Isaac Watts is universally recognized as one of the greatest English-language hymn writers of the eighteenth century, the
Golden Age of English Hymnody.
Watts almost singlehandedly broke the monopoly of metrical psalm singing and practically invented the hymn form as it is known today. Some of his texts are among the most familiar hymns in Christendom, including
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
and
Joy to the World.
This book begins with an introduction describing Watts’s work and its importance, followed by chapters on each of his twenty-five most widely sung texts. Each hymn is presented in its full original form, with reflections and commentaries that are partly historical, partly analytical, and partly devotional. Particular attention is given to the meanings of the words as they were used by Watts, the scriptural backgrounds of the texts, and their relationship to other writings by the English author.