Seaventh chapter of Isai

Words and Music: Traditional English
(From MS. Cotton. Vesp. A. xxv. fol. 136, v⁰, written early in the sixteenth century.)

Source: Thomas Wright, Specimens of Old Christmas Carols Selected from Manuscripts and Printed Books (London: The Percy Society, 1841)

Who trustes Christes incarnatyone,
Are chyldren of salwacyone.

Seaventh chapter of Isai
A signe, a token ye shall se,
    Where that that he haith sayd,
Lo! a mad shall conceyve a chyld,
Of mans knowing be undefile,
    And still shall be a maide.

A mother maid a child to bringe,
Nowe who haithe hard of suche a thinge?
    Or who can tell at ffull
Howe that a maid a mother way,
Or howe this same is browght to pas?
    Mans wit it is to dull.

Signes now apon this maiden be,
That sso maye in verginitie,
    Onelye by will of God,
And still to be a maiden pure,
A childe bringe furthe against nature,
    Like flores of Arons rodde.

Another signe behold and se,
Upon this maid virginité,
    Trwlie of hir was ment
This fierie bushe that was so bright,
To Moises did give suche a light,
    And not one leafe was brent.

Another sing behould now, lo!
Of Sedrak, Misake, Abbednago,
    In a fornace concluded,
And not one hare of them adust;
As ys Godes wyll, Godes wyl be must,
    Yt cannot be refussed.

Who can deny but this ys trew,
What ys Godes wyll yt must ensew,
    And nature must applye?
Why dost thou, Jew, now musse now than,
That God may be both God and man,
    A mayde a mother be?

Now faith is this that must take place,
Therfore who so faith wyll embrace,
    And trust in Christ his birth,
As saith the scripture, they shalbe
With God above in his glory,
    Where ever shalbe mirth.

                FFINIS

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