Come to your heaven, you heavenly quires!
\nEarth hath the heaven of your desires;
\nRemove your dwelling to your God,
\nA stall is now His best abode;
\nSith men their homage do deny,
\nCome, angels, all their faults supply.<\/p>\n
His chilling cold doth heat require,
\nCome, seraphim, in lieu of fire;
\nThis little ark no cover hath,
\nLet cherubs’ wings his body swathe;
\nCome, Raphael, this babe must eat,
\nProvide our little Toby meat.<\/p>\n
Let Gabriel be now His groom,
\nThat first took up His earthly room;
\nLet Michael stand in His defence,
\nWhom love hath link’d to feeble sense;
\nLet graces rock when He doth cry,
\nAnd angels sing this lullaby.
The same you saw in heavenly seat,
\nIs He that now sucks Mary’s teat;
\nAgnize your King a mortal wight,
\nHis borrow’d weed lets not your sight;
\nCome, kiss the manger where He lies;
\nThat is your bliss above the skies.<\/p>\n
This little babe so few days old,
\nIs come to rifle Satan’s fold;
\nAll hell doth at His presence quake,
\nThough He Himself for cold do shake;
\nFor in this weak unarm\u00c3\u00a8d wise
\nThe gates of hell He will surprise.<\/p>\n
With tears He fights and wins the field,
\nHis naked breast stands for a shield,
\nHis battering shot are babish cries,
\nHis arrows, looks of weeping eyes,
\nHis martial ensigns, cold and need,
\nAnd feeble flesh His warrior’s steed.<\/p>\n
His camp is pitch\u00c3\u00a8d in a stall,
\nHis bulwark but a broken wall,
\nThe crib His trench, hay-stalks His stakes,
\nOf shepherds He His muster makes;
\nAnd thus, as sure His foe to wound,
\nThe angels’ trumps alarum sound.<\/p>\n
My soul, with Christ join thou in fight;
\nStick to the tents that He hath pight;
\nWithin His crib is surest ward,
\nThis little babe will be thy guard;
\nIf thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,
\nThen flit not from this heavenly boy.<\/p>\n
–Robert Southwell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Come to your heaven, you heavenly quires! Earth hath the heaven of your desires; Remove your dwelling to your God, A stall is now His best abode; Sith men their homage do deny, Come, angels, all their faults supply. His…<\/span><\/p>\n