Scripture Verse

They saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. Mark 16:4

Introduction

portrait
John Keble
1792–1866

Words: John Ke­ble, The Chris­tian Year 1827, page 393.

Music: Lake Mi­na­ta­re Ed­ward Hand­ley, in The Par­ish Choir, Vol­ume 1, Issue 36, page 144 (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Charles L. Hut­chins, March 1876) (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

’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.