"Man of Sorrows!" what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
  Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

When Moody and Sankey were in Paris, holding meetings in the old church, which, earlier in the century, Napoleon had placed at the disposal of Evangelicals, Mr. Sankey frequently sang this hymn as a solo, asking his French congregation to join in the single phrase, "Hallelujah! what a Saviour!" which they did with remarkable enthusiasm. Singular though it may seem, the word "Hallelujah" is the same in almost every language, the world over.

This hymn was written by P. P. Bliss, in 1876, at a Gospel meeting in Farwell Hall, Chicago, conducted by Henry Moorhouse, the noted evangelist. Amongst early writers in Sankey's "Sacred Songs and Solos," Bliss takes a prominent place. He was both poet and musician, and practically all his hymns were set to music by himself. These very quickly came into public favour, and the advent of the great Moody and Sankey mission of half-a-century ago, which, in its course, carried the sweet songs from continent to continent, at once established them in heart and home. He is the author of "Whosoever will," "Free from the law," "Almost persuaded," "Hold the fort," "I am so glad that Jesus loves me," and a great number of popular Gospel songs, which, even in these days of many new hymns, have lost none of their old-time power and sweetness.

When he was thirty years old, an event occurred which Mr. Bliss regarded as one of the most important in his life; this was his meeting with D. L. Moody, who was at that time holding Gospel services in Chicago. Being possessed with a sweet, sympathetic bass voice of splendid tone and quality, Mr. Bliss's powerful singing at once attracted the attention of the evangelist. This memorable meeting had far-reaching results. The vivid impression of the unmistakable power of Gospel song which Mr. Moody received when he met Mr. Bliss, forms an epoch in a movement that has been among the most blessed and remarkable during the last half century.

Mr. Bliss was a fairly prolific writer. To him hymn-writing was a spontaneous out-flow of the emotion and melody with which his soul was filled. His hymns breathe the spirit of devotion. With him the "Coming of the Lord" was indeed a Scripture truth, so real and vivid that his life felt the inspiration of it in everything he said or did. This is exemplified in the last verse of "Man of Sorrows,'' where the writer strikes a note of exultation in the words:

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
  Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Often he would come to his wife with the theme of a hymn, with his face shining and his eyes moist with tears, and would ask for prayers that God would bless the hymn. At other times, when he found that God was using his songs to bring out some precious truth of the Gospel, or the exaltation of the Lord Jesus, his heart would overflow with joy.

Of this singing evangelist, D. L. Moody wrote: "As a writer and singer of Gospel songs he was, in my estimate, the most highly honoured of God of any man of his time; and with all his gifts, he was the most humble man I ever knew."

Among the numerous hymns by which this sweet singer will ever be remembered, mention should be made of the one beginning:

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His wondrous love to me:
On the cruel cross He suffered,
  From the curse to set me free.

This was his last composition.

There is a pathetic interest attached to this hymn, it being Mr. Bliss's last composition, having been written a few days before his tragic death. The manuscript was discovered by Mr. James McGranahan amongst his friend's belongings, and he wrote for it the beautiful tune to which it has since been sung.

Philip Paul Bliss was called home on December 29th, 1876. With his wife he was travelling toward Chicago, when at Ashtabula, Ohio, a railway bridge collapsed and the train was thrown into the stream below. Mr. Bliss might have escaped, but in an endeavour to rescue his wife from the burning carriage, he lost his life. He was then thirty-eight years of age.

From Stories and Sketches of Our Hymns and Their Writers by David J. Beattie. Kilmarnock, Scotland: John Ritchie, [1934].

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