Silex scintillans, or, Sacred poems and priuate eiaculations by Henry Vaughan ...

The Shepheards.

SWeet, harmles lives! (on whose holy leisure Waits Innocence and pleasure;) Whose leaders to those pastures, and cleer springs, Were Patriarchs, Saints, and Kings, How happend it that in the dead of night You only saw true light, While Palestine was fast a sleep, and lay Without one thought of Day? Was it because those first and blessed swains Were pilgrims on those plains When they receiv'd the promise, for which now 'I was there first shown to you? 'Tis true, he loves that Dust whereon they go That serve him here below, And therefore might for memory of those His love there first disclose; But wretched Salem once his love, must now No voice, nor vision know,

Her stately Piles with all their height and pride Now languished and died, And Bethlems humble Cotts above them stept While all her Seers slept; Her Cedar, firr, hew'd stones and gold were all Polluted through their fall, And those once sacred mansions were now Meer emptiness and show, This made the Angel call at reeds and thatch, Yet where the shepheards watch, And Gods own lodging (though he could not lack,) To be a common Rack; No costly pride, no soft-cloath'd luxurie In those thin Cels could lie, Each stirring wind and storm blew through their Cots Which never harbour'd plots, Only Content, and love, and humble joys Lived there without all noise, Perhaps some harmless Cares for the next day Did in their bosomes play, As where to lead their sheep, what silent nook, What springs or shades to look, But that was all; And now with gladsome care They for the town prepare, They leave their flock, and in a busie talk All towards Bethlem walk To see their souls great shepheard, who was come To bring all straglers home, Where now they find him out, and taught before That Lamb of God adore, That Lamb whose daies great Kings and Prophets wish'd And long'd to see, but miss'd. The first light they beheld was bright and gay And turn'd their night to day, But to this later light they saw in him, Their day was dark, and dim.