Our
Christmas season
would hardly seem
complete without
the singing of Joy
to the World, the
most joyous of the
carols. Yet Isaac
Watts, its author,
never intended it
to be a Christmas
carol at all. Rather,
it was a part of
his Psalms
of David Imitated, published
in 1719, which contained
paraphrases of many
of the Psalms in
New Testament language.
The
story of the hymn,
Joy
to the World, is
the story of the
author, Isaac Watts
(1675-1748), who
is universally acknowledged
as "The Father
of English Hymnody".
He has earned the
title, not because
he was first to
write English hymns,
but because he gave
impetus to hymnody
and established
its place in the
worship of the English
church.
For
over one hundred
years, congregational
singing had been
strictly limited
to the Psalms of
the Old Testament
in poetic form.
Many of these rhymed
Psalms were so unnatural
that Samuel Wesley,
father of the famous
brothers Charles
and John, called
them "scandalous
doggerel,"
and his opinion
was shared by many.
The
birth of Isaac Watts
to a dissenting
deacon and the daughter
of a Huguenot refugee
was followed by
fourteen years of
persecution and
hardships for the
entire family. Perhaps
this suffering was
responsible for
Isaac Watts’ ill
health, for he grew
only to a height
of just over five
feet and was weak
and sickly all his
life.
Though
weak in body, the
boy was strong in
mind and spirit
and early in life
showed promise of
poetic capability.
After one Sunday
morning service,
Isaac, then fifteen
years old, complained
of the atrocious
worship in song.
One of the deacons
challenged him:
"Give us something
better, young man."
His answer was ready
for the evening
service and was
sung that night
in the Independents’
meeting, Southampton,
where his father
was pastor. Perhaps
a hint of things
to come was contained
in this first verse
of Isaac Watts:
Behold
the glories of the
Lamb
Amidst
His Father’s throne;
Prepare new honors
for His name,
And songs before
unknown.
When
Isaac began to preach
several years later,
his congregation
sang the songs that
seemed to flow from
his pen like a river.
In 1707, the accumulation
of eighteen years
was published under
the title, Hymns
and Spiritual Songs. The
river continued
to flow, and in
1719 his "Psalms
of David Imitated"
was
published, not as
a new paraphrase
of David, but as
an imitation of
him in New Testament
language. It was
as though the Psalms
burst forth in their
fulfillment at last.
Joy
to the World is
the "imitation"
of the last half
of Psalm 98. The
author transformed
the old Jewish psalm
of praise for some
historic deliverance
into a Christian
song of rejoicing
for the salvation
of God that began
to be manifested
when the Babe of
Bethlehem came "to
make his blessing
flow far as the
curse is found."
This is one of the
most joyous hymns
in all Christendom
because it makes
so real what Christ’s
birth means to all
mankind.
The
tune to which the
hymn is sung is
attributed to George
Frederick Handel
and bears resemblance
to phrases of his
great oratorio,
Messiah.
Notably the first
four tones match
the beginning of
the chorus, "Lift
Up Your Heads."
As
we rejoice in the
coming to earth
of our Savior, we
may also be glad
for the veritable
river of hymns that
flowed from the
pen of Isaac Watts.
His name stands
at the head of our
most majestic hymns,
notably, "When
I Survey The Wondrous
Cross." In
many hymnals more
hymns of Isaac Watts
are to be found
than of any other
single author.
To
listen to the music
for Joy To the World
click
here. |
