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 |  |
Proud carnall reason, strike the swelling sailes
Of humane wisdome, which here nought availes:
Vnder the lee of true religion fall,
In this adventure Faith doth all in all.
Great is this mistery of Godlinesse
Transcending mans dwarf-wit. Who can expresse?
Who can conceiue how Earth should Heauen invest?
How God in flesh should be made manifest?
How Iustice should in sweet coniunction
With mercy meet, in the same action:
How the same Person God and man should be,
Yet neither Nature loose his property:
How the same Sonne should Father haue and Mother,
And yet be said to haue nor one nor other:
How the same Woman truely may be said
At once to be a Mother and a Maid:
How Mothers milke into her brests should come,
Who nere receiu'd mans seed within her wombe:
How God from heauen should come to ioyne with clay,
Yet God with God in heaven should ever stay?
Of humane wisdome, which here nought availes:
Vnder the lee of true religion fall,
In this adventure Faith doth all in all.
Great is this mistery of Godlinesse
Transcending mans dwarf-wit. Who can expresse?
Who can conceiue how Earth should Heauen invest?
How God in flesh should be made manifest?
How Iustice should in sweet coniunction
With mercy meet, in the same action:
How the same Person God and man should be,
Yet neither Nature loose his property:
How the same Sonne should Father haue and Mother,
And yet be said to haue nor one nor other:
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At once to be a Mother and a Maid:
How Mothers milke into her brests should come,
Who nere receiu'd mans seed within her wombe:
How God from heauen should come to ioyne with clay,
Yet God with God in heaven should ever stay?
The heathen wisards though they did avow;
Men to be Gods, yet never would alow
God to be man, supposing God would scorne
In a poore mortall vessell to be borne,
(And reason sure would say; as eas'ly can
Man become God, as God become a Man.)
Yea they who best iudg'd of the Deity,
Would soon'st of all deride this mistery:
That he who immortality possesses,
Should become mortall. He who others blesses
And is most blest himselfe, should be a curse,
(For who would change a good estate for worse?)
That he who thunders in the Clouds on high
Become an infant, in a cratch should crie:
That Heavens imperiall Lord should thus become
A subiect, and possesse a servants roome:
That the Law-giver who from Law is free
An vnderling vnto the Law should be.
And this not for his friends, but even for those
Who of his friends became his mortall foes:
That so they might for ever friends remaine,
Though by their friendship he can never gaine.
The least of that it cost him to procure it,
And in such fraile ones firmely to ensure it:
(Sith 'tis against the rules of policie
To trust a reconciled enemy)
Yet all this wretched man to blisse to bring
He hath perform'd: Then cease we not to sing
Glory to God on high on earth be peace,
And let good will t'wards Christians neuer cease.
Men to be Gods, yet never would alow
God to be man, supposing God would scorne
In a poore mortall vessell to be borne,
(And reason sure would say; as eas'ly can
Man become God, as God become a Man.)
Yea they who best iudg'd of the Deity,
Would soon'st of all deride this mistery:
That he who immortality possesses,
Should become mortall. He who others blesses
And is most blest himselfe, should be a curse,
(For who would change a good estate for worse?)
That he who thunders in the Clouds on high
Become an infant, in a cratch should crie:
That Heavens imperiall Lord should thus become
A subiect, and possesse a servants roome:
That the Law-giver who from Law is free
An vnderling vnto the Law should be.
And this not for his friends, but even for those
Who of his friends became his mortall foes:
That so they might for ever friends remaine,
Though by their friendship he can never gaine.
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And in such fraile ones firmely to ensure it:
(Sith 'tis against the rules of policie
To trust a reconciled enemy)
Yet all this wretched man to blisse to bring
He hath perform'd: Then cease we not to sing
Glory to God on high on earth be peace,
And let good will t'wards Christians neuer cease.
| The Blessed Birth-day | |