87

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in,
When Jesus our Creator died
For man, the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away,
"Tis all that I can do.

I

CHRIST'S VICTORY AND DOMINION.

H. 9, B. 2.

SING my Saviour's wondrous death;
He conquered when He fell :

""Tis finished!" said His dying breath,
And shook the gates of hell.

""Tis finished!" our Immanuel cries,
The dreadful work is done;
Hence shall His sovereign throne arise,
His kingdom is begun.

His cross a sure foundation laid

For glory and renown,

When through the regions of the dead
He passed to reach the crown.

Exalted at His Father's side

Sits our victorious Lord;

To heaven and hell His hands divide
The vengeance or reward.

The saints, from His propitious eye,
Await their several crowns,

And all the sons of darkness fly

The terror of His frowns.

H. 114, B. 2.

88 Isaiah liii.-All we like sheep have gone astray.

IKE sheep we went astray,

L'

And broke the fold of God,

Each wandering in a different way,

But all the downward road.

How dreadful was the hour
When God our wanderings laid,
And did at once His vengeance pour
Upon the Shepherd's head!

How glorious was the grace

When Christ sustained the stroke!
His life and blood the Shepherd pays,
A ransom for the flock.

His honour and His breath

Were taken both away,

Joined with the wicked in His death,

And made as vile as they.

But God shall raise His head
O'er all the sons of men,

And make Him see a numerous seed
To recompense His pain.

"I'll give Him," saith the Lord,
"A portion with the strong;
He shall possess a large reward,
And hold His honours long."

H. 142, B. 1.

89

The Resurrection of Christ.

EASTER DAY. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

BLES

LESSED morning, whose young dawning rays
Beheld our rising God,

Which saw Him triumph o'er the dust,

And leave His dark abode.

G

90

In the cold prison of a tomb
The dead Redeemer lay,

Till the revolving skies had brought
The third, the appointed day.

Hell and the grave unite their force
To hold our God in vain,
The sleeping Conqueror arose,

And burst their feeble chain.

To Thy great name, Almighty Lord,
These sacred hours we pay,
And loud hosannas shall proclaim
The triumph of the day.

Salvation and immortal praise

To our victorious King,

Let heaven, and earth, and rocks, and seas,
With glad hosannas ring.

H. 72, B. 2.

CHRIST DYING, RISING, AND REIGNING.

HE

E dies! the Friend of sinners dies!
Lo! Salem's daughters weep around;
A solemn darkness veils the skies;
A sudden trembling shakes the ground.

Come, saints, and weep in silent woe
For Him who groaned beneath your
He shed a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of richer blood.

Here's love and grief beyond degree,
The Lord of glory dies for men !
But lo! what sudden joys we see ;
Jesus the dead revives again!

load:

The rising God forsakes the tomb !
The tomb in vain forbids His rise;
Angelic legions guard Him home,
And shout Him welcome to the skies.

91

Break off your fears, ye saints, and tell
How high our great Deliverer reigns;
Sing how He spoiled the hosts of hell,
And led the tyrant Death in chains.

Say, "Live for ever, wondrous King!
Born to redeem and strong to save;'
And say, "O Death, where is thy sting?
And where thy victory, O Grave?"

H

RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION.

H. 44, B. 1.

OSANNAH to the Prince of light,
That clothed Himself in clay,

Entered the iron gates of death,

And tore the bars away.

Death is no more the king of dread,
Since our Immanuel rose;
He took the tyrant's sting away,
And spoiled our hellish foes.

See how the Conqueror mounts aloft,
And to His Father flies,
With scars of honour in His flesh
And triumph in His eyes.

There our exalted Saviour reigns,
And scatters blessings down;

Our Jesus fills the middle seat
Of the celestial throne.

Raise your devotion, mortal tongues,
To reach His blessed abode ;

Sweet be the accents of your songs
To our incarnate God.

Bright angels, strike your loudest strings,
Your sweetest voices raise ;

Let heaven and all created things
Sound our Immanuel's praise.

H. 76, B. 2.

92

93

1 Pet. i. 3-5.-Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

B

LESSED be the everlasting God,

The Father of our Lord;

Be His abounding mercy praised,

His majesty adored!

When from the dead He raised His Son,

And called Him to the sky,
He gave our souls a lively hope
That they should never die.
What though our inbred sins require
Our flesh to see the dust,
Yet as the Lord our Saviour rose,
So all His followers must.

There's an inheritance divine
Reserved against that day;
'Tis uncorrupted, undefiled,
And cannot fade away.

Saints by the power of God are kept
Till the salvation come;

We walk by faith as strangers here,
Till Christ shall call us home.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates.

H. 26, B. 1.

EJOICE, ye shining worlds on high,
Behold the King of Glory nigh!

Who can this King of Glory be?
The mighty Lord, the Saviour He.
Ye heavenly gates, your leaves display,
To make the Lord the Saviour way:
Laden with spoils from earth and hell,
The Conqueror comes with God to dwell.
Raised from the dead, He goes before,
To show His saints the open door,
And by His steps to mark the road

Which leads from earth to heaven and God.

Ps. 24.