Almighty God, Thy Word is Cast

Representative Text

1 Almighty God, your Word is cast
like seed into the ground;
now let the dew of heav'n descend
and righteous fruits abound.

2 Let not the foe of Christ and man
this holy seed remove,
but give it root in ev'ry heart
to bring forth fruits of love.

3 Let not the world's deceitful cares
the rising plant destroy,
but let it yield a hundredfold
the fruits of peace and joy.

4 Whene'er the precious seed is sown,
life-giving grace bestow
that all whose souls the truth receive
its saving pow'r may know.


Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #644

Author: John Cawood

John Cawood was born in 1775, at Matlock, Derbyshire, where his father carried on a small farm. He enjoyed very limited educational advantages. At the age of eighteen he occupied a menial position. But seeking every opportunity of self improvement, and aided by those who interested themselves in his behalf, he was enabled in 1797 to enter S. Edmund Hall, Oxford, and obtained his B.A. in 1801, and his M.A. in 1807. He was ordained in 1801, and most of his life in the ministry was spent as perpetual Curate of S. Ann's Chapel of Ease, Bewdley, Worcestershire. He died in 1852. He published several prose works, but no volume of hymns or poems. His son says, "My father composed about thirteen hymns, which have one by one got into print, th… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Almighty God, Thy word is cast
Title: Almighty God, Thy Word is Cast
Author: John Cawood (1819)
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Almighty God, Thy word is cast. J. Cawood. [After Sermon.] Written about 1815, and first published in Cotterill's Selection, 8th ed. 1819, No. 268, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and given for use "After a Sermon" [S. MSS.]. It was reprinted in Montgomery's Christian Psalmist, 1825, No. 252. From that date it grew in importance as a congregational hymn, until its use has become extensive in all English-speaking countries, in some cases with the omission of one or more stanzas, and in others, with the addition of a doxology. Two texts, purporting to be the original, are extant. The first is that of Cotterill as above, from which the hymn has been taken in a more or less correct form until 1862, when the second was given from the original manuscript in Lord Selborne's Book of Praise, 1862, p. 470, and Lyra Britannica 1867, p. 131. One of the best arrangements of the hymn is a slightly altered form of the latter in Taring's Collection, 1882, No. 151.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Notes

Almighty God, Thy word is cast. J. Cawood. [After Sermon.] Written about 1815, and first published in Cotterill's Selection, 8th ed. 1819, No. 268, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and given for use "After a Sermon" [S. MSS.]. It was reprinted in Montgomery's Christian Psalmist, 1825, No. 252. From that date it grew in importance as a congregational hymn, until its use has become extensive in all English-speaking countries, in some cases with the omission of one or more stanzas, and in others, with the addition of a doxology. Two texts, purporting to be the original, are extant. The first is that of Cotterill as above, from which the hymn has been taken in a more or less correct form until 1862, when the second was given from the original manuscript in Lord Selborne's Book of Praise, 1862, p. 470, and Lyra Britannica 1867, p. 131. One of the best arrangements of the hymn is a slightly altered form of the latter in Taring's Collection, 1882, No. 151.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

BELMONT (Gardiner)

This tune has been mis-attributed to various other composers, but is clearly the work of the above-named composer.

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #83
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  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 221)
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A Church Hymn Book #137

A Church of England Hymn Book #141

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A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy #657

TextPage Scan

A Collection of Hymns and Prayers, for Public and Private Worship #334

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #432

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #30

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #30

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #30

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #30

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #30

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #30

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #212

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A Liturgy and Hymns for Church Sunday Schools #10

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A Manual of Devotion for Soldiers and Sailors #15

A Selection of Hymns for the Use of Church of England Sunday Schools, Bible Classes ... New ed. #d10

TextPage Scan

American Lutheran Hymnal #20

Page Scan

Augsburg Songs No. 2 #32

Augsburg Songs, Nos. l and 2 Combined #d10

Book of Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States #d14

Book of Hymns for the joint Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and other states #d13

TextPage Scan

Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #592

TextPage Scan

Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #313

Page Scan

Book of Worship #592

Children's Hymnal #21a

Children's Hymnal #21b

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Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #78

TextPage Scan

Christian Hymns #66

Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d27

TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #324

Text

Christian Worship #644

Church and University Hymns #d10

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Church Book #56

TextPage Scan

Church Book #56

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Church Harmonies #630

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Church Hymnal #328

TextPage Scan

Church Hymnal for Lutheran Services #5

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #378

Church Hymnal, Fourth Edition #447

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #56

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Church Hymnal #156

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Church Hymns and Tunes #66

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Church Hymns #120

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Church Psalmist #711

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Church Psalmist #711

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Church Psalmody #344

Collection of Hymns for Public and Private Worship. 4th ed. #d10

Page Scan

Common Praise (1998) #478

TextPage Scan

Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #432

Compilation of Hymns for the Use of the Churches of the Christian Union #d22

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Elmhurst Hymnal #O32

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Evangelical Hymnal #53

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #13

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #3

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #13

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #10

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #10

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #a10

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #228

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnbook (Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States) #d18

TextAudioPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Worship #516

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Gloria #21

Hymn Book for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Schools and Congregations #d6

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #379

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Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #379

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Hymn Book of the United Evangelical Church #53

TextPage Scan

Hymn Book #8

Hymn Service No.3 #d3

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Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #16

TextPage Scan

Hymnal and Order of Service #161

Hymnal for Church and Home. 4th ed. #d7

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Hymnal for Evangelical Lutheran Missions #8

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d25

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #301

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #301

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Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada #109

Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada with Accompanying Tunes #d8

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Hymnal #161

Hymns and Psalms #466

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Hymns and Songs for the Sunday School #5

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Hymns for Christian Melody #552

Hymns for Church Schools #d10

Hymns for Schools and Families #d18

Hymns for Sunday Schools, Selected from Various Authoors #d11

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #547

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #449

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Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #79

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Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #79

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Hymns for the Reformed Church in the United States #107

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Hymns for the Sanctuary #255

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Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #116

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Hymns for the use of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, by the Authority of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania #52

Hymns for Use in Divine Worship ... Seventh-Day Adventists #d31

Hymns of Salvation #d4

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Hymns of the Centuries #21

Pages

Exclude 202 pre-1979 instances
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