Isaac Watts

“ 1 Lord, I ascribe it to thy grace,
And not to chance as others do,
That I was born of Christian race,
And not a Heathen, or a Jew. ”

“ Here the language and measures should be easy and flowing with cheerfulness, and without the solemnities of religion, or the sacred names of God and holy things; that children might find delight and profit together.
This would be one effectual way to deliver them from the temptation of loving and learning those idle, wanton or profane songs, which give so early an ill taint to the fancy and memory, and become the seeds of future vices. ”

“ Where my growing age shall call me.
Should I e'er be rich or great,
Others shall partake my goodness:
I'll supply the poor with meat,
Never showing scorn or rudeness.
Where I see the blind or lame,
Deaf or dumb, I'll kindly treat them:
I deserve to feel the same,
If I mock, or hurt, or cheat them.
If I meet with railing tongues,
Why should I return them railing,
Since I best revenge my wrongs
By my patience never failing?
When I hear them telling lies,
Talking foolish, cursing, swearing,
First I'll try to make them wise,
Or I'll soon go out of hearing. ”

“ How fine has the day been! how bright was the sun!
How lovely and joyful the course that he run;
Though he rose in a mist when his race he begun,
And there followed some droppings of rain:
But now the fair traveller's come to the west,
His rays are all gold, and his beauties are best;
He paints the skies gay as he sinks to his rest,
And foretells a bright rising again. ”

“ May the Almighty God make you faithful in this important work of education: may he succeed your cares with his abundant graces, that the rising generation of Great Britain may be a glory amongst the nations, a pattern to the Christian world, and a blessing to the earth.
Divine Songs
For
Children.
Song 1. A General Song of Praise to God.
1 How glorious is our Heavenly King,
Who reigns above the sky!
How shall a child presume to sing
His dreadful majesty?
2 How great his power is none can tell,
Nor think how large his grace;
Not men below, nor saints that dwell
On high before his face. ”

“ There's not a place where we can flee,
But God is present there. ”

“ Remember what God himself will expect at your hands, from whose Grace you have received plentiful Distributions in the Beginning of your Days. May the Blessings of his Right Hand more enrich you daily, as your Capacities and your Years increase ”

“ 3 How glad the Heathens would have been,
That worship idols, wood, and stone,
If they the book of God had seen,
Or Jesus and his gospel known! ”

“ What's amiss I'll strive to mend,
And endure what can't be mended. ”

“ The seeds of misery or happiness in this world, and that to come, are oftentimes sown very early, and therefore whatever may conduce to give the minds of children a relish for vertue and religion, ought in the first place to be proposed to you. ”

“ And it may often happen, that the end of a song running in the mind may be an effectual means to keep off some temptation, or to incline to some duty, when a word of scripture is not upon the thoughts.
3. This will be a constant furniture for the minds of children, that they may have something to think upon when alone, and sing over to themselves. This may sometimes give their thoughts a divine turn, and raise a young meditation. Thus they will not be forced to seek relief for an emptiness of mind out of the loose and dangerous sonnets of the age. ”

“ It was the generous and condescending Friendship of your Parents under my weak Circumstances of Health, that brought me to their Country-Seat for the Benefit of the Air; but it was an Instance of most uncommon Kindness, to supply me there so chearfully for two Years of Sickness with the richest Conveniences of Life. Such a Favour requires my most affectionate Returns of Service to themselves, and to all that is dear to them; and meer Gratitude demands some solemn and publick Acknowledgment.
But great Minds have the true Relish and Pleasure of doing Good, and are content to be unknown. ”

“ I have added at the end an attempt or two of Sonnets on Moral Subjects for children, with an air of pleasantry, to provoke some fitter pen to write a little book of them. My talent doth not lie that way, and a man on the borders of the grave has other work. ”

“ 2 There is a dreadful hell,
And everlasting pains,
There sinners must with devils dwell
In darkness, fire, and chains. ”

“ A flower, when offer'd in the bud,
Is no vain sacrifice. ”

“ But thy good Word informs my soul
How I may climb to heaven. ”

“ 1 Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God has made them so;
Let bears and lyons growl and fight,
For `tis their nature too. ”

“ 6 Just as a tree cut down, that fell
To north, or southward, there it lies:
So man departs to heaven or hell,
Fix'd in the state wherein he dies. ”

“ 2 I have been there, and still would go
'Tis like a little heaven below! ”

“ Let me be dress'd fine as I will,
Flies, worms, and flowers exceed me still. ”

“ 2 Birds in their little nests agree;
And `tis a shameful sight,
When children of one family
Fall out, and chide, and fight. ”

“ And he that does one fault at first,
And lyes to hide it, makes it two. ”

“ And we are directed in the New Testament, not only to sing with grace in the heart, but to teach and admonish one another by hymns and songs, Eph. 5. 19. and there are these four advantages in it:
1. There is a greater delight in the very learning of truths and duties this way. There is something so amusing and entertaining in rhymes and metre, that will incline children to make this part of their business a diversion. ”

“ 1 Whene'er I take my walks abroad,
How many poor I see? ”

“ 3 What heavy guilt upon him lies!
How cursed is his name!
The ravens shall pick out his eyes,
And eagles eat the same. ”

“ One stroke of his almighty rod
Shall send young sinners quick to hell. ”

“ but every lyar
Must have his portion in the lake
That burns with brimstone and with fire. ”

“ And you may turn their very duty into a reward, by giving them the privilege of learning one of these songs every week, if they fulfil the business of the week well, and promising them the book itself when they have learned ten or twenty songs out of it.
2. What is learnt in verse is longer retained in memory, and sooner recollected. ”

“ 5 The wise will make their anger cool ”

“ For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do. ”