The Shorter Poems of Ralph Knevet :: :: University of Virginia Library

(My God) who dids't thy glorious throne forsake,
And from a Virgin pure thy manhood take,
That Thou, thereby mights't us thy brethren make:
Was ever love like thine?

Both Men, and Angells, at thy birth did sing,
And thy propicious starre did tideings bring,
That Night departed, and the day did spring:
Was ever love &c.

Though by the Fathers side, thou well mighs't clayme
The whole worlds empire, yet thou didst not ayme
At soveraignty, which makes us to exclayme:
Was ever love &c.

And though, thy Mother was of Jesse's stemme,
Entitleing Thee, to Judah's diademe,
Yet thou didst not this dignity esteeme:
Was ever love &c.

Thou cams't in silence, like the evening dew,
Into a fleece of wooll, wer't seene by few,
But fewer thought thee our Messias true:
Was ever love &c.

The dayes departed long 'ere they grew old,
But Night did many howres her station hold,
The world gave thee but entertainement cold:
Was ever love &c.

283

Long were the nights, and cold, but longer Night
Of sinne, and love wax'd cold, did Thee invite,
Our hearts to warme, and guide us by thy light,
Was ever love &c.

A stable was thy palace, and a manger
Thy cradle was: yet thou (so poore a stranger)
Wer't of a jealous Tyrants wrath in danger.
Was ever love &c.

It could not halfe so strange a sight appeare,
To see the sunne descend from his bright sphere,
As it was to behold thy presence here:
Was ever love &c.

Thou to thy natives first thy self dids't render,
Whose dazled eyes could not endure thy splendour;
But strangers did rich offr'ings to Thee tender:
Was ever love &c.

Thou, who dids't all in dignity surpasse,
Whom Angells prais'd with Alleluiah's,
Becams't camrade unto the Oxe and Asse;
Was ever love &c.

Thou, who wer't clad with divine majesty,
Dids't shift thy self into humanity,
That wee might put on immortality:
Was ever love &c.

Thou Lord wer't Hee, who (us from Hell to save)
Dids't wedde thy Godhead even unto the grave;
Hee, who both life, and glory for us gave:
Was ever love &c.

284

Thou, (who dids't laws dispense in Sinai Hill)
In thine owne person dids't the same fulfill;
Yea dids't to humane lawes submitt thy will:
Was ever love &c.

Though cruell Herod quak'd at thy approch,
Thou dids't not on th' usurpers pow'r incroche:
Thou dids't exchange thy scepter for reproche,
Was ever love like thine?

Though Kings (as God and King) did Thee adore,
And rich oblations powre out Thee before,
Yet for our sakes Thou didst thy self make poore:
Was ever love &c.

The Infants blood (lesse innocent then thine)
Shed in their early martyrdome did signe
Th' assurance of thy presence most divine:
Was ever love &c.

Thou from the bloudy Tyrants rage didst flee,
And in the land of bondage dids't live free,
Untill Death Herod call'd, and recall'd Thee.
Was ever love &c.

Then Thou in despisd Galile dids't stay,
Till John the Baptist did prepare thy way,
And thy approch unto the world bewray:
Was ever love &c.

Hee was a Morning starre, which did forerunne
Thy riseing (oh bright orientall sunne)
Which didst dispell that night, which sinne begunne:
Was ever love &c.

285

Since the first Herods rage could not Thee harme,
A second Herod did against Thee arme,
The First us'd force: but this sought Thee to charme:
Was ever love &c.

But Thou the Charmer charmds't, and by a spell
Dids't send th' old serpent backe unto his cell,
There to lament, bicause his kingdome fell.
Was ever love &c.

Then Thou dids't preach repentance unto all,
And from their nettes didst thy Disciples call,
And mad'st them fish for creatures rationall:
Was ever love like thine?

Thou mad'st the Deafe to heare, gav'st blind men eyes,
Dids't cure the lame, and cleanse all leprosyes,
Dids't cast out Devills, and make dead men rise:
Was ever love &c.

Huge multitudes, did then upon the[e] wayte,
Thy miracles were unto them a bayte,
Some when their turnes were serv'd, forgott the[e] strayte:
Was ever love &c.

The first law in a mountaine was decreed,
And from a mount the second did proceede,
Where Thou dids't first sowe thy celestiall seede:
Was ever love &c.

There, thou didst then such blessed doctrine preach,
As none before or since did ever teach,
So farre it went beyond all humane reach:
Was ever love &c.

286

Thou by examples, and instructions sage,
Dids't strive to purge the vices of the age,
While Thou hat'st Sinne; against Thee Sinners rage:
Was ever love &c.

Like savage Beasts, without all intermission,
They rag'd against their God, and their Physicion,
And their Redeemer threaten'd with perdition:
Was ever love &c.

Yet Thou didst not retarde thy worke in hand,
But dids't observe thy Fathers just command,
Mans sinne, could not thy mercy great withstand,
Was ever love &c.

Thy Workemen Thou dids't send into the field,
To gather in thy corne before it shill'd,
But these thy Reapers were contemn'd, and kill'd:
Was ever love &c.

Thou to the simple dids't thy truth unlocke,
While that the learned sort did floute, and mocke,
Because it was to them a stumbling blocke:
Was ever love &c.

Thou dids't in holy parables transmitt
Such blessed documents, as never yet
Could imitated bee, by humane witt:
Was ever love &c.

The quintessence of wisedome, did distill
From thy most hallow'd lippes: and Thou dids't fill
The world with wonders, through thy heavenly skill:
Was ever love &c.

287

Nor dids't Thou onely with a touch, or word,
Diseases heale, and remedyes afford,
For with cures were thy very garments stor'd:
Was ever love &c.

Thy reprehensions, like thy thunder were,
Empressing terrours, but thy comforts deare,
Dejected soules did quicken and upreare:
Was ever love &c.

Thy counsells could not erre, for Thou wer't Truth:
No double Oracles fell from thy mouth,
Thou wer't a Doctour, ere Thou wer't a youth
Was ever love &c.

The Jewes did Thee expect a Conquerour,
But Thou, (though comeing like a Pilgrime poore)
Such conquests wonns't, as none e're wonne before:
Was ever love &c.

The Flesh with all his lusts Thou dids't subdue;
Nothing but Love, and Wisedome in Thee grew:
No Age did ever such a Victour shew:
Was ever love &c.

Thou didst subdue all worldly vanityes,
Both honour, wealth, and pleasure dids't despise;
None ever did achieve such victoryes.
Was ever love &c.

Yea Thou didst triumphe over Death, and Hell,
And Satan from the skyes like lightening fell,
Forc'd to retreate to his infernall cell:
Was ever love &c.

288

Thou mads't his cousening Oracles to cease,
And while the dumbe were taught Thee to confesse,
The Lyer was compell'd to hold his peace:
Was ever love &c.

The carnall Jewes did earnestly expect,
That Thou their broken scepter shoulds't connect,
But Thou a greater Kingdom cams't t'erect:
Was ever love &c.

Through Thee, they thought t'have bene avenged on,
Proud Rome, and not forgotten Babylon:
But Thou cam'st to destroy a greater throne:
Was ever love &c.

Bondslaves to sinne wee were, but Thou wer't Hee,
Who from this thraldome cams't to sett us free,
And with thy bloud dids't buy our libertye:
Was ever love &c.

Both Devills, and incarnate Devills sought,
To hinder Thee, in what Thou wertst about;
Thus Man against his Lord, and Saviour fought:
Was ever love &c.

The Preists consulted, how They might Thee kill,
The Pharises combin'd, thy blood to spill,
Because to save their soules it was thy will:
Was ever love &c.

The brutish Saduces Thou didst confute,
And mad'st the Scribes, and Pharises as mute
As mushromes, when they did 'gainst Thee dispute:
Was ever love like thine?

289

For in the Desert, Thou dids't first refell
Th' assaults of the old Sophister of Hell,
Therefore his Schollers, Thou mighs't vanquish well:
Was ever love &c.

But after many miracles achiev'd,
Thine owne Disciples scarce in thee beleev'd,
And with their incredulity, Thee griev'd:
Was ever love &c.

Though Thou, three yeares hadst them instructed well,
By words, and wonders, yet they could not tell,
The right sence, of this word Emanuel.
Was ever love &c.

So unfitt are the best of us to learne,
What doth our chiefest benefitt concerne,
And good from evill, aptly to discerne:
Was ever love &c.

Thou with few loaves, dids't thousands fill (wee reade)
To shew, that Thou, who a'rt the heavenly bread,
Shoulds't all refresh, which rightly on thee feede:
Was ever love &c.

Thou, with a word didst calme the surgeing seas,
At thy rebuke, the windes to rage did cease,
To shew, how Thou wer't God, and King of peace:
Was ever love &c.

To feede with sinners, Thou dids't not disdaine,
That by instructions, and examples plaine,
Thou mights't them to thy heavenly kingdome gaine:
Was ever love &c.

290

Dead bodyes, and dead soules Thou dids't revive;
None ever did such blessed physicke give,
With thine owne bloud, Thou mads't thy Patients live:
Was ever love &c.

No wicked Agag suffer'd by thy sword,
No Ananias perish'd by thy word;
Nothing but life, and health, Thou didst afford:
Was ever love &c.

When thy Disciples for destructive fire
Did call: Thou dids't reprove their zealous ire;
The death of sinners Thou dids't not desire:
Was ever love &c.

Thou cam'st not for to breake a reede that's brus'd,
To quench the smokeing flaxe Thou were't not us'd:
Sinners by Thee were not judg'd, but excus'd:
Was ever love &c.

Thou knewst, the Jewes thy ruine did intend,
And how they lay in wayte Thee t'apprehend,
Yet Thou woulds't to Jerusalem ascend:
Was ever love &c.

For triumph Thou didst ride on a yong asse,
The Jewes Hosannah cry'd, as Thou dids't passe,
Thy way with palmes, and garments strewed was:
Was ever love &c.

They cry'd Hosannah then, who afterward,
Cryd, Crucifye him: let the Thiefe bee spard:
More for a Thiefe, then for their King they car'd:
Was ever love &c.

291

Thou to comply with thy Deare Fathers will,
(Oh Lambe unspotted) didst the votes fulfill,
Of cruell wolves, who sought thy bloud to spill:
Was ever love &c.

Since from thy wounded corps, Thou well dids't know,
Such fructifyeing showres should spring, and flow,
As might make us, like Trees of life to grow:
Was ever love &c.

What can Man doe more then dye for's freind?
But Thou, (both God and Man) dids't condiscend
Even for thy Foes, thy pretious blood to spend:
Was ever love like thine?