When Jesus Comes

Words by P. P. Bliss Music by P. P. Bliss

"Down life's dark vale we wander,
Till Jesus comes.”

One day in 1872 Mr. Bliss heard a conversation between two of his friends, who were speaking on the subject of the return of our Lord. One of the ladies quoted a line from a work of Anna Shipton, ”This may be the day of His coming, ”and spoke of the joy and comfort the thought gave her. Mr. Bliss was much impressed, more deeply than ever before, as to the reality of this subject; and a few days after as he was coming downstairs from his room, still occupied with the thought of looking for Christ's appearing, he commenced singing, ”Down life's dark vale we wander, ”the words and music coming to him as he took the successive steps down the stairs. He at once wrote it down just as we have it to-day in ”Gospel Hymns."