Analysis of Hymn 140

Isaac Watts 1674 (Southampton, Hampshire) – 1748 (Stoke Newington, Middlesex)



A living and a dead faith.  Collected from several scriptures.

Mistaken souls, that dream of heav'n,
And make their empty boast
Of inward joys, and sins forgiv'n,
While they are slaves to lust!

Vain are our fancies, airy flights,
If faith be cold and dead;
None but a living power unites
To Christ the living head.

'Tis faith that changes all the heart;
'Tis faith that works by love;
That bids all sinful joys depart,
And lifts the thoughts above.

'Tis faith that conquers earth and hell
By a celestial power;
This is the grace that shall prevail
In the decisive hour.

[Faith must obey her Father's will,
As well as trust his grace;
A pard'ning God is jealous still
For his own holiness.]

When from the curse he sets us free,
He makes our natures clean;
Nor would he send his Son to be
The minister of sin.

[His Spirit purifies our frame,
And seals our peace with God;
Jesus and his salvation came
By water and by blood.]


Scheme X AXAX BCBC DEDE XFXF GXGX HAHA IXIX
Poetic Form
Metre 010001101011010 01011111 011101 1101011 111111 111010101 111101 110101001 110101 11110101 111111 11110101 010101 11110101 1001010 11011101 0001010 11010101 111111 0111101 111100 11011111 1110101 11111111 010011 1101101 0110111 10010101 110011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 902
Words 174
Sentences 10
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 29
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 90
Words per stanza (avg) 21
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

53 sec read
105

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was an English Christian minister (Congregational), hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. He is recognized as the "Godfather of English Hymnody"; many of his hymns remain in use today and have been translated into numerous languages. more…

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