Philip Paul Bliss (1836-1876) was a traveling musician and a singing evangelist of sorts. He partnered with a retired Civil War officer, Daniel Whittle, to travel by horseback to share the gospel through the frontier. In Philip’s words, “Major Whittle goes with me to preach the gospel while I try to sing it.” Philip also originated hymns for use in evangelistic outreach. He wrote the gospel hymn “Hallelujah, What a Savior” and the hymn tune “It is Well with My Soul.”
He visited Rev. Brundage on a Sunday when his friend preached on King Agrippa’s response to Paul’s defense of the gospel. After Paul finished his eloquent testimony, Agrippa responded, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26.28). It’s one of the saddest verses in Scripture. Agrippa is almost persuaded.
Becoming an almost Christian doesn’t pass muster. Either you are one or you’re not. Brundage concluded his sermon, “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be eternally lost.” Philip was so stirred by his friend’s message that he returned home to compose the hymn “Almost Persuaded.” The song begins:
“Almost persuaded, now to believe;
Almost persuaded, Christ to receive:
Seems now some soul will say,
Go, Spirit, go Thy way
Some more convenient day
On thee I’ll call.”
Philip would have undoubtedly written more hymns, but his life and that of his wife Lucy was cut short when they died in the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster, leaving two young sons, ages four and one. How tragic that some people put off following Christ to a more convenient day. That day may never come.
Philip leads us to pray: