The Free Invitation

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Jesus, thy blessings are not few

Author: Isaac Watts
Tune: SAWLEY (Walch)
Published in 96 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Jesus, thy blessings are not few,
Nor is thy gospel weak;
Thy grace can melt the stubborn Jew,
And heal the dying Greek.

2 Wide as the reach of Satan's rage,
Doth thy salvation flow;
'Tis not confin'd to sex or age,
The lofty or the low.

3 While grace is offer'd to the prince,
The poor may take their share;
No mortal has a just pretence
To perish in despair.

4 Come, all ye wretched sinners, come,
He'll form your souls anew;
His gospel and his heart have room
For rebels such as you.

Source: A Collection of Hymns and Prayers, for Public and Private Worship #152

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Author: Isaac Watts

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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First Line:	Jesus, thy blessings are not few
Title:	The Free Invitation
Author:	Isaac Watts
Meter:	8.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Jesus! Thy blessings are not few, p. 1238, i. 91. Given as in Watts's Hymns, 1707, in error. It appeared in his Sermons, vol. ii. 1724, as the hymn for Sermon xix.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Tune

SAWLEY (Walch)

This tune was composed by James Walch in 1857 for a children's anniversary, and was published in 1860 with other tunes for private circulation. It was wrongly assigned, in the early editions of [The Free Church Hymnal, 1888] to the Rev. F. Pigou. Scottish church music: its sources and composers, 189…

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