Dictionary of Hymnology

Hymnology

And are we wretches yet alive?

An entry on Isaac Watts's 1707 Lenten hymn on repentance.

1 min read 3 visits Updated 12 hours ago Added Aug 14, 2026

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I Sing the Mighty Power of God — Related hymn sheet I Sing the Mighty Power of God

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Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove — Related hymn sheet Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove

This is the day the Lord hath made — Related hymn sheet This is the day the Lord hath made

When I Can Read My Title Clear — Related hymn sheet When I Can Read My Title Clear

Join All the Glorious Names — Related hymn sheet Join All the Glorious Names

Awake my zeal, awake my love — Related hymn sheet Awake my zeal, awake my love

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There Is a Land of Pure Delight — Related hymn sheet There Is a Land of Pure Delight

Before Jehovah's Awful Throne — Related hymn sheet Before Jehovah's Awful Throne

Lord, in the Morning — Related hymn sheet Lord, in the Morning

Go, Preach My Gospel — Related hymn sheet Go, Preach My Gospel

Give Me the Wings of Faith to Rise — Related hymn sheet Give Me the Wings of Faith to Rise

I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord — Related hymn sheet I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord

Sweet Is the Work, My God, My King — Related hymn sheet Sweet Is the Work, My God, My King

The Heav'ns Declare Thy Glory, Lord — Related hymn sheet The Heav'ns Declare Thy Glory, Lord

How Sweet and Aweful Is the Place — Related hymn sheet How Sweet and Aweful Is the Place

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Written by Isaac Watts as a five-stanza Lenten hymn entitled "Repentance flowing from the patience of God," this text was first published in Book II of his Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707). Characterized by its strong language and vivid expression of penitence, the hymn eventually fell out of common worship in Great Britain, though it maintained a continued presence in several major nineteenth-century American hymnals.

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Isaac Watts
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Isaac Watts Hymns and Spiritual Songs Lenten Hymnody Repentance American Hymnology

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