THE NEW AND THE OLD
At our family devotions this morning, Colin asked us to sing, “Burn, fire of God.” It’s amazing how he thinks of hymns he may not have sung since his single days. I will type the words for you below as they are so powerful and there are so many references to Scripture in the words of the hymn.We sing the current worship songs at our church services, but at our family devotions morning and evening, we love to sing the hymns. By our dining room table, I have a pile of hymn books (plus our Prayer Boxes). We also have three sets of “Hymns We Love to Sing” which I have put together.
We love the hymns because they are filled with such truth, doctrine, and depth. Personally, I think it is important to sing the old and the new. Some folks never accept the new. Others forget the old. It is so sad that so many of our current generation don’t know any of the great old hymns.
I love the Scripture in Matthew 13:52 which says: “Therefore every scribe which is instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things NEW AND OLD.” So we love to do both.
This song is sung to the tune of “O perfect love, all human thought transcending” which is the hymn we sang at our wedding. And most of our children used it at their weddings too. In fact, back in our day, it was sung at most weddings. It was lovely to sing the beautiful tune again but with these amazing words.
BURN, FIRE OF GOD
Burn, fire of God! my ransomed soul possessing;
Pure fire Thou art, and I would dwell in Thee.
Light of my life, true source of every blessing,
Grant all my days one holy flame to be.
Burn, fire of God! Thy grace and glory knowing,
My cleansèd heart shall be all fire within—
Love all constraining, tenderness o'erflowing,
One kindling passion other lives to win.
Burn, fire of God! Thy cloven tongue bestowing,
Baptizing me with heavenly energy.
Touched with live coals from off Thine altar glowing,
My purgèd lips shall speak alone of Thee.
Burn, fire of God! with seven-fold refining,
Till, mirrored from my deeps Thine eyes shall see
In purest gold Thy perfect image shining:
Thy Christ revealed in clear irradiancy.
Burn, fire of God! by Thine own love transcending,
Let all I hold be Thine, and Thine alone—
Heart, mind and will a sacrifice ascending,
Consumed by fire from out Thy fiery Throne.
~ L. F. W. Woodford
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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