An Excellent Ballad of the Birth and Passion of our
Saviour Christ. Tune is, Dulcina.
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JUry came to Jerusalem,
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(all the world was taxed then)
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Blessed Mary brought to Bethelem,
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more then all the world agen:
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A Gift so blest,
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So good, the best
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That e're was seen, was heard, or done;
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A King, a Christ,
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Prophet and Priest,
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A Jesus, God, a Man, a Son.
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Happy night, a day was never
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half so happy, sweet, and fair,
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Singing Souldiers blessed ever,
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fill'd the sky with sweetest ayr:
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Amaz'd men fear,
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They see, they hear,
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Yet doubt and ask how this was done;
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'Twas bid behold,
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It was foretold,
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This night hath God himself a Son.
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There appears a Golden Usher,
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Kings attending on his Train;
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The bright Sun could not out-blush her,
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such a Star ne'r shone again:
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See now it stays,
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Seeming it says,
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Go in and see what there is done,
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a Child whose birth,
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joy's Heaven and Earth,
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Jesus to us, to God a Son.
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Subtil Herod sought to find him,
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with a purpose black as Hell,
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But a greater power confin'd him,
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and his purpose did repel:
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who should betray,
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do all obey,
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And fitting it was it should be done:
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they all adore,
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and kneel before
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This God and Man, to Man a Son.
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'Twas upon a Comets blazing,
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Cuma to Augustus said,
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This foreshews an act amazing,
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for a Mother still a Maid:
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a Babe must bear,
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that all must fear,
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And suddenly it must be done:
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nay, Caesar thou
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to him must bow,
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He's God, a Man, to God a Son.
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Is not this a blessed wonder,
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God is Man, and Man is God,
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Foolish Jewes mistook the thunder,
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should proclaim this King abroad:
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Angels they sing,
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behold the King,
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In Bethelem where this was done,
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then we as they,
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rejoyce and say,
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We have a Saviour, God a Son.
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TUrn your eyes that are affixed
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of this worlds deceiving things,
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And with joys and sorrows mixed,
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look upon the King of Kings:
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who left his Throne,
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with joys unknown,
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Took flesh like ours, like us drew breath,
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for us to dye,
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here fix your eye,
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And think upon his precious Death.
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See him in the Garden praying,
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whilst his sad Disciples sleep,
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See him in the Garden sweating
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drops of blood, and how he weep'd:
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as Man he was,
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he wept, alas,
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And trembling fear to lose his breath,
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yet to Heavens will,
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he yielded still,
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Then think upon his precious Death.
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See him by the Souldiers taken,
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when with Ave and a Kiss,
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He that Heaven had quite-forsaken,
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had betray'd him, and with this,
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behold him bound,
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and guarded round,
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To Caiphas bourn to lose his breath,
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there see the Jews,
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Heavens King abuse,
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Then think upon his precious Death.
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See him in the Hands of Pilate,
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like a base offender stript,
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See the moan and tears they smile at,
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while they see our Saviour whip'd:
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behold him bleed,
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his purple weed,
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Record while you have life and breath,
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his taunts and scorns,
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his Crowns of throns,
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O think upon his precious Death.
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See him in the hour of parting,
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hanging on the bloody Cross,
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See his wounds, conceive his smarting,
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and our gain by his lifes loss:
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on either side,
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a Fellon dy'd,
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The one derides him leaving breath,
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the other prays,
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and humbly says,
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O save me by thy precious Death.
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See how in these pangs he thirsted,
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and that heat to cold did call,
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Now these Jews (like Judas) cursed,
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bring him Vinegar and Gall:
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his Spirit then,
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to Heaven agen,
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Commended with his latest breath,
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the world he leaves,
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that Men deceives,
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O think upon his precious Death.
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