Produced by Lewis Jones.
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 thouwast slain, and hast redeemed us, &c.
Soliti essent (i.e. Christiani) convenire, carmenque Christo quasiDeo 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 intoVerse" are retained, and can be found at the end of the text. The"Table to find any Hymn by the first Line," however, has beenomitted for the following reasons:1. It refers to page numbers that are here expunged; and2. In this electronic version first lines can be easilylocated via searches.
There are 3 books of hymns, and numbers have been added to indicatein which of these the hymns are placed. For example, "2:38" refersto "Book 2, Hymn Number 38," and so on.
Throughout, modern numerals have been substituted for their Romanequivalents.
Preface.
The following extracts from the Doctor's preface contain thesubstance of his plan in the three different parts into which theHymns are divided; the whole would have exceeded the limits of asmall book.
"Far be it from my thoughts to lay aside the Book of Psalms inpublic worship; few can pretend so great a value for them asmyself: it is the most noble, most devotional and divine collectionof poesy; and nothing can be supposed more proper to raise a pioussoul to heaven than some parts of that book; never was a piece ofexperimental divinity so nobly written, and so justly reverencedand admired. But it must be acknowledged still, that there are athousand lines in it which were not made for a church in our daysto assume as its own. There are also many deficiencies of lightand glory which our Lord Jesus and his apostles have supplied inthe writings of the New Testament: and with this advantage I havecomposed these Spiritual Songs, which are now presented to theWorld. Nor is the attempt vainglorious or presuming; for in respectof clear evangelical knowledge, 'The least in the kingdom of heavenis 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 thegospel, and the most common affairs of Christians: I hope therewill be very few found but what may properly be used in a religiousassembly, and not one of them but may well be adapted to someseasons either of private or public worship. The most frequenttempers and changes of our spirit, and conditions of our life,are here copied, and the breathings of our piety expressed accordingto the variety of our passions, our love, our fear, our hope, ourdesire, our sorrow, our wonder and our joy, as they are refinedinto devotion, and act under the influence and conduct of theblessed Spirit; all conversing with God the Father 'by the newand living Way' of access to the throne, even the person and themediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him also, even 'to the Lambthat was slain and now lives