Now at the Lamb’s Imperial Feast

Now at the Lamb’s im­pe­ri­al feast

In robes of snowy white­ness dressed

The Red Sea past

high songs we sing

Of tri­umph to th’a­noint­ed King.

For us His char­ity di­vine

The blood-cup drank of bit­ter wine:

For us His limbs ex­tend­ed lay

A sac­rifice for love to slay.

With blood the sprin­kled door posts red

Th’aveng­ing an­gel sees with dread:

Apart the star­tled waves di­vide

Pours o’er the foe the re­flu­ent tide.

Now Christ our Pass­ov­er we claim:

The same the sac­ri­fice; the same

Pure to the pure of heart and dear

Th’unleavened bread of truth sin­cere.

O Thou

true sac­ri­fice from Heav’n

To whom the key of hell is giv’n

By whom the thralls of death un­chained

By whom the prize of life re­gained!

Victor of hell’s in­fer­nal holds

His tro­phies Christ re­vived un­folds;

And to the heav­ens’ ad­mir­ing gaze

The cap­tive king of night dis­plays.

That with de­light our hearts may burn

Lord

at Thy pas­chal feast’s re­turn

O

dead to sin

thy serv­ants give

New born in right­eous­ness to live.

Be the Al­migh­ty Fa­ther praised;

The Son

who from the dead was raised;

And

the full God­head to com­plete

The Ho­ly Ghost

the Pa­ra­clete!