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From his first publication of hymns in 1707, common knowledge regarding Isaac Watts (1674–1748) often revolves around his hymn-writing legacy. Though Watts legacy as a hymnographer is significant, he also functions as a key transitional figure between the English Puritans and the Evangelicals during eighteenth-century English dissent. As a pastor, theologian, philosopher, and literary mainstay of his era, Watts' influence grew well beyond his early work in hymnody to impact scores of Christians on both sides of the Atlantic. Watts' approach to Christian spirituality is an area of his thought thats been unexplored. This book provides the first ever analysis of Watts' theological vision for the Christian spiritual life. In emphasizing the experience of holiness and happiness, Watts leans heavily upon his Reformed theological heritage to underscore how knowing and loving God are central to God's preparation of the soul for heaven.

"Rivals the major systematic theologies of this century." --Baptist History and Heritage Journal, July 1996 "One of the characteristics of Garrett's system that needs especially to be noted is its balanced, judicious, and nearly invariably objective presentation of materials. While holding true to the teachings of his own Baptist faith, Garrett so carefully and judiciously presents alternatives . . . that teachers and students from other confessional and denominational positions will find his work instructive." --Consensus, 1997 "If one is searching for an extensive exposition of the biblical foundations and historical developments of the various loci of systematic theology, there is no more complete presentation in a relatively short work than this . . . Pastors will especially find this feature to be a real help in teaching theology . . . [It is] an indispensable contribution to the task of systematic theology." --Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1999 "Many students and pastors will find all they need here, and will in addition be helped to relate their knowledge to recent developments in the theological world." --The Churchman: A Journal of Anglican Theology, 1991 "A gold mine of helpful material." --The Christian Century, May 29-June 5, 1991 "No book that I know is more loaded with biblical and theological facts than this one. The prodigious research that must have gone into the preparation of this volume is truly mind-boggling." --Faith and Mission, Fall 1991 "Garrett has provided a massive and scholarly systematic theology from a thoroughly conservative and comprehensive viewpoint. The work is well documented in both biblical and historical scholarship and will prove to be a classic." --William Hendrickson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary "One of the most comprehensive, concise books of its type available; it should receive wide use in the classroom and in the study." --Robert H. Culpepper, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary