Scripture Verse

Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Introduction

Words: Ben­ja­min T. Tan­ner, in the Af­ri­can Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Hymn and Tune Book (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Af­ri­can Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Book Con­cern, 1898), num­ber 752.

Music: Me­tro­po­li­tan John T. Lay­ton, Sr., 1898 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Lay­ton (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Benjamin T. Tanner (1835–1923)

Lyrics

From out the tomb the Sav­ior comes,
The first of all the dead;
From out the tomb the Sav-ior comes,
To be our liv­ing head.

What is the stone His foes have placed
To make se­cure the grave?
And what the great San­hed­rin seal
The priests so free­ly gave?

He must wake, He must arise,
For have not pro­phets said,
God’s Ho­ly One shall ne­ver share
Corruption with the dead?

Now see, in shim­mer­ing light, He leaves
The dead, no more to die.
Conqueror of sin, and death and hell,
He re-as­cends the sky.