Recitative
Jesus:
My Father, O my Father, be Thou my comfort, give me strength to
bear. Now is the hour approaching when I suffer. I chose to meet
this hour, before the world, at Thy command, in order newly stood.
I hearken to the voice of Thy Seraphs; they cry aloud, Who will,
in place of man, before Thy judgment-seat appear? O Father! I
appear at this their call. A Savior will I be, atoning, I alone,
for all mankind. How could this feeble race, from dust created,
ever meet a judgment which I, Thine only Son, can scarce endure?
Behold how fearlessness, how pains of death, upon my soul have
seized. My heart is faint, my Father, O comfort me!
Aria
All my soul within me shudders
At the torments drawing near;
And my members greatly tremble
With an overwhelming fear.
I am full of heavy sorrow
At the thought of mortal pain;
Drops of blood, the sweat of anguish,
From my forehead fall like rain.
Father! bow’d with fear and sorrow,
Lifts Thy Son His praise to Thee;
By Thy power to save unbounded,
Take this cup away from me.
Recitative
Seraph:
Now tremble, Nature, for this is God’s own Son! Behold Him!
on the earth he lies; of his Father quite forsaken; enduring unspeakable
pain. The Holy One! He is prepared a bitter cruel death to suffer;
that so the sinners whom He loves, from death may be delivered,
and enter life eternal!
Aria
Praise the Redeemer’s goodness;
Mankind, proclaim His grace;
He dies in loving-kindness,
To save your sinful race.
Oh, triumph, all ye ransom’d;
Ye shall to bliss attain,
If ye in love unfailing,
In faith and hope, remain.
But woe to those despising
The blood for them pour’d out;
A curse from God awaits them,
And judgment is their lot.
Solo and Chorus
Oh, triumph, all ye ransom’d;
Ye shall to bliss attain,
If ye in love unfailing,
In faith and hope, remain.
But woe to those despising
The blood for them pour’d out;
A curse from God awaits them,
And judgment is their lot.
Recitative
Jesus:
Canst thou, O Seraph, now declare the mercy of My heavenly Father?
Will He remove the fear of death from Me?
Seraph:
Thus saith Jehovah: Until is quite fulfilled the mystery of death
to make atonement, so long the race of man is cast away, deprived
of any part in life eternal.
Duet
Jesus:
On me, then, fall Thy heavenly judgment;
Its weight, my Father, let me bear;
On me be pour’d the stream of anguish,
If Thou but Adam’s children spare.
Seraph:
Down-stricken do I see the Great One
For grief and pain His spirit fails;
I tremble, and myself am feeling
The mortal fear which Him assails.
Both:
Though great the pain, the grief, the terror,
From God’s own hand on him/me outpour’d;
Yet greater far the love and mercy
Wherewith His heart doth man regard.
Recitative
Jesus:
Then welcome, death, which I shall suffer, for man’s redemption,
on the cross. Oh! ye who in the cold grave are lying, whom eternal
sleep within its arms holds fast, ye shall rejoice, to bliss ye
shall awaken.
Chorus
Soldiers:
We surely here shall find Him,
And take and safely bind Him,
Escape is quite in vain;
Yes, this deceiver shall be slain.
Recitative and Chorus
Jesus:
They who to take me have been hither sent are drawing nigh. My
Father, oh, let the hours of pain in rapid flight pass over me;
let them fly swift as the clouds, by a storm wind driven, across
the sky are borne. Yet not My will, nay, Thine rather, be accomplished.
Soldiers:
Behold Him, the deceiver, who dares to say that He is King instead
of Caesar. Then seize and bind Him fast.
Disciples:
What means this crowd and tumult? Our deadly foes are nigh us!
with cruel soldiers round us, ah whither can we fly? ‘Tis
in vain, we cannot fly! Have mercy, oh, have mercy.
Recitative
Peter:
Not unchastised shall this audacious band on Thee, O Lord, my
Friend and Master, their shameless hands be laying.
Jesus:
Oh, let thy sword within its sheath remain. Were it the will of
My heavenly Father from out the hands of these my foes to save
me, more than twelve legions of His angels would now be sent for
my defence.
Trio
Peter:
Mine inmost heart is burning
With righteous wrath and zeal,
I would that all my vengeance
Thine impious foes might feel.
Jesus:
Thou shouldst not ask for
vengeance, For thou hast
come to know
That man should love each
other, and pardon ev’ry foe.
Seraph:
Give ear, O man, and hearken;
By God alone is taught
The holy lore of loving
In deed, and word, and thought.
Jesus and Seraph:
O sons of men, with gladness
This holy law fulfil;
To love whoe’er may hate you,
As God Himself doth will.
Chorus
Soldiers:
Haste! and seize upon the traitor,
Here no longer let us stay;
Death awaits the evil-doer,
Drag him quickly hence away.
Disciples:
Ah! for his sake we shall suffer,
They will drag us hence away;
They will cast us into bondage,
And our Master they will slay.
Recitative
Jesus:
All my pain will soon be over,
My redeeming work be done;
Soon will death and hell be vanquish’d,
And the fight be wholly won.
Chorus
Hallelujah unto God’s Almighty Son!
Praise the Lord, ye bright angelic choirs, in holy songs of joy.
Man, proclaim His grace and glory! Hallelujah!
