The Law Commands, and Makes Us Know

Representative Text

1 The Law commands and makes us know
What duties to our God we owe;
But 'tis the gospel must reveal
Where lies our strength to do His will.

2 The Law discovers guilt and sin
And shows how vile our hearts have been;
The gospel only can express
Forgiving love and cleansing grace.

3 What curses doth the Law denounce
Against the man that fails but once!
But in the gospel Christ appears,
Pard'ning the guilt of num'rous years.

4 My soul, no more attempt to draw
Thy life and comfort from the Law.
Fly to the hope the Gospel gives;
The man that trusts the promise lives.



Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #489

Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: The law commands, and makes us know
Title: The Law Commands, and Makes Us Know
Author: Isaac Watts
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

OLD HUNDREDTH

This tune is likely the work of the composer named here, but has also been attributed to others as shown in the instances list below. According to the Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (1992), Old 100th first appeared in the Genevan Psalter, and "the first half of the tune contains phrases which may ha…

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WINCHESTER NEW

The original version of WINCHESTER NEW appeared in Musikalisches Handbuch der geistlichen Melodien, published in Hamburg, Germany, in 1690 by Georg Wittwe. It was set to the text “Wer nur den lieben Gott” (see 446). An expanded version of the tune was a setting for "Dir, dir Jehova" (see 203) in…

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PORTUGAL (Thorley)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #3576
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 54 of 54)

A Baptist Hymn Book, Designed Especially for the Regular Baptist Church and All Lovers of Truth #d709

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A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs #495

A Collection of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion #d238

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A Collection of Spiritual Hymns #80

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A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #17

A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Every Sunday ... Diocese of Quebec #d126

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #82c

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Christian Worship (1993) #286

Church Hymn Book . 3rd ed. #d470

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Church Psalmody #516

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Evangelical Hymns #6

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #489

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Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in Three Books #II.CXXI

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Hymns for Christian Melody #72

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Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #168

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Pocket Hymns #45

Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship #d760

Psalms and Hymns for the Worship of God #d755

Text

Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, The #II.121

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Psalms and Hymns, Adapted to Public Worship #102

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Psalms and Hymns #80

Seamen's Devotional Assistant and Mariners' Hymns (American Seamen's Friend Society) #d459

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Social Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #21

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The Baptist Hymn Book #109

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The Chapel hymn book, with tunes #180

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The Clifton Chapel Collection of "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs" #890

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The Columbian Repository #625

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #3576

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The Lutheran Hymnal #289

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The Lyrica #57

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The New Baptist Psalmist and Tune Book #108

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The Primitive Baptist Hymnal #24

The Primitive Hymns #d543

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The Psalmody #347

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The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #111

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The Psalms of David #II.CXXI

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The Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. #B121

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The Reformed Methodist Pocket Hymnal #II.197

The Southern Psalmist #d785

The Southern Psalmist. New ed. #d825

The Village Hymn book #d253

Exclude 51 pre-1979 instances
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