God's Tender Care of His Church

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Now shall my inward joys arise, And burst into a song

Author: Isaac Watts
Tune: AFRICA (Billings)
Published in 57 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	Praise, My Soul (Psalm Hymns for Piano 4…

Representative Text

1 Now shall my inward joys arise,
And burst into a song,
Almighty love inspires my heart
And pleasure tunes my tongue.

2 Oh shine on this benighted heart,
With beams of mercy shine,
And let the healing voice impart
A taste of joys divine.

3 Oh for this love let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
The Savior's praises speak.

4 Angels assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold,
And when you raise your highest notes,
This love shall e'er be told.

5 The generous fruits that never fail
On trees immortal grow;
There rocks and hills and brooks and vales
With milk and honey flow.

Source: Worship in Song: A Friends Hymnal #233

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Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Now shall my inward joys arise, And burst into a song
Title:	God's Tender Care of His Church
Author:	Isaac Watts
Meter:	8.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Now shall my inward joy arise. i. Watts. [God's care of His Church.] Published in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707, Bk. i., No. 39, in 6 stanza of 4 lines, as a paraphrase of Isaiah xlix. 13, &c. In this form its use is limited. In the Draft of the Scottish Translations and Paraphrases, 1745, No. xvii., is a hymn on the same passage beginning, "Ye heav'ns, send forth your praising song." Of this hymn stanzas i.-iii. are by an unknown hand, and have little or no resemblance to the corresponding stanzas in Watts, whilst stanzas iv.-vi. are from his hymn, as above, with the alteration of a "kind woman," in stanza iv., l. 1, to a "fond mother." In the authorized issue of the Translations and Paraphrases, of 1781 the opening line reads, “Ye heav'ns, send forth your song of praise; " and the text is a recast of the Draft of 1745 throughout. As Watts's text of stanzas iv.-vi. is easily attainable for comparison we add hereto only the text of stanzas i.-iii. from the 1745 Draft:—

"Ye heav'ns, send forth your praising song!
Earth, raise thy Voice below !
Let Hills and Mountains join the Choir,
and joy thro' Nature flow!

“Behold, how gracious is our God!
with what comforting Strains
He cheers the Sorrows of our Heart,
and banishes our Pains.

"Cease ye, when Days of Darkness fall,
with troubled Hearts to mourn;
As if the Lord could leave a Saint
forsaken or forlorn."

The final recast of this hymn in the authorized issue of the Scottish Translations & Paraphrases of 1781 is claimed for W. Cameron by his daughter in her markings of authors and revisers of that issue. In Miss J. E. Leeson's Paraphrases & Hymns, 1853, No. li., on the same passage is a hymn of 8 stanzas in two parts: (1) "Sing, 0 ye heavens! Be joyful, earth," and (2) "O Zion, from the stranger's land." This arrangement by Miss Leeson is based on the Scottish Translations & Paraphrases of 1781, as above.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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