THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION. EASTER. DEEP in yon garden-shade The Life of all is laid In death's calm sleep; Armed soldiers waiting near, Amazed and full of fear, Their vigil keep. Angels, and stars, and the fair moon above, Look down in silent awe and reverent love. Through the dark cypress-trees Breath from the dewy ground Each glade and valley, mountain, dale, and hill, Hushed Nature sinks to rest, She falls asleep; In slumber deep; But saints are watching through the silent night, In eager patience waiting for the light. The mother undefiled Is pondering on her Child, Now crucified; And through her tearless dreams Bright visions dawn. Behold! the darkness flies, Resplendent from the grave she sees him rise. John the Beloved stands by, Pause in their heavenward flight, Yet the sun hides itself in dim eclipse, Peter, who thrice denied The Master at his side, The Lord of all, With penitential tears And deep heart-searching fears, There, as he weeps in bitter grief apart, His Saviour's look speaks comfort to his heart. The lowly Magdalene (Of penitents the queen) Waits for the morn, When in that cave so still Her task she may fulfil Of love forlorn; And first to her Christ risen will appear, 767 Though in a form unknown he draweth near. While he who longed to die Whose love devout His Master proved and tried Eight days of solemn gloom in darkness past, But lo, the Sabbath ends! The morning breaks; And Christ awakes! Angels proclaim the anthem far and near, "Ye seek your risen Lord; he is not here." GENEVIEVE M. J. IRONS. CHRIST IS RISEN! "Auferstanden, Auferstanden!" CHRISTOPH CHRISTIAN STURM was born at Augsburg, Jan. 25. 1740. In 1778 he became pastor at Hamburg, and there he died, Aug. 26, 1786. His " Betrachtungen über die Werke Gottes" was published in 1785. CHRIST is risen, Christ is risen, He by whom we 're reconciled; Has with honor crowned his Child. He is risen, sing ye praises, Who his blood on Calvary spilled; Shout it loud in farthest places; What he promised he fulfilled. Who withstands? And why dissemble? See him mount in glorious worth; Bright in triumph breaks he forth. See how hell's black portals tremble, As the Conqueror at them drives. Hallelujah! Jesus lives. Us from death-doom to deliver, Sank he in the grave's dark night; Us to raise to life forever, Rose he through the Father's might. To the Father he ascended, Lifting man from death's domain. Life that's in him spent and ended Tastes and sees that death is gain. Hold amidst your pain and pleasure Jesus Christ in memory, Loosed from death's captivity. His are joys beyond all measure, Who for heavenly prizes strives. Hallelujah! Jesus lives. Children of the great Renewer, Joy in him with thanks and song; Bring to him, the Death-Subduer, Crowns that to such name belong. Then when sin and misery threat; CHRISTOPH CHRISTIAN STURM. Translated by EASTER DAY. O DAY of days! shall hearts set free, And week days, following in their train, 66 Where is your Lord?" she scornful asks: Yet even the lifeless stone is dear No more a charnel-house, to fence 'Tis now a cell where angels use 'Tis now a fane, where love can find Oh, joy to Mary first allowed, THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION. Ye mourning saints, dry every tear For your departed Lord; "Behold the place, he is not here," The tomb is all unbarred: The gates of death were closed in vain, Now cheerful to the house of prayer How tranquil now the rising day! Your unbelieving fears : Oh, weep no more your comforts slain, And when the shades of evening fall, If Jesus shine upon the soul, How blissful then to die! Since he has risen that once was slain, Ye die in Christ to live again! 1832 THOMAS HASTINGS. CHRIST HATH RISEN. The following is abridged; certain inferior stanzas being omitted from the end. THE foe behind, the deep before, Our hosts have dared and past the sea: And Pharaoh's warriors strew the shore, And Israel's ransomed tribes are free. Lift up, lift up your voices now! The whole wide world rejoices now! The Lord hath triumphed gloriously! The Lord shall reign victoriously! Happy morrow, Turning sorrow Into peace and mirth! Bondage ending. Love descending O'er the earth! Seals assuring, Watch his earthly prison: Christ hath risen! No longer must the mourners weep, Nor call departed Christians dead; For death is hallowed into sleep, And every grave becomes a bed. Now once more Eden's door Open stands to mortal eyes; 769 For Christ hath risen, and men shall rise: Now at last, MICHAEL WEISS was born at Neisse, Silesia, and died in 1540. He was the German translator of the hymns of the Bohemian Brethren, but the following is one of his own compositions. His hymn-book was admired by Luther. CHRIST the Lord is risen again, He who gave for us his life, He who bore all pain and loss He whose path no records tell, Who the strong man armed hath bound, He who slumbered in the grave Is exalted now to save ; Now through Christendom it rings Now he bids us tell abroad Thou, our Paschal Lamb indeed, Hallelujah! MICHAEL WEISS, 1531. Translated by CATHERINE WINKWORTH. JESUS, MY REDEEMER, LIVES. "Jesus, meine Zuversicht:" LOUISA HENRIETTA, Electress of Brandenburg, daughter of Frederic Henry, Prince of Orange, was born at The Hague, Nov. 16, 1627, and died June 18, 1667. She was married to Frederic William, Elector of Brandenburg, in 1646. This hymn was written on the death of her first-born. Her third child was afterwards Frederic I, King of Prussia. JESUS, my Redeemer, lives, Christ, my trust, is dead no more! Calm, though death's long night be fraught Jesus, my Redeemer, lives, And his life I soon shall see ; In the bonds of hope enclasped; I shall see him with these eyes, Him whom I shall surely know; With his love my heart shall glow; Ye who suffer, sigh, and moan, Fresh and glorious there shall reign; Heavenly it shall rise again; Body, be thou of good cheer, In thy Saviour's care rejoice; Dead, thou yet shalt know his voice, When the final trump is heard, Laugh to scorn, then, death and hell, With the Lord who comes to save, Only see ye that your heart Rise betimes from earthly lust; LOUISA HENRIETTA, Electress of Brandenburg, 1653. ST. THOMAS'S SUNDAY. Ασωμεν πάντες λαοί, COME, ye faithful, raise the strain 'Tis the spring of souls to-day: Long and dark, is flying Now the queen of seasons, bright Who with true affection Neither might the gates of death, JOHN of Damascus Translated by JOHN MASON NEALE. THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION. RESURGAM. ARISE, MY SOUL! AWAKE FROM SLEEP! THOMAS KINGO, Bishop of Funen, a beloved Danish hymn-writer, was born in 1634, and died in 1703. He wrote a large number of psalms and hymns. ARISE, my soul! awake from sleep! His loved ones, mourning, laid him deep But from the tomb he valiant came, A cheering sound, an angel's voice, O sacred day! sublimest day! O mystery unheard! 771 Death's hosts, that claimed him as their prey, He scattered with a word; And from the tomb he valiant came, And ever blessed be his name! O holy, holy paschal morn! We triumphed have through thee: Thou sweetenest Christ's torture, borne For from the tomb he valiant came, I boldly now defy thee, Death! The grave is dark, the grave is cold, That I a welcome warm may win From the foul sepulchre of sin As from the tomb the Saviour came: Translated from the Danish of THOMAS KINGO by THE LORD OF LIFE IS RISEN! "Der Herr ist auferstanden!" HENRY HARBAUGH, a divine of the German Reformed Church, was born in Maryland, Oct. 24, 1817, and became, after a variety of adverse experiences, Professor of Theology at Mercersburgh, Pa., where he died from overwork, Dec. 28, 1867. He wrote a number of books and poems, some of which were in the Pennsylvania German dialect. THE Lord of life is risen! In death no longer lying, |