Philip P. Bliss composed the music to It Is Well with My Soul in 1876, the tune named after the ship on which Spafford’s daughters died, Ville du Havre. P. P. Bliss was born in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania in a log cabin.
His father was Isaac Bliss, who taught the family to pray daily, his mother was Lydia Doolittle. He loved music and was allowed to develop his passion for singing. His sister was Mary Elizabeth Willson, a gospel singer, singer, composer and evangelist.
In 1869, Bliss formed an association with Dwight L. Moody. Moody and others urged him to give up his job and become a missionary singer. In 1874, Bliss decided he was called to full-time Christian evangelism. Bliss made significant amounts of money from royalties and gave them to charity and to support his evangelical endeavors.
Bliss also wrote “Hold the Fort,” a stirring anthem of Christian resolve, in 1870, during the tumultuous years of the American Civil War. Its lyrics, which encourage believers to remain steadfast in faith, resonated strongly with those enduring the hardships of war. Another well-known composition, “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning,” written in 1871, reflects Bliss’s evangelistic zeal, urging Christians to be the guiding light for others in the world.
In addition to these, Bliss composed “Almost Persuaded,” a gospel song that poignantly captures the emotions of one who is on the verge of accepting Christ but hesitates. He also wrote “Hallelujah, What a Savior!”—a powerful hymn celebrating Christ’s sacrifice, often sung during Holy Week.
On 29 December 1876, the Pacific Express train on which Bliss and his wife Lucy were traveling in approached Ashtabula, Ohio. While the train was in the process of crossing a trestle bridge it collapsed, and the carriages fell into the ravine below. Bliss escaped from the wreck, but the carriages caught fire and Bliss returned to try to extricate his wife. No trace of either body was discovered.
Ninety-two of the 159 passengers are believed to have died in what became known as the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster. The Blisses were survived by their two sons, George and Philip Paul, then aged four and one, respectively.
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked shall I return.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1:21