Scripture Verse

Is not My Word like as a fire? saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Jeremiah 23:29

Introduction

Words: Ben­ja­min Bed­dome (1717–1795). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Adapt­ed to Pub­lic Wor­ship (Lon­don: Bu­rton & Briggs, 1818), num­ber 689. Power of the Word.

Music: Butler, in the Sab­bath-School Psal­mo­dist (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­te­ri­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1872), page 23 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the com­pos­er, or where to get a good pic­ture of him or Bed­dome (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

And is Thy Word, oh God, a fire?
Let light and heat from thence proceed;
The holy flame by it produced
Do Thou with constant fuel feed.

Is it a hammer? let it break
This hard unfeeling heart of mine,
And by its oft repeated strokes,
Prepare the way for joys divine.

Let not Thy faithful servants, Lord,
Of fruitless labors e’er complain;
Oh may this fire be never quenched,
This hammer never strike in vain.

Lord, send Thy truth to every land,
Let pagans feel its mighty power;
And let its wide dominion spread,
Till sin and death are known no more.