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Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts (July 17, 1674 – November 25, 1748) was an English preacher, hymn writer, and theologian whose calling from God within the Congregational Church transformed Christian worship and theology across the early 18th century. Born in Southampton, England, to Isaac Watts Sr., a clothier and deacon jailed twice for Nonconformist beliefs, and Sarah Taunton, he was the eldest of nine children in a devout dissenting family. Educated at King Edward VI School in Southampton until age 16, he declined an Oxford scholarship due to his Nonconformist stance, instead attending the Dissenting Academy at Stoke Newington (1690–1694) under Thomas Rowe, mastering Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Watts’s calling from God was affirmed with his ordination in 1702 as pastor of Mark Lane Independent Chapel in London, where he served until frail health forced his retirement in 1712, though he continued assistant duties under Samuel Price until 1748. His sermons, delivered with intellectual depth and evangelical warmth, called believers to a personal faith, often paired with his revolutionary hymns like “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Joy to the World,” published in works such as Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707) and Psalms of David Imitated (1719). A prolific writer, he authored over 50 works, including The Improvement of the Mind (1741) and Logick (1725), shaping Dissenting education and worship. Never married, he lived with the Abney family at Theobalds after 1712 and passed away at age 74 in Stoke Newington, London, buried at Bunhill Fields.
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Isaac Watts, in his sermon, emphasizes God's eternal nature as our help, hope, shelter, and eternal home. He highlights the transient nature of human life compared to the everlasting presence of God, urging listeners to find security and defense in Him alone. Watts reminds the congregation of the brevity of life and the importance of seeking God's protection and guidance in the midst of troubles, knowing that He is constant and unchanging throughout all ages.
O God, Our Help in Ages Past
1 O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home. 2 Under the shadow of thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is thine arm alone, And our defence is sure. 3 Before the hills in order stood, Or earth receiv'd her frame, From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same. 4 Thy word commands our flesh to dust, 'Return, ye sons of men': All nations rose from earth at first, And turn to earth again. 5 A thousand ages in thy sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun. 6 The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their lives and cares, Are carried downwards by thy flood, And lost in following years. 7 Time like an ever-rolling stream Bears all its sons away; They fly forgotten as a dream Dies at the opening day. 8 Like flowering fields the nations stand Pleas'd with the morning light; The flowers beneath the mower's hand Lie withering ere 'tis night. 9 Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.
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Isaac Watts (July 17, 1674 – November 25, 1748) was an English preacher, hymn writer, and theologian whose calling from God within the Congregational Church transformed Christian worship and theology across the early 18th century. Born in Southampton, England, to Isaac Watts Sr., a clothier and deacon jailed twice for Nonconformist beliefs, and Sarah Taunton, he was the eldest of nine children in a devout dissenting family. Educated at King Edward VI School in Southampton until age 16, he declined an Oxford scholarship due to his Nonconformist stance, instead attending the Dissenting Academy at Stoke Newington (1690–1694) under Thomas Rowe, mastering Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Watts’s calling from God was affirmed with his ordination in 1702 as pastor of Mark Lane Independent Chapel in London, where he served until frail health forced his retirement in 1712, though he continued assistant duties under Samuel Price until 1748. His sermons, delivered with intellectual depth and evangelical warmth, called believers to a personal faith, often paired with his revolutionary hymns like “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Joy to the World,” published in works such as Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707) and Psalms of David Imitated (1719). A prolific writer, he authored over 50 works, including The Improvement of the Mind (1741) and Logick (1725), shaping Dissenting education and worship. Never married, he lived with the Abney family at Theobalds after 1712 and passed away at age 74 in Stoke Newington, London, buried at Bunhill Fields.