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Hymns and Spiritual Songs

Isaac Watts

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Section 1 of 42

HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS.

In Three Books.

1. Collected from the Scriptures.

2. Composed on Divine Subjects.

3. Prepared for the Lord's Supper.

By I. Watts, D.D.


Revelation 5, 9.
_And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy, &c. for thou
wast slain, and hast redeemed us, &c._

Soliti essent (i.e. Christiani) convenire, carmenque Christo quasi
Deo dicere.
_Plin. In Epist._


Transcriber's Note.

There are significant differences in the numerous reprints of
Isaac Watts' "Hymns and Spiritual Songs." The first generation
of this Project Gutenberg file was from an 1818 printing by C.
Corrall of 38 Charing Cross, London.

The "Index" and the "Table of the Scriptures that are Turned into
Verse" are retained, and can be found at the end of the text. The
"Table to find any Hymn by the first Line," however, has been
omitted for the following reasons:
1. It refers to page numbers that are here expunged; and
2. In this electronic version first lines can be easily
located via searches.

There are 3 books of hymns, and numbers have been added to indicate
in which of these the hymns are placed. For example, "2:38" refers
to "Book 2, Hymn Number 38," and so on.

Throughout, modern numerals have been substituted for their Roman
equivalents.



Preface.

The following extracts from the Doctor's preface contain the
substance of his plan in the three different parts into which the
Hymns are divided; the whole would have exceeded the limits of a
small book.

"Far be it from my thoughts to lay aside the Book of Psalms in
public worship; few can pretend so great a value for them as
myself: it is the most noble, most devotional and divine collection
of poesy; and nothing can be supposed more proper to raise a pious
soul to heaven than some parts of that book; never was a piece of
experimental divinity so nobly written, and so justly reverenced
and admired. But it must be acknowledged still, that there are a
thousand lines in it which were not made for a church in our days
to assume as its own. There are also many deficiencies of light
and glory which our Lord Jesus and his apostles have supplied in
the writings of the New Testament: and with this advantage I have
composed these Spiritual Songs, which are now presented to the
World. Nor is the attempt vainglorious or presuming; for in respect
of clear evangelical knowledge, 'The least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than all the Jewish Prophets.' Matt. xi. 11.

"Now let me give a short account of the following composures.

"The greatest part of them are suited to the general state of the
gospel, and the most common affairs of Christians: I hope there
will be very few found but what may properly be used in a religious
assembly, and not one of them but may well be adapted to some
seasons either of private or public worship. The most frequent
tempers and changes of our spirit, and conditions of our life,
are here copied, and the breathings of our piety expressed according
to the variety of our passions, our love, our fear, our hope, our
desire, our sorrow, our wonder and our joy, as they are refined
into devotion, and act under the influence and conduct of the
blessed Spirit; all conversing with God the Father 'by the new
and living Way' of access to the throne, even the person and the
mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him also, even 'to the Lamb
that was slain and now lives,' I have addressed many a song; for
thus doth the holy Scripture instruct and teach us to worship in
the various patterns of Christian psalmody described in the
Revelation.

"I have aimed at ease of numbers, and smoothness of sound, and
endeavoured to make the sense plain and obvious. If the verse
appears so gentle and flowing as to incur the censure of feebleness,
I may honestly affirm, that sometimes it cost me labour to make
it so.

"In the first part I have borrowed the sense and much of the form
of the song from some particular portions of scripture, and have
paraphrased most of the doxologies in the New Testament, that
contain any thing in them peculiarly evangelical: and many parts
of the Old Testament also, that have a reference to the times of
the Messiah.

"The second part consists of hymns whose form is mere human
composure; but I hope the sense and materials will always appear
divine. I might have brought some text or other, and applied it
to the margin of every verse, if this method had been as useful
as it was easy. If there be any poems in the book that are capable
of giving delight to persons of a more refined taste and polite
education, perhaps they may be found in this part; but except they
lay aside the humour of criticism, and enter into a devout frame,
every ode here already despairs of pleasing.

"I have prepared the third part only for the celebration of the
Lord's Supper, that, in imitation of our blessed Saviour, we may
sing an hymn after we have partaken of the Bread and Wine."

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