University of Virginia Library

On the Nativitie of our Saviour.

VVho can forget that ne're forgotten night,
That sparkled with such unaccustom'd Light?
Wherein when darknesse had shut in the day,
A Sun at midnight did his beams display;
And God who mans fraile house of earth compos'd
Himselfe in a fraile house of earth enclos'd,
Who did controule the Fire, Aire, Sea, and Earth,
Was clad with all these foure, and had a birth
In time, who was begotten before time,
Received a birth, or th' early Sun did climb
Th' ascent o'th East, whom the vast Aire, and Main,
And Precincts of the earth could not contain,
Is circumscrib'd now in so briefe a roome,
Hee's lodg'd i'th circuit of a Virgins womb;
Who light to him, that was all Light, did give,
And made him, who was life it selfe, to live:
Who in her arms bore him, whose hand controules
The massie Globe, and bears up both the poles:
And what improv'd the Miracle begun,
He was at once her Father, Spouse and son:
VVho then his Mother was by farre more old
Yet equall age, did with his Father hold,
VVho was a child, yet with his word did make
The world, and with his voice this world can shake:
Now Truths great Oracle it selfe was come,
The Faithlesse Oracles were strucken dumb.
No marvell if the Shepherds ran to see
Him, that should everie Shepherds Shepherd bee:
VVho was the Door, through whom a certain way
To find out life, for all lost sheep there lay:
And though this Sun of Righteousnesse did lie
VVrapt up in Clouds of darke Obscurity,
Yet he could such a stock of light allow,
As did the Heavens with a new Star endow,
Which with its beames did gratefully attend
Him, who at first those streams of light did lend,
And by the Conduct of its Rayes did bring
The Easterne Kings to see their heavenly King.
And though all Stars, by Natures Lawes, does run
A course contrariant to the course o'th Sun;
Yet loe, her Statutes violated were,
For here the Sun was followed by a Starre.