Arise, my soul, my joyful powers

Arise, my soul, my joyful powers

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Arise, my soul, my joyful powers,
And triumph in my God;
Awake, my voice, and loud proclaim
His glorious grace abroad.

He raised me from the depths of sin,
The gates of gaping hell,
And fixed my standing more secure
Than 'twas before I fell.

The arms of everlasting love
Beneath my soul He placed;
And on the Rock of Ages set
My slippery footsteps fast.

The city of my blest abode
Is walled around with grace;
Salvation for a bulwark stands
To shield the sacred place.

Satan may vent his sharpest spite,
And all his legions roar:
Almighty mercy guards my life,
And bounds his raging power.

Arise, my soul, awake, my voice,
And tunes of pleasures sing;
Loud hallelujahs shall address
My Savior and my King.

Selah.

Eagle strength: They who wait upon the Lord

Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard?

Words: Scottish Paraphrases (1781), Isaac Watts (1674-1748) and William Cameron (1751-1811)
Tune: Abridge

Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard,
That firm remains on high
The everlasting throne of Him
Who formed the earth and sky?

Art thou afraid His power shall fail
When comes thy evil day?
And can an all-creating arm
Grow weary or decay?

Supreme in wisdom as in power
The Rock of Ages stands;
Though Him thou canst not see, nor trace
The working of His hands.

He gives the conquest to the weak,
Supports the fainting heart;
And courage in the evil hour
His heavenly aids impart.

Mere human power shall fast decay,
And youthful vigor cease;
But they who wait upon the Lord
In strength shall still increase.

Selah.

Blessed are the eyes that see this heavenly light

How beauteous are their feet

Words: Isaac Watts, 1707
Music: Camberwell (Cambridge)

How beauteous are their feet
who stand on Zion's hill
who bring salvation on their tongues
and words of peace reveal!

How charming is their voice!
How sweet the tidings are!
Zion, behold, thy Savior King
he reigns and triumphs here.

How happy are our ears
that hear this joyful sound
which kings and prophets waited for
and sought, but never found.

How blessed are our eyes
that see this heavenly light
Prophets and kings desired it long
but died without the sight.

The watchmen join their voice
and tuneful notes employ
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs
and deserts learn the joy.

The Lord makes bare his arm
through all the earth abroad
let every nation now behold
their Savior and their God.

Alleluia!

Selah.

Praise shall employ my nobler powers

I'll praise my Maker while I've breath

Words: Isaac Watts, 1714
Tune: Monmouth, Old 113th

I'll praise my Maker while I've breath,
and when my voice is lost in death,
praise shall employ my nobler powers;
my days of praise shall ne'er be past,
while life, and thought, and being last,
or immortality endures.

Why should I make a man my trust?
Princes must die and turn to dust;
vain is the help of flesh and blood:
their breath departs, their pomp, and power,
and thoughts, all vanish in an hour,
nor can they make their promise good.

Happy the man whose hopes rely
on Israel's God: he made the sky,
and earth, and seas, with all their train;
his truth for ever stands secure,
he saves th'oppressed, he feeds the poor,
and none shall find his promise vain.

The Lord has eyes to give the blind;
the Lord supports the sinking mind;
he sends the laboring conscience peace;
he helps the stranger in distress,
the widow, and the fatherless,
and grants the prisoner sweet release.

I'll praise him while he lends me breath,
and when my voice is lost in death,
praise shall employ my nobler powers;
my days of praise shall ne'er be past,
while life, and thought, and being last,
or immortality endures!

Selah.

In every star thy wisdom shines

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719
Tune: Alfreton

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
in every star thy wisdom shines
but when our eyes behold thy Word,
we read thy Name in fairer lines.

Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
round the whole earth, and never stand:
so when thy truth begun its race,
it touched and glanced on every land.

Nor shall thy spreading Gospel rest
till through the world thy truth has run,
till Christ has all the nations blest
that see the light or feel the sun.

Great Sun of Righteousness, arise,
bless the dark world with heavenly light;
thy Gospel makes the simple wise,
thy laws are pure, thy judgments right.

Thy noblest wonders here we view
in souls renewed and sins forgiven;
Lord, cleanse my sins, my soul renew,
and make thy word my guide to heaven.

Selah.

Accept the worship & the song my Savior & my God

Behold, the morning sun

Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748), 1719 in The Psalms of David
Tune: Thatcher

Behold, the morning sun
begins his glorious way;
his beams through all the nations run,
and life and light convey.

But where the Gospel comes
it spreads diviner light;
it calls dead sinners from their tombs,
and gives the blind their sight.

How perfect is thy word!
And all thy judgments just!
For ever sure thy promise, Lord,
and men securely trust.

My gracious God, how plain
are thy directions given!
O may I never read in vain,
but find the path to heaven!

I hear thy word with love,
and I would fain obey:
send thy good Spirit from above
to guide me, lest I stray.

O who can ever find
the errors of his ways?
Yet with a bold, presumptuous mind
I would not dare transgress.

Warn me of every sin,
forgive my secret faults,
and cleanse this guilty soul of mine,
whose crimes exceed my thoughts.

While with my heart and tongue
I spread thy praise abroad,
accept the worship and the song,
my Savior and my God!

Selah.