And Is Thy Word, Oh God, a Fire?

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.