Classic Poem

The Craft in days gone by
Drew from their Mystery
The mightiest truths God ever gave to men;
They whispered in the ear,
Bowed down with solemn fear,
“The dead, the buried dead, shall live again!”

Oh, wondrous, wondrous word!
No other rites afford
This precious heritage, this matchless truth!
“Though gone from weeping eyes,
Though in the dusThe lies,
Our Friend, our Brother, shall renew his youth!”

And we, who yet remain,
Shall meet our dead again;
Shall give the hand that thrilled within our grasp,
The token of our faith,
Unchanged by time and death;—
And breast to breast his faithful form shall clasp!

But who, oh, Gracious God!
The power shall afford?
Who with Omnipotence shall break the tomb?
What morning Star shall rise
To chase from sealèd eyes
The long-oppressing darkness and the gloom?

Lo, at the Mystic shrine
The answer all Divine!
Lo, where the Tracing Board doth plainly tell;
“Over the horrid tomb,
The bondage and the gloom,
The L ION OF THE T RIBE OF J UDAH shall prevail!”

Then hopefully we bend
Above our sleeping friend,
And hopeful cast the green sprigs o'er his head;
'Tis but a fleeting hour—
The O MNIPOTENT hath Power,
And He will raise our Brother from the dead!