But Pharisees and cruel Jews,
Did seek from day to day,
This holy person to abuse,
To persecute and slay.
But God did give his Angels charge,
O’er his anointed one,
Lest he at any time should dash
His foot against a stone!
At length his faithfulness to prove,
He for the world must die,
And power was given to wicked men,
The Lord to crucify.
The sun was dark at that event,
And with His dying groan,
Earth trembled! and the rocks were rent,—
The rocks of solid stone!
His enemies still follow’d Him,
When He lay in the grave
Hewn in the rock, for Joseph’s tomb,
Who did His body crave:
Lest He their projects should destroy,
And they be overthrown,
They shut him in, and set a guard,
And seal’d the mighty stone!
But Roman bands could not confine
The Saviour to His cell,
He manifests His power divine,
In spite of Earth and Hell:
The Father “owns His suffering Son,”
Nor leaves Him then alone,
For lo! “an Angel comes by night,
And rolls away the stone!”
He rises to men’s wond’ring view,
And triumphs o’er His foes,
And proves the blessed record true,
Though sin and death oppose:
In glorious majesty He reigns,
On his exalted throne,
And still He power on earth retains,
To soften hearts of stone!
To those who overcome through Him,
A stone, and a new name
He gives, which none can read but they,
Nor understand the same.
And they shall share His joys divine,
Seated on glittering thrones,
And walk those streets whose pavements shine
Like gold, or precious stones!
TO THE RISING SUN! ON A FROSTY MORNING.
Hail glorious Sun! bright regent of the day;
Gladly I welcome thine all cheering ray:
’Midst frost and snow, a visit thus from thee,
Sets each numb toe and frozen finger free!
Bright emblem of the Majesty on high,
Who lives and reigns, the Lord of earth and sky!
Before thy face the hailstones melt away,
And thy glad light turns darkness into day.
Oft moving down the sloping dale I’ve eyed,
Thy golden radiance from the mountain side;
Have often long’d upon yon hills to be,
To catch a comfortable ray from thee.