Religion

Thou Child of Man, Fall Down

by Henry Alford 1810–1871

From The Poetical Works (1859)

Religion

Thou child of Man, fall down
With contrite heart and low;
Inheritor by fleshly birth
Of exile, death and woe.

Thou child of Man, rejoice!
The righteous One hath died —
Behold by faith thy seals of Love,
His hands, His feet, His side!

Thou child of Man, that Blood
Upon thy doors we trace:
The symbol of that mighty Cross
We stamp upon thy face!

Servant of God, go forth
Clad in thy Saviour's name;
Like Him thou must endure the Cross,
Like Him, despise the shame.

Servant of God, hope on
Through tempests and through tears:
The pillar of His presence see,
Lighting the waste of years.

Servant of God, farewell!
The bed of death is made:
Go, with His glorious countenance
To cheer thee through the shade.

Servant of God, all hail!
The bright-hair'd army waits:
And greeting angels round thy path
Throng from the jasper gates.

'Servant of God, well done!'
The judgment is His own —
Pass to the Inner Light, and sit
With Him upon His throne!

MLA

Alford, Henry. “Thou Child of Man, Fall Down.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/alford/206/.

Chicago

Alford, Henry. “Thou Child of Man, Fall Down.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/alford/206/.

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