Adventist Pioneer Library

Worship — Holy Scriptures

What is the chaff, the word of man

  • No. 189
  • Words Isaac Watts.
  • 3 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

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1

What is the chaff, the word of man,
When set against the wheat?
Can it a dying soul sustain
Like that immortal meat?

2

Thy word, O God, with heavenly bread
Thy children doth supply;
And those who by thy word are fed,
Their souls shall never die.

3

'T is like a field where hidden lies
The pearl of price unknown,
And he indeed is truly wise
Who makes this pearl his own.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «189» (large) with the reference line «201, 227, 183.» in italics beside it (sing to the tune of hymn 201, 227 or 183); the hymn heads the right column of p. 65, stanzas 1–3, «Isaac Watts.» in italics at the end (the final period faint on this exemplar). The first word «WHAT» is set in capitals and small capitals. The print sets a thin space before «?» and «;» («wheat ?», «supply ;»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly apostrophe is written straight («'T is»). Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's. No meter is printed (the text is C. M., 8.6.8.6).

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
Worship — Holy Scriptures · No. 189 · printed page 65
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-09-30