Tea Time with Isaac Watts - Homeschool Share Blog

Isaac Watts, the eldest of nine children, was born in Southampton, England, on July 17, 1674. His father would not conform to the Anglican Church and was twice thrown in jail for not following it. Isaac followed his father’s strong biblical faith. Isaac was a very intelligent child who loved books and learned to read at a young age. He began learning Latin at age four and went on to King Edward VI School where he learned Greek, Hebrew, and French as well. From an early age Isaac had a propensity to rhyming, and often even his conversation was in rhyme. Once, during prayers, he spurted out:

A little mouse for want of stairs

ran up a rope to say its prayers.

And to get out of his spanking, he replied:

O father, father, pity take

And I will no more verses make.

Isaac could not attend any Anglican colleges, so he entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in 1690, under the care of Thomas Rowe, pastor of the Independent congregation at Girdlers’ Hall. It was this congregation that Isaac joined in 1693, preached at, and was eventually ordained as pastor.

Isaac’s health began to fail, so he was appointed an assistant in the ministry. While it was natural to build up resentment and anger, the Lord used Watts’ sufferings to produce a gentle, modest, and charitable spirit. Out of his compassion, one-third of his small allowance was given to the poor.

The next six years of his life were spent working as a private tutor to the son of eminent Puritan John Hartopp. During those years he began to devote himself even more diligently to the study of the Scriptures. The intense study of these years is reflected in the theological and philosophical material he subsequently published.

In 1712 Sir Thomas Abney received Watts into his home, and Sir Thomas’ family continued to provide a home and serve as Watts’ patrons for the next 36 years!

Watts’ early love for poetry ended up producing over 600 hymns. He translated Bible verses into poetic, metered form and gave them a Christian perspective. His introduction of this new kind of poetry opened up a new era of Protestant hymns as other poets followed his path. His most famous hymnal works include Hymns and Spiritual Songs, published in 1707, Divine Songs for Children, where his tenderness to children can be seen reflected, published in 1715, and his poetic paraphrases of the psalms, the Psalms of David, published in 1719. Hymns children are most familiar with include:

Joy to the World (based on Psalm 98)

We’re Marching to Zion

O God, Our Help in Ages Past (based on Psalm 90)

He also published 52 other works, including a book of logic used in the universities, books on grammar, pedagogy, ethics, psychology, astronomy, geography, three volumes of sermons, and 29 treatises on theology.

Isaac Watts died in Stoke Newington in November 25, 1748.

Thanks to Benjamin Franklin publishing and bringing to America the hymns of Isaac Watts in 1729, these hymns were a source of comfort and encouragement to Americans of the Revolutionary period. May they also be a source of comfort and encouragement to us today.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.