SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 9 OF 22: MORE HOLINESS GIVE ME

Southeastway Park, Indianapolis

More holiness give me, More strivings within,

More patience in suff'ring, More sorrow for sin,

More faith in my Savior, More sense of His care,

More joy in his service, More purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, More trust in the Lord, 

More zeal in His glory, More hope in His word,

More tears for His sorrows, More pain at His grief,

More meekness in trail, More praise for relief.

More purity give me, More strength to o'ercome,

More freedom from earth stains, More longings for home;

More fit for the kingdom, More useful I'd be,

More blessed and holy, More, Savior, like Thee.

NOTES ON HYMN:

• This hymn was written by Phillip Bliss, whose contributions include lyrics ("I Will Sing Of My Redeemer"), music ("It Is Well With My Soul") or both (this song, "Wonderful Words Of Life). Bliss worked with Moody and Daniel Whittle in the late 1800's. He died in a train wreck in 1876; actually, he was thrown from the train and survived but ran into the fire to rescue his wife. Shortly before that, he had written a letter to his friend James McGranahan encouraging him to minister to the Lord in music rather than having a career in opera; McGranahan wrote the music for "I Will Sing Of My Redeemer" and several songs with evangelist Daniel Whittle (including "Showers of Blessing" and "I Know Whom I Have Believed."
• Becky introduced me to this song from a Church of Christ hymnal, Christian Hymns Vol. 2. Even though Bliss' songs are in the other songbooks we regularly use, this song isn't in most of the others we use.😭

• An exception to the above - We have a hymnal titled Gospel Hymns Nos. 1-6 Complete, published in 1894, and featuring songs from Moody era musicians like Phillip Bliss, Ira Sankey, and James McGranahan. In the Church of Christ hymnal above, it's titled by the first line "More Holiness Give Me;" in the 1894 hymnal, it was titled "My Prayer." 
  
• For those interested, the meter is 6,5,6,5,Doubled. I will mention more about that meter later in the series.