”Take Time To Be Holy”

The Author of the Hymn

THE AUTHOR ~ WILLIAM DUNN LONGSTAFF

Born November 26,1822 in Sunderland, England
Died April 2, 1894 in Sunderland, England

William was a business man, and the son of a wealthy English ship owner. He was a person of independent financial means. Due to his generous philanthropy, he was influential in evangelical circles. He followed Arthur A. Rees, his friend and persuasive Welsh preacher. Rees established the Bethesda Free Chapel in Sunderland, where Longstaff served as the church treasurer. William Longstaff married Joyce Burlinson in 1853, and together they had seven children.

In June, 1873, D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey came to England to hold evangelistic meetings. They arrived broke, and were hoping their sponsors would have things ready for them, but instead the fellow they counted on had died, and nothing had been done to prepare for the evangelistic team’s arrival. Moody and Sankey scrounged around desperately to have a meeting and had a very meager group of about 50 that showed up. Soon afterwards, William Longstaff used his financial resources and influence to support them, and the small gatherings increased to 20,000 people in London, and was able to go on to Scotland.

History of Hymn

  THE HISTORY ~ “Take Time To Be Holy”

Hearing a sermon on the text, “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” William Longstaff was inspired to write a poem, “Take Time to Be Holy.”  Being a good businessman, Longstaff had a practical mind. That is reflected in this hymn, which offers many practical suggestions for becoming holy. Longstaff managed to get his poem published in a Christian newspaper, but that was the end of it –– or so it seemed.  But as it turned out, George Stebbins, a Christian musician, had seen the poem and had clipped and filed it. Years later, needing a hymn on the subject of holy living, he remembered the poem and set it to music.  It has been a favorite now for more than a century.