The Works of Abraham Cowley/Volume 1/Christ's Passion, taken out of a Greek Ode, written by Mr. Masters of New-college in Oxford
VERSES
WRITTEN
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
CHRIST'S PASSION,
TAKEN OUT OF A GREEK ODE, WRITTEN BY MR. MASTERS, OF NEW-COLLEGE, IN OXFORD.
Enough, my Muse! of earthly things,
And inspirations but of wind;
Take up thy lute, and to it bind
Loud and everlasting strings;
And on them play, and to them sing,
The happy mournful stories,
The lamentable glories,
Of the great crucified King.
Mountainous heap of wonders! which dost rise
Till earth thou joinest with the skies!
Too large at bottom, and at top too high,
To be half seen by mortal eye!
How shall I grasp this boundless thing?
What shall I play? what shall I sing?
I'll sing the mighty riddle of mysterious love,
Which neither wretched men below, nor blessed spirits above,
With all their comments can explain;
How all the whole world's life to die did not disdain!
And inspirations but of wind;
Take up thy lute, and to it bind
Loud and everlasting strings;
And on them play, and to them sing,
The happy mournful stories,
The lamentable glories,
Of the great crucified King.
Mountainous heap of wonders! which dost rise
Till earth thou joinest with the skies!
Too large at bottom, and at top too high,
To be half seen by mortal eye!
How shall I grasp this boundless thing?
What shall I play? what shall I sing?
I'll sing the mighty riddle of mysterious love,
Which neither wretched men below, nor blessed spirits above,
With all their comments can explain;
How all the whole world's life to die did not disdain!
I'll sing the searchless depths of the compassion Divine,
The depths unfathom'd yet
By reason's plummet, and the line of wit;
Too light the plummet, and too short the line!
How the eternal Father did bestow
His own eternal Son as ransom for his foe,
I'll sing aloud, that all the world may hear
The triumph of the buried Conqueror.
How hell was by its prisoner captive led,
And the great slayer, Death, slain by the dead.
The depths unfathom'd yet
By reason's plummet, and the line of wit;
Too light the plummet, and too short the line!
How the eternal Father did bestow
His own eternal Son as ransom for his foe,
I'll sing aloud, that all the world may hear
The triumph of the buried Conqueror.
How hell was by its prisoner captive led,
And the great slayer, Death, slain by the dead.
Methinks I hear of murdered men the voice,
Mixt with the murderers' confused noise,
Sound from the top of Calvary;
My greedy eyes fly up the hill, and see
Who 't is hangs there the midmost of the three;
Oh, how unlike the others He!
Look, how he bends his gentle head with blessings from the tree!
His gracious hands, ne'er stretch'd but to do good,
Are nail'd to the infamous wood;
And sinful man docs fondly bind
The arms, which he extends t' embrace all humankind.
Mixt with the murderers' confused noise,
Sound from the top of Calvary;
My greedy eyes fly up the hill, and see
Who 't is hangs there the midmost of the three;
Oh, how unlike the others He!
Look, how he bends his gentle head with blessings from the tree!
His gracious hands, ne'er stretch'd but to do good,
Are nail'd to the infamous wood;
And sinful man docs fondly bind
The arms, which he extends t' embrace all humankind.
Unhappy man! canst thou stand by and see
All this as patient as he?
Since he thy sins does bear,
Make thou his sufferings thine own,
And weep, and sigh, and groan,
And beat thy breast, and tear
Thy garments and thy hair,
And let thy grief, and let thy love,
Through all thy bleeding bowels move.
Dost thou not see thy Prince in purple clad all o'er,
Not purple brought from the Sidonian shore,
But made at home with richer gore?
Dost thou not see the roses which adorn
The thorny garland by him worn?
Dost thou not see the livid traces
Of the sharp scourges' rude embraces?
If yet thou feelest not the smart
Of thorns and scourges in thy heart;
If that be yet not crucify'd;
Look on his hands, look on his feet, look on his side!
All this as patient as he?
Since he thy sins does bear,
Make thou his sufferings thine own,
And weep, and sigh, and groan,
And beat thy breast, and tear
Thy garments and thy hair,
And let thy grief, and let thy love,
Through all thy bleeding bowels move.
Dost thou not see thy Prince in purple clad all o'er,
Not purple brought from the Sidonian shore,
But made at home with richer gore?
Dost thou not see the roses which adorn
The thorny garland by him worn?
Dost thou not see the livid traces
Of the sharp scourges' rude embraces?
If yet thou feelest not the smart
Of thorns and scourges in thy heart;
If that be yet not crucify'd;
Look on his hands, look on his feet, look on his side!
Open, oh! open wide the fountains of thine eyes,
And let them call
Their stock of moisture forth where'er it lies!
For this will ask it all.
'T would all, alas! too little be,
Though thy salt tears come from a sea.
Canst thou deny him this, when he
And let them call
Their stock of moisture forth where'er it lies!
For this will ask it all.
'T would all, alas! too little be,
Though thy salt tears come from a sea.
Canst thou deny him this, when he
Has open'd all his vital springs for thee?
Take heed; for by his side's mysterious flood
May well be understood,
That he will still require some waters to his blood.
Take heed; for by his side's mysterious flood
May well be understood,
That he will still require some waters to his blood.