By the sun at noon-day pale,
Shivering rocks and rending veil,
By earth trembling at His doom,
By yon saints who burst their tomb,
By that Eden-ere he died-
To the robber ratified,
Lord our suppliant knees we bow;
Son of God! 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!
By the prayer for them that slew
"Lord they know not what they do:"
By the last and bitter cry,
By the spirit's parting sigh,
By the lifeless body, laid
In the chamber of the dead,
Crucified, we know Thee now,
Son of God! 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!
By the mourners come to weep
Where the bones of Jesus sleep,
By the spoiled and empty grave,
By the souls He died to save,
By the conquest He hath won,
By the saints before His throne,
By the rainbow round his brow,
Son of God! 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!
"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."-ST. LUKE XXIV. 5, 6.
The dawn was purpling o'er the sky,
With Alleluias rang the air;
Earth held a glorious jubilee,
While hell was fill'd with fierce despair;
When He, Whom stone, and seal, and guard
Had safely to the tomb consign'd,
Triumphant rose, and buried Death
Deep in the grave He left behind.
"Calm all your grief, and still your tears;"
Hark! the descending Angel cries;
"For Christ is risen from the dead,
And Death is slain, no more to rise."
Now to the Father, and the Son
Who rose from death, be glory given,
With Thee, O Holy Comforter,
Henceforth by all in earth and Heaven.
"Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him."-ROMANS VI. 9.
Blest morning! whose first dawning rays
Beheld the Son of God
Arise triumphant from the grave,
And leave His dark abode.
Wrapt in the silence of the tomb
The great Redeemer lay,
Till the revolving skies had brought
The third, th' appointed day.
Hell and the grave combin'd their force
To hold our Lord in vain,
Sudden the Conqueror arose
And burst their feeble chain.
To Thy great name, Almighty Lord!
We sacred honours pay,
With heart and voice let all proclaim
The triumphs of the day.
Salvation and immortal praise
To our victorious King!
Let heaven, and earth, and rocks, and seas
With glad hosannahs ring.
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom we adore,
Be glory, as it was, and is,
And shall be ever more.
"After three days I will rise again."-ST. MARK VIII. 31.
Father of peace, and God of love,
We own Thy power to save ;-
That pow'r by which our Shepherd rose
Victorious o'er the grave.
Him from the dead Thou brought'st again,
When, by His sacred Blood,
Confirm'd and sealed for evermore
Th' eternal Covenant stood.
Oh may Thy Spirit seal our souls
And mould them to Thy will,
That our weak hearts no more may stray,
But keep Thy precepts still.
That to perfection's sacred height
We nearer still may rise,
And all we think and all we do
Be pleasing in Thine eyes!
"Lift up your heads O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in."-PSALM XXIV. 7.
Hail the day that sees Him rise
Glorious to His native skies!
Christ awhile to mortal's given,
Enters now the gates of heaven.
There the glorious triumph waits,
Lift your heads, eternal gates,
Christ hath vanquished death and sin,
Take the King of Glory in.
See the heaven its Lord receives!
Yet He loves the earth He leaves:
Though returning to His throne,
Still He calls mankind His own.
Still for us He intercedes;
His prevailing death He pleads;
Near himself prepares a place,
Great Forerunner of our race.
What, though parted from our sight,
Far above yon starry height;
May our hearts in love arise,
Seeking Him beyond the skies!
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