But were it mine, I only pay a debt

To the remembrance of this benefit.

XIV.

CHRISTMAS-DAY, 1668.

This day by ufe commendable defign'd
To bear this great memorial, and remind
Forgetful mortals of that benefit

That was of greatest consequence, doth yet
Find various entertainment: Some decline
Its folemn ufe, as if we might configu

I

A Purim or a feaft to celebrate

Some victory, or to commemorate

Some Prince's birth-day; yet the wondrous birth
Of Him that was the Prince of Heaven and Earth,
Mankind's Deliverer, must neglected be,
Without a day to bear its memory.

Others there are that seem for to contend
For its obfervance; highly to pretend
To honour it; but 'tis with luxury,
Riot, intemperance, and vanity;

The dregs of all the year's excefs are brought
To this folemnity, as if they thought

Those fins that flew our Lord, the only train

For his reception, or to entertain

His birth-day. Thus they mock him, and yet cry Hofannah, kifs at once, and crucify.

Others again, with greater innocence,

Obferve this feaft, and yet without the fenfe

Of its true ufe, but only on the score

Of what their ancestors did do before.

They take the custom up, they make good cheer, And feaft and drefs the houfe with greens, and wear

Esth. ix. 20.

Their best apparel, reft from work, and they
Then think t'have kept it holiday.

And truly folemn figns are not amifs,

To welcome fuch a feftival as this.

The great and wife Creator, when his hand

Had wrought fome great deliverance, did command
That folemn days, and figns', and monuments,
Obvious to fenfe, fhould be the inftruments
To propagate their memory 3, that might
Be legible to children, and invite

Their search into the things they meant; whereby,
Together with the figns, the memory

And evidence of things of note might reach
To after-times, and prove as well as teach.
These great examples feem to justify
Such unforbidden figns, to testify
Our faith and joy. But yet this is not all
This feast designs; but it doth chiefly call
For more even lawful figns alone are dry
And empty shells of this folemnity.
The mercies that this day imports, require
Thy ferious attention, to admire
The greatness of the wonder, and the love
Thy God at this day fhewed thee, above
Thy expectation or defert; the fpring

Of all thy hopes and joys, that with it brings
Mankind's deliverance; it bids thee praise
And magnify his goodness, and to raise
Thy highest gratitude. And though thy best
Returns can never recompenfe the least
Mercies, and much less this, nor yet arise
Unto an aufwerable facrifice,

Thou hast a little cabinet may make

A welcome New-year's-gift; thy Lord will take

1 Josh, iv. 6. ? Deut. xii. 16.

2 R2

S Exod. xii. 14. 26.

This

This little present well, and in good part,
Because thy beft. Give to thy God thy heart ';
I mean thy Will, thy Love, thy Truth, thy Fear,
Thy beft, Affections that inhabit there

In that fmall cell. 'Tis true, thou giv'ft no more
Than what of right was juftly his before;
Befides, thy heart is foul; yet he'll accept

And take it well; 'tis all he doth expect.
Nor is this guilt thy lofs, he'll make it clean 2,
Fill it with grace, and give it thee again,

CHRISTMAS-DAY, 1661.

BLESSED Redeemer! we do meet this day
Of thy Nativity, as well we may,

With figns of joy and wonder; we do write
Thy name upon it, and feem with delight |
To welcome its return; we trim and drefs
Our houses all with greens, and feem no lefs
Joyful to entertain the happy news

Of thy defcent from Heaven, than once the Jews
Did thy defcent from Olivet; we fing

Hofannas 3 at this Birth-day of our King;
And furely 'tis well done, but 'tis not all;
Christian, from thee this folemn day doth call
For fomewhat more, without which all the rest
but empty compliments at best:
Thy Lord must be thy life; thou must be brought
Under his yoke and rule; thou must be wrought
Into his likenefs; Chrift muft formed be

Will prove

First in his Virgin Mother 4, then in thee.

Psalm li 10. Exek. xi. 19

1 Prov. xxxii. 26.

XVI.

CHRISTMAS-DAY, 1659.

BUT art thou come, dear Saviour? hath thy love Thus made thee stoop, and leave thy throne above

The lofty Heavens, and thus thyself to drefs

In duft, to vifit mortals? Could no lefs
A condefcenfion ferve? And, after all,

The mean reception of a cratch and ftall!
Dear Lord, I'll fetch thee thence, I have a room;
'Tis poor, but 'tis my beft, if thou wilt come
Within fo fmall a cell, where I would fain
Mine and the World's Redeemer entertain,
I mean my Heart; 'tis fluttish, I confess;
And will not mend thy lodging, Lord, unless
Thou fend before thy harbinger, I mean
Thy pure and purging Grace, to make it clean,
And fweep its nafty corners; then I'll try
To wash it also with a weeping eye:

And when 'tis fwept and washt, I then will go,
And with thy leave I'll fetch fome flowers that grow
In thine own garden, Faith, and Love to thee;
With those I'll drefs it up, and thefe fhall be
My rosemary and bays. Yet when my best
Is done, the room's not fit for such a guest.
But here's the cure, thy prefence, Lord, alone
Will make a stall a court; a cratch a throne.

XVII.

WITHOUT DATE.

THE Prince of Heaven, from amidst the throng Of glorious Angels, did come down among

His earthly cottagers, and did enshrine,

In veil of flesh, his Majefty divine.

' Luke ii. 7.

But

But they scarce owned their Prince, nor can afford
No better presence-chamber for their Lord,
But a poor ftable, nor no better chair

Of state, but what their kinder beafts could spare,
A manger. Bleffed Lord! fuch a receit
Might have provok'd thy glory to retreat
To Heaven again, but that thy great respects
To man's falvation conquer'd all neglects.
But yet, my dearest Lord! methinks I fain
Would find fome better place to entertain
Thy Majefty with more refpect; I have
A little room, where I would gladly crave
Thy refidence; not that I think it fit
For thy receit or Majefty; but yet
It is the best I have; befides, I find
In fomewhat I have read, it fuits thy mind:
My Heart I mean; it is, I do confess,
A little narrow lodging, and much less
Than doth become fo great a gueft; befide,
Another fault I may not, cannot hide,
It is but foul and fluttish, worfe I fear
Than was thy Bethlehem ftable, so that here
Thy lodging will be changed, not mended; yet
If thee into my heart I can but get,

Thy refidence will cleanse and better it;

And though it finds it not, 'twill make it fit

For thy receit, thy prefence: Chrift alone

Turns earth to heaven, and makes a stall a throne,

THE END OF VOL. II.

Printed by R, Wilks, 89, Chancery-Lane.