Today’s hymn of faith is from the profound and marvelous writer Isaac Watts. The tune is called Pisgah and was written by J.C. Lowry according to the Kentucky Harmony tunebook (1811). The wonderful performance above captures the feel of the tune.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is ethe power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 ESV).

1 I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,
or to defend his cause,
maintain the honor of his Word,
the glory of his cross.

2 Jesus, my God! I know his name,
his name is all my trust;
nor will he put my soul to shame,
nor let my hope be lost.

3 Firm as his throne his promise stands,
and he can well secure
what I’ve committed to his hands
’til the decisive hour.

4 Then will he own my worthless name
before his Father’s face,
and in the new Jerusalem
appoint my soul a place.

Today’s hymn is another from the great Isaac Watts. “Stand Up, My Soul; Shake Off Your Fears” was written in 1707 and paired in some hymnals with the traditional German tune “Mendon.”

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1 ESV)

1 Stand up, my soul; shake off your fears,
and gird the gospel armor on;
march to the gates of endless joy,
where your great Captain Savior’s gone.

2 Hell and your sins resist your course;
but hell and sin are vanquished foes:
your Jesus nailed them to the cross,
and sang the triumph when he rose.

3 Then let my soul march boldly on,
press forward to the heav’nly gate;
there peace and joy eternal reign,
and glitt’ring robes for conqu’rors wait.

4 There shall I wear a starry crown,
and triumph in almighty grace;
while all the armies of the skies
join in my glorious Leader’s praise.

Continuing to remember the Holy Spirit on this Sunday after Pentecost, Isaac Watts 1707 hymn, “Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove,” is a thoughtful prayer that can tune our hearts to sing his praise. I suspect the second verse below has fallen out of favor in many hymnals.

1 Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quickening powers;
Kindle a flame of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours.

2 Look how we grovel here below,
Fond of these trifling toys;
Our souls can neither fly nor go,
To reach eternal joys.

3 In vain we tune our formal songs,
In vain we strive to rise;
Hosannas languish on our tongues,
And our devotion dies.

4 Dear Lord, and shall we ever live
At this poor dying rate?
Our love so faint, so cold to Thee,
And Thine to us so great!

5 Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quickening powers;
Come, shed abroad a Saviour’s love,
And that shall kindle ours.

With today’s hymn, we have the opportunity to note a common habit in hymn singing among earlier generations. Hymn texts were separated from their melodies, and congregations would sing words to melodies they already knew. At least for a portion of history, believers would learn several common tunes that they would use to sing many more hymn lyrics.

“Join All the Glorious Names” was written in 1707 by the great Englishman Isaac Watts (1674-1748). The tune is the same one used by our hymn two weeks ago, “Rejoice, the Lord is King!” English poet John Darwall (1731-1789) wrote the tune in 1770. In the Trinity Hymnal, five hymns are set to it, including “We Come, O Christ, to You” and “Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ” (which we may return to next month).

1 Join all the glorious names
of wisdom, love, and pow’r,
that ever mortals knew,
that angels ever bore:
all are too poor to speak his worth,
too poor to set my Savior forth.

2 Great Prophet of my God,
my tongue would bless thy name:
by thee the joyful news
of our salvation came,
the joyful news of sins forgiv’n,
of hell subdued and peace with heav’n.

3 Jesus, my great High Priest,
offered his blood and died;
my guilty conscience seeks
no sacrifice beside:
his pow’rful blood did once atone
and now it pleads before the throne.

4 Thou art my Counselor,
my pattern, and my Guide,
and thou my Shepherd art;
O keep me near thy side;
nor let my feet e’er turn astray
to wander in the crooked way.

5 My Savior and my Lord,
my Conqu’ror and my King,
thy scepter and thy sword,
thy reigning grace, I sing:
thine is the pow’r; behold I sit
in willing bonds beneath thy feet.

This classic hymn, written by Isaac Watts in 1707, has been printed in over 2000 hymnals with one of a couple tune arrangements. The recording above pairs it with a traditional Irish song that has been called the Banks of Moorlough Shore and Foggy Dew. The mournful quality of this tune fits the words well, though they need to be rearranged.

1 Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sov’reign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
for such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

2 Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut his glories in,
when Christ, the mighty Maker, died
for man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes in tears.

3 But drops of grief can ne’er repay
the debt of love I owe;
here, Lord, I give myself away,
’tis all that I can do. . . .