P.P. Bliss

Philip Paul Bliss, Hymnist and Singer
Born: July 9, 1838 in Rome, Pennsylvania
Died: December 29, 1876 near Ashtabula, Ohio

Born to devout Methodist parents, Philip Bliss was raised in a daily atmosphere of prayer and praise. While a boy, Philip had little formal education, but was taught from the Bible by his mother. Mr. Bliss wrote many of our most beloved hymns, including "Almost Persuaded", "Dare To Be a Daniel", "Hallelujah, ’Tis Done!", "Hallelujah! What a Savior", "Jesus Loves Even Me", "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning", "Look and Live", "My Redeemer", "Once for All", "The Light of the World Is Jesus", "Whosoever Will", and "Wonderful Words of Life". He wrote the tune for Horatio Spafford's well-known hymn, "It Is Well with My Soul".

Philip Bliss was a contemporary of D.L. Moody, who wrote often to Mr. Bliss, insisting that he drop everything else and sing the Gospel. They eventually worked together, as evangelist and singer, holding meetings across America. They were asked to come to England, and made plans to do so in the future; however, God had other plans for the singer. After visiting his mother for Christmas, he took a train with his wife, Lucy, heading for Chicago, but died when the train broke through the trestle bridge across the Ashtabula River, fell seventy feet, and then caught fire. He escaped the wreck, but upon returing for his wife, perished with her in the flames. Found in his belongings after the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster were the lyrics to "My Redeemer", the tune was added by James McGranahan.

According to Ira Sankey, when Mr. Sankey and D.L. Moody began their work in England, Philip Bliss' song, "Jesus Loves Even Me," became popular, and "more than any other hymn, it became the keynote of our meetings." "Jesus Loves Even Me" was written after Philip Bliss heard the chorus, "Oh, How I Love Jesus". "I have sung long enough of my poor love to Christ," said Mr. Bliss, "and now I will sing of his love for me." Ira Sankey tells of a dying girl who asked, "Don't you remember one Thursday when you were teaching us to sing "I am so glad that Jesus loves me", and don't you remember how you told us that if we only gave our hearts to him, he would love us? And I gave mine to him." According to Ira Sankey, "What that little dying girl said to me helped to cheer me on more than anything I had done before, because she, was my first convert."

Another well-known hymn is the invitational, "Almost Persuaded". Philip Bliss was inspired to pen the words for this hymn after he listened to a sermon which closed with the words, "He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost."

Hear His Hymns link