The three books of Isaac Watts hymns and songs are presented here complete: the verses - many informed by the Holy Bible - are a moving testimony to the author's talents and his supreme devotion to God.
Containing hundreds of Watts' works, this compendium is a treat for believers seeking to appreciate the author's efforts. Commonly termed 'The Godfather of English Hymnody', Watts began a centuries long tradition of hymn writing, and conferred discipline and importance to what had before been a practice often occasional and disparate. Best known for songs such as 'Joy to the World', Watts was in actuality a learned man whose achievements - for instance in logic - extended beyond the realm of music.
In terms of topic, the hymns in this volume range from praise to God, Biblical events, to meditations upon the lives and attainments of the saints, to the nature of Christian virtue and the wrongness of sins. The abandonment of vices and embracing of Christ is a recurring theme; the expressive verses an abiding lesson to Christian believers for all time. As a minister, Watts was able to put his words to congregations and receive a sense of what was important for the parishioners and churchgoers of his time.
Many of Isaac Watts hymns and lyrics are present in church services in the present day, their enduring words synonymous with Christian devotion and Sunday choir singing. His influence in literature was also profound, and he is paid tribute in written works by Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll and many others.
Isaac Watts spent a lifetime composing the finest hymns of his era. Upon his death, the honors in both the New England colonies and his home nation were abundant, with academia and churches alike dedicating buildings and places in his honor. His gift for lyrics, his immense knowledge of Bible scripture acquired through study of the Bible theology, and superb attitude of abiding devotional faith remain an inspiring beacon for Christians in the modern era.
