‘Blest is the man whose bowels move’

This year marks 350 years since the writer of ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’ was born. Dr Daniel Johnson takes a closer look at one of Isaac Watts’ lesser-known works

Alright, you lot in the back row, stop sniggering. This is serious stuff.

2024 is the 350th anniversary of the birth of hymnwriter Isaac Watts. Watts is most famous for ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’, ‘Joy to the world’, and ‘O God, our help in ages past’. In his lifetime, he was one of London’s most famous pastors, and his hymns went on to dominate Congregational singing for the next two centuries. 

One of his lesser-known hymns is ‘Blest is the Man Whose Bowels Move’. It was published in 1719, and is based on Psalm 41:1, which reads: “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” (KJV).