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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Transportat. XIV. The Infant sought by Herod to be destroied.
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 | The Blessed Birth-day |  |
Transportat. XIV. The Infant sought by Herod to be destroied.
Is this into the world thy welcome Lord?
Is this the entertainment men afford
To thee, who com'st from heauen to blisse the earth
To handsel with thy bloud thy blessed Birth?
No sooner borne but forthwith sought to dy,
Enforc't ere thou canst goe or creepe to flie?
Will they as soone as thou to earth art come
Needs send thee back vnto thy heavenly home?
And must the Butcher and the Midwife striue
He how to slay, she how to keepe aliue?
Is this the entertainment men afford
To thee, who com'st from heauen to blisse the earth
To handsel with thy bloud thy blessed Birth?
No sooner borne but forthwith sought to dy,
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Will they as soone as thou to earth art come
Needs send thee back vnto thy heavenly home?
And must the Butcher and the Midwife striue
He how to slay, she how to keepe aliue?
Herod, what hast? Adjourne thy cruelty,
He had not come but that he meant to dy,
But not as soone as to the World hee's showne,
Nor yet by mans appointment but his owne.
Think'st thou to haue his life at thy command
Who hath both thine and all mens in his hand?
What King what Creature else can him depriue
Of life, by whom all Kings all Creatures liue?
He had not come but that he meant to dy,
But not as soone as to the World hee's showne,
Nor yet by mans appointment but his owne.
Think'st thou to haue his life at thy command
Who hath both thine and all mens in his hand?
What King what Creature else can him depriue
Of life, by whom all Kings all Creatures liue?
The power of his owne life he doth retaine
To lay it downe, and take it vp againe:
None takes it from him till it be his minde,
And then 'tis not tane from him but resign'd.
But first much heavenly Doctrine must be taught
And to confirme it mighty wonders wrought:
Water must into wine be chang'd to proue
'Tis he that turnes Gods wrath into his loue:
Blinde borne must see, lame leape, dumbe speake, deaf heare
That so strong God in weake man may appeare.
Fowl leprous bodies clensed must proclaime
That leprous soules are cured by the same:
Divels by him dislodg'd must shew that he.
Emancipates vs from Hels slauery.
Seas raging Tempests calm'd by his controul
Must tell who 'tis that stills the troubled soul:
The dead must first be vnto life restor'd
To shew that he of life and death is Lord.
Death is the last of that malignant crue
Whom he by dying meaneth to subdue.
That which is now in vaine desir'd by thee
An other Herod shall hereafter see.
To lay it downe, and take it vp againe:
None takes it from him till it be his minde,
And then 'tis not tane from him but resign'd.
But first much heavenly Doctrine must be taught
And to confirme it mighty wonders wrought:
Water must into wine be chang'd to proue
'Tis he that turnes Gods wrath into his loue:
Blinde borne must see, lame leape, dumbe speake, deaf heare
That so strong God in weake man may appeare.
Fowl leprous bodies clensed must proclaime
That leprous soules are cured by the same:
Divels by him dislodg'd must shew that he.
Emancipates vs from Hels slauery.
Seas raging Tempests calm'd by his controul
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The dead must first be vnto life restor'd
To shew that he of life and death is Lord.
Death is the last of that malignant crue
Whom he by dying meaneth to subdue.
That which is now in vaine desir'd by thee
An other Herod shall hereafter see.
This Herod who so soone would him destroy,
More hasty is then any Butchers boy,
No butcher is so fell, but will allow
The new-falne Lamb some little time to grow:
For well he knowes it is not fit for food,
While yet the milke is hardly turn'd to blood.
This Lamb is sought to render vp his life
While yet his throat is lesser then the knife.
When others are not tane till they be meat,
This Lamb is sought to bleed ere he can bleat.
O Lambs an harmelesse yet an haplesse creature
Who haue so many enemies in nature!
So many that doe seeke on you to prey,
And thinke you wrong them by a small delay.
While the poore Ewe is yet her Lambkin licking
The Raven thinks it long ere he be picking.
More hasty is then any Butchers boy,
No butcher is so fell, but will allow
The new-falne Lamb some little time to grow:
For well he knowes it is not fit for food,
While yet the milke is hardly turn'd to blood.
This Lamb is sought to render vp his life
While yet his throat is lesser then the knife.
When others are not tane till they be meat,
This Lamb is sought to bleed ere he can bleat.
O Lambs an harmelesse yet an haplesse creature
Who haue so many enemies in nature!
So many that doe seeke on you to prey,
And thinke you wrong them by a small delay.
While the poore Ewe is yet her Lambkin licking
The Raven thinks it long ere he be picking.
'Tis still thy lot ô Lord. No sooner brought
To life art thou but straight thy death is sought.
No sooner now in Bethelem thou borne art
(The howse of bread, the true beleeuers heart)
But Hels fierce Herod and his cursed Court
Sore vext and sore perplext at the report,
Doe seeke thine Infant-life away to take
Whose very name makes King and Kingdome quake:
No marvell if he seeke to take away
Thy life, who com'st to saue whom he would slay,
Who knowes his kingdome soone will be deiected
Where once thy righteous Scepter is erected.
To life art thou but straight thy death is sought.
No sooner now in Bethelem thou borne art
(The howse of bread, the true beleeuers heart)
But Hels fierce Herod and his cursed Court
Sore vext and sore perplext at the report,
Doe seeke thine Infant-life away to take
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No marvell if he seeke to take away
Thy life, who com'st to saue whom he would slay,
Who knowes his kingdome soone will be deiected
Where once thy righteous Scepter is erected.
In spite of Hell and hellish Herod too,
And maugre all their spite and spleene can doe,
O let my soule a little Bethlehem bee,
(An house of Bread) and be thou borne in mee:
Thou who from Heaven did'st bring the bread of life:
I'le never dread the cruel Tyrants knife.
Christ once in Christians borne is never slaine
And saueth those in whom he doth remaine.
Rage Hell, rage Herod, and with envy burst,
Let all th'Infernall furies doe their worst.
Thou who an Infant sau'dst thy selfe by fleeing,
Shalt by abiding saue my soule from dying.
How can I perish? Life doth me preserue:
Here is the bread of life, how can I starue?
O let it be my care Lord, to keepe thee,
And then I shall be sure thou wilt keepe mee.
And maugre all their spite and spleene can doe,
O let my soule a little Bethlehem bee,
(An house of Bread) and be thou borne in mee:
Thou who from Heaven did'st bring the bread of life:
I'le never dread the cruel Tyrants knife.
Christ once in Christians borne is never slaine
And saueth those in whom he doth remaine.
Rage Hell, rage Herod, and with envy burst,
Let all th'Infernall furies doe their worst.
Thou who an Infant sau'dst thy selfe by fleeing,
Shalt by abiding saue my soule from dying.
How can I perish? Life doth me preserue:
Here is the bread of life, how can I starue?
O let it be my care Lord, to keepe thee,
And then I shall be sure thou wilt keepe mee.
| The Blessed Birth-day | |