Isaac Watts quotes
Isaac Watts (1674–1748): English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. The library holds 46 quotes by Isaac Watts, drawn from Divine Songs. Song, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Psalm and other works. The 46 below are the most quoted; search the library in the maker for the rest.
Often about: life, faith, happiness, family, knowledge, work
The best-known Isaac Watts quotes
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Were I so tall to reach the pole, Or grasp the ocean with my span, I must be measured by my soul: The mind’s the standard of the man.
Horae Lyricae, Book ii. False Greatness -
For Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.
Divine Songs. Song xx -
Our life contains a thousand springs, And dies if one be gone; Strange that a harp of thousand strings Should keep in tune so long.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs. DR -
The tall, the wise, the reverend head Must lie as low as ours.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book ii. Hymn 63 -
Strange that a harp of thousand strings Should keep in tune so long!
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book ii. Hymn 19 -
By doing nothing we learn to do ill.
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The child taught to believe any occurrence a good or evil omen, or any day of the week lucky, hath a wide inroad made upon the soundness of his understanding.
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And he that does one fault at first And lies to hide it, makes it two.
Divine Songs. Song xv -
How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower!
Divine Songs. Song xx -
So, when a raging fever burns, We shift from side to side by turns; And ’tis a poor relief we gain To change the place, but keep the pain.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book ii. Hymn 146 -
’Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain, “You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again.”
The Sluggard. DR -
Birds in their little nests agree; And ’tis a shameful sight When children of one family Fall out, and chide, and fight.
Divine Songs. Song xvii -
Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear My voice ascending high.
Psalm v -
The religion of Jesus, with all its self-denials, virtues, and devotions, is very practicable.
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In matters of equity between man and man, our Saviour has taught us to put my neighbor in place of myself, and myself in place of my neighbor.
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Reason is the glory of human nature, and one of the chief eminences whereby we are raised above the beasts, in this lower world.
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In common discourse we denominate persons and things according to the major part of their character: he is to be called a wise man who has but few follies.
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Vice and virtue chiefly imply the relation of our actions to men in this world; sin and holiness rather imply their relation to God and the other world.
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The passions are the gales of life; and it is religion only that can prevent them from rising into a tempest.
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Not by the terrors of a slave God’s sons perform His will, But with the noblest powers they have His sweet commands fulfil.
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In works of labour or of skill, I would be busy too, For Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do.
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There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs -
Whene’er I take my walks abroad, How many poor I see! What shall I render to my God For all his gifts to me?
Divine Songs. Song iv -
From all who dwell below the skies Let the Creator’s praise arise; Let the Redeemer’s name be sung Through every land, by every tongue.
Psalm cxvii -
When I can read my title clear To mansions in the skies, I’ll bid farewell to every fear, And wipe my weeping eyes.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book ii. Hymn 65 -
Fly, like a youthful hart or roe, Over the hills where spices grow.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book i. Hymn 79 -
To God the Father, God the Son, And God the Spirit, Three in One, Be honour, praise, and glory given By all on earth, and all in heaven.
Doxology -
And while the lamp holds out to burn, The vilest sinner may return.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book i. Hymn 88 -
But, children, you should never let Such angry passions rise; Your little hands were never made To tear each other’s eyes.
Divine Songs. Song xvi -
But now the fair traveller’s come to the west, His rays are all gold, and his beauties are best; He paints the skies gay as he sinks to his rest, And foretells a bright rising again.
A Summer Evening. DR -
To man, in this his trial state, The privilege is given, When tost by tides of human fate, To anchor fast in heaven.
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There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book ii. Hymn 66 -
I have been there, and still would go; ’Tis like a little heaven below.
Divine Songs. Song xxviii -
’Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain, “You have wak’d me too soon, I must slumber again.”
The Sluggard -
Let dogs delight to bark and bite, For God hath made them so.
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A flower, when offered in the bud, Is no vain sacrifice.
Divine Songs. Song xii -
Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber! Holy angels guard thy bed! Heavenly blessings without number Gently falling on thy head.
A Cradle Hymn -
Happy the youth that finds the bride Whose birth is to his own allied, The sweetest joy of life: But oh, the crowds of wretched souls Fetter’d to minds of different moulds And chain’d t’ eternal strife!
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Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest, Till through the world thy truth has run: Till Christ has all the nations blessed That see the light, or feel the sun.
God’s Word and Works. DR -
Let dogs delight to bark and bite, For God hath made them so; Let bears and lions growl and fight, For ’tis their nature too.
Divine Songs. Song xvi -
Whene’er I take my walks abroad, How many poor I see!
Divine Songs, Song iv -
The mind’s the standard of the man.
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In books, or work, or healthful play.
Divine Songs. Song xx -
Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book ii. Hymn 63 -
The heavens declare thy glory, Lord; In every star thy wisdom shines; But when our eyes behold thy word, We read thy name in fairer lines.
God’s Word and Works. DR -
The blessing of an active mind, when it is in a good condition, is, that it not only employs itself, but is almost sure to be the means of giving wholesome employment to others. He that has treasures of his own May leave the cottage or the throne, May quit the globe, and dwell alone Within his spacious mind.
Where these quotes come from
- Divine Songs. Song (10 quotes)
- Hymns and Spiritual Songs (9 quotes)
- Psalm (2 quotes)
- God’s Word and Works. DR (2 quotes)
- Horae Lyricae (1 quote)
- Hymns and Spiritual Songs. DR (1 quote)
- The Sluggard. DR (1 quote)
- Doxology (1 quote)
Every quote comes from a public-domain edition. How the library was made .