Bless'd be the everlasting God. I. Watts. [Easter.] First published in his Hymns, &c, 1707, Book i., No. 26, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "Hope of Heaven by the Resurrection of Christ." Its use sometimes as "Blessed," and again as "Blest,” &c, is not extensive. Original text in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, No. 841. In the Draft Scottish Translations & Paraphrases, 1745, it is given as No. xl. in an unaltered form. In the authorized issue of the Translations & Paraphrases, &c, in 1781, No. lxi. stanza iii. was omitted, the third stanza in this arrangement being altered from the original, which reads in Watts:—
'Tis uncorrupted, undefil'd,
And cannot fade away.
“There's an inheritance
divine,
Reserv'd against that day;
The recast text of 1781, which has been in use in the Church of Scotland for 100 years, is claimed by W. Cameron (q. v.), in his list of authors and revisers of that issue, as his own. Full text in modern copies of the Scottish Psalms, &c.
-- 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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