As the dawn was calm­ly break­ing,
On that glo­ri­ous East­er day,
The great truth in mys­te­ry shroud­ed,
Proved a blest re­al­ity.
Jesus Christ the won­drous Pro­phet
Who had died up­on the tree,
Now had van­quished death—vic­to­ri­ous,
And thus set the cap­tive free.

Refrain

Oh, spread the mes­sage far and wide:
Jesus lives and reigns on high;
He has van­quished His last foe
In His earth-life here be­low
And is com­ing soon, but ne­ver more to die.

Hark! the ver­dant earth is quak­ing,
Under Heav’n’s po­ten­tial sway;
For Je­hov­ah’s faith­ful an­gel
Came and rolled the stone away.
He is ris­en, was the mes­sage,
And again the an­gel said,
Why come ye to see the liv­ing,
Here among the si­lent dead?

Refrain

As they left in fear and trem­bling,
There was one who lin­gered long,
And she stood and wept for sor­row,
Close be­side that va­cant tomb.
But her tears to glad fru­ition
Changed, when Je­sus met her there,
For His lov­ing voice so gen­tle,
Soon sub­dued her vain des­pair.

Refrain

Hallelujah! Christ has ris­en,
Victor o’er that dark do­main.
Earthly foes could not sub­due Him,
Tho’ His bo­dy they had slain.
I’m the life and re­sur­rect­ion,
Was the say­ing that He kept;
For from death He rose vic­to­ri­ous,
The first fruits of them that slept.

Refrain