A paraphrase upon the canticles and some select hymns of the New and Old Testament, with other occasional compositions in English verse. By Samuel Woodford |
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The Nativity.
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 | A paraphrase upon the canticles |  |
The Nativity.
An Ode.
I.
Who would not envy, if he durst, your Grace,Blest Shepherds, to whom first the Tidings came,
That God, whom neither Time can bound, nor Space,
Th' Almighty, who upholds this rolling Frame,
Deign'd to be born, and did the Breast imbrace:
Of the Worlds Maker made himself a Child,
And wrapt in swaths, tho He whole Nature fill'd?
Too happy News this, in the City to be told,
I'th' Palace, and at Herods Court,
Where all the learned Father Jews resort;
E're it reach them, let the report grow cold!
There's too much Spleen, and Malice there,
Hypocrisie, Distrust, and servile Fear,
Intemp'rance, Lust, Extortion, Cruelty,
And, if than these there greater Vices be,
Pride, which of ills the worst, pollutes the Air.
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(Tho not so gay,) and Men more Innocent,
To whom Hee'd show His great Descent:
And when He did Jerusalem refuse,
'Twas to recal the Ancient Time, and Use,
When He to Man in Paradise first went:
That He to Peace, and Justice, might the preference give,
And all the Graces that ith' Country safely live:
And lest the Truth should be deny'd,
Ith' Country Hee'd be Born, but in the City Dy'd.
II.
“Fear not, O Shepherds, th' Angel said!And need there was, to bid them not to fear,
Since greater Souls than theirs might be afraid,
That God, unlookt for, should approach so near,
And full Spring-tides of Light, at Midnights Ebb appear.
For Night it was, and posting tow'rds the Day,
Grown darker on a sudden, than before,
The Shepherds by their Flocks expecting lay,
Till their bright Star should ope' the Mornings Door;
When, Lo! a brighter Star brake out,
And sacred Beams Angelic Forms did show,
Fairer than thousand Suns, tho all about
They their united Flames should throw.
'Twas Gabriel, who the Message brought
To the 'ever Virgin that she should conceive;
Gabriel, who now the happy Minute taught,
When his Great Lord the Father's Throne did leave,
A Body fitted for him to receive;
Bright in His Princes glory, bright in 'His own,
All clad in Hallow'd Light came down,
Embassador of God, and Herald to His Son.
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III.
On Heavens high Top awhile He stood,And view'd all Palestine around;
All Palestine in sleep lay drown'd,
Eve'n Jordan slumbred to the murmurs of his Flood.
Nor voice of Man, nor noise of Dogs was heard,
The bowing Mountains seem'd to nod,
And at the Presence of their God,
Who o're them wav'd his All-commanding Rod,
Inclin'd their Heads, and the great Spell rever'd.
Each Field, each Hill did rest,
And equal Night possest
The painful Labourer, and his weary Beast.
Bethle'hem alone, this Transient Death surviv'd,
And in her Plains some liv'd,
Yet whom the Sight did so surprize,
They hardly durst believe their Eyes,
Yet durst not but believe, and sent to Heav'n their cries.
IV.
So at the last Day shall there some be foundTo hear, alive, the Trumpets dreadful sound;
Amaz'd and trembling shall they stand,
Feel on themselves a Powerful Hand,
And willing, or unwilling take, the great Command.
“Be chang'd ('twill say) ye Living! and ye Dead
“Wake and arise, and to the Judgment come!
The Living, soon as e're the word is sed,
Shall feel the Terrors they did dread,
And without help of Death, or Grave, reach their Eternal Home.
The Dead with their own Bodies shall arise,
And then the Earth, and Sea, and Skies,
The scatter'd Atomes shall restore
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To joyn with parted Souls, but never to be parted more.
No guilty Criminal his Face shall hide,
Or undiscovered the great Judg avoid,
But from his Hold, tho self-condemn'd, come and be tri'd.
V.
Nature it self shall to 'its old nothing roll;And then Heav'ns beauteous Scroll,
With all the Mistic Notes that there
(Writ by the Hand Divine)
So wondrous, and so bright appear,
Shall in one flame with Earth and Sea, more dreadful shine.
Like that, which once the Prophet sent
To Judahs stubborn King;
A while he heard the Woes, but grown impatient,
With Hands prophane the Parchment rent,
And into th' Fire the sever'd parts did fling;
And there they crackled, there did together shrink,
Till all-consum'd they were to Ashes burn'd.
Ah! sottish Prince, and vain to think
Decrees of Heav'n so easily overturn'd!
Lo! God himself resents the wrong,
Thy self shall be the subject of a longer Roll ere long!
VI.
And so he was, for by the dread Command,A larger Roll the Prophet did prepare.
By th' same Command another Heav'n more fair,
In place of this, when 'tis consum'd shall stand.
And there the Thrones shall be for Judgment set,
From which the Son with awful Majesty,
And doubled Grace shall Reign illustriously,
In his own Godhead, and th' Exalted Manhood, great.
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The Rich, the Poor, the Simple, and the Wise,
With all who Tents inhabited, or Palaces,
Naked to the Bar shall rise,
And answer each Man to his name:
Distinctions shall aside be thrown,
Nor Kings be by their Scepters known,
Or the great Houses which they made, or whence they came.
Around the Bar shall Angels wait,
For Execution arm'd, and cloth'd for state,
Sole ministers of Wrath, who only were of Love alate.
VII.
Thither, O Muse, thither bring back my Song,From which thou wandred hast too long;
Of Gabriel, and his second Message sing,
Who now upon the Wing,
The happiest News, e're heard by mortal ears, does bring.
“Attend, he said, and those glad Tidings hear,
“Good Tidings, and of great Joy, which shall be
“Not unto you alone,
“Or from the Father to the Son,
“For one descent alone continued down,
“But unto all who are to come, or wisht this day to see.
“For Lo! to you is Born this Day,
“A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord,
“In David's Town, which long expecting lay,
“Promis'd Messiah, and th' Incarnate Word.
“To Day He's Born, and this shall be the Sign,
“By which the Mighty Infant shall be found,
“In Swadling Clothes he shall lie bound,
“And in a Manger rests the Babe Divine.
Never was Sight of equal Fame,
Not the first Man of God-like Frame,
For God himself thus Born, a Mortal Man became.
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VIII.
He spake, and with him strait were seenMyriads of Angels, in their best Array,
Myriads of Angels, who kept Holy-day,
And all their Glories did display,
No Cloud to 'eclipse the Lustre came between.
And then they Danc'd, and then they Sang
Praises, themselves did first compose;
The Starry Vault, with the loud Eccho rang,
And the whole Concert doubled o're this close;
“Glory to God on High,
“Ith' highest great Jehovah bless,
“Good Will t'wards Men, on Earth be Peace,
“Glory to God on High!
And may this Round begun thus last Eternally!
And up they rose, with Bays and Ivy Crown'd,
Not such as Mortal Poets wear below,
But what ith' Heav'nly Tempe grow,
And with whose Wreaths the first great Makers Brows are bound.
IX.
Go! Shepherds, go! and kiss th' Eternal Son!To Bethle'hem go, and the first Tributes bring
To Israels Saviour, and Heav'ns New-born King!
To you this more than common Honour's done,
To' approach your God, and Worship at his humble Throne.
Make haste, nor by your own delay
For others to prevent your Joys give way;
Why should they first be happy, whilst you only stay?
For Kings shall come e're long, from th' East,
By a less Flame than what's your Guide,
Directed hither, to find that Rest,
Which seems not theirs, till by 'you accepted, or deny'd.
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Who thus by Angels Summon'd are;
When they, tho Kings, and coming from afar,
Shall wait, and both to call, and lead them, only have a Star.
14 Jan. 1667–8.
| A paraphrase upon the canticles | |