SOP Sabbath 2004: Hymns

Wonderful Words of Life
(SDAH 286, CH 547)

Verse One:
Sing them over again to me
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life.
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty;

Refrain:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Verse Two:
Christ, the blessed One, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life.
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven;

Verse Three:
Sweetly echo the gospel call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life.
Jesus, only Saviour,
Sanctify forever;

Refrain:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Background Information to Hymn #286

Both words and music of this gospel song were composed in 1874 by Philip Bliss. The popularity of this music is no doubt a result of the singable melody in the soprano and the duet formed with the alto part.

Bliss was born in Pennsylvania on July 9, 1838, to religious and musical parents who lived in a log cabin. As a young lad he accepted Christ, joining the Baptist Church at age 12. For several years Bliss taught music during the winter months and farmed in the summer. In 1864 he sent an original song to Root and Cady Music Publishers, Chicago, offering it to them if they would send him a flute. Recognizing a budding talent, they sent him the flute, and later they employed him to hold concerts and conventions for the company. Still later he joined with evangelist Major D. W. Whittle as soloist and song leader. They held revival meetings in Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and several Southern states, and all the time he was writing message-filled gospel songs.

After accepting an invitation to go to England for some meetings, he and his wife Lucy went to Rome, Pennsylvania, and spent Christmas with his family. On December 29, 1876, they were on the trip back to Chicago where he was to sing in Moody’s tabernacle, when a bridge gave way; the train plunged into the icy river below and burst into flames. Bliss and his wife died in the accident. He was 38 years old.

Among Bliss’s musical publications was Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs, Nos. 1 and 2, which he compiled with Ira D. Sankey, and several collections with G. F. Root. He wrote many hymns and gospel songs, some of which are widely known today. He composed the music for “It Is Well With My Soul” (SDAH 530) and the words for “I Will Sing of My Redeemer” (SDAH 343).

Adapted from Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White, Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988).

SDAH = Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal
CH = Church Hymnal