PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748 · 62,793 words · 378 reading sections
Hymn 1:118. Moses and Christ; or, Sins against the law and gospel, John 1. 17. Heb. 3. 3 5 6 and 10. 28 29.
1 The law by Moses came, But peace, and truth, and love, Were brought by Christ, a nobler name, Descending from above. 2 Amidst the house of God Their different works were done; Moses a faithful servant stood, But Christ a faithful Son. 3 Then to his new commands Be strict obedience paid; O'er all his Father's house …
106 wordsSECTION 122Hymn 1:119. 'The different success of the gospel, 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. 2 Cor. 2. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 6 7.
1 Christ and his cross is all our theme; The mysteries that we speak Are scandal in the Jew's esteem, And folly to the Greek. 2 But souls enlighten'd from above With joy receive the word; They see what wisdom, power, and love Shines in their dying Lord. 3 The vital savour of his Name Restores their fainting breath; B…
93 wordsSECTION 123Hymn 1:120. Faith of things unseen, Heb. 11. 1 3 8 10.
1 Faith is the brightest evidence Of things beyond our sight, Breaks thro' the clouds of flesh and sense, And dwells in heavenly light. 2 It sets times past in present view, Brings distant prospects home, Of things a thousand years ago, Or thousand years to come. 3 By faith we know the worlds were made By God's almig…
94 wordsSECTION 124Hymn 1:121. Children devoted to God, Gen. 17. 7 10. Acts 16. 14 15 33. (For those who practise infant Baptism.)
1 Thus saith the mercy of the Lord, "I'll be a God to thee; "I'll bless thy numerous race, and they "Shall be a seed for me." 2 Abra'm believ'd the promis'd grace, And gave his sons to God; But water seals the blessing now, That once was seal'd with blood. 3 Thus Lydia sanctify'd her house When she receiv'd the word;…
92 wordsSECTION 125Hymn 1:122. Believers buried with Christ in baptism, Rom. 6. 3 &c.
1 Do we not know that solemn word, That we are bury'd with the Lord, Baptis'd into his death, and then Put off the body of our sin? 2 Our souls receive diviner breath, Rais'd from corruption, guilt, and death; So from the grave did Christ arise, And lives to God above the skies. 3 No more let sin or Satan reign Over …
79 wordsSECTION 126Hymn 1:123. The repenting prodigal, Luke 15. 13 &c.
1 Behold the wretch whose lust and wine Had wasted his estate, He begs a share among the swine, To taste the husks they eat! 2 "I die with hunger here (he cries) "I starve in foreign lands, "My father's house has large supplies, "And bounteous are his hands. 3 "I'll go, and with a mournful tongue "Fall down before hi…
171 wordsSECTION 127Hymn 1:124. The first and second Adam, Rom. 5. 12 &c.
1 Deep in the dust before thy throne Our guilt and our disgrace we own; Great God, we own th' unhappy name Whence sprang our nature and our shame. 2 Adam, the sinner: At his fall Death like a conqueror seiz'd us all; A thousand new-born babes are dead By fatal union to their head. 3 But whilst our spirits fill'd with…
161 wordsSECTION 128Hymn 1:125. Christ's compassion to the weak and tempted, Heb. 4. 15 16. and 5. 7. Matt. 12. 20.
1 With joy we meditate the grace Of our High Priest above; His heart is made of tenderness, His bowels melt with love. 2 Touch'd with a sympathy within He knows our feeble frame; He knows what sore temptations mean, For he has felt the same. 3 But spotless, innocent, and pure The great Redeemer stood, While Satan's f…
136 wordsSECTION 129Hymn 1:126. Charity and uncharitableness, Rom. 14. 17 19. 1 Cor. 10. 32.
1 Not different food, or different dress Compose the kingdom of our Lord, But peace and joy and righteousness, Faith and obedience to his word. 2 When weaker Christians we despise We do the gospel mighty wrong, For God the gracious and the wise Receives the feeble with the strong. 3 Let pride and wrath be banish'd he…
77 wordsSECTION 130Hymn 1:127. Christ's invitation to sinners; or, Humility and pride, Matt. 11. 28 29 30.
1 "Come hither, all ye weary souls, "Ye heavy laden sinners, come, "I'll give you rest from all your toils, "And raise you to my heavenly home. 2 "They shall find rest that learn of me; "I'm of a meek and lowly mind; "But passion rages like the sea, "And pride is restless as the wind. 3 "Blest is the man whose should…
113 wordsSECTION 131Hymn 1:128. The Apostles' commission; or, The gospel attested by miracles, Mark 16. 15 &c. Matt. 28. 18 &c.
1 "Go preach my gospel, (saith the Lord,) "Bid the whole earth my grace receive; "He shall be sav'd that trusts my word, "He shall be damn'd that won't believe. 2 "[I'll make your great commission known, "And ye shall prove my gospel true "By all the works that I have done, "By all the wonders ye shall do. 3 "Go heal…
143 wordsSECTION 132Hymn 1:129. Submission and deliverance; or, Abraham offering his son, Gen. 22. 6 &c.
1 Saints, at your Father's heavenly word Give up your comforts to the Lord; He shall restore what you resign, Or grant you blessings more divine. 2 So Abraham with obedient hand, Led forth his son at God's command, The wood, the fire, the knife he took, His arm prepar'd the dreadful stroke. 3 "Abraham, forbear, (the …
107 wordsSECTION 133Hymn 1:130. Love and hatred, Phil. 2. 2. Eph. 4. 30 &c.
1 Now by the bowels of my God, His sharp distress, his sore complaints, By his last groans, his dying blood, I charge my soul to love the saints. 2 Clamour, and wrath, and war be gone, Envy and spite for ever cease, Let bitter words no more be known Amongst the saints, the sons of peace. 3 The Spirit, like a peaceful…
116 wordsSECTION 134Hymn 1:131. The Pharisee and the Publican, Luke 18. 10 &c.
1 Behold how sinners disagree, The Publican and Pharisee! One doth his righteousness proclaim, The other owns his guilt and shame. 2 This man at humble distance stands, And cries for grace with lifted hands; That boldly rises near the throne, And talks of duties he has done. 3 The Lord their different language knows,…
100 wordsSECTION 135Hymn 1:132. Holiness and grace, Titus 2. 10-13.
1 So let our lips and lives express The holy gospel we profess, So let our works and virtues shine To prove the doctrine all divine. 2 Thus shall we best proclaim abroad The honours of our saviour God; When the salvation reigns within, And grace subdues the power of sin. 3 Our flesh and sense must be deny'd, Passion …
100 wordsSECTION 136Hymn 1:133. Love and charity, 1 Cor. 13. 2-7 13.
1 Let Pharisees of high esteem Their faith and zeal declare, All their religion is a dream If love be wanting there. 2 Love suffers long with patient eye, Nor is provok'd in haste; She lets the present injury die, And long forgets the past. 3 [Malice and rage, those fires of hell, She quenches with her tongue; Hopes,…
148 wordsSECTION 137Hymn 1:134. Religion vain without love, 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3.
1 Had I the tongues of Greeks and Jews, And nobler speech that angels use, If love be absent, I am found Like tinkling brass, an empty sound. 2 Were I inspir'd to preach and tell All that is done in heaven and hell, Or could my faith the world remove, Still I am nothing without love. 3 Should I distribute all my stor…
114 wordsSECTION 138Hymn 1:135. The love of Christ shed abroad in the heart, Eph. 3. 16 &c.
1 Come, dearest Lord, descend and dwell By faith and love in every breast; Then shall we know, and taste, and feel The joys that cannot be exprest. 2 Come, fill our hearts with inward strength, Make our enlarged souls possess, And learn the height, and breadth, and length Of thine unmeasurable grace. 3 Now to the God…
81 wordsSECTION 139Hymn 1:136. Sincerity and hypocrisy; or, Formality in worship, John 4. 24. Psalm 139. 23 24.
1 God is a spirit just and wise, He sees our inmost mind; In vain to heaven we raise our cries And leave our souls behind. 2 Nothing but truth before his throne, With honour can appear, The painted hypocrites are known Thro' the disguise they wear. 3 Their lifted eyes salute the skies, Their bending knees the ground;…
95 wordsSECTION 140Hymn 1:137. Salvation by grace in Christ, 2 Tim. 1. 9 10.
1 Now to the power of God supreme Be everlasting honours given, He saves from hell, (we bless his Name) He calls our wandering feet to heaven. 2 Not for our duties or deserts, But of his own abounding grace, He works salvation in our hearts, And forms a people for his praise. 3 'Twas his own purpose that begun To res…
131 wordsSECTION 141Hymn 1:138. Saints in the hands of Christ, John 10. 28 29.
1 Firm as the earth thy gospel stands, My Lord, my hope, my trust; If I am found in Jesus' hands, My soul can ne'er be lost. 2 His honour is engag'd to save The meanest of his sheep, All that his heavenly Father gave His hands securely keep. 3 Nor death, nor hell shall e'er remove His favourites from his breast; In t…
74 wordsSECTION 142Hymn 1:139. Hope in the covenant; or, God's promise and truth unchangeable, Heb. 6. 17 18 19.
1 How oft have sin and Satan strove To rend my soul from thee, my God, But everlasting is thy love, And Jesus seals it with his blood. 2 The oath and promise of the Lord Join to confirm the wondrous grace; Eternal power performs the word, And fills all heaven with endless praise. 3 Amidst temptations sharp and long M…
104 wordsSECTION 143Hymn 1:140. A living and a dead faith. Collected from several scriptures.
1 Mistaken souls! that dream of heaven, And make their empty boast Of inward joys, and sins forgiven, While they are slaves to lust. 2 Vain are our fancies airy flights, If faith be cold and dead, None but a living power unites To Christ the living head. 3 'Tis faith that changes all the heart; 'Tis faith that works …
167 wordsSECTION 144Hymn 1:141. The humiliation and exaltation of Christ, Isa. 53. 1-5 10 11 12.
1 Who has believ'd thy word, Or thy salvation known? Reveal thine arm, almighty Lord, And glorify thy Son. 2 The Jews esteem'd him here Too mean for their belief: Sorrows his chief acquaintance were, And his companion, grief. 3 They turn'd their eyes away, And treated him with scorn; But 'twas their grief upon him la…
173 wordsSECTION 145Hymn 1:142. The same, Isa. 53. 6-9 12.
1 Like sheep we went astray, And broke the fold of God, Each wandering in a different way, But all the downward road. 2 How dreadful was the hour When God our wanderings laid, And did at once his vengeance pour Upon the Shepherd's head! 3 How glorious was the grace When Christ sustain'd the stroke! His life and blood…
138 wordsSECTION 146Hymn 1:143. Characters of the children of God, from several scriptures.
1 So new born babes desire the breast To feed, and grow, and thrive: So saints with joy the gospel taste, And by the gospel live. 2 [With inward gust their heart approves All that the word relates; They love the men their Father loves, And hate the works he hates.] 3 [Not all the flattering baits on earth Can make th…
235 wordsSECTION 147Hymn 1:144. The witnessing and sealing Spirit, Rom. 8. 14 16. Eph. 1. 13 14.
1 Why should the children of a King Go mourning all their days? Great Comforter, descend and bring Some tokens of thy grace. 2 Dost thou not dwell in all the saints, And seal the heirs of heaven? When wilt thou banish my complaints, And shew my sins forgiven? 3 Assure my conscience of her part In the Redeemer's blood…
98 wordsSECTION 148Hymn 1:145. Christ and Aaron. Taken from Heb. 7. and 9.
1 Jesus, in thee our eyes behold A thousand glories more Than the rich gems and polish'd gold The sons of Aaron wore. 2 They first their own burnt-offerings brought To purge themselves from sin; Thy life was pure without a spot, And all thy nature clean. 3 [Fresh blood as constant as the day Was on their altar spilt;…
184 wordsSECTION 149Hymn 1:146. Characters of Christ, borrowed from inanimate things, in scripture.
1 Go, worship at Immanuel's feet, See in his face what wonders meet; Earth is too narrow to express His worth, his glory, or his grace. 2 [The whole creation can afford But some faint shadows of my Lord: Nature to make his beauties known Must mingle colours not her own.] 3 [Is he compar'd to wine or bread? Dear Lord,…
491 wordsSECTION 150Hymn 1:147. The names and titles of Christ, from several scriptures.
1 ['Tis from the treasures of his word I borrow titles for my Lord? Nor art, nor nature can supply Sufficient forms of majesty. 2 Bright image of the Father's face, Shining with undiminish'd rays; Th' eternal God's eternal Son, The heir, and partner of his throne.] 3 The King of kings, the Lord most high, Writes his …
180 wordsSECTION 151Hymn 1:148. As the 148th Psalm. The same.
1 [With cheerful voice I sing The titles of my Lord, And borrow all the names Of honour from his word: Nature and art Can ne'er supply Sufficient forms Of majesty. 2 In Jesus we behold His Father's glorious face, Shining for ever bright With mild and lovely rays: Th' eternal God's Eternal Son Inherits and Partakes the…
222 wordsSECTION 152Hymn 1:149. The offices of Christ, from several scriptures.
1 Join all the names of love and power That ever men or angels bore; All are too mean to speak his worth, Or set Immanuel's glory forth. 2 But O what condescending ways He takes to teach his heavenly grace! My eyes with joy and wonder see What forms of love he bears for me. 3 [The "Angel of the covenant" stands With …
320 wordsSECTION 153Hymn 1:150. As the 149th Psalm. The same.
1 Join all the glorious names Of wisdom, love, and power, That ever mortals knew, That angels ever bore: All are too mean To speak his worth, Too mean to set My Saviour forth. 2 But O what gentle terms, What condescending ways Doth our Redeemer use To teach his heavenly grace! Mine eyes with joy And wonder see What fo…
405 wordsSECTION 154Book 2.
Composed on Divine Subjects.…
4 wordsSECTION 155Hymn 2:1. A song of praise to God from Great Britain.
1 Nature with all her powers shall sing God the Creator and the King; Nor air, nor earth, nor skies, nor seas Deny the tribute of their praise. 2 [Begin to make his glories known, Ye seraphs that sit near his throne; Tune your harps high, and spread the sound To the creation's utmost bound. 3 All mortal things of mea…
263 wordsSECTION 156Hymn 2:2. The death of a sinner.
1 My thoughts on awful subjects roll, Damnation and the dead; What horrors seize the guilty soul Upon a dying bed! 2 Lingering about these mortal shores, She makes a long delay, Till like a flood with rapid force Death sweeps the wretch away. 3 Then swift and dreadful she descends Down to the fiery coast, Amongst abo…
134 wordsSECTION 157Hymn 2:3. The death and burial of a saint.
1 Why do we mourn departing friends Or shake at death's alarms? 'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends To call them to his arms. 2 Are we not tending upward too As fast as time can move? Nor would we wish the hours more slow To keep us from our love. 3 Why should we tremble to convey Their bodies to the tomb? There the …
148 wordsSECTION 158Hymn 2:4. Salvation in the cross.
1 Here at thy cross, my dying God, I lay my soul beneath thy love, Beneath the droppings of thy blood, Jesus, nor shall it e'er remove. 2 Not all that tyrants think or say, With rage and lightning in their eyes, Nor hell shall fright my heart away, Should hell with all its legions rise. 3 Should worlds conspire to dr…
140 wordsSECTION 159Hymn 2:5. Longing to praise Christ better.
1 Lord, when my thoughts with wonder roll O'er the sharp sorrows of thy soul, And read my Maker's broken laws Repair'd and honour'd by thy cross; 2 When I behold death, hell and sin, Vanquish'd by that dear blood of thine, And see the man that groan'd and dy'd Sit glorious by his Father's side; 3 My passions rise and…
139 wordsSECTION 160Hymn 2:6. A morning song.
1 Once more, my soul, the rising day Salutes thy waking eyes. Once more, my voice, thy tribute pay To him that rolls the skies. 2 Night unto night his name repeats, The day renews the sound, Wide as the heaven on which he sits To turn the seasons round. 3 'Tis he supports my mortal frame, My tongue shall speak his pr…
152 wordsSECTION 161Hymn 2:7. An evening song.
1 [Dread Sovereign, let my evening song Like holy incense rise; Assist the offerings of my tongue To reach the lofty skies. 2 Thro' all the dangers of the day, Thy hand was still my guard, And still to drive my wants away Thy mercy stood prepar'd.] 3 Perpetual blessings from above Encompass me around, But O how few r…
140 wordsSECTION 162Hymn 2:8. A hymn for morning or evening.
1 Hosanna, with a cheerful sound, To God's upholding hand; Ten thousand snares attend us round, And yet secure we stand. 2 That was a most amazing power That rais'd us with a word, And every day and every hour We lean upon the Lord. 3 The evening rests our weary head, And angels guard the room; We wake and we admire …
140 wordsSECTION 163Hymn 2:9. Godly sorrow arising from the sufferings of Christ.
1 Alas! and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die? Would he devote that sacred head For such a worm as I? 2 [Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, thine, And bath'd in its own blood, While all expos'd to wrath divine The glorious Sufferer stood.] 3 Was it for crimes that I had done He groan'd upon the tree? Amazing p…
143 wordsSECTION 164Hymn 2:10. Parting with carnal joys.
1 My soul forsakes her vain delight, And bids the world farewell Base as the dirt beneath my feet, And mischievous as hell. 2 No longer will I ask your love, Nor seek your friendship more; The happiness that I approve Lies not within your power. 3 There's nothing round this spacious earth That suits my large desire; …
140 wordsSECTION 165Hymn 2:11. The same.
1 Send the joys of earth away, Away ye tempters of the mind, False as the smooth deceitful sea, And empty as the whistling wind. 2 Your streams were floating me along Down to the gulf of black despair, And whilst I listen'd to your song, Your streams had e'en convey'd me there. 3 Lord, I adore thy matchless grace, Th…
136 wordsSECTION 166Hymn 2:12. Christ is the substance of the Levitical priesthood.
1 The true Messiah now appears, The types are all withdrawn; So fly the shadows and the stars Before the rising dawn. 2 No smoking sweets, nor bleeding lambs, Nor kid, nor bullock slain, Incense and spice of costly names Would all be burnt in vain. 3 Aaron must lay his robes away; His mitre and his vest, When God him…
119 wordsSECTION 167Hymn 2:13. The creation, preservation, dissolution, and restoration of this world.
1 Sing to the Lord that built the skies, The Lord that rear'd this stately frame; Let half the nations sound his praise, And lands unknown repeat his Name. 2 He form'd the seas, and form'd the hills, Made every drop and every dust, Nature and time with all their wheels, And push'd them into motion first. 3 Now from h…
142 wordsSECTION 168Hymn 2:14. The Lord's day; or, Delight in ordinances.
1 Welcome, sweet day of rest, That saw the Lord arise; Welcome to this reviving breast, And these rejoicing eyes! 2 The King himself comes near, And feasts his saints to-day, Here we may sit, and see him here, And love, and praise, and pray. 3 One day amidst the place Where my dear God hath been, Is sweeter than ten …
87 wordsSECTION 169Hymn 2:15. The enjoyment of Christ; or, Delight in worship.
1 Far from my thoughts, vain world, be gone, Let my religious hours alone; Fain would my eyes my Saviour see, I wait a visit, Lord, from thee. 2 My heart grows warm with holy fire, And kindles with a pure desire: Come, my dear Jesus, from above, And feed my soul with heavenly love. 3 [The trees of life immortal stand…
154 wordsSECTION 170Hymn 2:16. Part the second.
7 Lord, what a heaven of saving grace, Shines thro' the beauties of thy face, And lights our passions to a flame! Lord, how we love thy charming Name! 8 When I can say, my God is mine, When I can feel thy glories shine, I tread the world beneath my feet, And all that earth calls good or great. 9 While such a scene of…
173 wordsSECTION 171Hymn 2:17 God's eternity.
1 Rise, rise, my soul, and leave the ground, Stretch all thy thoughts abroad, And rouse up every tuneful sound To praise th' eternal God. 2 Long ere the lofty skies were spread Jehovah fill'd his throne; Or Adam form'd, or angels made, The Maker liv'd alone. 3 His boundless years can ne'er decrease, But still maintai…
140 wordsSECTION 172Hymn 2:18. The ministry of angels.
1 High on a hill of dazzling light, The King of Glory spreads his seat, And troops of angels stretch'd for flight, Stand waiting round his awful feet. 2 "Go," saith the Lord, "my Gabriel go, "Salute the virgin's fruitful womb,[1] "Make haste, ye cherubs, down below, Sing and proclaim the Saviour come." 3 Here a brigh…
153 wordsSECTION 173Hymn 2:19. Our frail bodies, and God our preserver.
1 Let others boast how strong they be, Nor death, nor danger fear; But we'll confess, O Lord, to thee, What feeble things we are. 2 Fresh as the grass our bodies stand, And flourish bright and gay, A blasting wind sweeps o'er the land, And fades the grass away. 3 Our life contains a thousand springs, And dies if one …
154 wordsSECTION 174Hymn 2:20. Backslidings and returns; or, The inconstancy of our love.
1 Why is my heart so far from thee, My God, my chief delight? Why are my thoughts no more by day With thee, no more by night? 2 [Why should my foolish passions rove? Where can such sweetness be As I have tasted in thy love; As I have found in thee?] 3 When my forgetful soul renews The savour of thy grace, My heart pr…
245 wordsSECTION 175Hymn 2:21. A song of praise to God the Redeemer.
1 Let the old heathens tune their song Of great Diana and of Jove; But the sweet theme that moves my tongue Is my Redeemer and his love. 2 Behold a God descends and dies To save my soul from gaping hell; How the black gulf where Satan lies Yawn'd to receive me when I fell! 3 How justice frown'd and vengeance stood To…
107 wordsSECTION 176Hymn 2:22. With God is terrible majesty.
1 Terrible God, that reign'st on high, How awful is thy thundering hand! Thy fiery bolts how fierce they fly! Nor can all earth or hell withstand. 2 This the old rebel angels knew, And Satan fell beneath thy frown: Thine arrows struck the traitor thro', And weighty vengeance sunk him down. 3 This Sodom felt, and feel…
135 wordsSECTION 177Hymn 2:23. The sight of God and Christ in heaven.
1 Descend from heaven, immortal Dove, Stoop down and take us on thy wings, And mount and bear us far above The reach of these inferior things. 2 Beyond, beyond this lower sky, Up where eternal ages roll, Where solid pleasures never die, And fruits immortal feast the soul. 3 O for a sight, a pleasing sight Of our almi…
160 wordsSECTION 178Hymn 2:24. The evil of sin visible in the fall of angels and men.
1 When the great Builder arch'd the skies, And form'd all nature with a word, The joyful cherubs tun'd his praise, And every bending throne ador'd. 2 High in the midst of all the throng, Satan, a tall archangel, sat, Amongst the morning stars he sung [1] Till sin destroy'd his heavenly state. 3 ['Twas sin that hurl'd…
202 wordsSECTION 179Hymn 2:25. Complaining of spiritual sloth.
1 My drowsy powers, why sleep ye so? Awake, my sluggish soul! Nothing has half thy work to do, Yet nothing's half so dull. 2 The little ants for one poor grain Labour, and tug, and strive, Yet we who have a heaven t' obtain, How negligent we live! 3 We for whose sake all nature stands And stars their courses move; We…
150 wordsSECTION 180Hymn 2:26. God invisible.
1 Lord, we are blind, we mortals blind, We can't behold thy bright abode; O 'tis beyond a creature-mind To glance a thought half-way to God. 2 Infinite leagues beyond the sky The great Eternal reigns alone, Where neither wings nor soul can fly, Nor angels climb the topless throne. 3 The Lord of glory builds his seat …
100 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.