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 (101 - 200 of 221)
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Hymns of Worship #634

Hymns, Selected and Original, for Sunday Schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church #d14

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Hymns #3

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Hymns #560

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Hymns #560

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Hymns #560

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In Excelsis #54

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In Excelsis #a54

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Laudes Domini #109

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Laudes Domini #175

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Lutheran Book of Worship #234

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Lutheran Service Book #577

Text

Lutheran Worship #342

Massachusetts Sabbath School Hymn Book #d8

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New Christian Hymn and Tune Book #336

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New Christian Hymn and Tune Book #336

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New Union Hymns #337

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Offices of Worship and Hymns #163

Popular Hymns, revised #317

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Praise! Our Songs and Hymns #125

Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. #d19

Psalms and Hymns for the Worship of God #d23

Psalterlust fuer die Christliche Jugend. Rev. #d3

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Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #196

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Social Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #216

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Songs for the Sanctuary, or Hymns and Tunes for Christian Worship #185

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Baptist Ed.) #185

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or, Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Words only) #185

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Songs for the Sanctuary #185

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Songs for the Sanctuary #185

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Songs for the Sanctuary #185

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Songs of the Church #112

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Songs of Worship #47

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Sunday School Songs #156

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Sunday-School Hymns #355

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Temple Themes and Sacred Songs #t48

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d26

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The Advent Harp; designed for believers in the speedy coming of Christ #134a

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The American Baptist Sabbath-School Hymn-Book #380

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The Baptist Praise Book #60

The Baptist Sabbath School Hymn Book #d20

The Book of Common Praise #103

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The Book of Common Praise #104

The Book of Praise #d11

The Book of Praise #284

The Book of Praise #d18

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The Book of Worship #49

The Chapel Hymn Book (4th ed.) #d15

The Chapel Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d15

The Children's Hymnal #d21

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The Choice #H249

The Choice #H249

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The Christian Hymn Book #733

The Christian Hymnal #d22

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The Christian Hymnal #643

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The Christian hymnal #398

The Christian Psalmist #d16

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The Christian Psalmist #491

The Christian Psalter #d13

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The Church and Sunday-School Hymnal #33

The Church Harp #d5

The Church Harp. Rev. ed. #d6

The Church Hymn Book #d24

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The Church Hymnary #620

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The Clifton Chapel Collection of "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs" #1191

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The Congregational Hymn Book #404

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The Covenant Hymnal #529

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #83

The Evangelical Hymn and Tune Book #d15

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The Evangelical Hymnal #153

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The Evangelical Hymnal with Tunes #56

The Evangelist's Songs of Praise #d6

The Gem #d6

The Gospel Praise Book #d15

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The Hymnal #79

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #588

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #589

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The Hymnal and Order of Service #81

Text

The Hymnal and Order of Service #81

The Hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod. Text ed. #d25

The Hymnal of the Evangelical Mission Covenant Church of America #212

The Hymnal of the Reformed Church in the United States #d26

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal #74

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The Hymnal #79

The Hymns for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Congregations #d25

Text

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #261

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The Liturgy and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum #688

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The Liturgy and the Offices of Worship and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum, or the Moravian Church #163

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The Lutheran Hymnal #49

TextPage Scan

The Lutheran Hymnary #261

The Modern Harp #d8

Text

The New Century Hymnal #318

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The New Laudes Domini #195

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The Presbyterian Hymnal #883

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The Presbyterian Hymnal #883

The Primitive Hymns #d11

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The Psalmody #77

The Sabbath School Hymn Book #d11

Pages

Exclude 202 pre-1979 instances
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