Tag: Isaac Watts

Singing Psalm 5 with Isaac Watts

On By BrianIn Hymns

Here is Psalm 5 paraphrased into Common Meter by Isaac Watts – along with a few adaptations. We sang it to the tune of “O God Our Help In Ages Past.”

Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear
My voice ascending high;
To thee will I direct my prayer,
To thee lift up mine eye….

Thou art a God, before whose sight
The wicked shall not stand;
Sinners shall ne’er be thy delight,
Nor dwell at thy right hand.

But to thy house will I resort,
To taste thy mercies there;
I will frequent thine holy court,
And worship in thy fear.

O may thy Spirit guide my feet
In ways of righteousness!
Make every path of duty straight,
And plain before my face.

My watchful enemies combine
To tempt my feet astray;
They flatter, with a base design
To make my soul their prey.

Lord, crush the serpent in the dust,
And all his plots destroy;
While those that in thy mercy trust,
For ever shout for joy.

The ones that love and fear thy name
Shall see their hopes fulfilled;
The mighty God will cover them
With favor as a shield.

Singing Psalm 4 with Isaac Watts

On By BrianIn Hymns

Here is Psalm 4 adapted into Long Meter by Isaac Watts – along with a few adaptations. We sang it to the tune of “I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day.”

O God of grace and righteousness,
Hear and attend when I complain;
Thou hast enlarged me in distress,
Bow down a gracious ear again.

Ye sons of men, in vain ye try
To turn my glory into shame;
How long will scoffers love to lie,
And dare reproach my Savior’s name?

Know that the Lord divides his saints
From all the tribes of men beside;
He hears the cry of penitents,
For the dear sake of Christ that died….

Let the unthinking many say,
“Who will bestow some earthly good?”
But, Lord, thy light and love we pray;
Our souls desire this heav’nly food.

Then shall my cheerful pow’rs rejoice,
At grace and favors so divine;
Nor will I change my happy choice
For all their corn and all their wine.

Thus, with my thoughts composed to pray,
I’ll give mine eyes to quiet sleep;
Thy hand in safety keeps my days,
And will all of my slumbers keep.

Singing Psalm 3 with Isaac Watts

On By BrianIn Hymns

Here is Psalm 3 paraphrased in Common Meter by Isaac Watts. We sang this one to the tun of “We Sing the Greatness of Our God.”

My God, how many are my fears!
How fast my foes increase!
Consp’ring my eternal death,
They break my present peace.
The lying tempter would persuade
There’s no relief in heav’n;
And all my swelling sins appear
Too big to be forgiv’n.

But thou, my glory and my strength,
Shalt on the tempter tread,
Shalt silence all my threatening guilt,
And raise my drooping head.
I cried, and from his holy hill
He bowed a listening ear;
I called my Father, and my God,
And he subdued my fear.

He shed soft slumbers on mine eyes,
In spite of all my foes;
I woke, and wondered at the grace
That guarded my repose.
What though the hosts of death and hell
All armed against me stood,
Terrors no more shall shake my soul;
My refuge is my God.

Arise, O Lord, fulfil thy grace,
While I thy glory sing;
My God has broke the serpent’s teeth,
And death has lost his sting.
Salvation to the Lord belongs;
His arm alone can save:
Blessings attend thy people here,
And reach beyond the grave.

Singing Psalm 2 with Isaac Watts

On By BrianIn Hymns

Here is Psalm 2 paraphrased in Common Meter by Isaac Watts. We sang it to the tune of “We Sing the Greatness of our God.”

Why did the nations join to slay
The Lord’s anointed Son?
Why did they cast his laws away,
And tread his gospel down?
The Lord, that sits above the skies,
Derides their rage below;
He speaks with vengeance in his eyes,
And strikes their spirits through.

“I call him my Eternal Son,
And raise him from the dead;
I make my holy hill his throne,
And wide his kingdom spread.
“Ask me, my Son, and then enjoy
The utmost heathen lands:
Thy rod of iron shall destroy
The rebel that withstands.”

Be wise, ye rulers of the earth,
Obey th’ anointed Lord,
Adore the King of heav’nly birth,
And tremble at his word.
With humble love address his throne;
For if he frown, ye die:
Those are secure, and those alone,
Who on his grace rely.

Singing Psalm 1 with Isaac Watts

On By BrianIn Hymns

Our church just started a sermon series on the Book of Psalms. After the sermon, we are singing the psalm as paraphrased by Isaac Watts who added meter and rhyme. Psalm 1 was written in Common Meter, and we sang it to the tune of one of his more familiar hymns – “We Sing the Greatness of Our God.”

Blest is the man who shuns the place
Where sinners love to meet;
Who fears to tread their wicked ways,
And hates the scoffer’s seat:
But in the statutes of the Lord
Has placed his chief delight;
By day he reads or hears the word,
And meditates by night.

Green as the leaf, and ever fair,
Shall his profession shine
While fruits of holiness appear
Like clusters on the vine.
Not so the impious…unjust;
What vain designs they form!
Their hopes are blown away like dust,
Or chaff before the storm.

Sinners in judgment shall not stand
Amongst the sons of grace,
When Christ, the Judge, at his right hand
Appoints his saints a place.
His eye beholds the path they tread,
His heart approves it well
But crooked ways of sinners lead
Down to the gates of hell.

Hosannah To Christ

On By BrianIn Hymns1 Comment

I have a book with a couple hundred hymns by Isaac Watts, and I found this one that goes along with Palm Sunday.  We are planning to sing it this Sunday using the familiar tune to O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing (both hymns share the same meter and the music fits well).  Read the words and notice their theological depth in reference to the person of Christ that leads to the call to praise him.

Hosannah To Christ
Isaac Watts

Hosannah to the royal Son
Of David’s ancient line!
His natures two, his person one,
Mysterious and divine.

The root of David here, we find,
And offspring is the same:
Eternity and time are join’d
In our Immanuel’s name

Bless’d he that comes to wretched men
With peaceful news from heav’n!
Hosannahs of the highest strain
To Christ the Lord be giv’n!

Let mortals ne’er refuse to take
The hosannah on their tongues,
Lest rocks and stones should rise and break
Their silence into songs.