Editing Isaac Watts (section)

==Life==
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2014}}
Watts was born in [[Southampton]], [[Hampshire]], England, in 1674 and was brought up in the home of a committed religious [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformist]]; his father, also Isaac Watts, had been incarcerated twice for his views. Watts had a classical education at [[King Edward VI School, Southampton]], learning [[Latin]], [[Greek language|Greek]], and [[Hebrew]].

Watts displayed a propensity for rhyme from an early age. He was once asked why he had his eyes open during prayers, to which he responded:
{{blockquote|text=<poem>A little mouse for want of stairs
ran up a rope to say its prayers.</poem>}}

He received [[corporal punishment]] for this, to which he cried:
{{blockquote|text=<poem>O father, father, pity take
And I will no more verses make.<ref>{{Citation | first = Norman | last = Mable | title = Popular Hymns and their Writers | page = 179}}.</ref><ref>{{Citation | first = F. W. | last = Boreham | title = A Late Lark Singing | year = 1945 | page = 29}}.</ref></poem>}}

Watts could not attend [[Oxford University|Oxford]] or [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] because he was a nonconformist and these universities were restricted to Anglicans—as were government positions at the time. He went to the [[Dissenting academies|Dissenting Academy]] at [[Stoke Newington]] in 1690. Much of the remainder of his life centred on that village, which is now part of [[Inner London]].

Following his education, Watts was called as pastor of a large independent chapel in London, Mark Lane Congregational Chapel, where he helped train preachers, despite his poor health. He held religious opinions that were more nondenominational or [[ecumenical]] than was common for a nonconformist Congregationalist. He had a greater interest in promoting education and scholarship than preaching for any particular sect.

Watts took work as a private tutor and lived with the nonconformist Hartopp family at [[Abney Park|Fleetwood House]] on [[Stoke Newington Church Street|Church Street]] in [[Stoke Newington]]. Through them, he became acquainted with their immediate neighbours Sir [[Thomas Abney]] and [[Lady Mary Abney|Lady Mary]]. He eventually lived for a total of 36 years in the Abney household, most of the time at Abney House, their second residence. (Lady Mary had inherited the manor of [[Stoke Newington]] in 1701 from her late brother Thomas Gunston.)

On the death of Sir Thomas Abney in 1722, his widow Lady Mary and her unmarried daughter Elizabeth moved all her household to Abney House from Hertfordshire, and she invited Watts to continue with them. He particularly enjoyed the grounds at [[Abney Park]], which Lady Mary planted with two elm walks leading down to an island [[heronry]] in the [[Hackney Brook]], and he often sought inspiration there for the many books and hymns that he wrote.

Watts lived at Abney Hall in Stoke Newington until his death in 1748; he was buried in [[Bunhill Fields]]. He left an extensive legacy of hymns, treatises, educational works, and essays. His work was influential amongst nonconformist independents and religious revivalists of the 18th century, such as [[Philip Doddridge]], who dedicated his best-known work to Watts.

[[File:Watts-GuideToPrayer Title Page from the Fourth Edition, 1725.png|thumb|The title page of Watts' ''Guide to Prayer'', fourth edition, 1725]]