Written by Isaac Watts (July 17 1674 - November 25, 1748)
Born: Southampton, England
Buried: Bunhill Fields Cemetery, London, England.
From his earliest days Isaac Watts was accustomed to hear the Word of God read by his father and to hear him pray also. His father was a godly Dissenting minister who twice suffered imprisonment because of his convictions. Isaac was the eldest of nine children, and when he was eleven years old, his father wrote a letter to all his children in which he exhorted them \"frequently to read the Scriptures get your hearts to delight in them above all books and writings account the Bible the best and read it most lay up the truth of it in your hearts\". The wise father also exhorted them to pay attention to prayer and godly living.
Watts, unable to go to either Oxford or Cambridge on account of his non-conformity, went to the Dissenting Academy at Stock Newington. At the age of twenty-eight he became the senior pastor of the nonconformist Mark Lane Church of London, which position he held for the rest of his life.
It is very evident in God's dealing with His people that He has always had special chosen servants whom He has anointed in writing hymns and spiritual songs that have been long-lasting significant tokens of God's grace to His people. Among the many saints that the Lord anointed for this special purpose was Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody.
Isaac Watts wrote more than 600 hymns for the church plus rhyming verse and poetry for educational tutoring. These hymns were widely accepted throughout the English-speaking world and were welcomed by the early American colonists, as they were brought over from the old world by new English immigrants.
He was greatly loved by those who knew him intimately. He died confident in his Saviour's love, remarking that he rested in the many wonderful promises that he found in Holy Scripture. A friend who visited him before he died wrote about him \"I never could discover, though I was frequently with him, the least shadow of doubt as to his future everlasting happiness, or anything that looked like an unwillingness to die\". A friend asked how he was and he replied, \"Waiting God's leave to die\".
Give Me The Wings Of Faith: hymn Lyrics....
Give me the wings of faith to rise
Within the veil, and see
The saints above, how great their joys,
How bright their glories be.
Once they were mourning here below,
And wet their couch with tears:
They wrestled hard, as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears.
I ask them whence their victory came:
They, with united breath,
Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
Their triumph to His death.
They marked the footsteps that He trod,
His zeal inspired their breast;
And following their incarnate God,
Possess the promised rest.
Our glorious Leader claims our praise
For His own pattern giv'n;
While the long cloud of witnesses
Show the same path to Heav'n.
