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 |  |
Thus greatnesse little to become was pleas'd
Yet to continue great he never ceas'd:
Thus heauens high King swath'd in a Cratch doth ly,
Yet looseth nothing of his Maiesty:
He who the glorious Angels did create
Becomes a worme, yet keepes his owne estate.
Yet to continue great he never ceas'd:
Thus heauens high King swath'd in a Cratch doth ly,
Yet looseth nothing of his Maiesty:
He who the glorious Angels did create
Becomes a worme, yet keepes his owne estate.
God had his lowlinesse enough commended
Had he but to an Angels state descended,
For twixt an Angel and a worme more odds
Is not, then twixt an Angels state and Gods.
Had he but to an Angels state descended,
For twixt an Angel and a worme more odds
Is not, then twixt an Angels state and Gods.
Thus highnesse to be low doth not disdaine,
Yet being lowest highest doth remaine.
Had he not daind himselfe to humble thus,
What good had all his greatnesse done to vs?
Yet being lowest highest doth remaine.
Had he not daind himselfe to humble thus,
What good had all his greatnesse done to vs?
Great cause haue we t'embrace Humility,
Sith God himselfe embraced vs thereby.
When greatnesse vengeance for our sins did craue
Humility it was that did vs saue:
When Maiesty and justice 'gainst vs stood
Then Mercy sought, Humility wrought our good.
When Man to Hell was falne then God did daine,
To stoope to Earth to raise him vp againe;
Never had man, from earth to heauen attain'd
Had God to stoope from Heauen to earth disdain'd.
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When greatnesse vengeance for our sins did craue
Humility it was that did vs saue:
When Maiesty and justice 'gainst vs stood
Then Mercy sought, Humility wrought our good.
When Man to Hell was falne then God did daine,
To stoope to Earth to raise him vp againe;
Never had man, from earth to heauen attain'd
Had God to stoope from Heauen to earth disdain'd.
Learne of thy Lord, proud man, humble to bee,
Who read this humble Lecture vnto thee,
Ere he could read or speake. His Incarnation
Was his first Lecture of Humiliation:
When being God, he stooped to be man
Whence greater honour at the last he wan:
When as his Father did him so advaunce,
And so his name aboue all names enhaunce;
That at the name of Iesvs every knee
In Heaven, on Earth, in Hell, should bended be.
What can man loose by his humility,
Sith God himselfe advanced was thereby?
That meekenesse which at first his birth did preach
His words, his deeds, throughout his life did teach.
Learne ye of me (saith he) for I am meeke:
What better thing then learning can we seeke?
Then Christ, what better teacher can there be?
What better lesson then Humility?
Who would not, that can good from ill discerne
Of the best teacher the best lesson learne?
By the same paces wee to God must tend
By which his sonne did vnto vs descend.
Behold thy King comes meeke to thee: Wilt thou
Come proud vnto thy King? Will he allow
In thee, who art with brittle clay invested,
What in his glorious Angels he detested?
Pride them from Heauen, and glory did eiect,
Humility must vs to Heauen erect.
With him who highnesse is it selfe, more high
Nothing is held then low Humility.
Who read this humble Lecture vnto thee,
Ere he could read or speake. His Incarnation
Was his first Lecture of Humiliation:
When being God, he stooped to be man
Whence greater honour at the last he wan:
When as his Father did him so advaunce,
And so his name aboue all names enhaunce;
That at the name of Iesvs every knee
In Heaven, on Earth, in Hell, should bended be.
What can man loose by his humility,
Sith God himselfe advanced was thereby?
That meekenesse which at first his birth did preach
His words, his deeds, throughout his life did teach.
Learne ye of me (saith he) for I am meeke:
What better thing then learning can we seeke?
Then Christ, what better teacher can there be?
What better lesson then Humility?
Who would not, that can good from ill discerne
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By the same paces wee to God must tend
By which his sonne did vnto vs descend.
Behold thy King comes meeke to thee: Wilt thou
Come proud vnto thy King? Will he allow
In thee, who art with brittle clay invested,
What in his glorious Angels he detested?
Pride them from Heauen, and glory did eiect,
Humility must vs to Heauen erect.
With him who highnesse is it selfe, more high
Nothing is held then low Humility.
The place made void by Iudas foule defection
Must be replenisht: two are on th'election,
Both worthy deem'd: the lot must arbitrate
Whom to the Office God doth destinate:
The one surnamed Iust the other little,
Who would not deeme the Iust the greater title?
Or who is he that both their titles heard,
But would conclude the Iust should be preferd
Before the Little one? But ôh! what ods
Is there betweene mans suffrages and Gods?
The little one of God advanced is
Vnto the honour which the Iust doth misse;
Who to himselfe and to the world doth seeme
The least, him God the greatest doth esteeme.
Must be replenisht: two are on th'election,
Both worthy deem'd: the lot must arbitrate
Whom to the Office God doth destinate:
The one surnamed Iust the other little,
Who would not deeme the Iust the greater title?
Or who is he that both their titles heard,
But would conclude the Iust should be preferd
Before the Little one? But ôh! what ods
Is there betweene mans suffrages and Gods?
The little one of God advanced is
Vnto the honour which the Iust doth misse;
Who to himselfe and to the world doth seeme
The least, him God the greatest doth esteeme.
Proud vaunting Pharisee how hast thou lost
All thy good workes, while thou of them doest boast?
All thy good workes, while thou of them doest boast?
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While the poore Publican who humbly cry'de
Himselfe a sinner, goes home justifide.
The just condemned is, the guilty free,
He for his Pride, this through Humilitie.
Divine Saint Austine we applaud thy writ!
This diffrent couple haue confirmed it,
In Gods esteeme much rather is allow'd
An humble sinner then a iust man proud.
Himselfe a sinner, goes home justifide.
The just condemned is, the guilty free,
He for his Pride, this through Humilitie.
Divine Saint Austine we applaud thy writ!
This diffrent couple haue confirmed it,
In Gods esteeme much rather is allow'd
An humble sinner then a iust man proud.
Is not God high? yet he that will attaine
Vnto his highnesse, lowly must remaine?
Erect thy selfe; he doth from thee retire:
Deiect thy selfe, thou doest to him aspire:
For when he sees thy stooping to deiect thee,
Himselfe stoopes downe more highly to erect thee.
The proud a farre off he beholds to scorne them,
The humble he regards with grace t'adorne them.
Sweet Saviour by thy lowlinesse thou showest,
The best ambition is who shall be lowest.
What more becomes a Christian, then the same
To be to Christ, what Christ for him became?
What grieues the blessed spirits who seeke our blisse,
What more doth glad the fiends our foes, then this
To see a lowly God, a lofty man,
An humble Christ, and a proud Christian?
Vnto his highnesse, lowly must remaine?
Erect thy selfe; he doth from thee retire:
Deiect thy selfe, thou doest to him aspire:
For when he sees thy stooping to deiect thee,
Himselfe stoopes downe more highly to erect thee.
The proud a farre off he beholds to scorne them,
The humble he regards with grace t'adorne them.
Sweet Saviour by thy lowlinesse thou showest,
The best ambition is who shall be lowest.
What more becomes a Christian, then the same
To be to Christ, what Christ for him became?
What grieues the blessed spirits who seeke our blisse,
What more doth glad the fiends our foes, then this
To see a lowly God, a lofty man,
An humble Christ, and a proud Christian?
Thus God is one become, O Man, with thee,
That thou againe at one with God maist be
Thus is th'Abyssus fild, the Chasma clos'd
Which 'twixt our God and vs sinne interpos'd:
This he in whom all fulnesse dwels hath done,
Who being both himselfe, hath made both one:
We could not come to Him, to Vs he came,
Even what we are, that he himselfe became;
Saue only sinne, which he came to abolish
And that partition wall quite to demolish,
Which severed vs from God. Now ioyne we may:
Man vnto God by man hath found a way.
That thou againe at one with God maist be
Thus is th'Abyssus fild, the Chasma clos'd
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This he in whom all fulnesse dwels hath done,
Who being both himselfe, hath made both one:
We could not come to Him, to Vs he came,
Even what we are, that he himselfe became;
Saue only sinne, which he came to abolish
And that partition wall quite to demolish,
Which severed vs from God. Now ioyne we may:
Man vnto God by man hath found a way.
The Patient could not to th'Physitian goe,
The kinde Physitian comes to him, and so
Vpon himselfe he our disease deriues
That from himselfe and vs both, he it driues.
Lord what is man that only for his sake,
Th'Almighty should such strange exchanges make?
Th'Angels themselues such loue considering,
With ioyfull acclamations doe sing:
Glory to God on high, on earth be peace,
And let goodwill t'wards Christians never cease.
The kinde Physitian comes to him, and so
Vpon himselfe he our disease deriues
That from himselfe and vs both, he it driues.
Lord what is man that only for his sake,
Th'Almighty should such strange exchanges make?
Th'Angels themselues such loue considering,
With ioyfull acclamations doe sing:
Glory to God on high, on earth be peace,
And let goodwill t'wards Christians never cease.
| The Blessed Birth-day | |