[Page 8]
PARAPHRASE
On Joh. 3. 16. For God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c.
I.
[Page 9]1 YEs; so God loved the World; But where
2 Are this Great Loves Dimensions?
3 Even Angels stop; for, baffled here
4 Are their vast Apprehensions.
5 In vain they strive to Grasp the boundless thing;
6 Not all their Comments can explain the mighty Truth I Sing.
II.
7 Yet still they pause on the Contents
8 Of this Amazing Story;
9 How he that fill'd the wide extents
10 Of Uncreated Glory?
11 He whom the Heaven of Heavens cou'd not contain;
12 Shou'd yet within the Sacred Maids contracted Womb remain.
III.
[Page 10]13 They see him Born, and hear him Weep,
14 To aggravate their Wonder;
15 Whose Awful Voice had shook the Deep,
16 And Breath'd his Will in Thunder:
17 That Awful Voice, chang'd to an Infant's Cry;
18 Whilst in a Feeble Woman's Arms he seems constrain'd to lye.
IV.
19 A God (Ah! Where are Humane boasts?)
20 Extended in a Manger?
21 The Lord of all the Heavenly Hosts
22 Expos'd to Scorn and Danger?
23 The Onely Blest, the All-sufficient Weeps:
24 But Oh, who Guides the Staggering World, while its Protector Sleeps?
V.
25 And canst thou Man ungrateful prove.
26 When 'twas for thy Salvation,
27 He left those Splendid Seats above,
28 His late bright Habitation?
29 Where all his Deity Shone, without the Allay
30 Of a Seraphick Vehicle, or deficated Clay.
VI.
31 Where he Transcendently possest
32 The Fullness of Perfection:
33 Tho here benighted and opprest,
34 The Type of all Dejection.
[Page 11]35 He asks for Food, that gave the Ravens Bread;
36 And the Great Founder of the World wants
37 where to lay his Head.
VII.
38 But Oh what Dark Catastrophe
39 Does Hell at last Conspire!
40 Behold! upon a Cursed Tree
41 The Lord of Life Expire:
42 From this, Amaz'd, the Sun withdraws his Eye,
43 Afraid to see his Maker Bleed, and the Eternal Dye.
VIII.
[Page 12]44 The Seraphims that throng'd about,
45 'Twixt Hope and Consternation;
46 Now Blaze the Wondrous News throughout
47 The Radiant Corporation:
48 Who vainly strive the Mistery to scan,
49 And Fathom the Stupendious Depths of this
50 Great Love to Man.
IX.
51 He on the Rights of Justice stood,
52 With their Exalted Nature,
53 That now, through Streams of Sacred Blood
54 Wafts the Terrestial Creature;
55 Wafts Dusty-Man to that Felicity,
56 Which the Apostate Son of Light must never hope to see.
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About this text
Author: Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer)
Themes:
biblical history
Genres:
ode
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Rowe, Elizabeth Singer, 1674-1737. Poems on several occasions. Written by Philomela. London: Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-street, 1696, pp. 8-12. [24],72,69,[11]p.; 8⁰ (ESTC R7317; OTA A57734)
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Other works by Elizabeth Rowe (née Singer)
- And, though after my Skin, Worms destroy this Body, yet in my Flesh shall I see God, Job 19. 26. ()
- The ATHENIANS ()
- The Athenians Answer, to the Foregoing Poem. ()
- The Athenians Answer. ()
- The Athenians Answer. ()
- The Athenians Answer. ()
- By Dispair. ()
- THE Expostulation. ()
- THE FABLE of PHAETON Paraphrased From OVID's METAMORPHOSIS. ()
- A Farewel to LOVE. ()
- THE Female Passion, ()
- THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH: A POEM ()
- HUMANE LOVE: ()
- LOVE and FRIENDSHIP: A PASTORAL. ()
- On Mrs. Rebecka. ()
- Paraphrase on Cant. 5. 6. &c. ()
- Paraphrase on Canticles, 7. 11. ()
- Paraphrase on Malachy 3. 14. ()
- Paraphrase on Micha. 6. 6, 7. ()
- Paraphrase on Revel. chap. 1. from v. 13. to v. 18. ()
- A Paraphrase on the CANTICLES. ()
- Parthenea, an ELEGY. ()
- A Pastoral Elegy. ()
- A Pastoral on the QUEEN. ()
- A PASTORAL. ()
- Pharaphrase on John 21. 17. ()
- A Pindarick POEM on HABBAKUK. ()
- A Pindarick, to the Athenian Society. ()
- Platonick Love. ()
- A POEM Occasioned by the report of the Queens Death. ()
- A Poetical Question concerning the Jacobites, sent to the Athenians. ()
- The RAPTURE. ()
- The Reflection. ()
- The Reply to Mr. — ()
- A SONG. ()
- Thoughts on Death. ()
- To a very Young Gentleman at a Dancing-School. ()
- TO CELINDA. ()
- To Madam S— at the Court. ()
- To Mr. — — on his POEM. ()
- TO Mrs. MARY FRIEND; Knowing her but by Report. ()
- To my Lady CARTERET. ()
- To one that perswades me to leave the Muses. ()
- TO ORESTES. ()
- TO Sir CHAREES SEDLEY. ()
- TO STREPHON. ()
- To the Honourable Mrs. E— Stretchy. ()
- To the same Gentleman. ()
- Upon King William's passing the Boyn, &c. ()
- The Vanity of the World, In a Poem to the Athenians. ()
- Verses written by Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, on her drawing the Lord Boyle's Picture. ()
- The Vision. To Theron. ()
- THE WISH, IN A POEM TO THE ATHENIANS. ()