The Psalms of David

by Isaac Watts

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Genres: Poetry

488 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2022

About the author

Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 650 hymns. Many of his hymns remain in use today, and have been translated into many languages.

Watts was the author of a text book on logic which was particularly popular; its full title was, Logic, or The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth With a Variety of Rules to Guard Against Error in the Affairs of Religion and Human Life, as well as in the Sciences. This was first published in 1724, and its popularity ensured that it went through twenty editions. Isaac Watts' Logic became the standard text on logic at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale; being used at Oxford University for well over 100 years.
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Reviews

[Светлана · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited that I managed to dig up this original book, which included such classics as "Joy to the World" unedited. I can say, though, that Joy to the World (then titled as Psalm 103) is easily the best the volume had to offer. The name of the game here is quantity, not quality.

Having read straight through this in the original edition, I can heartily recommend that you read either Watts' other poetry collections, or an edited compilation.

Watts' Horae Lyricae, for example, is never cramped in its form and content by the constraints that the psalms put on Watts. In his Psalms of David, Watts also constrains himself in terms of meter, to make these verses better for congregational singing.

Samuel Worcester has an edited compilation (1859) that draws from all of Watts' works, and I believe that it gives the best sampling. Watts is very prolific and reading these in the original was much less inspiring than Cowper's Olney Hymns, for example, because of its length and lack of variety.

People often praise the depth of Watts' theology, but in this work we primarily sense the sternly judicial aspects of God's love and care. Watts ties everything to God's majesty and sovereignty, if anything, even more so than the psalms themselves. The tone is strictly Calvinist. For a more relational theology that draws deeply from the cross, I would highly recommend his other works. But if you want to meditate at length on God's power and justice, this is the book of hymns for you.

[Clifford Luebben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun way to engage with the Psalms; especially as someone who enjoys church history and particularly church music history. If you know how to match hymn lyrics with tune meters, you can easily find ways to sing through this collection as well.