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A Poem on the Passion of the Lord

Lactantius

A Poem on the Passion of the Lord

About this work

Author: Lactantius

A Poem on the Passion of the Lord

Formerly Ascribed to Lactantius

Whoever you are who approach, and are entering the

precincts

of

the

middle

of

the

temple

,

stop

a

little

and

look

upon

me

,

who

,

though

innocent

,

suffered

for

your

crime

;

lay

me

up

in

your

mind

,

keep

me

in

your

breast

.

I

am

He

who

,

pitying

the

bitter

misfortunes

of

men

,

came

hither

as

a

messenger

of

offered

peace

,

and

as

a

full

atonement

for

the

fault

of

men

.

Here

the

brightest

light

from

above

is

restored

to

the

earth

;

here

is

the

merciful

image

of

safety

;

here

I

am

a

rest

to

you

,

the

right

way

,

the

true

redemption

,

the

banner

of

God

,

and

a

memorable

sign

of

fate

.

It

was

on

account

of

you

and

your

life

that

I

entered

the

Virgin’s

womb

,

was

made

man

,

and

suffered

a

dreadful

death

;

nor

did

I

find

rest

anywhere

in

the

regions

of

the

earth

,

but

everywhere

threats

,

everywhere

labours

.

First

of

all

a

wretched

dwelling

in

the

land

of

Judæa

was

a

shelter

for

me

at

my

birth

,

and

for

my

mother

with

me

:

here

first

,

amidst

the

outstretched

sluggish

cattle

,

dry

grass

gave

me

a

bed

in

a

narrow

stall

.

I

passed

my

earliest

years

in

the

Pharian

regions

,

being

an

exile

in

the

reign

of

Herod

;

and

after

my

return

to

Judæa

I

spent

the

rest

of

my

years

,

always

engaged

in

fastings

,

and

the

extremity

of

poverty

itself

,

and

the

lowest

circumstances

;

always

by

healthful

admonitions

applying

the

minds

of

men

to

the

pursuit

of

genial

uprightness

,

uniting

with

wholesome

teaching

many

evident

miracles

:

on

which

account

impious

Jerusalem

,

harassed

by

the

raging

cares

of

envy

and

cruel

hatred

,

and

blinded

by

madness

,

dared

to

seek

for

me

,

though

innocent

,

by

deadly

punishment

,

a

cruel

death

on

the

dreadful

cross

.

And

if

you

yourself

wish

to

discriminate

these

things

more

fully

,

and

if

it

delights

you

to

go

through

all

my

groans

,

and

to

experience

griefs

with

me

,

put

together

the

designs

and

plots

,

and

the

impious

price

of

my

innocent

blood

,

and

the

pretended

kisses

of

a

disciple

,

and

the

insults

and

strivings

of

the

cruel

multitude

;

and

,

moreover

,

the

blows

,

and

tongues

prepared

for

accusations

.

Picture

to

your

mind

both

the

witnesses

,

and

the

accursed

judgment

of

the

blinded

Pilate

,

and

the

immense

cross

pressing

my

shoulders

and

wearied

back

,

and

my

painful

steps

to

a

dreadful

death

.

Now

survey

me

from

head

to

foot

,

deserted

as

I

am

,

and

lifted

up

afar

from

my

beloved

mother

.

Behold

and

see

my

locks

clotted

with

blood

,

and

my

blood

-

stained

neck

under

my

very

hair

,

and

my

head

drained

with

cruel

thorns

,

and

pouring

down

like

rain

from

all

sides

a

stream

of

blood

over

my

divine

face

.

Survey

my

compressed

and

sightless

eyes

,

and

my

afflicted

cheeks

;

see

my

parched

tongue

poisoned

with

gall

,

and

my

countenance

pale

with

death

.

Behold

my

hands

pierced

with

nails

,

and

my

arms

drawn

out

,

and

the

great

wound

in

my

side

;

see

the

blood

streaming

from

it

,

and

my

perforated

feet

,

and

blood

-

stained

limbs

.

Bend

your

knee

,

and

with

lamentation

adore

the

venerable

wood

of

the

cross

,

and

with

lowly

countenance

stooping

to

the

earth

,

which

is

wet

with

innocent

blood

,

sprinkle

it

with

rising

tears

,

and

at

times

bear

me

and

my

admonitions

in

your

devoted

heart

.

Follow

the

footsteps

of

my

life

,

and

while

you

look

upon

my

torments

and

cruel

death

,

remembering

my

innumerable

pangs

of

body

and

soul

,

learn

to

endure

hardships

,

and

to

watch

over

your

own

safety

.

These

memorials

,

if

at

any

time

you

find

pleasure

in

thinking

over

them

,

if

in

your

mind

there

is

any

confidence

to

bear

anything

like

my

sufferings

)

,

if

the

piety

due

,

and

gratitude

worthy

of

my

labours

shall

arise

,

will

be

incitements

to

true

virtue

,

and

they

will

be

shields

against

the

snares

of

an

enemy

,

aroused

by

which

you

will

be

safe

,

and

as

a

conqueror

bear

off

the

palm

in

every

contest

.

If

these

memorials

shall

turn

away

your

senses

,

which

are

devoted

to

a

perishable

world

,

from

the

fleeting

shadow

of

earthly

beauty

,

the

result

will

be

,

that

you

will

not

venture

,

enticed

by

empty

hope

,

to

trust

the

frail

enjoyments

of

fickle

fortune

,

and

to

place

your

hope

in

the

fleeting

years

of

life

.

But

,

truly

,

if

you

thus

regard

this

perishable

world

,

and

through

your

love

of

a

better

country

deprive

yourself

of

earthly

riches

and

the

enjoyment

of

present

things

,

the

prayers

of

the

pious

will

bring

you

up

in

sacred

habits

,

and

in

the

hope

of

a

happy

life

,

amidst

severe

punishments

,

will

cherish

you

with

heavenly

dew

,

and

feed

you

with

the

sweetness

of

the

promised

good

.

Until

the

great

favour

of

God

shall

recall

your

happy

soul

to

the

heavenly

regions

,

your

body

being

left

after

the

fates

of

death

.

Then

freed

from

all

labour

,

then

joyfully

beholding

the

angelic

choirs

,

and

the

blessed

companies

of

saints

in

perpetual

bliss

,

it

shall

reign

with

me

in

the

happy

abode

of

perpetual

peace

.

Notes