The Poetic Wonder of Isaac Watts #BondBooks

The Poetic Wonder of Isaac Watts is much more than a biography.  Not only do we learn about Watts and his life, but we also learn and deeply contemplate the truths contained in his best loved hymns.  Bond slows us down to read carefully and meditate on Watts' theology and poetry.  We stop and pause as each line displays some glorious truth which Bond expounds and explains further.  We discover the background circumstances, the controversies of the day and more importantly the true religion of the hymnwriter.

Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from Watts' poetry is his understanding of how we read and interpret all of Scripture; Watts, like Spurgeon and the best preachers of the past and present, made a beeline for the cross, and so must we.

This is a profitable read and a must for any lover of Watts' hymns.  For those who are not familiar with his hymns, may this book serve as a taster to whet the appetite.

As we flounder about in the "liturgical fidget" of the contemporary church, Watts can provide both the theological and liturgical ballast Christian worship so desperately needs. And he can give us an emotional rudder, a means of steering the passions in worship by objective propositional truth feelingly delivered.

Lorna
The Poetic Wonder of Isaac Watts by Douglas Bond, Published by Reformation Trust, £12.99, hardback.