The Blessed Birth-day celebrated in some religious meditations on the Angels Anthem. Lvc. 2. 14. Also holy transportations, in contemplating some of the most obserueable adiuncts about our Saviours Nativity. Extracted for the most part out of the Sacred Scriptures, Ancient Fathers, Christian Poets. And some moderne Approved Authors. By Charles Fitz-Geffry. The second Edition with Additions |
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 | The Blessed Birth-day |  |
Behold a Sonne who Father hath and Mother
Yet may be said to haue nor one nor other:
In heauen a Father without mother knowne,
A mother here he had but Father none.
The true Melchizedec from heauen descending,
Who nor beginning hath of daies nor ending.
The first, the last: King, Priest, and Prophet true,
To teach to sacrifice and to subdue.
Who only worthy was to haue none other
Father then God, nor then a Virgin mother.
For 'twas not comely that one Sonne should know
Two Fathers, one aboue, one here below.
And how could he man without sinne be made
If to his Father, he some sinner had?
Had any Adams sonne his Father bin
He had receiu'd with Adams seed his sinne:
And had he ought of Adams sinne possessed
Then how could Adams seed in him be blessed?
Th'high Priest, by whom we should be reconcil'd
Must holy harmelesse be, and vndefil'd.
Sep'rate from sinners (though 'mong them a reputed)
For had he beene with sinne himselfe polluted,
How could he from vs our pollutions take?
He must be pure who others pure shall make.
Who can the worlds sinne take away but hee,
Who from all spot and blot of sinne is free?
Who cleanseth me conceau'd of sinfull seede?
He whose conception did no clensing need.
How cleane a birth became it him to haue
Who came foule soules to clense, the World to saue?
The beame out of mine eye he plucks alone
Who hath nor beame nor blemish in his owne.
What man but he mans sins could purifie
Who without sinne was borne, did liue, did die?
Yet may be said to haue nor one nor other:
In heauen a Father without mother knowne,
A mother here he had but Father none.
The true Melchizedec from heauen descending,
Who nor beginning hath of daies nor ending.
The first, the last: King, Priest, and Prophet true,
To teach to sacrifice and to subdue.
Who only worthy was to haue none other
Father then God, nor then a Virgin mother.
For 'twas not comely that one Sonne should know
Two Fathers, one aboue, one here below.
And how could he man without sinne be made
If to his Father, he some sinner had?
Had any Adams sonne his Father bin
He had receiu'd with Adams seed his sinne:
And had he ought of Adams sinne possessed
Then how could Adams seed in him be blessed?
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Must holy harmelesse be, and vndefil'd.
Sep'rate from sinners (though 'mong them a reputed)
For had he beene with sinne himselfe polluted,
How could he from vs our pollutions take?
He must be pure who others pure shall make.
Who can the worlds sinne take away but hee,
Who from all spot and blot of sinne is free?
Who cleanseth me conceau'd of sinfull seede?
He whose conception did no clensing need.
How cleane a birth became it him to haue
Who came foule soules to clense, the World to saue?
The beame out of mine eye he plucks alone
Who hath nor beame nor blemish in his owne.
What man but he mans sins could purifie
Who without sinne was borne, did liue, did die?
Thus did the heavenly Providence dispose
That even his birth should what he is disclose:
True man because of woman borne, but not
Meere man, because no Father him begot.
Thus by his naturall birth true man we know him,
His supernaturall more then man doth show him.
Thus did the heavenly providence ordaine,
That they who by a Virgins sin were slaine,
Should by a Virgins seede be sau'd, that whence
Sinne came salvation might proceed from thence.
That even his birth should what he is disclose:
True man because of woman borne, but not
Meere man, because no Father him begot.
Thus by his naturall birth true man we know him,
His supernaturall more then man doth show him.
Thus did the heavenly providence ordaine,
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Should by a Virgins seede be sau'd, that whence
Sinne came salvation might proceed from thence.
Let all the world shew such a sonne againe
Whose birth so many wonders did containe?
A Lamb new falne, slaine ere the world begunne
His Mothers Father, and his daughters sonne.
A Doue hatcht in the nest himselfe did build,
A Flowre in winter sprung that fram'd the field
From whence it sprung; A Lilly risen new,
That made the bed and garden where it grew;
A stone cut without hands which with one dash,
The Iron, Clay, Brasse, Silver, Gold, doth quash,
Of which that dreadfull Image was compos'd,
Which to the great Chaldean was disclos'd
In visions of the night; The Corner stone,
Who built and beares the fabricke built thereon,
Who, though the foolish builders him reiected
Now in the corner is chiefe stone erected.
The Ladder which the Patriarch of old
Sleeping in body did in soul behold:
Who by his foote, the flesh, to earth descends,
His top, the Godhead, vnto heaven extends:
By whom our prayers to God ascend; by whom
Gods graces vnto vs, descending come:
Who, comming high and low to pacify
Himselfe became so low to make vs high.
Whose birth so many wonders did containe?
A Lamb new falne, slaine ere the world begunne
His Mothers Father, and his daughters sonne.
A Doue hatcht in the nest himselfe did build,
A Flowre in winter sprung that fram'd the field
From whence it sprung; A Lilly risen new,
That made the bed and garden where it grew;
A stone cut without hands which with one dash,
The Iron, Clay, Brasse, Silver, Gold, doth quash,
Of which that dreadfull Image was compos'd,
Which to the great Chaldean was disclos'd
In visions of the night; The Corner stone,
Who built and beares the fabricke built thereon,
Who, though the foolish builders him reiected
Now in the corner is chiefe stone erected.
The Ladder which the Patriarch of old
Sleeping in body did in soul behold:
Who by his foote, the flesh, to earth descends,
His top, the Godhead, vnto heaven extends:
By whom our prayers to God ascend; by whom
Gods graces vnto vs, descending come:
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Himselfe became so low to make vs high.
Let all the world againe shew such a child,
Of Adams seed not with his sinne defild:
A child, who nere by man begotten was,
Who doth his mother farre in age surpasse,
And match his Father in antiquity,
Elder then th'eldest of his pedegree.
A child who made all Children and the place,
And time wherein and when himselfe borne was.
A child that's God, and God mighty to saue,
All those whom vnto him his Father gaue.
Th'ancient of daies, borne in an houre: The light
Of both the Worlds arising in the night.
A child who had he not to Vs beene borne,
All generations had beene quite forlorne.
Should not the strangest Child who came to saue
The world, the strangest Mother likewise haue?
And so he had: We truely may averre,
No Sonne like him, no Mother like to her:
For such a Mother never was before,
And such an other never shall be more.
Of Adams seed not with his sinne defild:
A child, who nere by man begotten was,
Who doth his mother farre in age surpasse,
And match his Father in antiquity,
Elder then th'eldest of his pedegree.
A child who made all Children and the place,
And time wherein and when himselfe borne was.
A child that's God, and God mighty to saue,
All those whom vnto him his Father gaue.
Th'ancient of daies, borne in an houre: The light
Of both the Worlds arising in the night.
A child who had he not to Vs beene borne,
All generations had beene quite forlorne.
Should not the strangest Child who came to saue
The world, the strangest Mother likewise haue?
And so he had: We truely may averre,
No Sonne like him, no Mother like to her:
For such a Mother never was before,
And such an other never shall be more.
Let all the World shew vs such a Mother
And say which is more wondrous one or other.
She for a Mother; or he for a Sonne,
It must be said when all is said and done,
O wondrous Mother, but more wondrous Sonne!
For such a sauing Sonne, both Mother may
With Angels sing, and wee with them may say,
Glory to God on high, on Earth be peace,
And let good will t'wards Christians never cease.
And say which is more wondrous one or other.
She for a Mother; or he for a Sonne,
It must be said when all is said and done,
O wondrous Mother, but more wondrous Sonne!
For such a sauing Sonne, both Mother may
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Glory to God on high, on Earth be peace,
And let good will t'wards Christians never cease.
| The Blessed Birth-day | |