Going through my Books

  

Annmarie writes: I am presently cataloguing my large collection of Early Children’s books ready to pass on somewhere. This collection started when I worked in the Library of Congress. It struck me just how many of the books had an underlying Christian message if not a very overt one.

 

 One of the books in my collection is by Isaac Watts. All of us in our various churches will be missing our hymn singing and we may wonder why. Hymn singing and church music really runs deeply within our soul. Isaac Watts, who wrote over 600 hymns declared,

“while we sing the praises of God in his church we are employed in that part of worship which of all others is the nearest akin to heaven...”

 He and his family were Dissenters  and had been imprisoned for their non conformity. The congregations in his time predominantly sang just the psalms of David as many hymns caused great controversy especially those by Watts because of their theological perspective. It’s hard to understand now when his hymns like “when I survey the wondrous cross” are so much part of our heritage.

 

Isaac Watts was employed by Sir Thomas Abney as tutor for his young children and for whom Watts wrote his Divine And Moral songs for children in 1715.  Sir Thomas was Lord Mayor of London in 1700 and a founder member of the Bank of England. The Abney family worshipped as Anglicans as it would not have been possible to hold high office if you were a non-conformist! 

 

We still sing some of Watts hymns today amongst then are:

O God our help in ages past

Jesus shall reign

Joy to the world.

 

The illustrations are taken from two very early editions of Divine Songs

 

“Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul my life my all”