“More Love to Thee”
Elizabeth Prentiss 1818-1878
Pastor’s Wife and Hymn Writer
Elizabeth Prentiss was a Pastor’s wife in New York in the 1800’s. She was described by others as “a bright-eyed, little woman, with a keen sense of humor, who cared more to shine in her own happy household than in a wide circle of society.” But for much of her life she lived the life of a near invalid, her body often wracked with pain. It was during these times that she had to rethink- and reshape her own understanding of what it meant to be useful, and recognize that her value came not from DOING, but BEING. She said “I see now that to live for God, whether one is allowed ability to be actively useful or not, is a great thing, and that it is a wonderful mercy to be allowed even to suffer, if thereby one can glorify Him.”
Her most famous hymn “More Love to Thee” was born out of a time of incredible tragedy. In 1852, Elizabeth and her husband George lost two young children, Eddy and Bessie, to illness. One after the other. She wrote in her diary, “Empty hands, a worn-out, exhausted body, and unutterable longings to flee from a world that has so many sharp experiences.”
Her Pastor-husband George preached a sermon some time afterward and one line arrested Elizabeth. He preached: “Love can prevent the soul from going blind.” Elizabeth realised that she was going spiritually blind. In her grief she was losing sight of the reason for her joy, Jesus Christ, the very One who gave any meaning to her suffering. She realised that she needed to love Christ more. She needed to fight for her love for Christ. It was out of that deep longing, she wrote “More Love to Thee.”
The original Hymn has four verses. However, one verse has fallen out of use primarily due to the modern church’s failure to recognize the sovereignty of God in sorrow and suffering- and that He uses all things to conform us ever more into the likeness of Christ. May we learn to as Charles Spurgeon said, “Kiss the wave that throws us up against the Rock of Ages”, and may Elizabeth’s heart-felt song be our own; “more love to thee”!
The missing verse:
Let sorrow do its work,
come grief or pain;
Sweet are Thy messengers,
sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me:
More love, O Christ, to Thee!
More love to Thee, More love to Thee.
More Love to Thee Oh Christ
Elizabeth Prentiss
Verse 1
More love to Thee, O Christ, 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, more love to Thee!
Verse 2
Once earthly joy I craved, 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, more love to Thee!
Verse 3
Let sorrow do its work, come 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, more love to Thee!
Verse 4
Then shall my latest breath, 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, more love to Thee!
