Just Pondering
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Rick Branan |
The depths of the earth are in his hand,
and the mountain peaks are his.
The sea is his; he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let’s worship and bow down;
let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95:4-6 (CSBBible)
Isaac Watts may be considered the father of English hymnody. The beginning of the eighteenth century marks a distinct period in the history of hymnology. The apostle of the new departure was Dr. Isaac Watts. He was the first to see the real need, and in large measure he succeeded in supplying it.
He was born at Southampton July 17, 1674. He was a precocious child; learned to read almost as soon as he could articulate, and wrote verses when a little boy. He was firmly attached to the principles of the Nonconformists, for which his father had suffered imprisonment, and was therefore compelled to decline the advantages of the great English universities, which at that time received only Church of England students. He availed himself, however, of the privilege of attending a Dissenting academy in London, taught by Mr. Thomas Rowe, where he applied himself to study with uncommon diligence and success.
During his school days it was his habit frequently to attempt poetry both in English and in Latin, according to the custom of the time. In this manner he was unconsciously preparing himself for a long, brilliant, and useful career. In 1705 he published his first volume of poems, Horae Lyricae, which was received with approbation in Great Britain and America, and gave the author, in the opinion of the learned Dr. Johnson, an honorable place among English poets. His Hymns and Spiritual Songs appeared in 1707; Psalms, in 1719; and Divine Songs for Children, in 1720. One characteristic of Watts's hymns is majesty. He is bold, massive, tremendous. This was not his only style of writing; some of his hymns are very pathetic. For example, "When I survey the wondrous cross" and "Alas! and did my Saviour bleed." Grandeur was his forte, but he could be as simple as a child and as tender as a mother.
--From Hymnwriters of the Church
Give to Our God Immortal Praise
Give to our God immortal praise;
mercy and truth are all His ways;
wonders of grace to God belong,
repeat His mercies in your song.
Give to the LORD of lords renown,
the King of kings with glory crown;
His mercies ever shall endure,
when lords and kings are known no more.
He built the earth, He spread the sky,
and fixed the starry lights on high;
wonders of grace to God belong,
repeat His mercies in your song.
He fills the sun with morning light,
He bids the moon direct the night;
His mercies ever shall endure,
when suns and moons shall shine no more.
The Jews He freed from Pharaoh's hand
and brought them to the promised land;
wonders of grace to God belong,
repeat His mercies in your song.
He saw the Gentiles dead in sin
and felt His pity move within;
His mercies ever shall endure,
when death and sin shall reign no more.
He sent His Son with pow'r to save
from guilt, and darkness, and the grave;
wonders of grace to God belong,
repeat His mercies in your song.
Through this vain world He guides our feet
and leads us to His heav'nly seat;
His mercies ever shall endure,
when this vain world shall be no more.
Written by Sir Isaac Watts
We often see shifts in the psalms. The beginning may be a dire warning from the Lord, followed by a triumphant proclamation to praise Him. Psalm 95 begins with praise, “shout joyfully to the Lord.” This psalm has been set to many different tunes, typically as joyful praise. Near the end of the psalm, the psalmist issues a warning, “Do not harden your hearts.” When we fill our lives praising God, it is difficult to slip away. Yet we see the children of Israel do so over and over again. Life happens, struggles arise, and the slippage starts.
Sir Isaac Watts, known for his majestic hymns, recognized the struggles. He dealt with physical ailments his entire adulthood. He also turned his psalm studies into the gospel as seen in this verse, “He saw the Gentiles dead in sin and felt His pity move within; His mercies ever shall endure, when death and sin shall reign no more.” Praising God was of the highest order in Watt’s writing. Many of the stanzas end with, “repeat His mercies in your song.” We are children of sin, it controls us and only through the blood of Christ can we escape sin. Truly, praising God’s mercies should be our song.
Just pondering . . . Bro. Rick