the words of a newly
penned hymn by P. P. Bliss, was found among his belongings. It was the last hymn
he ever wrote. The words are a fitting tribute to this great man, who walked by
faith, not by sight!
I know not what awaits me,
God kindly veils mine eyes;
And o'er each step of my onward way
He makes new scenes to rise;
And every joy He sends me comes
A sweet and glad surprise.
One step I see before me.
'Tis all I need to see,
The light of heaven more brightly shines,
When earth's illusions flee;
And sweetly thro' the silence comes
His loving "Follow Me."
O blissful lack of wisdom,
'Tis blessed not to know;
He holds me with His own right hand,
And will not let me go,
And lulls my troubled soul to rest
In Him who loves me so.
So on I go, not knowing,
I would not if I might;
I'd rather walk in the dark with God
Than go alone in the light;
I'd rather walk by faith with Him
Than go alone by sight.