{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/213/2130240.htm","path":"chr/ecf/213/2130240.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/213/2130240.htm","text":"(Resp.\u2014Blessed be he who became beyond measure low, that he might make us beyond measure great)\n1. Of the Birth of the Firstborn, let us tell on His Feast-day. 505 \u2014He gives on His day, secret comforts.\u2014If the unclean King at his feast, in memory of his day,\u2014gave the gift of wrath, the head in a charger,\u2014how much more shall the Blessed, give blessings to him\u2014who sings praise at His Feast!\n2. Let us not count our vigil like vigils of every day.\u2014His feast, its reward, exceeds an hundredfold.\u2014For this feast makes war, on sleep by its vigil;\u2014speaking it makes war, on silence by its voice;\u2014clad with all blessings, it is chief of feasts,\u2014and of every joy.\n3. To-day the angels, and the archangels,\u2014descended to sing\u2014a new song on earth.\u2014In this mystery they descend, and rejoice with the vigil-keepers.\u2014At the time when they gave praise, blasphemy abounded.\u2014Blessed be the Birth by which, lo! the world resounds\u2014with anthems of praise.\n4. For this is the night that joined, the Watchers on high with the vigil-keepers.\u2014The Watcher came to make watchers in the midst of creation.\u2014Lo! the vigil-keepers are made comrades with the Watchers:\u2014the singers of praise are made, companions of the Seraphs.\u2014Blessed be he who becomes, the harp of Thy praise!\u2014and Thy grace becomes his reward.\n5. The Birth then of the Firstborn, I will sing and tell how\u2014the Godhead in the womb wove itself a vesture.\u2014He put it on and came forth in birth, in death again put it off;\u2014once he put it off, twice He put it on.\u2014On the left He wore it, then took it off thence,\u2014and laid it at the right.\n6. He dwelt in a narrow bosom, the Might that rules all.\u2014While He was dwelling there, He held the reins of the whole:\u2014to His Father He made offering, that He might fulfil His Will:\u2014Heaven was filled by Him, and every creature.\u2014The Sun entered the womb, and in the height and the depth\u2014his splendour abode.\n7. He dwelt in the wide bosoms, of all the creatures;\u2014too narrow to hold, the greatness of the Firstborn.\u2014How then sufficed for it, that bosom of Mary?\u2014Marvellous if it sufficed, bewilderment if it sufficed not.\u2014Of all bosoms that held Him, one bosom sufficed for Him,\u2014His, the Supreme Who begat Him.\n8. The bosom that held Him, if it held Him Wholly,\u2014equals the wondrous bosom, of the Supreme Who begat Him.\u2014But who dare say the bosom, that is narrow weak and lowly,\u2014is equal to His, Who is the Supreme Being?\u2014He dwelt there of His mercy, though so great is His Nature:\u2014it is without bound.\n9. Reconciling Peace, sent to the nations!\u2014gladdening Brightness, that camest to the sad!\u2014Mighty Leaven in silence, overcoming all!\u2014Patient One that hast taken, man after man in Thy net!\u2014Happy he who has welcomed, thy joy in his heart,\u2014and forgot his groans in Thee!\np. 251 10. They sounded forth peace, the Watchers to the vigil-keepers.\u2014Among the vigil-keepers the good tidings, were announced by the Watchers.\u2014Who would sleep on that night, which has waked all creatures?\u2014For they bear good tidings of peace, where warfare had been.\u2014Blessed is he who has pleased, the Divine Majesty by his silence,\u2014when speaking moved His wrath!\n11. Watchers mixed with watchers, they rejoiced that the world came to life.\u2014The Evil One was shamed who was king, and had woven a crown of lies;\u2014and set up his throne, as God in the world.\u2014The Babe laid in the manger, cast him from his dominion.\u2014The Sun rendered worship, doing Him homage by his Magi;\u2014in his worshippers he worshipped Him.\n12. God saw that mankind, worship things created:\u2014He put on a created body, that in our custom He might capture us.\u2014Lo! in this our form, He that formed us healed us;\u2014and in this created shape, our Creator gave us life.\u2014He drew us not by force: blessed be He Who came in ours,\u2014and joined us in His!\n13. Who would not marvel, at Mary, David\u2019s daughter,\u2014bearing an infant, and her virginity kept!\u2014She lays Him on her breast, and lulls Him with song and He rejoices.\u2014The Angels raise hymns, the Seraphs cry \u201cHoly,\u201d\u2014the Magi offer, acceptable gifts,\u2014to the Son Who is born.\n14. O great above measure, immeasurably made low,\u2014praised beyond praises, debased to humiliation!\u2014the tender mercies laid on Thee, bowed Thee down to all this;\u2014let Thy grace bow me down, though evil to give praise!\u2014Happy he who becomes, a fountain of voices,\u2014all praising Thee in all!\n15. He was servant on earth; He is Lord in Heaven.\u2014Heir of height and depth, He became a stranger:\u2014Whom men judged in guile, He is judge in truth:\u2014He Whose face they spat on, breathes His Spirit on theirs:\u2014He Who held the frail reed, is become the staff of the world,\u2014which grows old and leans on Him.\n16. He Who rose to wait on His servants, now sits to be worshipped.\u2014Whom the scribes despised, before Him Seraphs cry \u201cHoly.\u201d\u2014This praise Adam desired, to steal privily.\u2014The serpent which made him fall, saw to what height he was raised:\u2014he crushed it because it deceived him; the feet of Eve trod it down,\u2014which had sent venom into her ears.\n17. The wife proved barren, and withheld her fruit;\u2014but the bosom of Mary, holily conceived.\u2014To wonder at fields, and to admire plants\u2014she needed not who received, and rendered what she borrowed not.\u2014Nature confessed its defeat; the womb was aware of it,\u2014and restored what Nature gave not.\n18. Mary was defeated, in the judgment by Elizabeth.\u2014She that was barren pleaded, that the Will which prevailed\u2014to close the open door, has opened the closed.\u2014He has made childless the married womb; He has made fruitful the virgin womb.\u2014Because the People were accurst faithless, He made her that was married,\u2014held from bearing before the face of the maiden.\n19. He Who could give moisture, to breasts barren and dead,\u2014caused them to fail in youth, made them to flow in age;\u2014forced and changed nature, in its season and out of its season.\u2014The Lord of natures changed, the Virgin\u2019s nature.\u2014Because the People were barren, He made her that was aged,\u2014a mouth on behalf of the damsel.\n20. And as He began at birth, He went on and fulfilled in death.\u2014His Birth received worship; His Death paid the debt.\u2014As He came to His Birth, the Magi worshipped Him;\u2014again He came to His Passion, and the thief sought refuge in Him\u2014Between His Birth and Death, midway He set the world:\u2014in birth and Death he gave it life.\n21. Thousand thousands stand, and ten thousand thousands haste.\u2014The thousands p. 252 and ten thousands, cannot search out the One:\u2014for all of them stand, in silence to serve.\u2014He has no heir of His Throne, save the Son Who is of Him.\u2014In the midst of silence is the enquiry into Him, when the watchers come to search Him out,\u2014they attain to silence and are stayed.\n22. The Firstborn entered the womb, and the pure Virgin was not harmed.\u2014He stirred and came forth in her travail, and the fair Mother was troubled by Him.\u2014Glorious and unseen in entering, humble and manifest in issuing;\u2014for He was God in entering, and He was man in issuing.\u2014A marvel and bewilderment to hear: fire entered the womb; put on a body and came forth!\n23. Gabriel chief of Angels, called Him \u201cMy Lord\u201d:\u2014he called Him \u201cMy Lord,\u201d to teach that He was his Lord, not his fellow.\u2014Gabriel had with him, Michael as fellow:\u2014the Son is Lord of the servants; exalted is His Nature as His Name.\u2014No servant can search Him out; for the greater the servant,\u2014He is great above His servant.\n24. When they stand before Thee, the watchers with songs of praise,\u2014they know not in what part, they shall discern Thee.\u2014They have sought Thee above in the height; they have seen Thee below in the depth:\u2014they have searched for Thee in the midst of heaven; they have seen Thee in the midst of the abyss:\u2014they have discerned Thee beside Him that is worshipped; they have found Thee in the midst of the creatures:\u2014they have come down to Thee and sung Glory to Thee.\n25. Thou art all wonderful, in all parts where we seek Thee.\u2014Near art Thou,\u2014and far, and who may attain to Thee?\u2014No seeking avails, that its stretch should reach unto Thee.\u2014Whereon it stretches to reach Thee, it is checked and stops,\u2014it falls short of Thy mountain; Faith reaches thither,\u2014and Love with prayer.\n26. The Magi also sought Him, and in the manger when they found Him,\u2014instead of scrutiny worship, they offered Him in silence;\u2014for empty strivings, oblations gave they Him.\u2014Seek thou too the Firstborn, and if thou find Him in the height,\u2014instead of troubled questionings, open thy treasures before Him,\u2014and offer Him thy works.","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. XIII: Selections from the Hymns and Homilies of Ephraim the Syrian and from the Demonstrations of Aphrahat the Persian Sage.: Hymn XIV.","type":"page"}