He Sang for Jesus

He was really too big to cry. He was married, and was almost old enough to vote. But Philip Bliss was crying because he did not have enough money to attend a six-week summer course in music at Geneseo, New York.

His sorrow was noticed by Betsy Allen, the grandmother of his wife, Lucy. “What makes you so unhappy, Philip?” she asked.

“About thirty dollars.’1 It sounded like a fortune to him.
“Come to think of it,” continued the grandmother, “I’ve been putting some pieces of silver into a stocking. Wonder how much is there?” She got the stocking and examined the contents. The nickels, dimes, pennies, quarters, and an occasional half-dollar totaled more than thirty dollars. “It’s all yours, Philip,” she said.

And there was no doubt in his mind that he had a truly wonderful grandmother-in-law.
Philip Paul Bless attended that summer course in music, and there he became determined to teach and to write music. During the winter months he was already teaching elementary school, and working on a farm during the summers.

He was not unused to farm labor, having started at age eleven for a salary of nine dollars a month. His father was a Christian farmer, as was Lucy’s. Philip did his share of work on both farms. At age twelve he was thoroughly converted to Christianity at a revival meeting that was held in a country school building.

Philip Bliss’s first musical composition was a secular song, “Lora vale.” It was bought by Root and Cady, a publishing firm in Chicago. His first hymn was “If Papa Were Only Ready,” which was also published by Root and Cady, in 1867. This song was about a little boy who was concerned because his father had no time for God. It ended by stating that father was too busy at the store to be interested m the welfare of his soul.

Young Bliss wrote more hymns and other secular songs. The publisher recognized his usefulness and hired him to come to Chicago to participate in musical conventions. At those conventions he sang songs to advertise them to dealers and individual buyers. The purpose was to sell sheet music and songbooks. For his services he received $150 a month and living expenses.

While Philip Bliss was in Chicago, by chance he heard some people singing at an outdoor church service on a courthouse lawn. He thought the efforts were not as enthusiastic as they could be, so he added his strong voice to the singing.

A man who looked as though he might be a merchant or a banker sat on the courthouse steps and listened to the newcomer whose singing ability became so readily noticeable. It did not take this man, Dwight L. Moody, long to become acquainted with Bliss. And in his most persuasive manner he insisted that God needed such a voice to sing full time for Him.

Although Philip thoroughly enjoyed singing hymns, be was not completely sure he could be a successful song evangelist. He prayed much about the decision. His pastor, Darwin Cook, had encouraged him to compose hymns, assuring him he had unusual musical talent. But young Bliss wanted to be sure God desired him to become a singing evangelist before he would agree to it.

Philip Bliss and D.W. Whittle, a lay preacher, both put out a “fleece,” like Gideon of old, in Waukegan, Illinois, to determine the advisability of entering full-time Christian service. They agreed that if in the three days’ services at Waukegan unusual results were achieved they would both become full-time workers for God, but if nothing much worth while happened they would take it as an indication that they should continue serving on a part-time basis.

D.W. Whittle preached, and Bliss sang “Almost persuaded,” which he had composed. About thirty people came to the altar, and comparable results occurred at the other meetings they held there. So those two men became mil-time servants for God, fully determined to give all to Him. The singer was thirty-six at that time.

He spent about two highly successful years as a singing evangelist, composing numerous hymns in the meantime.
Then tragedy stuck. Philip and Lucy spent Christmas, 1876, with her parents in Rome, Pennsylvania. On December 29 they boarded a train bound for Chicago, where he was scheduled to sing in a Dwight L. Moody revival. All went well until the train approached Ashtabula, Ohio. There a bridge that spanned a creek collapsed. The complete train, except the engine, crashed into the frozen water below. Nobody was drowned, but about eighty people perished beyond recognition because of fire ignited from oil lamps in the passenger cars. Philip and Lucy were among those people.

Mr. Moody asked Christians all over the land to contribute a thousand dollars to buy a monument for the Blisses. About eleven thousand dollars was given. The remaining ten thousand was used as an educational fund for the two orphaned children.

The monument was grand, and Moody himself made the dedicatory speech. Many people have seen the monument and think of Philip Paul Bliss, but a greater monument was built with his pen when he wrote such hymns as “Whosoever Will,” “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning,” and “Wonderful Words of Life.” The number of Christian people who have blended their voices to music written by P.P. Bliss is incalculable. The next time you take out your Church Hymnal, see if you can find any songs written by P.P. Bliss and then remember the life he lived for the Lord. Remember his tragic death, and most of all, give your heart to the Lord today because you never know when the end of your life will be. Will you live to an old age? Or will you die a young man, like Philip Bliss? Only God knows. Although Philip Bliss seemingly died a tragic death, his death was really a victory for him because he had given his heart to serve the Lord. He died with peace in his heart, looking forward to the resurrection day when Jesus will come again to take His faithful followers home to be with Him.