The Sacrifice wickedly slain On Calvary one afternoon, Did God for atonement ordain, And He is well pleased in the Son: His merit no language can tell, The title of Godhead is His; No praises can ever excel The worth of a Saviour like this. | The earth is so little, beside Creation's unmeasurèd reach-- A small speck of dust undescried, A drop of the sea on the beach: But Love wrought its victory here, A conquest of glory supreme; And Calvary's accent is clear Through heaven in each rapturous theme. | Awake! it is time, oh! my soul, Be strong to forget every pain; The Church of all nations extol, The praise of the Lamb that was slain: The work is so vast in its plan, Too few are the words of the earth, Too feeble the talents of man, To tell the Atonement's full worth. | 125 The Feast of Atonement is nigh, The world is to share in the feast-- Let all the bright stars of the sky Be bells of fine gold for the Priest! His praise let all powers make known-- 'He reconciled us unto God! The Aaron who died to atone, He liveth, with glory endowed.' | Let all worlds in concert unite To give the Redeemer His due, Until their rejoicing delight Th' eternal dominions of blue: All space be an ocean of praise, And waves of harmonious refrain Surge back over infinite ways To the shores of creation again! | Oh! sinner, hast thou not a voice For Him who is Refuge alone! The angels adoring rejoice That He for us all did atone: Their wonder they ever confess, To think of His death in our room: But is their astonishment less, That man should keep silent and dumb? | Awake! to the Lamb be thy song! Whose debt can be ever so great? In singing His praises grow strong; Begin,--'tis already so late! The song of the white-wingèd quire Is weak for that triumph of love: Stand thou in thy part, and aspire To add to the rapture above. | 126 The angels in singing proclaim, 'Christ Jesus! our Wonder is He:' But man has much more in the Name-- 'Christ Jesus is Life unto me!' They wonder to think of Him dead-- For thee did He journey that way: The angels can call Him their Head-- 'My Brother' canst thou to Him say? | |