A Crucifixe OR A Meditation vpon Repentance and The holie Passion Written by CHRISTOPHER LEVER Nocet indulgentia nobis AT LONDON Printed by V. S. for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shop at the great south doore of Paules 1607. To the Reader THe Writings of Men as they are divers so are they diuersly affected yet euer in this inequalitie that mo to the bad than to the better be disposed The reason is corruption in Iudgement dulnesse of Vnderstanding blindenesse in Election and a deprauednesse in the whole frame of Nature whereof it commeth that many deceiue themselues in their choise neglecting what is of neerest consideration yet embrace that with strong appetite which is most pernitious and pestilent I write not this to offend any one but to remember all for I had rather profite than please and to giue friendly admonishment is better than silence That great Apostle Saint Paule defired to knowe nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified and dooth detest to reioyce in aught saue in the Crosse and sufferings of his Lorde and Maister A lesson woorthy so great a Doctour and worth our immitation This is that one thing which is onely necessary whereof who hath true knowledge hath all knowledge This Crosse this Crucifix and this Passion I present thee gentle Reader not in their exact formes for that exceedes the power of Mortalitie but in a little resemblance wishing thee to reade not for Mirth but for Matter and with holy Paul faithfully to apply to thy soule the glorie and reioycings of the holy Passion Farewell To the most reuerend father in God RICHARD by Diuine prouidence Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitane of England My singular good Lord and Patron RIght Reuerend Lord There is a disease in the Natures of men most powerful in the vulgar and base multitude to mis-interpret yet to interpret all mens proceedings Therefore the best cause doth most neede protection lest otherwise it receiue wrong in their iniurious and false constructions For this particular the frame and disposition is my owne and therefore I willingly submitte that to a mercifull Iudgement The Subject is not mine but Gods being extract from sacred Authorities and therefore of it selfe able to resist all opposition Here-hence I deriue my comfort that the worthinesse of the Subject may giue supplyment to my verse that wants woorth and that in the opinion of good men I shall be thought to haue done more in giuing a religious matter this poore forme than others that with much industry and arte haue painted the deformed face of profane and idle Inuentions The reasons my good Lord that moue me to this dedication are these First the many testimonies I haue of your Lordships gratious respecting me which earnestly presse me to returne this little demonstration of thankes where I haue receiued so much fauor Next your Lordships trauell to continue the body of Religion vnited or rather to make vp the rent and diuision Wherein God hath made you prosperous giuing you spirite to enterprise and victory to finish a care of that religious importance And because this Crucifix I present is a Meditation of the sufferings and death of Christ represented to vs in the ceremony of the Crosse in the holy vse whereof your Lordshippe hath fortunately trauelled I haue therfore thought this Dedication of right to belong vnto your Grace assuring my selfe that where the Shadow there the Substance where the Figure there the Trueth and where the Crosse there the Christ shall finde gratious and glad acceptance The which with all respects of duety and humblenesse I offer vnto your Lordship beseeching God to giue you to support the reputation of Learning helpfull to both the States of Church and kingdom and after this life perpetuity with the holy Angells and Saints Your Graces in all duety and seruice CHRISTOPHER LEVER A CRVCIFIX OR A Meditation vpon Repentance and the holy Passion THere is a griefe which farre exceedes the skill Of many learned spirits to define And this deriued is from doing ill Yet doth it rectifie and much refine The blurred Image of that power diuine Which in our purer soules at our creation Made vs beloued and of estimation Such is the terrour of a wounded Soule Stretched vpon the painefull racke of try all Presented with that blacke accusing scroule The register of sinne the Lords espiall Authorities that ne'r admit deniall For when our Conscience doth display our sinne Then true affected griefe doth first beginne It were in vaine I labour'd to expresse The just proportion and the qualitie Of horred griefe nor what amazednesse Attends this court of lawe and equitie The Soule must here implead impietie Against the Soule The Iudge that here preceedeth Against himselfe himselfe the law impleadeth 〈◊〉 that haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your sinnes 〈◊〉 bath d your 〈◊〉 in your repentanâ—…â—…eares 〈◊〉 when your reformation first beginnes 〈◊〉 â—…ur 〈◊〉 harts tell me what feares 〈◊〉 horrednesse remorsefull conscience beares 〈◊〉 rather doe confesse as doth my verse There is no power of words can it reherse The Father Iudge that sits his Sonne to trie Cannot resist the torture of his minde When he denounceth sentence thou must die Examples may be fitted to this kinde But to resemble ours no like we finde For here the Iudge that giues the dying word Condemnes himselfe euen of his owne accord The eye condemnes the sight the sight the eye The power of speach our much offending tongue All qualities their instruments envie And say their aptnesse to offence and wrong Impels the sence the weaker by the strong Is captâ—…uate And sinne that hath the reynes The common wealth in man to sinne constraines Like as that Bull Perillus fram'd of brasse To be a wond'rous instrument of woe Within whose wombe when the offendor was In brutish sort he as a Bull did lowe The organe of the beast did cause it so Right so our bodies beastlie by our sinne Doe bestifie the soule that liues within In opposition to this formall plea The body to the soule againe replyeth The state of sinne hath his estate in thee Our soules without sinne in our bodies dyeth Nature to liuelesse things all act denyeth For as the Ayre is mooued with the wind So are our subject bodies by the mind Who euer yet accus'd the murderous knife As actor of that horrible effect The agent must be somewhat that hath life It is the liuing hand that doth direct The mortall blade Nor is there had respect To instrumentall causes of offending For in the agent guilt hath his depending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hoâ—… contention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himselfe diuide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which judâ—…ment hath descride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conscience anght can hide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state of wretchednesse doth dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them my verse 〈◊〉 tell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 cup of pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in nothing but expending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fall his treasure
feeds thereon So by degrees my Lord was crucified In Ciuill fellowship it is denied To gobbet vp a supper at a bit When we haue time and leisure for to sit It were good order we beginne the lowest When we this Iacobs ladder would ascend In happie progresse we attaine the rest And then we giue our trauells happie end This only coâ—…nsaile I doe recommend That he that would ascend these holy staires Must to his footing first direct his cares Then with his blessed Feete let vs beginne That now are stayned with the streaming bloud That 〈◊〉 from the Naile that stickes therein O that my eyes would doe my hart that good To be as moâ—…st as is the swelling floud For holy 〈◊〉 doth instruct my teares To wash and then to wipe them with my haires These holy passengers doe neuer haste To guilty bloud nor vnto lustfull fire No little minute of a time they waste To minister to any vaine desire In enuy therefore did the Iewes conspire To naile those holy moovers vnto wood That were such forward instruments of good Their trauell was to trauell to the weake Bring comfort to the vnrespected poore To giue the lame to goe the dumbe to speake And â—…it applyments vnto euery sore A greater yet than what was saide before They brought the newes of Peace vnto our spirite And therefore our acceptance they doe merite See how his sacred Knees be markt with praire A demonstration of his sanctitie To Adulation they vncustom'd are Nor fawne they with officiall flatterie Giue me sweete Lorde these merites to appâ—… These markes are no disgrace vnto my skinne Better be markt with holy Prayer than Sinne. Now let me reach my meditation higher And touch my Lords most blessed Heart that bleedeth This bloud cannot extinguish holy fire That in this holy principall exceedeth He warmes with Zeale and with his Blood he feedeth Our spirites that are cold and hunger-starued Wanting this Grace we men haue not deserued This Heart is not the nursery of Pride Of Murther Lust of Mammon and Debate Within his secrets there is not implide The new inuention to Equiuocate This Heart must thinke what ere his wordes relatâ—… Lying is sinne all sinne is from the Deuill The Art of Reseruation then is euill No sin had ere admittance in this place O place most sanctimonious most diuine The Presence-chamber and the seate of Grace Whereas his soule in majestie did shine How can it be the Holiest should incline To entertaine into his Chaire of State The â—…east of euills we can estimate May I sweet Iesu view in euery part The secret closet of thy thoughts within The Speaâ—…e hath made a passage to thy Heart The entrance then is open let me in To see the merite that hath vanquisht sin Do not thy mercy gate against me locke For I will euer at thy Mercy knocke See here is nothing that presents my eie But Loue but Fauour and Compassion In euery quarter Mercy I espie Mercie 's the briefe of all I looke vpon Mercie the cause and meanes of my saluation O sith there is such mercy in thy hart Sweete Iesu giue my grieued soule a parte Like to a Prince that in his royall throne Bethinkes what may his people benefit Sends this his good determination To such as at his Counsaile Table sit That by their Wisedomes they may order it So dooth the Heart determine first the deede Then sends it to the counsaile in the head Let me alittle higher now ascend Whereas my Lord his holy Armes doth spread This moralles how his Mercy doth extend Invites to save what would be perished Come vnto me all that are wearied I will support your life vnloade your cares Infuse my Grace and wipe away your teares Then sith I am inuited to this Grace Sweete Iesu giue my spirite entertaine I would vnloade my burthen in this place Whose weight is more than I can well sustaine Lord Iesu ease thy seruant of this paine Take off this heauy bondage of my sinne Thy yoke is easie let me liue therein These Hands O sacred instruments of health That neuer failed yet in any cure The sicke mans comfort and the poore mans wealth Whose holy vertue euer shall indure And euer for to help will them inure Why doe the Iewes these holy helpers wound Whose very touch made the diseased sound These mercifull and free bestowing Hands Are euer reaching their beneuolence He giueth aught to any that demands Neuer respecting gainefull recompence His bounty is not wasted with expence For as the Springs supply the wasting Streames So hath his Grace supplyment from the heauens His Flesh they wound and mortise it in wood T'vnfit my Lord from healing any more As they strike in out starts the sacred blood That cureth more than did his hands before One dramme of this will helpe the greatest sore These people in their purpose then did faile For heere is Vertue which they cannot naile This holy Vertue might my Lord be pleasd T'infuse my Soule all hackt with mortall sinne Wounded and sore in euery parte diseasd I should my restauration then beginne My hands haue blood that ouer-spreads my skinne With sinfull Guilt O let thy blood diuine Expâ—… my guilt and then my blood refine Now I arriue my much desired Port The Orbe wherein all holinesse doth moue The place whereto all wisedome doth resort The Court of Mercy Majestie and Loue Furnisht with all acquirements from aboue Such is my Lords most sacred holy Head With all these rich induments furnished This is that one and vniuersall Head That ouer all hath true preheminence Who seekes a second from the first is dead Two Vniuersals haue no excellence Who can corriuall Christ without offence Lord Sauiour Christ it doth my soule content To be a member in thy regiment From this First head deriued is all Grace That giues the members life and holy being The head is said to be the fittest place Where our immortall spirits be decreeing How to repaire this house of flesh then seeing The lower parts to Reason are but dead They must repaire for wisedome to the Head See how these Iewes this Head doe dignisie His temples with a crowne they doe adorne They call him King yet this their King must dâ—… They giue him state but that is done in scorne A Diademe they fashion him of thorne Yet know you Traytors when it toucht his head Neuer was Crowne so richly garnished A crowne of thorne O let their great offence Re-eccho backe my indignation Were ye good people at this great expence To solemnize his coronation That was the King that gaue all Kings creation See you these drops that trickle from the thorne They damne your deede but doe his Grace adorne His holy Eyes O sacred lamps of light The busie searchers of all mens distresse Whose seeing is not letted by the night In naked formes they all things can expresse They haue all knowledge and all holinesse These Plaâ—…s that are mouers in this Heauen Haue better Constellation then the Seauen Lord Iesus let thy holy Eyes reflect Their influence vpon my earthen state Thy heauenly presence is a faire aspect There doth my soule delight to speculate For by those Starres I best can calculate My lot of Grace which neuer is deni'd To him that viewes this Christ thus cruciâ—…i'd But O the organe of his holy Speech That breatheth life to euery faithfull eare This holy one his holy word did preach He giâ—…es for nothing what would cost vs deare And makes assurance where before was â—…eare Lord Iesu giue me knowledge in thy teaching I shall lesse neede these Times contentious preaching His breath he formeth into holy prayer Which doth ascend the throâ—…e of maiestie For vs poore men all his petitions were He aduocates for vs perpetuallie Thinke ye the Father will his sonne denie What neede I for moe Intâ—…rcessors care When holy Christ doth interceede his prayer Thou Splendor of thy Fathers majestie Thou God of God thou man all mens Redeemer Thou King of Iewes thou Christ they crucifie Thou one wherein all graces treasur'd are Thou mercifull thou all thou euery where To thee O Sauiour Iesus I repaire Exhibite Lord my pardon in thy prayer Pardon my youthfull sinning and my old Pardon my secrete and reuealed â—…nes Pardon my Errours that be mâ—…old Pardon committings and omitions Pardon my Nature stayned with corruptions Lord pardon all in all I haue offended Thy pardon 's free to all be it extended Now holy Ioseph helpe me to interre This sacred Corse my hart 's a fitting place Wherein thou maist his Sepulchre prepare Digge deepe old man this Graue will not disgrace My willing hart but dignifie the place Lord Iesu if this resting place may please Not three daies Lord but rest here many threes God forbid that I should reioyce but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world Galat. 6. 14.
judgement must be just Denounceth sentence of our condemnation Traytor thy flesh shall first returne to dust The matter of thy first formation Thy Soule transported to that strange vexation Whereas the soules of damned doe beginne To act the wofull parts of tragike Sinne. This is the law and thus we sentence thee Our power extends not for to moderate This court is Iustice Iustice we decree The seate of Mercie is predominate And liues in God he that did first create Thy Innocence To him thou must appeale If this our Condemnation thou repeale ¶ Thus farre the law Now to our worke of Grace To wash this Moore and giue him Innocence To reobtaine what â—…r'st he did deface Integritie To cancell his offence In lieu whereof to giue him excellence To make that glorious that before was base Doubt those that list It is a worke of Grace Of Grace me thinkes th'vngratious will replie I rob Gods Image of his worthinesse Because to sinfull man I doe denie Innatiue power to worke his holinesse Will you O men deceiued I confesse That God will share the glory of his name With men whose liues dishonour most the same Here is the world in great dispute and strife Whence doth arise this penitentiall fire That purgeth Sinne and rectifies the life Some will deriue it from their owne desire Others the blessed Angels doe inspire Some in their Friends and many in theiâ—… Priest In Errour all in God they place it least When God did giue a spirit vnto man He did but gently breathe it in his flesh But if he once call backe the same againe He speaketh loud and groanes with painefulnesse Adam and Lazarus doe well expresse That he that can determine sinfull strife Doth somewhat more than he that gaue vs life It were a well deseruing worke to set The kirnell that 's a prisoner in the shell Which when the Sunne doth warme and heauens wet Receiues a life yet doth it farre excell In curious Art to make that prosper well Which like a rotten member of a tree For fewell fit for Grace vnfit to be Me thinkes I heare the Mutinous repine And blame the hard construction of my verse And to the fire condemne this discipline Or wish my recantation to reuerse The doome I censure on this vniuerse Thus these repiners God should wrong our spirits To giue vs Lawes and take away our Merâ—… Thus may your earthen vessels make dispute And aske how hap the Potter made them so Doe you not know that God is absolute Nor giues a reason for his doing so Shall God out of himselfe for wisedome goe How dar'st thou argument with God maintaine Being his vassaile he thy Soueraigne To make it best thus I compare thy state Like to a Candle wel prepar'd for light The reason why I thus doe estimate Is thy Discourse thy Reason and Delight To vnderstand each cause But the insight Of that which neerest doth concerne thy minde In this thou art not sighted but starke blinde Suppose ten thousand torches in the night They giue no light vnlesse thou giue them fire So is thy Reason and thy judgements sight Blind in it selfe if Grace giue not desire It is the God of Spirits doth inspire Thy soule with Grace For when it wants his light It is more blacke then is the darkest night And in this darknesse this our man of Griefe Whome we proportion is in darknesse placed Within himselfe he cannot finde reliefe What was diuine in him is now defaced The pride of his deseruings is disgraced And when a man in this dejection lyeth He wastes in sorrow and in teares he dyeth And die he must in his repentant teares Before his reformation can beginne The graine must die before the blade appeares New birth is gotten by the death of sinne When thus we die our spirit that 's within Respires a life that neuer will deceiue vs Whereof nor Time nor Enuie can bereaâ—…e vs. The manner how This out of my report When man is ouer-charged with the cares Arising from the judgement of this Court. And when within himselfe he much despaires The holy Spirit then to him repaires And brings his Pardon testified good With this subscription IESVS writ in blood And thus this sacred instrument of life Poore man we adde not to thy heauinesse To speake in anger or contentious strife Mercie is only in our businesse We come to make thy much affliction lesse And offer to thy neere despairing spirit The Psalme of Mercie Mercie best can merit See here the booke of Life I do present thee Wherein thou maist Eternitie behold Thou canst not reade before thou first repent thee Thou must first know thy selfe and then vnfold This sacred volume The Spirit then doth hold Before the darkned spirits of his eye A Representment how his Christ did die Said I a representment and no more It is much more then in my wordes can be My soule conceits a verie Christ before Spreading his sacred bodie on the Tree Me thinkes his verie torments I doe see This Crucifix is that most sacred booke Wherein each happy Spirit needes must looke And this the holy Ghost presents the eye And bids vs reade our penitentiall verse If we can Clarkely reade this mystery He promiseth our judgement for to trauerse And all our condemnation to reuerse But Sinne alas so darkned hath the minde As in this holy learning we are blinde Like when th'vnlearned Fellon hath his booke Without a Prompter he no letter readeth Although with much desire he thereon looke Euen so our Soules as much vnlearned needeth The help of that sweete comfort that proceedeth For if that God assist vs not the better We vnderstand no sence no word nor letter In this condition this our man of sinne Cannot reade mercie in these misteries Before Gods holy spirit doe beginne To cleanse the soule of his impieties To moue the hart and cleere the darkned eyes When once this grace in vs hath but a being In holy secrets we haue perfect seeing The leaprous man to heale his filthinesse Must seauen times water his contagious skinne Is holy water of that worthinesse Then with repentant teares let vs beginne To wash the leaprous body of our sinne Seauen times is nothing multiply thy seauen We must wash cleane ere we can enter heauen This is our first degree of holinesse Which at the first as all beginnings are Little in trueth but large in hopefulnesse He that beginnes this sorrow with a teare Vnto a better worke doth but prepare And when in vs this grace hath but beginning We liue to hope and die vnto our sinning Take for an instance him whom we proport No more of sinne but now the childe of Grace As he wastes teares his benefits resort The bad thrust out the betters haue the place What was delightfull now he doth deface When thus he hath a new begotten minde His eyes are open that before were blinde No sooner open but with eagernesse They