Within the rock-bound sepulchre, the gloom This day be grateful homage paid,

Of deepest midnight brooded o'er the dead,
The Holy One: but lo! a radiance faint
Began to dawn around his sacred brow:
The linen vesture seemed a snowy wreath,
Drifted by storms into a mountain-cave:
Bright, and more bright the circling halo
beamed

Upon that face, clothed in a smile benign,
Though yet exanimate: Nor long the reign
Of death. The eyes that wept for human

griefs

Unclose, and look around with conscious joy.
Yes; with returning life, the first emotion
That glowed in JESUS' breast of love, was
joy

At man's redemption, now complete; at
death

And loud hosannas sung;

Let gladness dwell on every heart,
And praise on every tongne.

Ten thousand differing lips shall join
To hail this happy morn;
Which scatters blessings from its wings
On nations yet unborn.

CHRIST ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS.

COWPER.

Ir happened on a solemn even-tide,
Soon after he who was our Surety died,

Disarmed; the grave transformed into the Two bosom friends, each pensively inclined,

couch

Of faith; the resurrection and the life.
Majestical He rose: trembled the earth;
The ponderous gate of stone was rolled away;
The keepers fell; the angel, awe-struck,

sunk

Into invisibility, while forth

The Saviour of the world walked, and stood
Before the sepulchre, and viewed the clouds
Empurpled glorious by the rising sun.

BARBAULD.

AGAIN the Lord of life and light
Awakes the kindling ray,
Unseals the eyelids of the morn,
And pours increasing day.

O what a night was that which wrapt
The heathen world in gloom!

O what a sun which broke this day
Triumphant from the tomb!

The scene of all their sorrows left behind,
Sought their own village, busied as they

went

In musings worthy of the great event:
They spake of him they loved, of him whose

life

Though blameless had incurred perpetual
strife,

Whose deeds had left in spite of hostile arts,
A deep memorial graven on their hearts.
The recollection, like a vein of ore,
The farther traced, enriched them still the

more;

They thought him, and they justly thought him, one

Sent to do more than he appeared t' have
done:

To exalt a people, and to place them high
Above all else, and wondered he should die.
Ere yet they brought their journey to an end,
A stranger joined them, courteous as a friend,
And asked them with a kind engaging air,
What their affliction was, and begged a share

Informed, he gathered up the broken thread, | See thy faithful servants, see!

And truth, and wisdom gracing all he said,
Explained, illustrated, and searched so well
The tender theme, on which they chose to
dwell,

Ever gazing up to thee!

Grant, though parted from our sight,
High above yon azure height,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,

That reaching home, the night, they said, is Seeking thee beyond the skies.

near,

We must not now be parted, sojourn here-
The new acquaintance soon became a guest,
And made so welcome at their simple feast;
He bless'd the bread, but vanished at the
word,

Ever upward may we move,
Wafted on the wings of love,
Looking when our Lord shall come,
Longing, gasping after home!
There may we with thee remain,

And left them both exclaiming, 'Twas the Partners of thine endless reign;

Lord!

Did not our hearts feel all he deigned to say,
Did they not burn within us by the way?

There thy face unclouded see,

Find our Heaven of Heavens in thee!

THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.

DRUMMOND.

BRIGHT portals of the sky,
Emboss'd with sparkling stars;
Doors of eternity,
With diamantine bars,
Your arras rich uphold;
Loose all your bolts and springs,
Ope wide your leaves of gold;
That in your roofs may come the King of
kings.

Scarf'd in a rosy cloud,

He doth ascend the air;

Straight doth the moon him shroud
With her resplendent hair :

The next encrystall'd light
Submits to him his beams;
And he doth trace the height

Of that fair lamp which flowers of beauty

streams.

He towers those golden bounds
He did to Sun bequeath;
The higher wandering rounds
Are found his feet beneath :
The milky way comes near,
Heaven's axle seems to bend,
Above each turning sphere

That robed in glory, Heaven's King may
ascend.

Their sovereign prince, laud, glorify, adore. The flaming Lamb, breaking through heav'n,

Sounding their silver trumpets out so loud, | At his right hand with golden harps,

That the shrill noise broke through the starry

cloud,

And all the virgin souls in pure array, Came dancing forth and making joyous play;

So him they led along into the courts of day.

So him they led into the courts of day,
Where never war, nor wounds abide him

more,

But in that house eternal peace doth play,
Acquieting the souls, that knew before
Their way to heav'n through their own blood
did score,

But now, estranged from all misery,
As far as heav'n and earth discoasted lie,
Swelter in quiet waves of immortality.

They offer songs divine.

Hail! Prince, they cry, for ever hail!
Whose unexampled love

Mov'd thee to quit these glorious robes
And royalties above.

Whilst, here, our gracious Lord vouchsaf'd
To suffer rude disdain;

They cast their honours at his feet,
And waited in his train.

In all his toils and conflicts here,
Their sov'reign they attend ;
And pause-and wonder how at last,
This scene of love will end!

Here let my Lord hang up his conquering When all the powers of hell combin'd lance,

To fill his cup of wo,

And bloody armour with late slaughter Their wond'ring eyes beheld his tears