 | The Poems of John Byrom |  |
A HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS DAY.
I
On this auspicious, memorable Morn,God and the Virgin's Holy Child was born;
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Began the Process of redeeming Earth,—
Of re-producing Paradise again
And God's lost Image in the Souls of Men.
II
Adam, who kept not his first State of Bliss,Render'd himself incapable of this;
Nor could he, with his outward Helpmate Eve,
This pure, angelic, virgin Birth retrieve:
This, in our Nature, never could be done,
Until a Virgin should conceive a Son.
III
Mary, prepar'd for such a chaste Embrace,Was destin'd to this Miracle of Grace;
In her unfolded the mysterious Plan
Of Man's Salvation, God's becoming Man;
His Power, with her Humility combin'd,
Produc'd the Sinless Saviour of Mankind.
IV
The Height and Depth of such Amazing LoveNor can we measure, nor the Blest above;
Its Truth whoever reasons right will own:
Man never could be sav'd by Man alone;
Salvation is, if rightly we define,
Union of Human Nature with Divine.
V
What Way to this, unless it had been trodBy the new Birth of an Incarnate God?
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A Life inspir'd by God's Immortal Breath;
For which Himself, to save us from the Tomb,
Did not abhor the Virgin Mother's Womb.
VI
O may this Infant Saviour's Birth inspireOf real Life an humble, chaste Desire;
Raise it up in us, form it in our Mind,
Like the Blest Virgin's, totally resign'd!
A mortal Life from Adam we derive;
We are in Christ eternally alive.
| The Poems of John Byrom | |