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 |  |
O blest be God! who giues faith to supply
That, which for reasons reach is farre too high,
Which man aboue himselfe to mount doth teach,
Reaching to what surmounteth humane reach:
Whereby a Christian doth excell the rest
Of men, as farre as Man excels a beast.
Saith God the Word? Faith doubts not of the deed,
How farre soere it doth mans sense exceed.
Christs generation cannot be declar'd,
That, which for reasons reach is farre too high,
Which man aboue himselfe to mount doth teach,
Reaching to what surmounteth humane reach:
Whereby a Christian doth excell the rest
Of men, as farre as Man excels a beast.
Saith God the Word? Faith doubts not of the deed,
How farre soere it doth mans sense exceed.
Christs generation cannot be declar'd,
Beleeu'd it may be. Nothing is too hard
For Faith: where wit and language both doe faile
To speake, to thinke, Faith wins and doth prevaile.
What Art by arguing cannot comprehend,
Faith by beleeuing soone doth apprehend:
Things whereof 'tis impossible to giue
A reason, Faith doth easily beleeue.
For Faith: where wit and language both doe faile
To speake, to thinke, Faith wins and doth prevaile.
What Art by arguing cannot comprehend,
Faith by beleeuing soone doth apprehend:
Things whereof 'tis impossible to giue
A reason, Faith doth easily beleeue.
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Faith made the man-vntouched Virgins wombe
To swell, and milke into her brests to come:
Had she not first by Faith the word conceau'd
Within her soule, her wombe had beene bereau'd
Of that preferment to conceiue the word,
Which to the World salvation doth afford.
Faith made the Virgine pregnant, Faith must make,
The Christian Christ into his soule to take:
As she by faith conceived him, so hee
In Christians still by faith conceau'd must bee.
To swell, and milke into her brests to come:
Had she not first by Faith the word conceau'd
Within her soule, her wombe had beene bereau'd
Of that preferment to conceiue the word,
Which to the World salvation doth afford.
Faith made the Virgine pregnant, Faith must make,
The Christian Christ into his soule to take:
As she by faith conceived him, so hee
In Christians still by faith conceau'd must bee.
Faith to salvation's a compendious way
Wisdome to Faith an obstacle and stay.
Not many wise nor mighty God doth chuse,
Nor any that hath Faith he doth refuse:
O let me wise vnto salvation bee,
Lord giue me faith take wit who will for mee.
Wisdome to Faith an obstacle and stay.
Not many wise nor mighty God doth chuse,
Nor any that hath Faith he doth refuse:
O let me wise vnto salvation bee,
Lord giue me faith take wit who will for mee.
All things in God doe humane wit transcend,
But nothing Faith, Where humane wit doth end
Let Faith supply. What only God can doe
Faith only can beleeue and reach vnto.
The things which God for vs hath done to day
Conceiue we cannot but beleeue we may:
And if we doe beleeue, lets not dispute,
But speake our Faith in accents which doe sute
Vnto the message which our Angel bringing
Immediatly a multitude are singing,
Glory to God on high, on earth be peace,
And let good will t'wards Christians never cease.
But nothing Faith, Where humane wit doth end
Let Faith supply. What only God can doe
Faith only can beleeue and reach vnto.
The things which God for vs hath done to day
Conceiue we cannot but beleeue we may:
And if we doe beleeue, lets not dispute,
But speake our Faith in accents which doe sute
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Immediatly a multitude are singing,
Glory to God on high, on earth be peace,
And let good will t'wards Christians never cease.
| The Blessed Birth-day | |