PART SECOND.
Again the nations left the Lord
To worship stocks and stones,
Forgot the wonders of the flood,
And sunk in darkness down;
And then again was God reveal'd
To Abram, his friend,
Called him to leave his house and home,
To view a chosen land.
To thee and to thy seed, he said,
I give this blessed land,
Though like the stars for multitude,
And numerous as the sand.
But Abraham died a stranger in
The land 'twas to him given,
Nor owned a place to set his foot,
On it beneath the heaven.
His seed possessed it for a while,
Became a sinful host;
And then ten tribes were led away,
And to our knowledge lost.
From time to time were led away,
Of Israel's chosen seed,
Dispersed o'er islands of the sea,
As all the prophets read.
And thus the ages rolled away,
The appointed time drew near,
As all the prophets had declared
That Christ must soon appear.
John, like a bright and morning star
Rose to prepare his way,
Proclaimed repentance, and baptized
Whoever would obey.
The son of God at length appeared,
And was baptized by John,
The Father sent the spirit down
And owned him for his son.
He to his own the gospel preached,
His own received him not,
Despised all his mighty works,
And counted him as naught.
At length their Lord they crucified,
While nature stood amazed,
The solid rocks in sunder rent,
While Jew and Gentile gazed.
But soon the third bright morn appeared,
When, rising from the dead,
To his disciples he appeared
And thus unto them said: