Thirty Years Among Us Dwelling

Thirty years among us dwell­ing

His ap­point­ed time ful­filled

Born for this

He meets His Pas­sion

For that this He free­ly willed:

On the cross the Lamb is lift­ed

Where His life-blood shall be spilled.

He en­dured the nails

the spit­ting

Vinegar

and spear

and reed;

From that ho­ly bo­dy brok­en

Blood and wa­ter forth pro­ceed:

Earth

and stars

and sky

and ocean

By that flood from stain are freed.

Faithful cross! ab­ove all oth­er

One and on­ly no­ble tree!

None in fo­liage

none in blos­som

None in fruit thy peers may be:

Sweetest wood and sweet­est ir­on!

Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

Bend thy boughs

O tree of glo­ry!

Thy re­lax­ing si­news bend;

For awhile the an­cient ri­gor

That thy birth be­stowed

sus­pend:

And the King of heav­en­ly beau­ty

On thy bos­om gent­ly tend!

Thou alone wast count­ed wor­thy

This world’s ran­som to up­hold;

For a shipw­recked race pre­par­ing

Harbor

like the ark of old;

With the sac­red blood an­oint­ed

From the smit­ten Lamb that rolled.

To the Tri­ni­ty be glo­ry

Everlasting

as is meet;

Equal to the Fa­ther

eq­ual

To the Son and Pa­ra­clete:

Trinal Uni­ty

whose prais­es

All cre­at­ed things re­peat.