SR
← The Lamentation of a Sinner/Book 1 · The Lamentation of a Sinner
Chapter 6ParrLament.1.6

The Book of the Crucifix

The Free Gift of the Son

God's supreme love is shown in freely giving His only Son, not as a lord but as a suffering servant, to wash us with His precious blood and enrich us with all good things.

First we must consider — indeed, we must believe without a doubt, with a perfect faith — that God sent him to us freely, for he gave him; he did not sell him.✦ He could not have given a nobler or richer gift. He did not send a servant or a friend, but his only Son, so dearly loved — not into pleasures, riches, and honors, but into crosses, poverty, and slander; not as a lord, but as a servant.✦ Yes, and through the most shameful and painful sufferings, to wash us: not with water, but with his own precious blood; not from ordinary mud, but from the filth and mire of our iniquities.✦1 He has given him not to make us poor, but to enrich us with his divine virtues, merit, and graces; yes, and in him he has given us all good things; and, finally, himself — and that with such great love as cannot be put into words.✦2

The Highest Charity

God's charity is shown in Christ's sacrifice for enemies, opening the way for us to behold divine perfections, making inward contemplation of the crucified Christ the best meditation.

Wasn't it the highest and most abundant charity of God to send Christ to shed his blood, to lose honor, life, and everything for his enemies?✦ Even at the time when we had done him the worst harm, he was the first to show us his charity—with such flames of love that none greater could be shown.✦ God in Christ has opened the way for us—though of ourselves we are weak and blind—so that even in this miserable state we may behold the great wisdom, goodness, and truth, with all the other godly perfections that are in Christ.3 Therefore, to behold Christ crucified on the cross inwardly is the best and most godly meditation there can be.✦

Lessons from the Cross

In Christ crucified we see the soul's beauty, the world's vanity and cruelty, and the depth of Christ's suffering love.

We can also see, in Christ crucified, the beauty of the soul better than in all the books of the world. For whoever, with living faith, sees and feels in spirit that Christ the Son of God has died for the satisfaction and purification of the soul will see that his soul is appointed to be the very tabernacle and dwelling of the immeasurable and incomprehensible majesty and honor of God.✦4 We also see in Christ crucified how vain and foolish the world is, and how Christ, being most wise, despised it. We also see how blind it is, because it does not know Christ, but persecutes him.✦ We also see how unkind the world is: by the killing of Christ at the very time he was showing it the greatest favor.5 How hard and obstinate it was, that it would not be softened by so many tears!✦ Such sweat, and so much blood, shed by the Son of God, suffering with such great and high charity!✦6

The Book of the Crucifix

The cross reveals the world's evil, weighs our sins, shows God's mercy, and teaches us to know our own misery and God's love.

Therefore, anyone who still doesn't see how vain, foolish, false, ungrateful, cruel, hard, wicked, and evil the world is is very blind. In Christ crucified, we can also weigh our sins as if on a divine scale. How grievous and how heavy they are, since they have crucified Christ—for they never could have been balanced except by the great and precious weight of the blood of the Son of God.✦7 And so God, out of his great goodness, determined that his blessed Son should suffer bloodshed rather than let our sins condemn us. We will never know our own misery and wretchedness except by the light of Christ crucified. Then we will see our own cruelty when we feel his mercy, and our own unrighteousness and iniquity when we see his righteousness and holiness. Therefore, to truly know our own sins is to study the book of the crucifix by living continually in faith; and to have perfect and abundant love is to learn first, by faith, the love that is in God toward us.8

The All-Sufficient Book

The cross reveals the pains of hell and joys of heaven, contains all truth necessary for salvation, and calls us to study it with thanksgiving.

In Christ on the cross we can also see how great the pains of hell are, and how blessed the joys of heaven; and what a sharp, painful thing it will be for those who will be deprived of that sweet, happy, and glorious joy—Christ himself.9 So this crucifix is the book in which God has included everything, and has written most concisely all truth that is profitable and necessary for our salvation.10 Therefore let's make every effort to study this book, so that we, enlightened by the Spirit of God, may give him thanks for such a great benefit.11

Read the original English

First it is to be considered ─ yea, to be undoubtedly, with a perfect faith believed ─ that God sent him to us freely, for he did give him, and sold him not. A more noble and rich gift he could not have given. He sent not a servant or a friend, but his only Son, so dearly beloved; not in delights, riches and honours, but in crosses, poverties and slanders; not as a lord, but as a servant. Yea, and in most vile and painful passions to wash us: not with water, but with his own precious blood; not from mire, but from the puddle and filth of our iniquities. He hath given him not to make us poor, but to enrich us with his divine virtues, merit, and graces; yea, and in him he hath given us all good things; and, finally, himself; and that with such great charity as cannot be expressed.

Was it not a most high and abundant charity of God, to send Christ to shed his blood, to lose honour, life and all for his enemies? Even in the time when we had done him most injury, he first showed his charity to us; with such flames of love that greater could not be showed. God in Christ hath opened unto us (although we be weak and blind of ourselves), that we may behold in this miserable state the great wisdom, goodness and truth, with all the other godly perfections, which be in Christ. Therefore, inwardly to behold Christ crucified upon the cross is the best and godliest meditation that can be.

We may see also, in Christ crucified, the beauty of the soul, better than in all the books of the world. For who that with lively faith seeth and feelth in spirit that Christ the Son of God is dead for the satisfying and the purifying of the soul shall see that his soul is appointed for the very tabernacle and mansion of the inestimable and incomprehensible majesty and honour of God. We see also in Christ crucified how vain and foolish the world is, and how that Christ, being most wise, despised the same. We see also how blind it is, because the same knoweth not Christ, but persecuteth him. We see also how unkind the world is: by the killing of Christ in the time he did show it most favour. How hard and obstinate was it that would not be mollified with so many tears? Such sweat, and so much blood, shed of the Son of God, suffering with so great and high charity!

Therefore, he is now very blind that seeth not how vain, foolish, false, ingrate, cruel, hard, wicked, and evil the world is. We may also in Christ crucified, weigh our sins, as in a divine balance. How grievous and how weighty they be, seeing they have crucified Christ: for they would never have been counterpoised but with the great and precious weight of the blood of the Son of God. And therefore God, of his high goodness, determined that his blessed Son should rather suffer bloodshed than our sins should have condemned us. We shall never know our own misery and wretchedness but with the light of Christ crucified. Then we shall see our own cruelty, when we feel his mercy; our own unrighteousness and iniquity, when we see his righteousness and holiness. Therefore, to learn to know truly our own sins is to study in the book of the crucifix, by continual conversation in faith; and to have perfect and plentiful charity is to learn first by faith the charity that is in God towards us.

We may see also, in Christ upon the cross, how great the pains of hell, and how blessed the joys of heaven be; and what a sharp, painful thing it shall be to them that from that sweet, happy and glorious joy, Christ, shall be deprived. Then this crucifix is the book wherein God hath included all things, and hath most compendiously written, therein, all truth profitable and necessary for our salvation. Therefore let us endeavour ourselves to study this book, that we (being lightened with the Spirit of God) may give him thanks for so great a benefit.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.3.16;Rom.8.32 — For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Rom.8.32 — He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
  2. ↩John.3.16;Matt.3.17 — For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Matt.3.17 — And behold, a voice from the heavens said, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'
  3. ↩1Pet.1.18-1Pet.1.19;1John.1.7;Rev.1.5 — knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things—silver or gold—from your futile way of life handed down from your fathers, 1Pet.1.19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot 1John.1.7 — But if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. Rev.1.5 — and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth — to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
  4. ↩Rom.8.32 — He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
  5. ↩Rom.5.6-Rom.5.10;John.15.13 — For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom.5.7 — For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though for a good person someone might perhaps even dare to die. Rom.5.8 — But God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom.5.9 — Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath. Rom.5.10 — For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. John.15.13 — No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends.
  6. ↩Rom.5.8 — But God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  7. ↩1Cor.2.2;Gal.6.14 — For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Gal.6.14 — But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
  8. ↩1Cor.3.16;John.14.2 — Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? John.14.2 — In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you? I go to prepare a place for you.
  9. ↩John.1.10-John.1.11 — He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. John.1.11 — He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
  10. ↩Luke.19.41;Heb.5.7 — And as he drew near, when he saw the city, he wept over it, Heb.5.7 — In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
  11. ↩Luke.22.44 — And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
  12. ↩1Pet.1.18-1Pet.1.19 — knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things—silver or gold—from your futile way of life handed down from your fathers, 1Pet.1.19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source 'passions' is rendered as 'sufferings' in the Passion sense (not emotional passions).
  2. 2 ↩Source 'charity' rendered as 'love' per default modern-readable policy for theological charity; the sense is God’s self-giving love, not almsgiving.
  3. 3 ↩Source 'hath opened unto us' has no explicit object; rendered as opening the way/possibility of beholding, which fits the following purpose clause without inventing a different gift.
  4. 4 ↩Source 'feelth' treated as Early Modern 'feeleth' (feels). 'Satisfying' rendered as atonement-sense satisfaction for sin, not mere contentment.
  5. 5 ↩Early Modern 'unkind' can carry 'unnatural/ungrateful' force, not merely social coolness; kept as 'unkind' for plain fidelity.
  6. 6 ↩Kept 'charity' for theological-virtue force of Christ's self-giving love, per lexeme policy for charitas contexts.
  7. 7 ↩Source 'counterpoised' continues the balance metaphor of s2: sins weighed against the blood of Christ.
  8. 8 ↩Source 'conversation' is Early Modern English for way of life / dwelling; rendered as 'living in faith.' Source 'charity' rendered as 'love' per modern-readable default for theological love/charity.
  9. 9 ↩Source places 'Christ' in apposition to 'that sweet, happy and glorious joy': the joy they lose is Christ himself.
  10. 10 ↩'compendiously' rendered as 'most concisely' (in compressed summary), not as mere usefulness.
  11. 11 ↩'lightened' taken as enlightened/illuminated by the Spirit, not as made less heavy.

The Lamentation of a Sinner companion

A prayer for every moment, already on your phone

Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.

Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.

  • One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
  • Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
  • Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →