Sweet the nails and sweet the wood...

       "How much do you love the world, Oh God?" He answered,

       "This Much."

"Sing my tongue, the Saviour's glory;

Tell His triumph far and wide;

Tell aloud the famous story

Of His Body crucified'

How upon the cross a Victim,

Vanquishing in death, He died.

Faithful Cross...

Eathing of the tree forbidden,

Man had sunk in Satan's snare,

When his pitying Creator

Did this second tree prepare,

Destined, many ages later,

That first evil to repair.

Sweet the nails...

Such the order God appointed

When for sin He would atone;

To the serpent thus opposing

Schemes yet deeper than his own:

Thence the remedy procuring

Whence the fatal wound had come.

Faithful Cross...

So when now at length the fulness

Of the sacred time drew nigh,

Then the Son who moulded all things

Left His Father's throne on high.

From a Virgin's Womb appearing,

Clothed in our mortality.

Sweet the Nails...

All within a lowly manger,

Lo, a tender babe He lies!

See His gentle Virgin mother

Lull to sleep His infant cries;

While the limbs of God Incarnate

Round with swathing bands she ties.

Faithful Cross...

Thus did Christ to perfect manhood

In our mortal flesh attain:

Then of His free choice He goeth

To a death of bitter pain;

And as a lamb, upon the alter

Of the Cross for us is slain.

Sweet the Nails...

Lo, with gall His thirst He quenches:

See the thorns upon His brows,

Nails His tender flesh are rending:

See His side is open now,

Whence to cleanse the whole creation

Streams of blood and water flow.

Faithful Cross...

Lofty Tree, bend down thy branches

To embrace thy sacred loas;

Oh, relax the native tension

Of that all too rigid wood:

Gently, gently bear the members

Of thy dying King and God.

Sweet the Nails..

Tree which soley wast found worthy

Earth's great victim to sustain

Harbour from the raging tempest,

Ark, that saved the world again,

Tree with sacred blood anointed

Of the Lamb for sinners slain.

Faithful cross...

Honour, blessing everlasting

To the immortal Deity:

To the Father, Son and Spirit,

Equal praises ever be:

Glory through the earth and Heaven

To the Trinity in Unity.

Amen.

Sweet the Nails"