Philip Paul Bliss was a 35-year old singer, musical
publishing house composer, and teacher when he evidently was being pulled in another
direction. His utility up to that point had been the music he could contribute,
although he must have been drawn by its effect, too. It was 1873, and he may
have felt something was still missing, as he wrote out something he called “My
Prayer”, probably while in the Chicago area. It’s more commonly known by its
first few words – “More Holiness Give Me” – but that’s not really broad enough
to cover all he said in three verses. He wanted 24 ‘mores’, and perhaps those
gaps were what compelled his response to another direction’s call shortly
thereafter.
Philip Bliss had a musical gift that had been
incubating for many years, and which would reach its conclusion just a few
years after he wrote out this prayer song. His parents’ nurture must have
played a part in his faith and musical development –his father, a Methodist and
musical lover, and his mother who taught him from the Bible. But with little
formal education by the time he was in his mid-teens, much of his musical skill
was indeed latent. This was until he met a musical teacher who recognized his
potential, and later his soon-to-be wife who further influenced his musical
growth. Philip taught and toured as a young man, and soon turned to composing
with Root and Cady Publishers in Chicago. But, he was also being coaxed to
pursue evangelism full-time, particularly by Dwight Moody who was convinced
Bliss’ musical gift could achieve much in the missionary field. By 1874 Bliss
indeed did listen to the missionary call, joining the Civil War veteran Daniel
Whittle in this effort. Perhaps the words he wrote shortly before he made this commitment
show how deeply he contemplated his life’s meaning. Though he had been
producing gospel songs, the words he wrote in “My Prayer” suggest he still
pondered if he wasn’t missing something, many things in fact. The earnest
persuasion of Moody and others spurred this introspective moment Bliss
recorded, and what he did a few months or a year later show his reflection was
genuine. He wanted to draw closer to Him, and must have become convinced that
evangelism was how he wanted to reply. Had he known his and his wife’s lives
would end suddenly in a train wreck two years later, Philip Bliss might have
appreciated still more how God was speaking to him through the music he wrote
and sang.
Did Philip Bliss find his prayer was answered? What he
wanted was much more, so it would be
illuminating to know if he found at least a little more. Some of his ‘more-s’ sound
like human modifications he sought –patience, striving-effort – so one wonders
if God really thought that was wise. Should a child seek instead to become more
like the Being he wants to emulate, and so work on trust, faith, purity, etc.?
One who observed Bliss in his final days says he did seem to exhaust himself
trying to get one more -- more joy, interestingly enough. He didn’t think more of
that was possible here on earth. What do think he might say about where he is
now?
Main source
for the song’s story and its verses are at this link: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/m/o/r/e/moreholi.htm
Also see a
portion of this account in this link chapter: http://www.biblebelievers.com/bliss/mem_ch27.html
A much more extensive biography of the composer is here: http://www.biblebelievers.com/bliss/memindex.html
Brief bio on the company where the composer worked up to the time when song was published: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_%26_Cady
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