Sunday's Hymn

Many of Isaac Watts’ hymns are paraphrases of Psalms. For instance, last week’s hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 147, and the one before that, O God, Our Help in Ages Past, is a paraphrase of Psalm 90.

Before Watts wrote his hymns, the churches descending from Calvin’s branch of the Reformation sang only metrical psalms. From Center for Church Music:

At 20 years of age, [Watts] complained that the metrical psalms they had to sing at Above Bar Chapel in Southampton were grim and ponderous. But to sing anything other than the actual words of Scripture was said to insult to God.

Watts’ father heard Isaac’s complaining and challenged him to “write something better for us to sing.” In 1719, he published an important hymnal titled The Psalms of David in the Language of the New Testament. In it he paraphrased the entire Psalter with the exception of twelve Psalms he felt were unsuited for usage.

Today’s hymn is a paraphrase of the last part of Psalm 118:

This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made

This is the day the Lord hath made;
He calls the hours His own;
Let Heav’n rejoice, let earth be glad,
And praise surround the throne.

Today He rose and left the dead,
And Satan’s empire fell;
Today the saints His triumphs spread,
And all His wonders tell.

Hosanna to th’anointed King,
To David’s holy Son;
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from Thy throne.

Blest be the Lord, who comes to men
With messages of grace;
Who comes in God His Father’s Name,
To save our sinful race.

Hosanna in the highest strains
The Church on earth can raise;
The highest heav’ns, in which He reigns,
Shall give Him nobler praise.

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• Lord’s Day 42, 2009 at The Thirsty Theologian
• The Cross of Jesus at The Happy Wonderer
• To Be Fit for God from The Valley of Vision at The Upward Call
• Let Us With A Gladsome Mind at Hiraeth
• Conquering Kings Their Titles Take at Tapestry of Graces
• O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee at Fieldstone Cottage
• What Thanks and Praise to Thee We Owe at Conjubilant With Song
• Update: Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: Out of the Mouths of Babes—not the Academic Elite

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

Comments

[Brandon]

I was intrigued by the mention of the twelve psalms Watts didn't write versions for, so I looked up the numbers for them. They are:

28, 43, 52, 54, 59, 64,
70, 79, 88, 108, 137, 140

Which makes sense: they are Psalms containing requests to punish the wicked.

[rebecca]

I wonder if he was he following tradition when he left them out. Do you suppose they sang imprecatory ones when they sang metrical psalms?

[Brandon]

That's a good question, and I don't know. I know that metrical psalmbooks usually have the imprecatory psalms, but it's another matter entirely whether people actually sang them. I wouldn't be surprised if Watts was simply continuing an informal tradition of regarding them as special-case psalms and therefore not for general worship.

[rebecca]

I don't know where to look for the answer to that question, either. I recently listened to a lecture on Isaac Watts' hymn writing that included some of the historical background, but I don't think this question was answered.

[John]

Much better than the new "This is the Day that the Lord has Made" song. Blah...