Book 3 · Hymns 1–10

Hymns and Spiritual Songs · Isaac Watts

Hymn 3:1. The Lord's Supper instituted, 1 Corinthians 11:23 &c.

1 'Twas on that dark, that doleful night
When powers of earth and hell arose
Against the Son of God's delight,
And friends betray'd him to his foes;

2 Before the mournful scene began
He took the bread, and bless'd, and brake:
What love thro' all his actions ran!
What wondrous words of grace he spake!
3 "This is my body broke for sin,
"Receive and eat the living food:"
Then took the cup, and bless'd the wine;
"'Tis the new covenant in my blood."

4 [For us his flesh with nails was torn,
He bore the scourge, he felt the thorn;
And justice pour'd upon his head
Its heavy vengeance in our stead.

5 For us his vital blood was spilt,
To buy the pardon of our guilt,
When for black crimes of biggest size
He gave his soul a sacrifice.]

6 "Do this, (he cry'd) till time shall end,
"In memory of your dying Friend;
"Meet at my table, and record
"The love of your departed Lord."

7 [Jesus, thy feast we celebrate,
We shew thy death, we sing thy Name,
Till thou return, and we shall eat
The marriage-supper of the Lamb.]

Hymn 3:2. Communion with Christ, and with saints, 1 Cor. 10. 16 17.

1 [Jesus invites his saints
To meet around his board;
Here pardon'd rebels sit, and hold
Communion with their Lord.

2 For food he gives his flesh,
He bids us drink his blood,
Amazing favour! matchless grace
Of our descending God!]

3 This holy bread and wine
Maintains our fainting breath,
By union with our living Lord,
And interest in his death.

4 Our heavenly Father calls
Christ and his members one;
We the young children of his love,
And he the first-born Son.

5 We are but several parts
Of the same broken bread;
One body hath its several limbs,
But Jesus is the head.

6 Let all our powers be join'd
His glorious Name to raise;
Pleasure and love fill every mind,
And every voice be praise.

Hymn 3:3. The new testament in the blood of Christ; or, The new covenant sealed.

1 "The promise of my Father's love
"Shall stand for ever good;"
He said, and gave his soul to death,
And seal'd the grace with blood.

2 To this dear covenant of thy word
I set my worthless name;
I seal th' engagement to my Lord,
And make my humble claim.

3 Thy light, and strength, and pardoning grace,
And glory shall be mine;
My life and soul, my heart and flesh,
And all my powers are thine.

4 I call that legacy my own
Which Jesus did bequeath;
'Twas purchas'd with a dying groan,
And ratify'd in death.

5 Sweet is the memory of his Name,
Who bless'd us in his will,
And to his testament of love
Made his own life the seal.

Hymn 3:4. Christ's dying love; or, Our pardon bought at a dear price.

1 How condescending and how kind
Was God's eternal Son!
Our misery reach'd his heavenly mind,
And pity brought him down.

2 [When Justice by our sins provok'd
Drew forth its dreadful sword,
He gave his soul up to the stroke,
Without a murmuring word.]

3 [He sunk beneath our heavy woes
To raise us to his throne;
There's ne'er a gift his hand bestows
But cost his heart a groan.]

4 This was compassion like a God,
That when the Saviour knew
The price of pardon was his blood,
His pity ne'er withdrew.

5 Now tho' he reigns exalted high,
His love is still as great:
Well he remembers Calvary,
Nor lets his saints forget.

6 [Here we behold his bowels roll,
As kind as when he dy'd;
And see the sorrows of his soul
Bleed thro' his wounded side.]

7 [Here we receive repeated seals
Of Jesus' dying love:
Hard is the wretch that never feels
One soft affection move.]

8 Here let our hearts begin to melt,
While we his death record,
And with our joy for pardon'd guilt
Mourn that we pierc'd the Lord.

Hymn 3:5. Christ the bread of life, John 6. 31 35 39.

1 Let us adore th' eternal Word,
'Tis he our souls hath fed;
Thou art our living stream, O Lord,
And thou th' immortal bread.

2 [The manna came from lower skies,
But Jesus from above,
Where the fresh springs of pleasure rise
And rivers flow with love.

3 The Jews the fathers dy'd at last,
Who ate that heavenly bread;
But these provisions which we taste
Can raise us from the dead.]

4 Bless'd be the Lord that gives his flesh
To nourish dying men;
And often spreads his table fresh,
Lest we should faint again.

5 Our souls shall draw their heavenly breath
While Jesus finds supplies;
Nor shall our graces sink to death,
For Jesus never dies.

6 [Daily our mortal flesh decays,
But Christ our life shall come;
His unresisted power shall raise
Our bodies from the tomb.]

Hymn 3:6. The memorial of our absent Lord, John 16. 16. Luke 22. 19. John 14. 3.

1 Jesus is gone above the skies,
Where our weak senses reach him not
And carnal objects court our eyes
To thrust our Saviour from our thought.

2 He knows what wandering hearts we have,
Apt to forget his lovely face;
And to refresh our minds he gave
These kind memorials of his grace.

3 The Lord of life this table spread
With his own flesh and dying blood;
We on the rich provision feed,
And taste the wine, and bless the God.

4 Let sinful sweets be all forgot,
And earth grow less in our esteem;
Christ and his love fill every thought,
And faith and hope be fix'd on him.

5 While he is absent from our sight
'Tis to prepare our souls a place,
That we may dwell in heavenly light,
And live for ever near his face.

6 Our eyes look upwards to the hills
Whence our returning Lord shall come;
We wait thy chariot's awful wheels
To fetch our longing spirits home.]

Hymn 3:7. Crucifixion to the world by the cross of Christ, Gal. 6. 14.

1 When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory dy'd,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

3 See from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

4 [His dying crimson like a robe
Spreads o'er his body on the tree;
Then am I dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.]

5 Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Hymn 3:8. The tree of life.

1 Come let us join a joyful tune
To our exalted Lord,
Ye saints on high around his throne,
And we around his board.

2 While once upon this lower ground
Weary and faint ye stood,
What dear refreshments here ye found
From this immortal food!

3 The tree of life that near the throne
In heaven's high garden grows,
Laden with grace, bends gently down
Its ever-smiling boughs.

4 [Hovering amongst the leaves there stands
The sweet celestial Dove,
And Jesus on the branches hangs
The banner of his love.]

5 ['Tis a young heaven of strange delight
While in his shade we sit;
His fruit is pleasing to the sight,
And to the taste as sweet.

6 New life it spreads thro' dying hearts,
And cheers the drooping mind;
Vigour and joy the juice imparts
Without a sting behind.]

7 Now let the flaming weapon stand
And guard all Eden's trees;
There's ne'er a plant in all that land
That bears such fruits as these.

8 Infinite grace our souls adore,
Whose wondrous hand has made
This living branch of sovereign power
To raise and heal the dead.

Hymn 3:9. The Spirit, the water, and the blood, John 5. 6.

1 [Let all our tongues be one
To praise our God on high,
Who from his bosom sent his Son
To fetch us strangers nigh.

2 Nor let our voices cease
To sing the Saviour's Name;
Jesus th' ambassador of peace,
How cheerfully he came!

3 It cost him cries and tears
To bring us near to God;
Great was our debt, and he appears
To make the payment good.]

4 [My Saviour's pierced side,
Pour'd out a double flood;
By water we are purify'd
And pardon'd by the blood.

5 Infinite was our guilt,
But he our Priest atones;
On the cold ground his life was spilt,
And offer'd with his groans.]

6 Look up, my soul, to him
Whose death was thy desert,
And humbly view the living stream
Flow from his breaking heart.

7 There on the cursed tree
In dying pangs he lies,
Fulfils his Father's great decree,
And all our wants supplies.

8 Thus the Redeemer came
By water and by blood;
And when the Spirit speaks the same
We feel his witness good.

9 While the eternal Three
Bear their record above,
Here I believe he dy'd for me,
And seal my Saviour's love.

10 [Lord, cleanse my soul from sin,
Nor let thy grace depart;
Great Comforter, abide within,
And witness to my heart.]

Hymn 3:10. Christ crucified; the wisdom and power of God.

1 Nature with open volume stands
To spread her Maker's praise abroad;
And every labour of his hands
Shews something worthy of a God.

2 But in the grace that rescu'd man
His brightest form of glory shines;
Here on the cross 'tis fairest drawn
In precious blood and crimson lines.

3 [Here his whole name appears complete;
Nor wit can guess, nor reason prove
Which of the letters best is writ,
The power, the wisdom, or the love.]

4 Here I behold his inmost heart
Where grace and vengeance strangely join,
Piercing his Son with sharpest smart
To make the purchas'd pleasure mine.

5 O the sweet wonders of that cross
Where God the Saviour lov'd and dy'd!
Her noblest life my spirit draws
From his dear wounds and bleeding side.

6 I would for ever speak his Name
In sounds to mortal ears unknown,
With angels join to praise the Lamb,
And worship at his Father's throne.

‹ Previous · Next ›