Isaac Watts

Hymn 113

Abraham's blessing on the Gentiles.

Gen. 17:7; Rom. 15:8; Mk 10:14.

How large the promise, how divine,
To Abram and his seed!
"I'll be a God to thee and thine,
Supplying all their need."

The words of his extensive love
From age to age endure;
The Angel of the cov'nant proves,
And seals the blessing sure.

Jesus the ancient faith confirms,
To our great fathers giv'n;
He takes young children to his arms,
And calls them heirs of heav'n.

Our God, how faithful are his ways!
His love endures the same;
Nor from the promise of his grace
Blots out the children's name.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Related quotes

Isaac Watts

Hymn 121

Children devoted to God. [For those who practise infant Baptism.]

Gen. 17:7,10; Acts 16:14,15,33.

Thus saith the mercy of the Lord,
"I'll be a God to thee;
I'll bless thy num'rous race, and they
Shall be a seed for me."

Abram believed the promised grace,
And gave his sons to God;
But water seals the blessing now,
That once was sealed with blood.

Thus Lydia sanctified her house,
When she received the word;
Thus the believing jailer gave
His household to the Lord.

Thus later saints, eternal King!
Thine ancient truth embrace;
To thee their infant offspring bring,
And humbly claim the grace.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 129

Submission and deliverance; or, Abraham offering up his son.

Gen. 22:6, etc.

Saints, at your heav'nly Father's word
Give up your comforts to the Lord;
He shall restore what you resign,
Or grant you blessings more divine.

So Abram with obedient hand
Led forth his son at God's command;
The wood, the fire, the knife, he took,
His arm prepared the dreadful stroke.

"Abram, forbear!" the angel cried,
Thy faith is known, thy love is tried
Thy son shall live, and in thy seed
Shall the whole earth be blest indeed."

Just in the last distressing hour
Tie Lord displays deliv'ring power;
The mount of dauger is the place
Where we shall see surprising grace.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Psalm 89 part 5

v.30ff
C. M.
The covenant of grace unchangeable.

"Yet," saith the Lord, "if David's race,
The children of my Son,
Should break my laws, abuse my grace,
And tempt mine anger down;

"Their sins I'll visit with the rod
And make their folly smart;
But I'll not cease to be their God,
Nor from my truth depart.

"My cov'nant I will ne'er revoke,
But keep my grace in mind
And what eternal love hath spoke
Eternal truth shall bind.

"Once have I sworn (I need no more)
And pledged my holiness,
To seal the sacred promise sure
To David and his race.

"The sun shall see his offspring rise
And spread from sea to sea,
Long as he travels round the skies
To give the nations day.

"Sure as the moon that rules the night
His kingdom shall endure,
Till the fixed laws of shade and light
Shall be observed no more.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Psalm 89

The covenant made with Christ; or, The true David.

For ever shall my song record
The truth and mercy of the Lord;
Mercy and truth for ever stand,
Like heav'n, established by his hand.

Thus to his Son he sware, and said,
"With thee my cov'nant first is made;
In thee shall dying sinners live,
Glory and grace are thine to give.

"Be thou my Prophet, thou my Priest;
Thy children shall be ever blest;
Thou art my chosen King: thy throne
Shall stand eternal like my own.

"There's none of all my sons above
So much my image or my love;
Celestial powers thy subjects are:
Then what can earth to thee compare?

"David, my servant, whom I chose
To guard my flock, to crush my foes,
And raised him to the Jewish throne,
Was but a shadow of my Son."

Now let the church rejoice and sing
Jesus, her Savior and her King;
Angels his heav'nly wonders show,
And saints declare his works below.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 52

Baptism.

Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38.

'Twas the commission of our Lord,
"Go teach the nations, and baptize:"
The nations have received the word
Since he ascended to the skies.

He sits upon th' eternal hills,
With grace and pardon in his hands;
And sends his cov'nant with the seals,
To bless the distant British lands.

"Repent, and be baptized," he saith,
For the remission of your sins:"
And thus our sense assists our faith,
And shows us what his gospel means.

Our souls he washes in his blood,
As water makes the body clean;
And the good Spirit from our God
Descends like purifying rain.

Thus we engage ourselves to thee,
And seal our cov'nant with the Lord;
O may the great eternal Three
In heav'n our solemn vows record!

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

When hope seemed so hopeless,

When hope seemed so hopeless, and all was lost.
looking impossible and too great the cost.
His incredible promise I then believed
and reached out to Jesus. His love received

There upon the cross with arms opened wide
"I love you so dearly, " to me Jesus cried.
"All is forgiven and I've paid the price
for your forgiveness by my sacrifice."

poem by RoystonReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Thomas Hardy

I Said to Love.

I said to Love,
"It is not now as in old days
When men adored thee and thy ways
All else above;
Named thee the Boy, the Bright, the One
Who spread a heaven beneath the sun,"
I said to Love.

I said to him,
"We now know more of thee than then;
We were but weak in judgment when,
With hearts abrim,
We clamoured thee that thou would'st please
Inflict on us thine agonies,"
I said to him.

I said to Love,
"Thou art not young, thou art not fair,
No faery darts, no cherub air,
Nor swan, nor dove
Are thine; but features pitiless,
And iron daggers of distress,"
I said to Love.

"Depart then, Love! . . .
- Man's race shall end, dost threaten thou?
The age to come the man of now
Know nothing of? -
We fear not such a threat from thee;
We are too old in apathy!
Mankind shall cease.--So let it be,"
I said to Love.

poem by Thomas HardyReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Thomas Hardy

I said to Love

I said to Love,
"It is not now as in old days
When men adored thee and thy ways
All else above;
Named thee the Boy, the Bright, the One
Who spread a heaven beneath the sun,"
I said to Love.

I said to him,
"We now know more of thee than then;
We were but weak in judgment when,
With hearts abrim,
We clamoured thee that thou would'st please
Inflict on us thine agonies,"
I said to him.

I said to Love,
"Thou art not young, thou art not fair,
No elfin darts, no cherub air,
Nor swan, nor dove
Are thine; but features pitiless,
And iron daggers of distress,"
I said to Love.

"Depart then, Love!
Man's race shall perish, threatenest thou,
WIthout thy kindling coupling-vow?
The age to come the man of now
Know nothing of?
We fear not such a threat from thee;
We are too old in apathy!
Mankind shall cease.. -
So let it be,"
I said to Love.

poem by Thomas HardyReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Psalm 89 part 4

v.19ff
C. M.
Christ's mediatorial kingdom; or, His Divine and human nature

Hear what the Lord in vision said,
And made his mercy known:
"Sinners, behold your help is laid
On my Almighty Son.

"Behold the Man my wisdom chose
Among your mortal race:
His head my holy oil o'erflows,
The Spirit of my grace.

"High shall he reign on David's throne,
My people's better King;
My arm shall beat his rivals down,
And still new subjects bring.

"My truth shall guard him in his way,
With mercy by his side,
While in my name through earth and sea
He shall in triumph ride.

"Me for his Father and his God
He shall for ever own,
Call me his rock, his high abode,
And I'll support my Son.

"My first-born Son arrayed in grace
At my right hand shall sit;
Beneath him angels know their place,
And monarchs at his feet.

"My cov'nant stands for ever fast,
My promises are strong;
Firm as the heav'ns his throne shall last,
His seed endure as long."

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 114

Abraham's blessing on the Gentiles.

Rom. 11:16,17.

Gentiles by nature, we belong
To the wild olive wood;
Grace took us from the barren tree,
And grafts us in the good.

With the same blessings grace endows
The Gentile and the Jew;
If pure and holy be the root,
Such are the branches too.

Then let the children of the saints
Be dedicate to God,
Pour out thy Spirit on them, Lord,
And wash them in thy blood.

Thus to the parents and their seed
Shall thy salvation come,
And num'rous households meet at last
In one eternal home.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

PSALM 105 Abridged

God's conduct of Israel, and the plagues of Egypt.

Give thanks to God, invoke his name,
And tell the world his grace;
Sound through the earth his deeds of fame,
That all may seek his face.

His cov'nant, which he kept in mind
For num'rous ages past,
To num'rous ages yet behind
In equal force shall last.

He sware to Abraham and his seed,
And made the blessing sure;
Gentiles the ancient promise read,
And find his truth endure.

"Thy seed shall make all nations blest,"
(Said the Almighty voice,)
"And Canaan's land shall be their rest,
The type of heav'nly joys."

[How large the grant! how rich the grace,
To give them Canaan's land,
When they were strangers in the place,
A little feeble band!

Like pilgrims through the countries round
Securely they removed;
And haughty kings that on them frowned
Severely he reproved.

"Touch mine anointed, and my arm
Shall soon revenge the wrong:
The man that does my prophets harm,
Shall know their God is strong."

Then let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Isr'el must live through every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.]

PAUSE I.

When Pharaoh dared to vex the saints,
And thus provoked their God,
Moses was sent at their complaints,
Armed with his dreadful rod.

He called for darkness; darkness came
Like an o'erwhelming flood;
He turned each lake and every stream
To lakes and streams of blood.

He gave the sign, and noisome flies
Through the whole country spread;
And frogs in croaking armies rise
About the monarch's bed.

Through fields, and towns, and palaces,
The tenfold vengeance flew;
Locusts in swarms devoured their trees,
And hail their cattle slew.

Then by an angel's midnight stroke
The flower of Egypt died;
The strength of every house was broke,
Their glory and their pride.

Now let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Isr'el must live through every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.

PAUSE II.

Thus were the tribes from bondage brought,
And left the hated ground;
Each some Egyptian spoils had got,
And not one feeble found.

The Lord himself chose out their way,
And marked their journeys right;
Gave them a leading cloud by day,
A fiery guide by night.

They thirst, and waters from the rock
In rich abundance flow;
And following still the course they took,
Ran all the desert through.

O wondrous stream! O blessed type
Of ever-flowing grace!
So Christ, our Rock, maintains our life
Through all this wilderness.

Thus guarded by th' Almighty hand,
The chosen tribes possessed
Canaan, the rich, the promised land,
And there enjoyed their rest.

Then let the world forbear its rage,
The church renounce her fear;
Isr'el must live through every age,
And be th' Almighty's care.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Psalm 89 part 1

The faithfulness of God.

My never-ceasing songs shall show
The mercies of the Lord;
And make succeeding ages know
How faithful is his word.

The sacred truths his lips pronounce
Shall firm as heav'n endure;
And if he speak a promise once,
Th' eternal grace is sure.

How long the race of David held
The promised Jewish throne!
But there's a nobler cov'nant sealed
To David's greater Son.

His seed for ever shall possess
A throne above the skies;
The meanest subject of his grace
Shall to that glory rise.

Lord God of hosts, thy wondrous ways
Are sung by saints above;
And saints on earth their honors raise
To thy unchanging love.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

We have the promise of God's being our God, and of the blessing by Christ for ourselves, as we are Abraham's seed, yet take the whole promise collectively made to him and us.

quote by Thomas GoodwinReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 3

The nativity of Christ.

Luke 1:30ff; 2:10ff

Behold, the grace appears!
The promise is fulfilled;
Mary, the wondrous virgin, bears,
And Jesus is the child.

[The Lord, the highest God,
Calls him his only Son;
He bids him rule the lands abroad,
And gives him David's throne.

O'er Jacob shall he reign
With a peculiar sway;
The nations shall his grace obtain,
His kingdom ne'er decay.]

To bring the glorious news
A heav'nly form appears;
He tells the shepherds of their joys,
And banishes their fears.

"Go, humble swains," said he,
"To David's city fly;
The promised infant born to-day
Doth in a manger lie."

"With looks and hearts serene,
Go visit Christ your King;
And straight a flaming troop was seen:
The shepherds heard them sing:

"Glory to God on high!
And heav'nly peace on earth;
Goodwill to men, to angels joy,
At the Redeemer's birth!

[In worship so divine,
Let saints employ their tongues;
With the celestial hosts we join,
And loud repeat their songs:

"Glory to God on high!
And heav'nly peace on earth;
Goodwill to men, to angels joy,
At our Redeemer's birth!"]

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 60

The Virgin Mary's song.

Luke 1:46ff.

Our souls shall magnify the Lord,
In God the Savior we rejoice:
While we repeat the Virgin's song,
May the same Spirit tune our voice!

[The Highest saw her low estate,
And mighty things his hand hath done:
His overshadowing power and grace
Makes her the mother of his Son.

Let ev'ry nation call her blest,
And endless years prolong her fame;
But God alone must be ador'd:
Holy and reverend is his name.]

To those that fear and trust the Lord,
His mercy stands for ever sure:
From age to age his promise lives,
And the performance is secure.

He spake to Abram and his seed,
In thee shall all the earth be blessed;"
The memory of that ancient word
Lay long in his eternal breast.

But now no more shall Isr'el wait,
No more the Gentiles lie forlorn:
Lo, the desire of nations comes;
Behold, the promised seed is born!

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

The Lord's Scepter Shall Never Depart

God chose the man Abram to start his plan of reconciliation,
He believed and his descendents would be a mighty little nation.
When God first spoke to Abram, he told him to leave his relations,
Later changing his name to Abraham, as the father of many nations.

For through his seed God would bless all the nations of the earth,
Later Isaiah prophesied this seed would come through a virgin birth.
From the tribe of Judah the Lord's Scepter shall never depart,
True Words spoken by Isaac’s son Jacob, right from his heart.

This was Jacob's blessing to his son Judah at his departure,
Spoke for the Father of All Nations, Judah couldn't be any surer.
God began to fulfill His promise with one of Judah's very own,
For through King David He would establish an everlasting throne.

God used his son Solomon to build a temple in Jerusalem for The Lord.
Through Nathan, God told David that his Kingdom would forever endure.
Although the Kingdom grew great under Solomon, his heart turned away,
So God tore away the Kingdom, but for David's sake Judah He let stay.

It will be The Lion of Judah, who fulfills the promise of The Lord,
It is under Christ, The Son of David, that the land will be restored.
However, many countries will be left out of God's plan of Salvation,
For they have harbored hatred and despised this tiny little nation.

(Copyright © 04/2002)

poem by Bob GottiReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 50

The song of Zacharias.

Lk. 1:68ff; John 1:29,32.

Now be the God of Isr'el blessed,
Who makes his truth appear;
His mighty hand fulfils his word,
And all the oaths he sware.

Now he bedews old David's root
With blessings from the skies;
He makes the Branch of Promise grow,
The promised Horn arise.

[John was the prophet of the Lord,
To go before his face;
The herald which our Savior God
Sent to prepare his ways.

He makes the great salvation known,
He speaks of pardoned sins;
While grace divine, and heav'nly love,
In its own glory shines.

"Behold the Lamb of God," he cries.
"That takes our guilt away;
I saw the Spirit o'er his head,
On his baptizing day.]

"Be every vale exalted high,
Sink every mountain low;
The proud must stoop, and humble souls
Shall his salvation know.

"The heathen realms with Isr'el's land
Shall join in sweet accord
And all that's born of man shall see
The glory of the Lord.

"Behold the Morning Star arise,
Ye that in darkness sit;
He marks the path that leads to peace,
And guides our doubtful feet."

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
William Cowper

Lovest Thou Me?

(John, xxi.16)

Hark my soul! it is the Lord;
'Tis Thy Saviour, hear His word;
Jesus speaks and speaks to thee,
"Say poor sinner, lovst thou me?

"I deliver'd thee when bound,
And when bleeding, heal'd thy wound;
Sought thee wandering, set thee right,
Turn'd thy darkness into light.

"Can a woman's tender care
Cease towards the child she bare?
Yes, she may forgetful be,
Yet will I remember thee.

"Mine is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above,
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death.

"Thou shalt see my glory soon,
When the work of grace is done;
Partner of my throne shalt be;
Say, poor sinner, lovst thou me?"

Lord it is my chief complaint,
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee and adore, --
Oh! for grace to love Thee more!

poem by William CowperReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share

Holy Communion

O God of Mercy, God of Might,
How should pale sinners bear the sight,
If, as Thy power in surely here,
Thine open glory should appear?

For now Thy people are allowed
To scale the mount and pierce the cloud,
And Faith may feed her eager view
With wonders Sinai never knew.

Fresh from th' atoning sacrifice
The world's Creator bleeding lies.
That man, His foe, by whom He bled,
May take Him for his daily bread.

O agony of wavering thought
When sinners first so near are brought!
"It is my Maker--dare I stay?
My Saviour--dare I turn away?"

Thus while the storm is high within
'Twixt love of Christ and fear of sin,
Who can express the soothing charm,
To feel Thy kind upholding arm,

My mother Church? and hear thee tell
Of a world lost, yet loved so well,
That He, by whom the angels live,
His only Son for her would give?

And doubt we yet? Thou call'st again;
A lower still, a sweeter strain;
A voice from Mercy's inmost shrine,
This very breath of Love divine.

Whispering it says to each apart,
"Come unto Me, thou trembling heart;"
And we must hope, so sweet the tone,
The precious words are all our own.

Hear them, kind Saviour--hear Thy Spouse
Low at Thy feet renew her vows;
Thine own dear promise she would plead
For us her true though fallen seed.

She pleads by all Thy mercies, told
Thy chosen witnesses of old,
Love's heralds sent to man forgiven,
One from the Cross, and one from Heaven.

This, of true penitents the chief,
To the lost spirit brings relief,
Lifting on high th' adored Name:-
"Sinners to save, Christ, Jesus came."

That, dearest of Thy bosom Friends,
Into the wavering heart descends:-
"What? fallen again? yet cheerful rise.
Thine Intercessor never dies."

The eye of Faith, that waxes bright
Each moment by thine altar's light,
Sees them e'en now: they still abide
In mystery kneeling at our side:

And with them every spirit blest,
From realms of triumph or of rest,
From Him who saw creation's morn,
Of all Thine angels eldest born,

To the poor babe, who died to-day,
Take part in our thanksgiving lay,
Watching the tearful joy and calm,
While sinners taste Thine heavenly balm.

Sweet awful hour! the only sound
One gentle footstep gliding round,
Offering by turns on Jesus' part
The Cross to every hand and heart.

Refresh us, Lord, to hold it fast;
And when Thy veil is drawn at last,
Let us depart where shadows cease,
With words of blessing and of peace.

poem by John KebleReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share
Isaac Watts

Hymn 23 part 2

A hopeful youth falling short of heaven.

Mark 10:21.

Must all the charms of nature, then,
So hopeless to salvation prove?
Can hell demand, can heav'n condemn,
The man whom Jesus deigns to love?

The man who sought the ways of truth,
Paid friends and neighbors all their due;
A modest, sober, lovely youth,
And thought he wanted nothing new.

But mark the change; thus spake the Lord-
"Come, part with earth for heav'n today:"
The youth, astonished at the word,
In silent sadness went his way.

Poor virtues that he boasted so,
This test unable to endure;
Let Christ, and grace, and glory go,
To make his land and money sure!

Ah, foolish choice of treasures here!
Ah, fatal love of tempting gold!
Must this base world be bought so dear?
Are life and heav'n so cheaply sold?

In vain the charms of nature shine,
If this vile passion govern me:
Transform my soul, O love divine!
And make me part with all for thee.

poem by Isaac WattsReport problemRelated quotes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Share