Join All the Glorious Names

Words: Isaac Watts

Source: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In Three Books. (London: W. Strahan, et al., 1773), Book I, Hymn 150, pp. 124-127.

Originally appeared in Hymns and Sacred Songs. Second Edition (1709).

The Offices of Christ, from Several Scriptures.

1 Join all the glorious Names
Of Wisdom, Love, and Power,
That ever Mortals knew,
That Angels ever bore:
     All are too mean
     To speak His Worth,
     To poor to set
     My Savior forth.

2 But O what gentle Terms,
What condescending Ways,
Doth our Redeemer use
To teach his heav’nly Grace!
     Mine Eyes with Joy
     And Wonder see
     What Forms of Love
     He bears for me.

[3 Arrayed in mortal Flesh,
He like an Angel stands,
And holds the Promises
And Pardons in his Hands:
     Commissioned from
     His Father’s Throne
     To make His Grace
     To Mortals known.]

[4 Great Prophet of my God,
My Tongue would bless Thy Name,
By Thee the joyful News
Of our Salvation came;
     The joyful News
     Of sin forgiv’n
     Of Hell subdued,
     And Peace with Heav’n.]

[5 Be Thou my Counsellor,
My Pattern, and my Guide,
And thro' this desert Land
Still keep me near thy Side.
     Nor let my feet
     Ne’er run astray
     Nor rove nor seek
     The crooked way.]

[6 I love my Shepherd’s Voice,
His watchful Eyes shall keep
My wand’ring Woul among
The Thousands of His Sheep:
     He feeds His Flock,
     He calls their Names,
     His bosom bears
     The tender Lambs.]

[7 To this dear Surety’s Hand
Will I commit my Cause;
He answers and fulfils
His Father’s broken Laws.
     Behold my Soul
     At Freedom set!
     My Surety paid
     The dreadful Debt.]

[8 Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered His Blood, and dy'd;
My guilty Conscience seeks
No Sacrifice beside.
     His powerful Blood
     Did once atone;
     And now it pleads
     Before the Throne.]

[9 My Advocate appears
For my Defense on high;
The Father bows his Ears,
And lays his Thunder by.
     Not all that Hell
     Or sin can say
     Shall turn his Heart,
     His love away.]

[10 My dear Almighty Lord,
My Conqueror, 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.]

[11 Now let my Soul arise,
And tread the Tempter down:
My Captain leads me forth
To Conquest and a Crown:
     A feeble Saint
     Shall win the Day,
     Tho' Death and Hell
     Obstruct the Way.]

12 Should all the Hosts of Death,
And Pow'rs of Hell unknown,
Put their most dreadful Forms
Of Rage and Mischief on,
     I shall be safe,
     For Christ displays
     Superior Power
     And guardian Grace.

The End of the First Book.

Note:

Concerning the inclusion of square brackets (also called “Crotchets”) around some verses, Rev. Watts wrote, in the Preface,

In all the longer Hymns, and in some of the shorter, there are several Stanzas included in Crotchets, thus [ ]; which Stanzas may be left out in singing without disturbing the Sense. Those Parts are also included in such Crotchets, which contain Words too poetical for meaner Understandings, or too particular for whole Congregations to sing. But after all, it is best in public Psalmody for the Ministers to choose the particular Parts and Verses of the Psalm or Hymn that is to be sung, rather than to leave it to the Judgment or careful Determination of him that leads the Tune.

The date of the preface is March 3, 1719/1720. In the 1766 edition, this note was included in a Preface dated April, 1709.

A very similar hymn in the collection is Hymn 149, “Join All the Names of Love and Power,” pp. 122-123. 12 stanzas of 4 lines.

All twelve verses occur in The Book of Christmas Hymns (London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1868), pp. 106-109, with slightly different formatting.