Hymns and Spiritual Songs

The words

1. Benjamin Keach

   Baptist pastor who pioneered congregational hymn singing. Earlier dissenting precedent for hymns at the Lord’s Supper, matching Watts’s Book III.

   Founders Ministries: The First Worship War (opens a new tab) · Wikipedia: Benjamin Keach (opens a new tab)

2. Bread and Wine

   The elements of the Lord’s Supper named in Watts’s preface to the third part of Hymns and Spiritual Songs.

   Hymnology Archive: When I survey the wondrous (opens a new tab)

3. Chauncy

   Isaac Chauncy, Watts’s predecessor as pastor at Mark Lane. Senior pastor of the congregation Watts inherited.

   DNB: Watts, Isaac (1674-1748) (opens a new tab)

4. Doxology

   Short hymn of praise to the Trinity; the collection included a set of them.

   Hymnary.org: Isaac Watts (opens a new tab)

5. Horae Lyricae

   Watts’s 1706 volume of lyric poems. Companion poetry volume published a year before the Hymns.

   DNB: Watts, Isaac (1674-1748) (opens a new tab) · Hymnary.org: Isaac Watts (opens a new tab)

6. Horselydown

   Keach’s Baptist church in Southwark. Site of early dissenting hymn singing before Watts.

   Wikipedia: Benjamin Keach (opens a new tab)

7. Hosanna

   Acclamation of praise opening a Watts hymn. Key word of a hymn in Book I.

   Hymnary.org: PHW (opens a new tab)

8. John Lawrence

   London bookseller for whom the 1707 first edition was printed.

   Grub Street Project: Hymns and spiritual (opens a new tab)

9. John Mason

   Anglican hymn writer whose Songs of Praise (1683) preceded Watts. Literary forerunner whose lines Watts borrowed.

   Wikipedia: John Mason (poet) (opens a new tab)

10. Lord's Supper

    Communion; subject of Book III of the collection.

    Hymnary.org: Isaac Watts (opens a new tab) · Hymnology Archive: When I survey the wondrous (opens a new tab)

11. Mark Lane

    Independent chapel in the City of London where Watts became pastor. The congregation he served as the collection took shape.

    Hymnary.org: Isaac Watts (opens a new tab) · DNB: Watts, Isaac (1674-1748) (opens a new tab)

12. Pinners Hall

    London hall where Watts’s congregation met from 1704 to 1708. His congregation’s meeting place when the hymns were published in 1707.

    DNB: Watts, Isaac (1674-1748) (opens a new tab)

13. Poultry

    City of London street where Lawrence’s shop, the Angel, stood. Street of publication of the first edition.

    Grub Street Project: Hymns and spiritual (opens a new tab)

14. Preface

    Watts’s preface to the 1707 collection explaining its plan. Where Watts set out his purpose.

    Hymnology Archive: When I survey the wondrous (opens a new tab)

15. Stennett

    Joseph Stennett, Baptist author of 1697 Lord’s Supper hymns. Earlier Lord’s Supper hymnist whom Watts admired.

    Wikipedia: Joseph Stennett (opens a new tab) · Hymnary.org: Joseph Stennett (opens a new tab)