Classic Poem

The eternal God from heaven descends
Our mortal world to tread;
And stay with sinful men for friends,
Till all be finished.

All! From the serene heights of joy
He sees our dismal state;
Sees us with sin's dire witchcrafts toy,
The fools and doomed of fate.

Then, through that tend'rest heart of love,
Fierce pangs His love compel:
Straightway He leaves the calm above,
For gloom and noise of hell:

Shrinks from no sacrifice of peace,
No torment of disdain;
Asks not one moment's sweet decrease
Of undeserved pain:

Sees His Own charity blasphemed,
His beauty laughed to scorn;
His matchless mercies vain, or deemed
But sorcery, Satan-born.

Ah! and at last deserted He
By friends, in bitterest loss,
Hangs for a jeering world to see,
Their victim on the cross:

Naked and pierced, it hangs in shame,
God's spotless body, dead!
Even to this Love's glory came,
When all was finished.

Yea, but in death our victory's won,
Yea, in defeat our prize!
Yea, through His shame th' Eternal Son
Uplifts us to the skies!

Lo! the black doom of fate and hell
We'll scorn for harmless things:
In the new life of Jesus well
Our life's unfathomed springs.

Glory to Thee, great Lord, our Life!
Glory to Thee, our Love!
Glory for shame, and peace for strife,
Our grateful lives shall prove!