“Easter Anthem” | SONG of the week

by William Billings

The Lord is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Now is Christ risen from the dead,
And become the first fruits of them that slept.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
And did he rise? And did he rise? Did he rise?
Hear it, ye nations! Hear it, O ye dead!
He rose, he rose, he rose, he rose,
He burst the bars of death,
And triumphed o'er the grave.

Then, then, then I rose,
Then I rose, then I rose, then I rose,
Then first humanity triumphant
Past the crystal ports of light,
And seized eternal youth.
Men all immortal hail, hail, heaven,
All lavish of strange gifts to man,
Thine's all the glory, man's the boundless bliss.

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 KJV