Elizabeth Payson Prentiss wrote the hymn “More love to thee, O Christ.” Some sources state that she wrote the hymn in 1856 at a time she nearly lost her daughter Mary (Minnie) to a severe illness. However, when “More Love to Christ” was printed in The Church Hymn Book for the Worship of God in 1872, it was dated as written in 1869. It appears as Hymn 788 in that book, in meter 6s & 4s (6.4.6.4.6.6.4). It seems that her husband believed its origin went back to 1856, and that it was finished later (Life and Letters, pp. 299-300).
More love to thee!
Hear thou the prayer I make,
On bended knee:
This is my earnest plea,—
More love, O Christ! to thee,
More love to thee!
Sought peace and rest;
Now thee alone I seek,
Give what is best:
This all my prayer shall be,—
More love, O Christ! to thee,
More love to thee!
Send grief and pain;
Sweet are thy messengers,
Sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me,—
More love, O Christ! to thee,
More love to thee!
Whisper thy praise,
This be the parting cry
My heart shall raise:
This still its prayer shall be,—
More love, O Christ! to thee,
More love to thee!
Elizabeth Payson was born in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, on October 26th, 1818, the daughter of Congregational minister Edward Payson and Ann Louisa Shipman Payson. Her father died 1827, and the family moved to New York City in 1831. That same year, Elizabeth professed faith in Christ and joined the Bleeker Street Presbyterian Church. In 1845, she married George Lewis Prentiss, and they settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts where George became pastor of South Trinitarian Church.
Elizabeth Payson Prentiss died in Dorset, Bennington County, Vermont, on August 13th, 1878 and is buried at the Maple Hill Cemetery there, as is her husband. Mrs. Prentiss was a prolific author of prose and after her death, her husband published The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss (New York, NY: A. D. F. Randolph & Company, 1882).
The tune, usually titled More Love to Thee, was written by Baptist choir director, song writer, and manufacturer William Howard Doane. His music with Mrs. Prentiss’s words appeared in Songs of Devotion for Christian Associations (New York, NY: Biglow and Main, 1870) on page 151.
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