Sealed Was the Tomb

Sealed was the tomb

guard­ed by sol­diers

Brightly the moon­light shone around;

Roadway and hill gleamed in the bright­ness

Flooded with light the gar­den’s bound.

Brighter the light seen ’neath the ol­ives;

Forms bright as sun­light

’mid the trees

Soldiers were there

clad as for war­fare;

Lo! they are gone

and who are these?

See yon­der

hast­en­ing to the ci­ty

The trem­bling sold­iers in ter­ror go!

Earthquake as­tound­ing

strange light sur­round­ing

Drive them away these things to show.

O won­der­ful light in the gar­den

That fad­eth not away!

The King who was laid in the sha­dow

With vic­t’ry is crowned this glo­ri­ous day.

Darkly they plan; false­ly as dark­ly

Stories that He was borne away—

Borne by His friends

poor weak dis­ci­ples

Stol’n when the moon was bright as day!

Soldiers of Rome ne’er slept on du­ty

False was the tale for sil­ver told;

Death could not hold that migh­ty Vic­tor!

Lift up your heads

ye gates of gold!

The morn of glo­ry hath awak­en­ed

And death no long­er holds bound­less pow’r;

Empty the pri­son

Je­sus has ris­en;

Time hath no rich­er

grand­er hour.