[Page 138]
TO My Sisters S. and M. W.
An Epistle.
Dear Sisters,
READ the Love of my Heart in the first Line of my Letter, and believe it. I'me much concern'd to bear of my Mother's continued Weakness; we take our Share of those painful Disorders of Nature which afflict her whom we Honour and Love: I know also that your Hurries of Business must be more than doubled thereby; but we are daily leaving Care and Sin behind us: The past Temptations shall vex us no more,[Page 139] the Months that are gone return not, and the Sorrows that we hourly feel lessen the decreed Number; every Pulse beats a Moment of Pain away, and thus by Degrees we arrive nearer to the sweet Period of Life and Trouble.1 Bear up (my dear Ones) thro' the ruffling Storms
2 Of a vain vexing World: Tread down the Cares
3 Those ragged Thorns that lie across the Road,
4 Nor spend a Tear upon 'em. Trust me, Sisters,
5 The Dew of Eyes will make the Briars grow.
6 Nor let the distant Phantom of Delight
7 Too long allure your Gaze, or swell your Hope
8 To dangerous size: If it approach your Feet
9 And court your Hand, forbid the Intruding Joy
10 To sit too near your Heart: Still may our Souls
11 Claim Kindred with the Skies, nor mix with Dust
12 Our betterborn Affections: Leave the Globe
13 A Nest for Worms, and hasten to our Home.
14 O there are Gardens of th' Immortal Kind
15 That Crown the Heavenly Edens rising Hills
16 With Beauty and with Sweets; no Lurking Mischief
17 Dwells in the Fruit, nor Serpent twines the Boughs:
[Page 140]18 The Branches bend Laden with Life and Bliss
19 Ripe for the Taste; but 'tis a steep Ascent:
20 Hold fast the*
* The Gospel.
Golden Chain let down from Heaven,21 'Twill help your Feet and Wings; I feel its Force
22 Draw upward: Fasten'd to the Pearly Gate
23 It Guides the Way unerring: Happy Clue
24 Thro' this dark Wild! 'Twas Wisdom's Noblest Work,
25 All joyn'd by Power Divine, and every Link is Love.
Sisters, Accept the sudden Rapture kindly. The Muse is not awake every Day, if she has a Moments Release from the Lethargy, see, 'tis devoted to serve and please you — &c.
June 15. 1704.
Source edition
Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748. Horæ lyricæ: Poems, chiefly of the lyric kind. In two books. ... By I. Watts. London: Printed by S. and D. Bridge, for John Lawrence at the Sign of the Angel in the Poultrey. MDCCVI., 1706, pp. 138-140. [20],267,[1]p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T82397; OTA K067329.000) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Princeton Theological Seminary Library.)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Isaac Watts
- THE Absence of the Beloved. ()
- Against Tears. The beginning of Ode 23. Book 4. of Casimire Imitated. Si, quae flent mala, lugubres Auferrent Oculi, &c. ()
- BEWAILING My own Inconstancy. ()
- Breathing towards the Heavenly Country. Casimire. Book I. Od. 19. Imitated. Urit me Patriae Decor, &c. ()
- Brotherly Love. PSALM CXXXIII. ()
- Christ's Amazing Love AND My Amazing Coldness. ()
- Confession and Pardon. ()
- A CRADLE HYMN. ()
- THE Day of Judgment. An ODE, Attempted in English Sapphick. ()
- DEATH A Welcome Messenger. ()
- THE Death of MOSES, Deut. xxxii. 49, 50. and xxxiv. 5, 6. ()
- THE Divine Sovereignty. ()
- Doubts and Fears SUPPRES'D. PSALM III. ()
- Duty to God and our Neighbour. ()
- AN ELEGY ON THE Reverend Mr. Tho. Gouge. ()
- AN EPITAPH ON King WILLIAM III. Of Glorious Memory, Who Died March 8th. 1701. ()
- Forsaken, yet Hoping. ()
- Free Philosophy. ()
- FRIENDSHIP. ()
- A Funeral POEM ON Thomas Gunston Esq ()
- THE GLORIES of GOD Exceed all Worship. ()
- GOD Appears most Glorious IN OUR Salvation by CHRIST. ()
- GOD Incomprehensible. ()
- GOD Sovereign and Gracious. ()
- GOD's Infinity. ()
- THE HAPPY SAINT AND Cursed Sinner. PSALM I. ()
- THE HAZARD OF Loving the Creatures. ()
- [Hymn I.] The Hosanna; or Salvation ascribed to CHRIST. ()
- [Hymn II.] GLORY to the FATHER and the SON, &c. ()
- AN Hymn of Praise TO The God of ENGLAND, FOR Three Great Salvations. (VIZ.) ()
- JESUS THE Only SAVIOUR. ()
- The Law and Gospel. ()
- LONGING FOR HEAVEN, OR, THE Song of Angels Above. ()
- LONGING FOR The Second Coming OF CHRIST. ()
- THE Love of CHRIST ON His CROSS AND On His THRONE. ()
- [MORAL SONG] I. The SLUGGARD. ()
- [MORAL SONG] II. Innocent Play. ()
- [MORAL SONG] III. The ROSE. ()
- [MORAL SONG] IV. The THIEF. ()
- [MORAL SONG] V. The ANT or EMMET. ()
- [MORAL SONG] VI. Good Resolutions. ()
- ON The Sudden Death OF Mrs. Mary Peacock. ()
- Our Saviour's Golden Rule. ()
- THE PLEASURE OF Love to CHRIST Present or Absent. ()
- Praise to the LORD FROM All NATIONS. PSALM C. ()
- THE REVERSE; ON THE View of some of my Friends remaining Comforts. ()
- Sick of Love. Solom. Song, i. 3. ()
- SICKNESS GIVES A Sight of HEAVEN. ()
- A Sight of CHRIST. ()
- Sincere Praise. ()
- Sitting in an Arbour. ()
- SONG I. A general Song of Praise to GOD. ()
- SONG II. Praise for Creation and Providence. ()
- SONG III. Praise to GOD for our Redemption. ()
- SONG IV. Praise for Mercies Spiritual and Temporal. ()
- A Song of Praise TO GOD. PSALM C. In Trissyllable Feet. ()
- SONG V. Praise for Birth and Education in a Christian Land. ()
- SONG VI. Praise for the Gospel. ()
- SONG VII. The Excellency of the BIBLE. ()
- SONG VIII. Praise to GOD for learning to Read. ()
- SONG IX. The All-seeing GOD. ()
- SONG X. Solemn Thoughts of GOD and Death. ()
- SONG XI. Heaven and Hell. ()
- SONG XII. The Advantages of early Religion. ()
- SONG XIII. The Danger of Delay. ()
- SONG XIV. Examples of early Piety. ()
- SONG XV. Against Lying. ()
- SONG XVI. Against Quarrelling and Fighting. ()
- SONG XVII. Love between Brothers and Sisters. ()
- SONG XVIII. Against Scoffing and calling Names. ()
- SONG XIX. Against Swearing, and Cursing, and taking God's Name in vain. ()
- SONG XX. Against Idleness and Mischief. ()
- SONG XXI. Against Evil Company. ()
- SONG XXII. Against Pride in Clothes. ()
- SONG XXIII. Obedience to Parents. ()
- SONG XXIV. The Child's Complaint. ()
- SONG XXV. A MORNING SONG: ()
- SONG XXVI. An EVENING SONG. ()
- SONG XXVII. For the LORD's-DAY MORNING. ()
- SONG XXVIII. For the LORD'S-DAY EVENING. ()
- THE Sufferings and Glories OF CHRIST. A SONG In Trisyllable Feet. ()
- A SUMMER EVENING. ()
- The TEN COMMANDMENTS, out of the Old Testament, put into short Rhyme for Children. ()
- TO David Polhill Esq ()
- TO David Polhill Esq ()
- TO Dr. JOHN SPEED of Southampton. ()
- TO Dr. Thomas Gibson. ()
- TO Her MAJESTY. ()
- TO John Hartopp Esq ()
- TO John Hartopp Esq ()
- TO Mr. A. S. and Mr. T. H. ()
- TO Mr. C. and S. Fleetwood. ()
- TO Mr. Henry Bendish. ()
- TO Mr. John Lock Retired from The World of Business. ()
- TO Mr. JOHN SHUTE ON Mr. LOCK's Dangerous Sickness sometime after he had retired to study the Scriptures. ()
- TO Mr. Nicholas Clark. ()
- TO Mr. Robert Atwood. ()
- TO Mr. William Blackbourn. ()
- TO My Brothers E. and T. W. ()
- TO Nathanael Gould Esq ()
- TO THE Discontented and Unquiet. ()
- TO THE Reverend Mr. B. Rowe. ()
- To the Reverend Mr. John Howe. ()
- To the Right Honourable JOHN Lord CUTTS. [At the Siege of Namure.] ()
- TO Thomas Gunston Esq ()
- THE Transcendent Glories OF THE DEITY. ()
- THE Universal Hallelujah, OR, PSALM 148. PARAPHRAS'D. ()
- UPON The Dismal Narrative OF THE Afflictions of a Friend. ()
- Wishing him ever with me. ()
- A Word of Warning, OR Few Happy Marriages. ()