Library · Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Book 1 · Hymns 11–20
Hymns and Spiritual Songs · Isaac Watts
Hymn 1:11. The humble enlightened, and carnal reason humbled; or, The sovereignty of grace, Luke 10. 21 22
1 There was an hour when Christ rejoic'd,
And spoke his joy in words of praise;
"Father, I thank thee, mighty God,
"Lord of the earth, and heavens, and seas.
2 "I thank thy sovereign power and love,
"That crowns my doctrine with success;
"And makes the babes in knowledge learn
"The heights, and breadths, and lengths of grace.
3 "But all this glory lies conceal'd
"From men of prudence and of wit;
"The prince of darkness blinds their eyes,
"And their own pride resists the light.
4 "Father, 'tis thus, because thy will
"Chose and ordain'd it should be so;
"T'is thy delight t' abase the proud,
"And lay the haughty scorner low.
5 "There's none can know the Father right
"But those who learn it from the Son;
"Nor can the Son be well receiv'd,
But where the Father makes him known."
6 Then let our souls adore our God
That deals his graces as he please,
Nor gives to mortals an account
Or of his actions, or decrees.
Hymn 1:12. Free grace in revealing Christ, Luke 10. 21.
1 Jesus, the man of constant grief,
A mourner all his days;
His spirit once rejoic'd aloud,
And tun'd his joy to praise.
2 "Father, I thank thy wondrous love,
"That hath reveal'd thy Son
"To men unlearned; and to babes
"Has made thy gospel known.
3 "The mysteries of redeeming grace
"Are hidden from the wise,
"While pride and carnal reasonings join
"To swell and blind their eyes."
4 Thus doth the Lord of heaven and earth
His great decrees fulfil,
And orders all his works of grace
By his own sovereign will.
Hymn 1:13. The Son of God incarnate; or, The titles and the kingdom of Christ, Isa. 9. 2 6 7.
1 The lands that long in darkness lay
Now have beheld a heavenly light;
Nations that sat in death's cold shade
Are bless'd with beams divinely bright.
2 The virgin's promis'd Son is born,
Behold th' expected Child appear;
What shall his names or titles be?
The Wonderful, the Counsellor.
3 This infant is the mighty God
Come to be suckled and ador'd
Th' eternal Father, Prince of Peace,
The son of David, and his Lord.
4 The government of earth and seas
Upon his shoulders shall be laid
His wide dominions still increase,
And honours to his name be paid.
5 Jesus the holy child shall sit
High on his father David's throne,
Shall crush his foes beneath his feet,
And reign to ages yet unknown.
Hymn 1:14. The triumph of faith; or, Christ's unchangeable love, Rom. 8. 33 &c.
1 Who shall the Lord's elect condemn?
'Tis God that justifies their souls,
And mercy like a mighty stream
O'er all their sins divinely rolls.
2 Who shall adjudge the saints to hell?
'Tis Christ that suffer'd in their stead,
And the salvation to fulfil,
Behold him rising from the dead.
3 He lives, he lives, and sits above,
For ever interceding there:
Who shall divide us from his love?
Or what should tempt us to despair?
4 Shall persecution, or distress,
Famine, or sword, or nakedness?
He that hath lov'd us bears us thro',
And makes us more than conquerors too.
5 Faith hath an overcoming power,
It triumphs in the dying hour;
Christ is our life, our joy, our hope,
Nor can we sink with such a prop.
6 Not all that men on earth can do,
Nor powers on high, nor powers below,
Shall cause his mercy to remove,
Or wean our hearts from Christ our love.
Hymn 1:15. Our own weakness, and Christ our strength, 2 Cor. 12. 7 9 10.
1 Let me but hear my Saviour say,
"Strength shall be equal to thy day,"
Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on all-sufficient Grace.
2 I glory in infirmity,
That Christ's own power may rest on me;
When I am weak, then am I strong,
Grace is my shield, and Christ my song.
3 I can do all things, or can bear
All sufferings, if my Lord be there;
Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains,
While his left hand my head sustains.
4 But if the Lord be once withdrawn,
And we attempt the work alone,
When new temptations spring and rise
We find how great our weakness is.
5 [So Samson, when his hair was lost,
Met the Philistines to his cost;
Shook his vain limbs with sad surprise,
Made feeble fight, and lost his eyes.]
Hymn 1:16. Hosanna to Christ, Matt. 21. 9. Luke 19. 38 40.
1 Hosanna to the royal Son
Of David's ancient line,
His natures two, his person one,
Mysterious and divine.
2 The root of David here we find,
And offspring is the same;
Eternity and time are join'd
In our Immanuel's name.
3 Bless'd he that comes to wretched men
With peaceful news from heaven;
Hosannas of the highest strain
To Christ the Lord be given.
4 Let mortals ne'er refuse to take
Th' hosanna on their tongues,
Lest rocks and stones should rise, and break
Their silence into songs.
Hymn 1:17. Victory over death, 1 Cor. 15, 55 &c.
1 O for an overcoming faith
To cheer my dying hours,
To triumph o'er the monster Death,
And all his frightful powers.
2 Joyful with all the strength I have
My quivering lips should sing,
"Where is thy boasted victory, Grave?
And where the monster's sting?"
3 If sin be pardon'd I'm secure,
Death hath no sting beside;
The law gives sin its damning power,
But Christ, my ransom, died.
4 Now to the God of victory
Immortal thanks be paid,
Who makes us conquerors while we die,
Thro' Christ our living head.
Hymn 1:18. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, Rev. 14. 13.
1 Hear what the voice from heaven proclaims,
For all the pious dead,
Sweet is the savour of their names,
And soft their sleeping bed.
2 They die in Jesus, and are bless'd;
How kind their slumbers are!
From sufferings and from sins releas'd,
And freed from every snare.
3 Far from this world of toil and strife,
They're present with the Lord;
The labours of their mortal life
End in a large reward.
Hymn 1:19. The song of Simeon; or, Death made desirable, Luke 2. 27 &c.
1 Lord at thy temple we appear,
As happy Simeon came,
And hope to meet our Saviour here;
O make our joys the same!
2 With what divine and vast delight
The good old man was fill'd,
When fondly in his wither'd arms
He clasp'd the holy child!
3 "Now I can leave this world," he cry'd,
"Behold thy servant dies,
"I've seen thy great salvation, Lord,
"And close my peaceful eyes.
4 "This is the light prepar'd to shine
"Upon the Gentile lands,
"Thine Israel's glory, and their hope
"To break their slavish bands."
5 [Jesus, the vision of thy face
Hath overpowering charms
Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace
If Christ be in my arms.
6 Then while ye hear my heart-strings break,
How sweet my minutes roll!
A mortal paleness on my cheek,
And glory in my soul.]
Hymn 1:20. Spiritual apparel; namely, the robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation, Isa. 61. 10.
1 Awake, my heart, arise, my tongue,
Prepare a tuneful voice,
In God the life of all my joys,
Aloud will I rejoice.
2 'Tis he adorn'd my naked soul,
And made salvation mine,
Upon a poor polluted worm
He makes his graces shine.
3 And lest the shadow of a spot
Should on my soul be found,
He took the robe the Saviour wrought,
And cast it all around.
4 How far the heavenly robe exceeds
What earthly princes wear!
These ornaments, how bright they shine!
How white the garments are!
5 The Spirit wrought my faith and love,
And hope, and every grace;
But Jesus spent his life to work
The robe of righteousness.
6 Strangely, my soul, art thou array'd
By the great sacred Three:
In sweetest harmony of praise
Let all thy powers agree.