Scripture Verse

They…made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matthew 27:66

Introduction

Words: Fran­cis Bot­tome, Songs from the Par­son­age (Cam­bridge, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Uni­ver­si­ty Press, 1894), pag­es 95–96.

Music: Knights­bridge James Ba­den Pow­ell, 1885 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ba­den Pow­ell (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Bot­tome,

portrait
Francis Bottome (1823–1894)

Lyrics

Hail the bless­èd East­er morn­ing!
Hail the re­sur­rect­ion day!
Let the ca­vern ring with an­thems
Where the bless­èd Sav­ior lay.
Shout His prais­es, saints in glo­ry;
Saints be­low, His prais­es sing!
Men and an­gels, bow be­fore Him,
Christ, the ev­er­last­ing King!

Hail the long-ex­pect­ed tri­umph!
Hail the vic­to­ry o’er the grave!
Let the tra­vail-bound cre­ation
Sing His migh­ty pow­er to save.
Vain the stone, the seal, the war­den,
Vain the hate of earth and hell;
Lord of Life! His foes be­neath Him
His tri­um­phal chorus swell.