AND

SPIRITUAL SONGS.

IN THREE BOOKS.

I. COLLECTED FROM THE SCRIPTURES.
II. COMPOSED ON DIVINE SUBJECTS.

III. PREPARED FOR THE LORD'S SUPPER.

By I. WATTS, D.D.

Rev. v. 9.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us unto God. Soliti essent (i. e. Christiani) convenire, carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicere.

Plin. in Epist.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR SAMUEL BAGSTER, 15, PATERNOSTER ROW;

AT THE

WAREHOUSE FOR BIBLES, NEW TESTAMENTS, PRAYER BOOKS, AND PSALTERS, IN ANCIENT AND MODERN LANGUAGES;

By Bagster and Thoms, 14, Bartholomew Close.

M.DCCC.XXVII.

PREFACE.

THE following extracts from the Doctor's preface contain the substance of his plan in the three different parts into which the Hymns are divided,

The greatest part of them are suited to the general state of the gospel, and the most common affairs of Christians: I hope there will be very few found but what may properly be used in a religious assembly, and not one of them but may well be adapted to some seasons either of private or public worship. The most frequent tempers and changes of our spirit, and conditions of our life, are here copied, and the breathings of our piety expressed, according to the variety of our passions, our love, our fear, our hope, our desire, our sorrow, our wonder and our joy, as they are refined into devotion, and act under the influence and conduct of the blessed Spirit; all conversing with God the Father by the New and Living Way' of access to the throne, even the person and the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him also, even to the Lamb that was slain and now lives,' I have addressed many a song! for thus doth the Holy Scripture instruct and teach us to worship in the various patterns of Christian psalmody described in the Revelation.

The contentions and distinguishing words of sects and parties are secluded, that whole assemblies might assist at the harmony, and different churches join in the same worship without offence. However, where any unpleasing word is found, he that leads the worship may substitute a better; for (blessed be God) we are not confined to the words of any man in our public solemnities.

The Hymns are divided into Three Books. In the first part I have borrowed the sense, and much of the form of the song, from some particular portions of Scripture, and have paraphrased most of the doxologies in the New Testament, that contain any thing in them peculiarly evangelical: and many parts of the Old Testament also, that have a reference to the times of the Messiah. In these 1 expect to be often censured for a too religious observance of the words of Scripture, whereby the verse is weakened and debased, according to the judgment of the critics: but as my whole design was to aid the devotion of Christians, so more especially in this part: and I am satisfied I shall hereby attain two ends, viz. assist the worship of all serious minds, to whom the expressions of Scripture are ever dear and delightful; and gratify the taste and inclination of those who think nothing must be sung unto God, but the translations of his own word.

The Second Part consists of Hymns whose form is mere human composure; but I hope the sense and materials will always appear divine. I might have brought some text or other, and applied it to the margin of every verse, if this method had been as useful as it was easy. If there be any poems in the book that are capable of giving delight to persons of a more refined taste and polite education, perhaps they may be found in this part; but except they lay aside the humour of criticism, and enter into a devout frame, every ode here already despairs of pleasing. I confess myself to have been too often tempted away from the more spiritual designs I proposed, by some gay and flowery expressions that gratified the fancy; the bright images too often prevailed above the fire of divine affection; and the light exceeded the heat: yet, I hope, in many of them, the reader will find, that devotion dictated the song, and the head and hand were nothing but interpreters and secretaries to the heart: nor is the magnificence or boldness of the figures comparable to that divine licence which is found in the eighteenth and sixty-eighth Psalms, several chapters of Job, and other poetical parts of Scripture and in this respect I may hope to escape the reproof of those who pay a sacred reverence to the Holy Bible.

I have prepared the Third Part only for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, that, in imitation of our blessed Saviour, we might sing an hymn after we had partaken of the bread and wine.

The hymns in Book I. distinguished by this mark *, are taken from the Doctor's Sermons.

Note. In all the longer hymus, and in some of the shorter, there are several stanzas included in crotches, thus [] which stauzas may be left out in singing, without disturbing

the sense.

HYMNS.

BOOK I.

Collected from the Holy Scriptures.