Religion
Hymn II.150: The deceitfulness of sin
From Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II (1707)
Sin has a thousand treach'rous arts
To practise on the mind;
With flatt'ring looks she tempts our hearts,
But leaves a sting behind.
With names of virtue she deceives
The aged and the young;
And while the heedless wretch believes,
She makes his fetters strong.
She pleads for all the joys she brings,
And gives a fair pretence;
But cheats the soul of heav'nly things,
And chains it down to sense.
So on a tree divinely fair
Grew the forbidden food;
Our mother took the poison there,
And tainted all her blood.
Cite this poem
MLA
Watts, Isaac. “Hymn II.150: The deceitfulness of sin.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/watts/655/.
Chicago
Watts, Isaac. “Hymn II.150: The deceitfulness of sin.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/watts/655/.
Read this poem with the Codex →