1 Christ takes Adam by the hand,
the rest of the saints join hands,
and they all ascend with him to Paradise.
THEN Jesus stretched forth his
hand, and said, Come to me,
all ye my saints, who were created
in my image, who were condemned
by the tree of the forbidden fruit,
and by the devil and death;
2 Live now by the wood of my
cross; the devil, the prince of this
world, is overcome, and death is
conquered,
3 Then presently all the saints
were joined together under the
hand of the most high God; and
the Lord Jesus laid hold on Adam's
hand, and said to him, Peace be
to thee, and all thy righteous
posterity, which is mine.
4 Then Adam, casting himself
at the feet of Jesus, addressed
himself to him with tears, in
humble language, and a loud voice,
saying,
5 "I will extol thee, O Lord, for
thou halt lifted me up, and hast
not made my foes to rejoice over
me. O Lord my God, I cried
unto thee, and thou hast healed
me."
6 "O Lord thou hast brought up
my soul from the grave; thou
hast kept me alive, that I should
not go down to the pit."
7 "Sing unto the Lord, all ye
saints of his, and give thanks at
the remembrance of his holiness,
for his anger endureth but for a
moment; in his favour is life."
8 In like manner all the saints,
prostrate at the feet of Jesus,
said with one voice, Thou art come,
O Redeemer of the world, and hast
actually accomplished all things,
which thou didst foretell by the
law and thy holy prophets.
9 Thou hast redeemed the living
by thy cross, and art come down
to us, that by the death of the
cross thou mightest deliver us
from hell, and by thy power from
death.
10 O Lord, as thou hast put the
ensigns of thy glory in heaven,
and hast set up the sign of thy
redemption, even thy cross on earth;
so, Lord, set the sign of the victory
of thy cross in hell, that death
may have dominion no longer.
11 Then the Lord stretching
forth his hand, made the sign of
the cross upon Adam, and upon
all his saints.
12 And taking hold of Adam by
his right hand, he ascended from
hell, and all the saints of God
followed him.
13 Then the royal prophet, David,
boldly cried, and said, O sing
unto the Lord a new song, for he
hath done marvellous things; his
right hand and his holy arm have
gotten him the victory.
14 The Lord hath made known
his salvation, his righteousness
hath he openly shewn in the sight
of the heathen.
15 And the whole multitude of
saints answered, saying, This
honour have all his saints, Amen,
Praise ye the Lord.
16 Afterwards, the prophet
Habbakuk cried out, and said,
Thou wentest forth for the salvation
of thy people, even for salvation
with thine anointed.
17 And all the saints said,
Blessed is he who cometh in the
name of the Lord; for the Lord
hath enlightened us. This is our
God for ever and ever; he shall
reign over us to everlasting ages.
Amen.
18 In like manner all the prophets
spake the sacred things of his
praise, and followed the Lord.