Hymns from the East Part 6

See Him faint beneath the load, As He bears the ghastly tree; Hear His weary spirit sigh, All for thee.

V

Sad and doubting, lo! the sun s.h.i.+nes upon a glorious day: He is risen! come, see the place Where He lay.

VI

Glory to our suffering Lord, Praise to our exalted King,-- Source of life and endless bliss,-- Let us bring.

I

To Thee, O Christ, our G.o.d, Great Shepherd, who didst bear The wandering sheep that strayed Back to Thy shepherd care;

II

Who, pitying, gav'st Thy life, That we might stray no more,-- To Thee our hearts we raise, And Thee our songs adore.

III

Blest Spirit, source of life, From Hades' fearful gloom Thou brought'st the Shepherd, Christ, Who lay in mortal tomb,

IV

That He might still provide, And tend, and guard, and keep, Where'er His flock, abides One Shepherd, of His sheep.

I

Glory shone within the gloom, Vacant eyes in wonder gazed; Shook the portals of the tomb, And the prisoners stood amazed.

II

"Who is this in garb of light, Come to chase our night away?

Who is this in glorious might, Brings to us eternal day?"

III

"Back! the triumph has been won;"

p.r.o.ne the powers of darkness lie, At the feet of G.o.d's own Son, Fresh from fields of victory.

IV

Glory, glory, life is ours!

Hades heard the shout and feared; Sin and all satanic powers Saw the Victor as He neared.

V

Burst the gates and cast them down, Set the sighing prisoners free; Fear not though the tyrant frown, Christ hath purchased liberty,

VI

Sin is crushed and death is slain, See the Cross and Him who died!

From the grave He rose again, Who for man was crucified.

VII

Hail! the Resurrection day, Hail! the gladness and the gain; "He is risen," the angels say, Yea, the Lord is risen again.

I

When Adam heard the voice of sin And fell before its power, The flowers of Paradise were shorn Of beauty in that hour.

II

And clouds obscured the heavenly light, And e'en the stars were dim; For O 'twas night, and only night, Dark night 'twixt G.o.d and him.

III

"O whence that flas.h.i.+ng sword that gleams?

And whence those angels there?"

Out from the garden of their bliss, Was thrust the guilty pair.

IV

Life is not theirs, the tree of Life The Cherubim surround; Death dogs our guilty parents' steps, Curse blasts the fertile ground.

V

O dreary, dreary, dark and dread, O misery of sin!

"G.o.d make another garden fair, And take Thy wanderers in."

VI

All praise to Christ our glorious Lord, For sin and death are slain; The gates of heaven are open wide, And life is ours again.

I

Within the garden's sombre shade, The Christ of G.o.d in anguish prayed;-- And who that agony could tell, As from his brow the blood-drops fell?