Light First, Then Heat: What Worship Leaders Today Can Learn from Isaac Watts

This excerpt from Douglas Bond's new book on Isaac Watts is a needed reminder for those who lead God's people in public worship:

Watts understood that "our passions are intensely directed toward material things but are hardly moved by the most important discoveries of faith." He was warring against the stale lifeless singing in worship in his youth, and he rightly wanted to see emotion and passion, as we do, in sung worship. He knew that passions "are glorious and noble instruments of the spiritual life when under good conduct." But here is where Watts is a counter voice to many well-meaning worship leaders today: he knew that passions "are ungovernable and mischievous energies when they go astray." He grasped - and so must we - that it is the business of church leaders both "to assist the devout emotions" and "to guard against the abuse of them." Centuries before the invention of the electric bass, Watts warned church leaders: "Let him not begin with their emotions. He must not artfully manipulate" their passions and feelings until he has first "set these doctrines before the eye of their understanding and reasoning faculties. The emotions are neither the guides to truth nor the judges of it." He argued that since "light comes before heat...Christians are best prepared for the useful and pious exercise of their emotions in the spiritual life who have laid the foundations in an ordered knowledge of the things of God."

In the very best of Watts' hymns, he combines both emotion and knowledge. But for Watts, it is always light first, then heat. The feeling of wonder, the emotion of profound gratitude, the escalating thrill of adoration and praise always follow the objective propositional exploration of the doctrines of the gospel. For Watts, the doxological always follows the theological....We know this not because Watts said so. Watts discovered it from divine revelation. Hebrew poetry in the Bible can be deeply passionate, even erotic, and the Psalms are rich with thrilling emotion, but it is always light first, then heat.

--Douglas Bond, The Poetic Wonder of Isaac Watts  

Two New Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading

Here are a couple of new books that I'm looking forward to reading:

What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible's Story, Symbolism, and Patterns, Jim Hamilton 

The Bible recounts a single story—one that began at creation, encompasses our lives today, and will continue till Christ’s return and beyond. In What Is Biblical Theology?, Jim Hamilton introduces us to this narrative, helping us understand the worldview of the biblical writers so that we can read the Old and New Testaments as the original authors intended. Tracing the key patterns, symbols, and themes that bind the Bible together, this book will help you understand Scripture’s unified message and find your place in the great story of redemption.

The Poetic Wonder of Isaac Watts, Douglas Bond

The focus of this next volume in "The Long Line of Godly Men Profile Series" is upon the preeminent English hymn writer Isaac Watts. In an age of simplistic and repetitive worship songs, the church must not forget the Father of English Hymnody. In this profile of the great hymn writer, Douglas Bond writes that Watts life and words can enrich the lives and worship of Christians today. 

Pleading What My Lord Has Done

No More, My God
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

No more, my God, I boast no more
Of all the duties I have done;
I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of Thy Son.

Now, for the love I bear His name,
What was my gain I count my loss;
My former pride I call my shame,
And nail my glory to His cross.

Yes, and I must and will esteem
All things but loss for Jesus’ sake:
O may my soul be found in Him,
And of His righteousness partake!

The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before Thy throne;
But faith can answer Thy demands
By pleading what my Lord has done.

Our Best Sacrifice

O God of Mercy, Hear My Call
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

O God of mercy, hear my call,
My loads of guilt remove;
Break down this separating wall,
That bars me from Thy love.

Give me the presence of Thy grace,
Then my rejoicing tongue
Shall speak aloud Thy righteousness,
And make Thy praise my song.

No blood of goats nor heifers slain,
For sin could e’er atone;
The death of Christ shall still remain
Sufficient and alone.

A soul oppressed with sin’s desert,
My God will ne’er despise;
A humble groan, a broken heart,
Is our best sacrifice.

We Rejoice To See the Curse Removed

Not All the Blood of Beasts
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain.

But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name,
And richer blood, than they.

My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of Thine,
While like a penitent I stand,
And there confess my sin.

My soul looks back to see
The burdens Thou didst bear
When hanging on the cursed tree,
And hopes her guilt was there.

Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
And sing His bleeding love.

Triumph in Almighty Grace

Stand Up, My Soul, Shake Off Thy Fears
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Stand up, my soul, shake off thy fears,
And gird the Gospel armor on,
March to the gates of endless joy,
Where thy great Captain-Savior’s gone.

Hell and thy sins resist thy course,
But hell and sin are vanquished foes;
Thy Jesus nailed them to the cross,
And sung the triumph when He rose.

What though the prince of darkness rage,
And waste the fury of his spite,
Eternal chains confine him down
To fiery deeps and endless night.

What though thine inward lusts rebel,
’Tis but a struggling gasp for life;
The weapons of victorious grace
Shall slay thy sins, and end the strife.

Then let my soul march boldly on,
Press forward to the heav’nly gate;
There peace and joy eternal reign,
And glitt’ring robes for conquerors wait.

There shall I wear a starry crown,
And triumph in almighty grace,
While all the armies of the skies
Join in my glorious Leader’s praise.

Sinner, Come and See

Jesus! Dear Name, How Sweet It Sounds
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Jesus! dear name, how sweet it sounds!
Replete with balm for all our wounds:
His Word declares His grace is free,
Come, needy sinner, Come and see.

He left the shining courts on high,
Came to our world to bleed and die;
Jesus the Lord hung on a tree,
Come, thoughtless sinner, Come and see.

Your sins did pierce His bleeding heart,
Till death had done its dreadful part;
His boundless love extends to thee,
Come, trembling sinner, Come and see.

His blood can cleanse the foulest stain,
Can make the vilest sinner clean;
This fountain open stands for thee,
Come, guilty sinner, Come and see.

Surveying the Wondrous Cross

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Law and Gospel Distinguished

The Law Commands and Makes Us Know
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

The law commands, and makes us know
What duties to our God we owe;
But 'tis the gospel must reveal
Where lies our strength to do His will.

The law discovers guilt and sin,
And shows how vile our hearts have been;
Only the gospel can express
Forgiving love and cleansing grace.

What curses does the law denounce
Against the man that fails but once!
But in the gospel Christ appears,
Pard'ning the guilt of num'rous years.

My soul, no more attempt to draw
Thy life and comfort from the law;
Fly to the hope the gospel gives;
The man that trusts the promise lives.

The Sweet Grace of God's Pardoning Word

Sweet Is the Memory of Thy Grace
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Sweet is the memory of Thy grace,
My God, my heav’nly King;
Let age to age Thy righteousness
In sounds of glory sing.

God reigns on high, but not confines
His goodness to the skies;
Through the whole earth His bounty shines,
And every want supplies.

With longing eyes Thy creatures wait
On Thee for daily food;
Thy liberal hand provides their meat,
And fills their mouths with good.

How kind are Thy compassions, Lord!
How slow Thine anger moves!
But soon He sends His pardoning word
To cheer the souls He loves.

Creatures with all their endless race
Thy power and praise proclaim;
But saints that taste Thy richer grace
Delight to bless Thy Name.

Firm As His Throne His Promise Stands

I'm Not Ashamed to Own My Lord
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,
Or to defend His cause;
Maintain the honor of His Word,
The glory of His cross.

Jesus, my God! I know His Name,
His Name is all my trust;
Nor will He put my soul to shame,
Nor let my hope be lost.

Firm as His throne His promise stands,
And He can well secure
What I’ve committed to His hands
Till the decisive hour.

Then will He own my worthless name
Before His Father’s face,
And in the new Jerusalem
Appoint my soul a place.

Sojourn's "The Water and the Blood"

Sojourn Music has now released Volume 2 of their project on the hymns of Isaac Watts, titled "The Water and the Blood." Below is a video of the band discussing the album, along with a few snippets of some of the songs.

I Need the Influence of Thy Grace

My Soul Lies Cleaving to the Dust
Isaac Watts,1674-1748

My soul lies cleaving to the dust;
Lord, give me life divine;
From vain desires and every lust
Turn off these eyes of mine.

I need the influence of Thy grace
To speed me in Thy way,
Lest I should loiter in my race,
Or turn my feet astray.

When sore afflictions press me down,
I need Thy quick'ning powers;
Thy word that I have rested on
Shall help my heaviest hours.

Are not Thy mercies sovereign still,
And Thou a faithful God?
Wilt Thou not grant me warmer zeal
To run the heav'nly road?

Does not my heart Thy precepts love,
And long to see Thy face?
And yet how slow my spirits move
Without enliv'ning grace!

Then shall I love Thy gospel more,
And ne'er forget Thy word,
When I have felt its quick'ning power,
To draw me near the Lord.

Sufficient and Alone

O God of Mercy, Hear My Call
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

O God of mercy, hear my call;
My load of guilt remove;
Break down this separating wall
That bars me from Thy love.

Give me the presence of Thy grace,
Then my rejoicing tongue
Shall speak aloud Thy righteousness,
And make Thy praise my song.

No blood of goats, nor heifers slain
For sin could e'er atone;
The death of Christ shall still remain
Sufficient and alone.

A soul oppressed with sin's desert,
The Lord will ne'er despise;
A humble groan, a broken heart
Is our best sacrifice.

Boasting Only in Christ

No More, My God
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

No more, my God, I boast no more
Of all the duties I have done;
I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of Thy Son.

Now, for the love I bear His name,
What was my gain I count my loss;
My former pride I call my shame,
And nail my glory to His cross.

Yes, and I must and will esteem
All things but loss for Jesus’ sake:
O may my soul be found in Him,
And of His righteousness partake!

The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before Thy throne;
But faith can answer Thy demands
By pleading what my Lord has done.

Surveying the Wondrous Cross

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The Illustrious Sacrifice of Jesus Christ

How Is Our Nature Marred By Sin
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

How is our nature marred by sin!
Nor can it ever find
A way to make the conscience clean,
Or heal the wounded mind.

In vain we seek for peace with God,
By methods of our own;
Jesus, there's nothing but Thy blood
Can bring us near the throne.

The threatenings of the broken law
Impress our souls with dread;
If God His sword of vengeance draw,
It strikes our spirits dead.

But Thy illustrious sacrifice
Has answered these demands;
And peace and pardon from the skies
Come down by Jesus' hands.

'Tis by The death we live, O Lord!
'Tis on Thy cross we rest;
Forever be Thy love adored,
Thy name forever blest.

Lord, Why Was I A Guest?

How Sweet and Awful Is the Place
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

How sweet and awful is the place,
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores.

Here every bowel of our God
With soft compassion rolls;
Here peace and pardon, love and blood,
Is food for dying souls.

While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
"Lord, why was I a guest?"

Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
And enter while there's room;
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?

'Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly forced us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

Fly to the Hope the Gospel Gives

What Curses Does the Law Denounce
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

What curses does the law denounce
Against the man who fails but once!
But in the gospel Christ appears,
Pardoning the guilt of numerous years.

My soul, no more attempt to draw
Thy life and comfort from the law;
Fly to the hope the gospel gives;
The man that trusts the promise lives.

Till Jesus Brings His Gospel Nigh

What Shall the Dying Sinner Do?
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

What shall the dying sinner do,
That seeks relief for all his woe?
Where shall the guilty conscience find
Ease for the torment of the mind?

How shall we get our crimes forgiven,
Or form our natures fit for heaven?
Can souls, all o'er defiled with sin,
Make their own powers and passions clean?

In vain we search, in vain we try,
Till Jesus brings his gospel nigh;
'Tis there that pow'r and glory dwell,
That save rebellious souls from hell.

This is the pillar of our hope,
That bears our fainting spirits up;
We read the grace, we trust the Word,
And find salvation in the Lord.

Let men or angels dig the mines
Where nature's golden treasure shines;
Brought near the doctrine of the cross,
All nature's gold appears but dross.

Should vile blasphemers, with disdain,
Pronounce the truths of Jesus vain,
We'll meet the scandal and the shame,
And sing and triumph in his name.