Ascension Day

Rise my soul! to Heaven ascend,
Follow Christ, thy Lord and Friend,
He is gone into the skies,
Follow Him with straining eyes,
Tho' He seem from thee to part,
Follow Him with faithful heart,
Sense may fail, and sight grow dim,
Faith alone can follow Him.

He hath fought and He hath won,
He His glorious work hath done,
He is now gone up on high,
Captive leads captivity;
Taking to the mercy seat
Wounded hands, and weary feet,
Bleeding brow, and bleeding side,
Thus returns the Crucified!

Heav 'n, tho' earth had made Him mourn,
Stoops to welcome His return;
God's own chariots are at hand,
Twenty thousand near Him stand,
Thousand thousand angels wait
Lowly on His royal state,
Backward angel hands have roll'd
For His entrance gates of gold.

Yet those glorious guards of light
Blush to see that shameful sight,
Horrified at human sin,
Blush to let the Conqueror in;
Him, th' Eternal One, the Holy,
Him, the Saviour meek and lowly,
Stain'd with travail, tears, and toil,
Wounds! His only seeming spoil!

But therein His glory lies,
Mystery of mysteries!
That despoiled humanity,
Angels wond'ring weep to see,
Is the great Redeemer's crown,
Which triumphant He lays down,
And before His Father's throne
Claims all nations as His own.

He — whose faintest sigh, or thought
Legions had around Him brought,
When on earth His petty foes
In their wretched wrath arose —
Comes not now for vengeance pleading,
But for mercy interceding,
And, by His own grief and loss,
Pleads His prayer upon the cross.

Gifts, the best that Heav'n can pour
Out of its exhaustless store,
Spring-tide days, and summer hours,
Kindly dews, and gracious showers,
Never more for souls to cease,
Till the blessedness of peace,
Re-uniting sinful men,
Bring them back to God again; —

These He asks for, these obtains!
These His glories! these His gains!
;Twas for these His wounded feet
Hasten'd to the mercy-seat,
'Tis for these that there He stands
Holding out His pierced hands,
Earth to save, and Heav'n to move,
And for hatred gives back love.

'Headstone ' of the wondrous plan!
Perfect God! and perfect man!
In th' ascended Saviour met,
On the throne of judgment set,
Mighty in His power to bless,
Almighty in His tenderness,
All that man can want in need,
With him to feel — with God to plead.