Hymn
Watchfulness and Brotherly Love
My God, accept my early vows,
Like morning incense in thine house;
And let my nightly worship rise
Sweet as the evening sacrifice.
Watch o'er my lips, and guard them, Lord,
From every rash and heedless word;
Nor let my feet incline to tread
The guilty path where sinners lead.
O may the righteous, when I stray,
Smite, and reprove my wand'ring way!
Their gentle words, like ointment shed,
Shall never bruise, but cheer my head.
When I behold them pressed with grief,
I'll cry to heav'n for their relief;
And by my warm petitions prove
How much I prize their faithful love.
Watchfulness and Brotherly Love — Text from The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, 1835. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/watchfulness-and-brotherly-love
Chord chart coming soon
Want to play this one? Leave your email and we'll let you know when the chords are ready.
Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Watchfulness and Brotherly Love?
The words of Watchfulness and Brotherly Love were written by Isaac Watts; the version here was published in 1835. The library holds 248 more hymns by Isaac Watts, including The Resurrection of Christ and I'm Not Ashamed to Own the Lord.
Is Watchfulness and Brotherly Love public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, published in 1835. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Watchfulness and Brotherly Love?
Watchfulness and Brotherly Love is in Long Metre (8.8.8.8). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, So Fades the Blooming Flower, A Morning Hymn and God's Promise Unchangeable.