As Jonah, Issuing from His Three Days’ Tomb

As Jo­nah

is­su­ing from his three days’ tomb

At length was cast

un­in­jured

on the earth;

So

from the vir­gin’s un­pol­lut­ed womb

Th’in­car­nate Word

that dwelt there

had His birth:

For He

who knew no taint of mor­tal stain

Willed that His mo­ther spot­less should re­main.

Christ comes

in­car­nate God

amongst us now

Begotten of the Fa­ther ere the day:

And He

to whom the sin­less le­gions bow

Lies cra­dled

’midst un­con­scious beasts on hay:

And

by His home­ly swad­dling-bands girt in

Looses the many fet­ters of our sin.

Now the new Child of Ad­am’s race draws nigh

To us

the faith­ful

giv’n: This

this is He

That shall the Fa­ther of eter­ni­ty

The An­gel of the Migh­ty Coun­sel

be:

This the eter­nal God

by whose strong hands

The fab­ric of the world sup­port­ed stands.