’Twas at the ma­tin hour,
Before the ear­ly dawn;
The pri­son doors flew op­en,
The bolts of death were drawn.

From realms un­seen, an un­seen way,
Th’al­migh­ty Sav­ior came,
And fol­low­ing on His si­lent steps,
An an­gel armed in flame.

The stone is rolled away,
The keep­ers faint­ing fall,
Satan and Pi­late’s watch­men,
The day has scared them all.

The an­gel came full ear­ly,
But Christ has gone be­fore;
Not for Him­self, but for His saints,
Is burst the pri­son door.

When all His saints as­sem­ble,
Make haste ere twi­light cease,
His East­er bless­ing to re­ceive,
And so lie down in peace.