Isaac Watts
(1674-1748)
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
The Words of the King James Bible and Isaac Watts
Presented in Parallel
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are giv’n,
And crowns of joy laid up in heav’n.
for they shall be comforted.
Who mourn for sin with inward smart;
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.
for they shall inherit the earth.
From rage and passion, noise and war;
God will secure their happy state,
And plead their cause against the great.
for they shall be filled.
Hunger and long for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied, and fed
With living streams and living bread.
for they shall obtain mercy.
And melt with sympathy and love;
From Christ the Lord shall they obtain
Like sympathy and love again.
for they shall see God.
From the defiling pow’r of sin;
With endless pleasure they shall see
A God of spotless purity.
for they shall be called
the children of God.
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be call’d the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.
for righteousness’ sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Of pain and shame for Jesus’ sake.
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord;
Glory and joy are their reward.
shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for My sake.
for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you.
View the standalone version of the hymn
(without the parallel verses from Matthew 5).[Note: This hymn was originally #102 in Book I of Watts’
Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Three Books.
I have taken the words from my personal copy
of an 1826 edition printed in Concord, New Hampshire, USA.]