A CURIOUS PIECE OF ANTIQUITY, ON THE CRUCIFIXION OF OUR SAVIOUR AND THE TWO THIEVES.
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◊ INRI ◊
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◊ My God! My God! vers of my tears ◊
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I come to Thee; ◊ ◊ bow down thy blessed ears
To hear me wretch, oh, ◊ ◊ let thine eyes, which sleep
Did never close, ◊ ◊ behold a sinner weep.
Let not, O God! ◊ ◊ my God! my faults, though great
And numberless, bet ◊ w ◊ een thy mercy-seat
And my poor soul be t ◊ h ◊ rown, since we are taught,
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Thou, ◊ Lord! remember ◊ est th ◊ y ◊ ne, ◊ if thou beest ◊ sought.
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I co ◊ me ◊ not, Lord wit ◊ h ◊ any o ◊ the ◊ r merit
Then ◊ wh ◊ at I by my S ◊ a ◊ viour ◊ Ch ◊ rist inherit;
Be th ◊ en ◊ his wound ◊ s ◊ my balm, his st ◊ ri ◊ pes my bliss,
My crown his ◊ th ◊ orns, my dea ◊ t ◊ h be lo ◊ st ◊ in his,
And th ◊ ou ◊ my bles ◊ t ◊ Redeemer, ◊ Sa ◊ viour God!
Quit my ac ◊ co ◊ unts, with ◊ h ◊ old thy ◊ v ◊ engeful rod;
O beg for ◊ me ◊ my h ◊ o ◊ pes on the ◊ e ◊ are set,
Thou Chri ◊ st ◊ forgi ◊ v ◊ e, as well as pay ◊ th ◊ e debt.
The liv ◊ in ◊ g fount, the li ◊ f ◊ e, the wa ◊ y ◊ I know;
And but ◊ to ◊ thee ◊ o ◊ whither ◊ s ◊ hould I go?
All o ◊ th ◊ er helps a ◊ r ◊ e vain, giv ◊ e ◊ thine to me;
For by th ◊ y ◊ cross my ◊ s ◊ aving hea ◊ l ◊ th must be.
Oh hear ◊ k ◊ en then, wh ◊ a ◊ t I with ◊ f ◊ aith implore,
Lest s ◊ in ◊ and death sin ◊ k ◊ me forev ◊ e ◊ r more.
Oh Lord! my ◊ G ◊ od! my way ◊ e ◊ s direct ◊ a ◊ nd keep,
In ◊ d ◊ eath defe ◊ n ◊ d that from thee I ◊ n ◊ e’er slip;
And at the do ◊ om ◊ let ◊ m ◊ e be raise ◊ d ◊ then,
To liv ◊ e ◊ with the ◊ e. ◊ Sweet Jes ◊ us ◊ say, Amen!
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EXPLANATION.
The middle cross represents our Saviour; those on either side, the two thieves. On the top and down the middle cross are our Saviour’s expression, “My God! My God! why hast thou forsaken me?” and on the top of the cross is the Latin inscription, “INRI”—Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judæorum, i.e. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Upon the cross on the right-hand is the prayer of one of the thieves:—“Lord! remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” On the left-hand cross is the saying, or reproach, of the other:—“If thou beest the Christ, save thyself and us.” The whole, comprised together, makes a piece of excellent poetry, which is to be read across all the columns, and makes as many lines as there are letters in the alphabet. It is perhaps one of the most curious pieces of composition to be found on record.