Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 39

Philip Bliss – Singing Evangelist

Philip Bliss is best known as a song leader, a hymn writer, and an evangelist. There are many hymns in the Revival Hymns and Choruses that are written by him – RHC123 Jesus Loves Even Me, RHC185 Hallelujah! What a Savior! RHC285 Whosoever Will, RHC295 The Light of the World Is Jesus, RHC305 Wonderful Words of Life, RHC372 More Holiness Give Me, RHC373 Dare to Be a Daniel, RHC404 Let the Lower Lights Be Burning, RHC444 Hold the Fort and RHC521 God Is Always Near Me.

Philip Paul Bliss had godly Christian parents. He was born in the state of Pennsylvania on July 9, 1838. His home was a log cabin. His father always had family prayer time when the family would gather together to read the Bible and pray.

Until Philip Bliss was ten years old, he was not able to go to a regular school. His mother was his teacher. She not only taught him school subjects, but also, and especially, the Bible. His father taught him to love music and to sing. When Philip Bliss was eleven years old, he left home to get a job.

While Philip Bliss worked in a lumber camp, he tried to be a testimony and live a good Christian life before the men in the camp. That was not always easy, because often the men, who were rough and tough, would make fun of him.

By the time Philip was seventeen years old, he decided he wanted to be a teacher. So he went to college to finish his education. After graduation, his first teaching job was in New York. During the summer months, Philip Bliss would spend time at a farm. There, Mr. J.G. Towner (a well-known hymn writer) became his very good friend. In fact, it was Mr. Towner who gave Philip Bliss his first singing lessons. The only other help he had ever received was from his father.

While attending a music convention in another part of Pennsylvania, Philip Bliss met a man by the name of W.B. Bradbury. Mr. Bradbury was a well-known writer of children’s songs. He was the author of “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know” (RHC527). It was after meeting these outstanding men of music that Philip Bliss decided he would continue his music training.

Philip Bliss went to the Academy of Music in New York for three summers. A short time later, he and his wife moved to Chicago where Philip worked for a music house. He held music conventions in different places, and also did a great deal of concert work.

One night, Philip Bliss walked by a church in Chicago. There he noticed that D.L. Moody was holding a meeting. He decided to go in and listen to the well-known evangelist. Usually, Mr. Moody had a song leader with him. But on that particular night, the song leader was not there. Although Philip Bliss was in the audience, he sang quite loud and helped to make the congregational singing much better. Mr. Moody heard him. After the service, the evangelist stopped to talk to him. He asked Philip Bliss to come and help him with his meetings whenever they were both in Chicago. Philip agreed.

Another evangelist, D.W. Whittle, also met Philip Bliss and asked him to help in his services. It was Mr. Whittle who later made it possible for Philip Bliss and his family to move into his own vacant apartment. He also helped Philip Bliss to become a choir director in a large church in Chicago. It was while the Bliss family was living in Mr. Whittle’s apartment that Philip Bliss wrote two of his best-known songs – “Hold the Fort” and “Jesus Loves Even Me”.

One day, Mr. Moody told Philip Bliss that he ought to consider giving up his job in order to become a singing evangelist. He told Philip Bliss that he could “sing” the Gospel, just as evangelists “preached” the Gospel.

Philip Bliss talked it over with his wife, and together they prayed and asked the Lord to show them what was God’s will.

On the last night of one evangelistic meeting, Philip Bliss sang his own song “Almost Persuaded”. During the singing of that invitation song, people began to walk down the church aisle to the front for prayer. Many sinners were saved that night, and scores were blessed as they heard him sang. It was after that meeting that Philip Bliss knew for sure that God was calling him to be a “Singing Evangelist”.

The next afternoon, he made a promise to God to give up his secular song-writing, his music conventions, and even his work at the music house, in order to give his time to God’s work. Philip Bliss did some preaching as well as singing, and especially enjoyed working with young people.

On Friday, December 29, 1876, Philip Bliss and his wife, while travelling to Chicago for a meeting, were involved in a terrible train wreck that took their lives.

Philip Bliss had completed his work on earth. He would not preach another sermon, direct another choir, sing another song, or write another hymn. But what he had done for the Lord continues to help people to come to Christ.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee

[Extracted and edited from Christians You Should Know by Ruth I. Johnson]