Analysis of Hymn 150

Isaac Watts 1674 (Southampton, Hampshire) – 1748 (Stoke Newington, Middlesex)



The offices of Christ.  From several scriptures.

Join all the glorious names
Of wisdom, love, and power,
That ever mortals knew,
That angels ever bore:
All are too mean to speak his worth,
Too mean to set my Savior forth.

But O what gentle terms,
What condescending ways,
Doth our Redeemer use
To teach his heav'nly grace!
Mine eyes with joy and wonder see
What forms of love he bears for me.

[Arrayed in mortal flesh,
He like an angel stands,
And holds the promises
And pardons in his hands;
Commissioned from his Father's throne
To make his grace to mortals known.]

[Great Prophet of my God,
My tongue would bless thy name;
By thee the joyful news
Of our salvation came:
The joyful news of sins forgiv'n,
Of hell subdued, and peace with heav'n.]

[Be thou my Counsellor,
My Pattern, and my Guide;
And through this desert land
Still keep me near thy side:
O let my feet ne'er run astray,
Nor rove, nor seek the crooked way.]

[I love my Shepherd's voice,
His watchful eyes shall keep
My wand'ring soul among
The thousands of his sheep:
He feeds his flock, he calls their names,
His bosom bears the tender lambs.]

[To this dear Surety's hand
Will I commit my cause;
He answers and fulfils
His Father's broken laws:
Behold my soul at freedom set!
My Surety paid the dreadful debt.]

[Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered his blood, and died;
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside:
His powerful blood did once atone,
And now it pleads before the throne.]

[My Advocate appears
For my defence on high;
The Father bows his ears,
And lays his thunder by:
Not all that hell or sin can say
Shall turn his heart, his love away.]

[My dear Almighty Lord,
My Conqueror and my King!
Thy sceptre and thy sword,
Thy reigning grace I sing:
Thine is the power; behold, I sit
In willing bonds before thy feet.]

[Now let my soul arise,
And tread the tempter down;
My Captain leads me forth
To conquest and a crown:
A feeble saint shall win the day,
Though death and hell obstruct the way.]

Should all the hosts of death,
And powers of hell unknown,
Put their most dreadful forms
Of rage and mischief on,
I shall be safe, for Christ displays
Superior power, and guardian grace.


Scheme A BCDXXE XFXGHH XIXIJJ XKXKDD CLMLNN XOXOBX MXAXPP XLXLJJ QRQRNN STSTXX XUEUNN XJXXFG
Poetic Form
Metre 01001111010 1101001 1101010 110101 110101 11111111 11111101 111101 10101 11011 11111 11110101 11111111 010101 111101 010100 010011 01011101 11111101 110111 111111 110101 1100101 0101111 11010111 111100 110011 011101 111111 11111101 11110101 111101 110111 111101 010111 11111111 11010101 11111 110111 11001 110101 01111101 110010101 101111 101101 110101 11001 110011101 01110101 110001 110111 010111 011101 11111111 11111101 110101 1100011 110011 110111 110100111 01010111 111101 01011 110111 110001 01011101 11010101 110111 0101101 111101 110101 11111101 01001001001
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 2,099
Words 405
Sentences 18
Stanzas 13
Stanza Lengths 1, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 73
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 130
Words per stanza (avg) 30
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

2:04 min read
23

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was an English Christian minister (Congregational), hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. He is recognized as the "Godfather of English Hymnody"; many of his hymns remain in use today and have been translated into numerous languages. more…

All Isaac Watts poems | Isaac Watts Books

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