Bless, O my soul, the living God. I. Watts. [Ps. ciii.] This is Pt. i. of his L.M. version of Ps. ciii., first published in his Psalms of David, &c, 1719, Pt. ii. being, "The Lord, how wondrous are His ways.” Both parts are in common use both in Great Britain and America. Pt. i. is in 8 stanzas, and Pt. ii. in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. In addition there are abbreviations of Pt. i., and a cento from Pts. i. and ii. in common use The most popular arrangement in modern American hymnals is that in Songs for the Sanctuary, N. Y., 1865, Laudes Domini, N. Y, 1884, and many others. It is composed of stanzas i., ii., iii., and viii., slightly altered. Other arrangements are also found both in Great Britain and America. A cento from Pts. i. and ii. appeared in Bickersteth's Christian Psalmody, 1833, and is made up of Pt.i. stanzas i.—iii., Pt. ii. stanzas iv. and v., and an additional stanza from another source.
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >
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