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The Works of the Reverend and Learned Isaac Watts, D. D.

Containing, besides his Sermons, and Essays on miscellaneous subjects, several additional pieces, Selected from his Manuscripts by the Rev. Dr. Jennings, and the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, in 1753: to which are prefixed, memoirs of the life of the author, compiled by the Rev. George Burder. In six volumes
Watts, Isaac (1674-1748)

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VOL. IV.
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HORÆ LYRICÆ.
  
ON READING DR. WATTS'S POEMS SACRED TO PIETY AND DEVOTION.
  
TO DR. WATTS, On his Poems sacred to Devotion.
  
TO DR. WATTS, On reading his Horæ Lyricæ.
  
TO DR. WATTS, On his Divine Poems.
  
TO DR. WATTS, On the Fifth Edition of his Horæ Lyricæ.
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BOOK I. SACRED TO DEVOTION AND PIETY.
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BOOK II. SACRED TO VIRTUE, HONOUR AND FRIENDSHIP.
  
TO HER MAJESTY.
  
PALINODIA.
  
TO JOHN LOCKE, ESQ.
  
TO JOHN SHUTE, ESQ. (NOW LORD BARRINGTON.)
  
TO MR. WILLIAM NOKES.
  
TO NATHANIEL GOULD, ESQ. (NOW SIR NATHANIEL GOULD.)
  
TO DR. THOMAS GIBSON.
  
False Greatness.
  
TO SARISSA.
  
TO MR. T. BRADBURY.
  
Strict Religion very rare.
  
TO MR. C. AND S. FLEETWOOD.
  
TO WILLIAM BLACKBOURN, ESQ.
  
True Monarchy.
  
True Courage.
  
TO THE MUCH HONOURED MR. THOMAS ROWE, THE DIRECTOR OF MY YOUTHFUL STUDIES.
  
TO THE REV. MR. BENONI ROWE.
  
TO THE REV. MR. JOHN HOWE.
  
The Disappointment and Relief.
  
The Hero's School of Morality.
  
Freedom.
  
On Mr. Locke's Annotations upon several Parts of the New Testament, left behind him at his Death.
  
True Riches.
  
The Adventurous Muse.
  
TO MR. NICHOLAS CLARK.
  
The Afflictions of a Friend.
  
The Reverse; or, the Comforts of a Friend.
  
TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN LORD CUTS, At the Siege of Namur.
  
Burning several Poems of Ovid, Martial, Oldham, Dryden, &c.
  
TO MRS. B. BENDISH.
  
Few Happy Matches.
  
TO DAVID POLHILL, ESQ.
  
The celebrated Victory of the Poles over Osman, the Turkish Emperor, in the Dacian Battle.
  
The Indian Philosopher.
  
The happy Man.
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TO DAVID POLHILL, ESQ.
  
To the Discontented and Unquiet.
  
TO JOHN HARTOPP, ESQ. (NOW SIR JOHN HARTOPP, BART.)
  
TO THOMAS GUNSTON, ESQ.
  
TO JOHN HARTOPP, ESQ. (NOW SIR JOHN HARTOPP, BART.)
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TO MITIO, MY FRIEND.
  
ON THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, Just after Mr. Dryden. 1700.
  
AN EPIGRAM OF MARTIAL TO CIRINUS.
  
TO MRS. SINGER. (NOW MRS. ROWE.)
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BOOK III. SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE DEAD.
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RELIQUIÆ JUVENILES.
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REMNANTS OF TIME EMPLOYED, IN PROSE AND VERSE;

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On Mr. Locke's Annotations upon several Parts of the New Testament, left behind him at his Death.

I.

Thus reason learns by slow degrees,
What faith reveals; but still complains
Of intellectual pains,
And darkness from the too exuberant light.
The blaze of those bright mysteries
Pour'd all at once on nature's eyes
Offend and cloud her feeble sight.

II.

Reason could scarce sustain to see
Th'Almighty One, th'eternal Three,
Or bear the infant deity;
Scarce could her pride descend to own
Her Maker stooping from his throne,
And drest in glories so unknown.
A ransom'd world, a bleeding God,
And heav'n appeas'd with flowing blood,
Were themes too painful to be understood.

III.

Faith, thou bright cherub, speak, and say
Did ever mind of mortal race
Cost thee more toil, or larger grace,
To melt and bend it to obey.
Twas hard to make so rich a soul submit,
And lay her shining honours at thy sovereign feet.

IV.

Sister of faith, fair Charity,
Show me the wondrous man on high,
Tell how he sees the godhead Three in One;
The bright conviction fills his eye,
His noblest powers in deep prostration lie
At the mysterious throne.
‘Forgive,’ he cries, ‘ye saints below,
‘The wav'ring and the cold assent
‘I gave to themes divinely true;
‘Can you admit the blessed to repent?
‘Eternal darkness veil the lines
‘Of that unhappy book,
‘Where glimmering reason with false lustre shines.
‘Where the mere mortal pen mistook
‘What the celestial meant!
 

See Mr. Locke's Annotations on Rom. iii. 25. and Paraphrase on Rom. ix. 5. which has inclined some readers to doubt whether he believed the deity and satisfaction of Christ. Therefore in the fourth stanza I invoke Charity, that by her help I may find him out in heaven, since his Notes on 2 Cor. v. ult. and some other places, give me reason to believe he was no Socinian, though he has darkened the glory of the gospel, and debased christianity, in the book which he calls the Reasonableness of it, and in some of his other works.

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