More Holiness Give Me – Philip Paul Bliss

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

See the song’s verses here also: http://www.hymnary.org/text/more_holiness_give_me

Biography of the composer here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Bliss

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