Isaac Watts was born in Southhampton, England on July 17, 1674.  Watts was pastor of a large Congregational church in London but poor health prevented him from devoting very much time to his ministerial duties.  When he tried to resign because of his poor health, the congregation insisted that he remain as long as he lived.

Watts is credited with having written over 750 hymns, including setting most of the Psalms into English metre, many of them set in multiple metres.  Benjamin Franklin first brought Watts psalms and hymns to the United States.

Perhaps one of his best known hymns is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”  Though Dr. Watts is not known as a believer in universal salvation, yet at times he questioned the popular theology of his day.  He wrote in one of his sermons:

Whensoever any such criminal in hell shall be found making such a sincere and mournful address to the righteous and merciful Judge of all; if at the same time he is truly humble and penitent for his past sins, and is grieved at his heart for having offended his Maker, and melts into sincere repentance, I cannot think that a God of perfect equity and rich mercy will continue such a creature under His vengeance, but rather that the perfections of God will contrive a way for escape, though God has not given us here any revelation or discovery of such special grace as this.  I grant that the eternity of God Himself before this world began, or after its consummation, has something in it so immense and so incomprehensible, that in the infinite abysses; nor do I think we ought, usually, when we speak concerning creatures, to affirm positively, that their existence shall be equal to that of the blessed God, especially in regard to the duration of their punishment.

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