ASCENSION.

231

8, 7, 8 l

See, the Conqueror mounts in triumph;
See the King in royal state,
Riding on the clouds, His chariot,
To His heavenly palace gate!
Hark! the choirs of angel voices
Joyful alleluias sing,
And the portals high are lifted
To receive their heav’nly King.
2. Who is this that comes in glory,
With the trump of jubilee?
Lord of battles, God of armies,—
He hath gained the victory.
He who on the cross did suffer,
He who from the grave arose,
He has vanquished sin and Satan;
He by death has spoiled His foes.
3. While He raised His hands in blessing,
He was parted from His friends,
While their eager eyes behold Him,
He upon the clouds ascends;
He who walked with God and pleased Him,
Preaching truth and doom to come,
He, our Enoch, is translated
To His everlasting home.
4. How our heav’nly Aaron enters
With His blood within the veil;
Joshua now is come to Canaan,
And the kings before Him quail;
Now He plants the tribes of Israel
In their promised resting-place;
Now our great Elijah offers
Double portion of His grace.
5. Thou hast raised our human nature
On the clouds to God’s right hand;
There we sit in heav’nly places,
There with Thee in glory stand.
Jesus reigns, adored by angels;
Man with God is on the throne;
Mighty Lord, in Thine ascension
We by faith behold our own.

C. Wordsworth, 1862.

232

L. M.

Our Lord is risen from the dead,
Our Jesus is gone up on high;
The powers of hell are captive led,
The Victor rises to the sky.
2. There His triumphal chariot waits,
And angels chant the solemn lay:
“Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates!
Ye everlasting doors, give way!”
3. Loose all your bars of massy light
And wide unfold the radiant scene.
He claims these mansions as His right;
Receive the King of Glory in.
4. Who is the King of Glory, who?
The Lord, who all His foes o’ercame,
The world, sin, death, and hell o’erthrew;
And Jesus is the Conqueror’s name.
5. Lo! His triumphal chariot waits,
And angels chant the solemn lay:
“Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates;
Ye everlasting doors, give way!”
6. Who is the King of Glory, who?
The Lord, of glorious power possest,
The King of saints and angels too,
God over all, forever blest!

Charles Wesley, 1741.

233

7, 6, 7, 6, 6, 7, 7, 6

Lo, God to heaven ascendeth!
Throughout its regions vast
With shouts triumphant blendeth
The trumpet’s thrilling blast:
Sing praise to Christ the Lord!
Sing praise with exultation,
King of each heathen nation,
The God of hosts adored!
2. With joy is heaven resounding,
Christ’s glad return to see;
Behold the saints surrounding
The Lord who set them free.
Bright myriads, thronging, come;
The cherub band rejoices,
And loud seraphic voices
Welcome Messiah home.
3. No more the way is hidden
Since Christ, our Head, arose;
No more to man forbidden
The road that heav’nward goes.
Our Lord is gone before;
But here He will not leave us,
In heaven He’ll soon receive us;
He opens wide the door.
4. Christ is our place preparing;
To heaven we, too, shall rise
And, joys angelic sharing,
Be where our Treasure lies.
There may each heart be found,
Where Jesus Christ has entered;
There let our hopes be centered,
Our course still heavenward bound!
5. May we, His servants, thither
In heart and mind ascend;
And let us sing together:
“We seek Thee, Christ, our Friend,
Thee, God’s anointed Son,
Our Life, and Way to heaven,
To whom all power is given,
Our Joy, and Hope, and Crown!”
6. Farewell with all thy treasures,
O world, to falsehood giv’n!
Thy dross gives no true pleasures;
We seek the joys of heav’n.
The Savior is our Prize;
He comforts us in sadness
And fills our hearts with gladness;
To Him we lift our eyes.
7. When, on our vision dawning,
Will break the wished-for hour
Of that all-glorious morning
When Christ shall come with power?
O come, thou welcome day!
When we, our Savior meeting,
His second advent greeting,
Shall hail the heaven-sent ray.

G. W. Sacer, 1661; F. E. Cox, tr., a.

234

4, 4, 7, 4, 4, 7

Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.
2. Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.
3. Draw us to Thee;
O grant that we
May find the road to heaven.
Direct our way,
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.
4. Draw us to Thee,
That also we
Thy heavenly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.
5. Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.

Fr. Funcke, † 1699; A. Crull, tr.

235

L. M.

A hymn of glory let us sing;
New songs throughout the world shall ring:
By a new way none ever trod
Christ mounteth to the throne of God.
2. May our affections thither tend
And thither constantly ascend
Where, seated on the Father’s throne,
Thee reigning in the heavens we own!
3. Be Thou our present Joy, O Lord,
Who wilt be ever our Reward;
And as the countless ages flee,
May all our glory be in Thee!
4. All glory to the Father be,
All glory, Jesus Christ, to Thee,
Who didst to heaven above ascend,
And to the Spirit, without end.

Bede, † 735; Elizabeth R. Charles, 1858.

236

8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7

Since Christ has gone to heaven, His home,
I, too, that home one day must share;
And in this hope I overcome
All doubt, all anguish, and despair;
For where the Head is, well we know,
The members He has left below
In time He surely gathers.
2. Since Christ has reached His glorious throne
And mighty gifts henceforth are His,
My heart can rest in heaven alone,
On earth my Lord I always miss;
I long to be with Him on high,
My heart and thoughts forever fly
Where is my only Treasure.
3. From Thy ascension let such grace,
Dear Lord, be ever found in me,
That steadfast faith may guide my ways
With step unfalt’ring up to Thee,
And at Thy voice I may depart
With joy to dwell where Thou, Lord, art;
Lord, hear my supplication!

J. Wegelin, 1637; C. Winkworth, tr.