they doe Our SAVIOVR would not lay downe his life vntill he had made a most perfect knot of amity and peace vntill he had reconciled man with GOD vntill he had reconciled his enemies with his friends For in that he intreated his Father to forgiue he commanded his friendes neuer to accuse For what iustice could bee required against those who were pardoned How should man be offended when GOD is appeased As he left them a passion to weepe so did hee enioyne them a compassion to forgiue O most happy and holy-day wherein the sonne praied the Father pardoned and men were reconciled And this was the peace O great Redeemer which was sweetly published by heauenly voices as by thy herehaults at the time of thy birth On earth peace good will among men This was the gift which in thy last Sermon thou didst leaue to thy Disciples Peace I giue vnto you And thus at thy death in praying for thy enemies thou didst seeme in this sort to speake to thy friends LOe my friends I am now concluding the great peace of the world I haue reconciled you to my Father I haue vnited you to my selfe and doe enioyne you to bee at amity with all men As I die in loue with all men so must all hate extinguish by my death among those that are mine Alasse what should beco0me of you and all mankinde If I should now die in displeasure or discontent Assuredly you should not then be reconciled to my Father you should not then bee vnited with me And verily so often you fall from this reconcilement so often you breake this vnion as you be at enmity with you brother When you are at mutuall contention your enemy the diuell in like fashion looketh on as an Eagle eyeth a Cock fighting or a Wolf the rude encountering of Rams intending to make you all his prey In case you fall into hatred together you thereby strike into variance with me O blessed Peace Maker who shall dare to take reuenge of light iniuries seeing thou didst pray for those who tormented thee to death Seeing thou madest no reckoning of the nailes which pierced thy handes and thy feete shall I make account of an angry or disgracefull word How shall I desperately dare to esteeme any man my enemy seeing thou wouldest bee a friend and brother to all Verily thus much may any man borrow of his owne weakest reason that by hating others I loose thy loue because I hate those whom thou louest and for whom thou ceasest not to pray O my soules health Leaue me not I beseech thee either out of thy prayer or out of the reconcilement which thou hast made seeing I can haue no benefit by the one but I must bee included in the other And seeing the sinnes wherof I desire to bee pardoned are infinitelie hatefull to thy Father let me not esteeme the iniuries intolerable which any man shall doe vnto me let me be no lesse vnwilling to reuenge the one then I would be to bee punished for the other Yea let me be no lesse carefull to pray for the offences of others against my selfe then I would bee to intreate pardon for my offences against thee A CONCLVDING Thankesgiuing Payer and oblation I Adore laud and glorifie thee O LORD IESV CHRIST I blesse thee and giue thee thankes O Sonne of the liuing GOD for that thou wouldest not onelie permit but submit thy sacred members to be thus cruelly both tormented and deformed for mee And now I lowly blesse and salute them all for the loue and honour which I am bound both to beare and to expresse towardes thee for this benefit I salute and kisse thy blessed feete which had trauailed many iourneys and at last waded to death for mee in thy blood leauing markes behinde them in what footstepps I should treade I salute thy knees which were often bowed to the earth in prayer and often wearied with trauaile for mee I salute thy blessed breast inwardly inflamed with loue and outwardlie deformed with knotty scourges Haile sacred side which was opened gentle and sweet heart which was pierced for mee with a speare Haile battered backe of my Redeemer plowed and furrowed with grieuous lashes Haile holy armes spread at the largest length to embrace all sinners and most bountiful hands in distributing the treasure of thy blood among them I salute thy glorious countenance defiled with spittings which thou hadst neither lust nor leisure to wipe away I salute thy mellifluous mouth and all thy instrumēts of speech which could not bee stopped by a spunge filled with vineger or by any othermeanes from praying for mee And you gentle eares filled for my sake with blasphemies and reproaches you amiable eyes which for mee haue powred forth many showers of teares I reuerently salute you I salute thy royall head most cruelly goared and gashed with thornes to adorne me with the crowne of glory Most meeke IESVS I salute thy whole body which was scorned scourged crucified which died and was buried for my saluation Haile rosie woūds and most precious bloode which was offered to thy Father for me Haile most noble soule of my SAVIOVR which was vilely vexed and crucified to death to procure for mee eternall life I confesse O louing LORD that since I was brought forth into this sinful world I haue brought forth a world of sin Therefore I beseech thee by the sufferings of thy most sacred members to clense all my members from the corruptions wherewith I haue clogged them and to sanctifie them with the merits of thy passion I beseech thee O LORD fauourably to forgiue mee what I haue done and liberally to giue mee what I could not deserue AND O most mercifull FATHER most mighty creator of heauen and of earth albeit I am of all sinners the most vnworthy yet doe I offer to thee the most precious death of thy onely sonne for all the sinnes that I haue done and for all the benefits that I desire Behold O most pitifull Father what impieties were dealt vpon thy most pious sonne for my sake Behold the torne coat of thy son Ioseph dropping with blood and see if thou knowlest it to bee his garment Verily he is fallen into the power of some wicked beast which thus hath torne it and trampled it in his blood and altogether deformed it with the filth of our sinnes O distributer of grace cast the eies of thy maiestie vpon the vnspeakable worke of thy mercy behold I pray thee who it is that thus hath suffered and fauourably regard him for whom he hath suffered Behold O glorious FATHER the members of thy sweet childe cruelly racked vpon the crosse and fauourably regard what my substance is See his bleeding hands nayled to the crosse and bee pleased to remit the bloody sinnes which my hands haue committed See his naked side pierced with a speare and renue me with the blessed fountaine which flowed out of that wound See
the solace of my soule who could be worthy to stand so neere thy Crosse as to see blood streame from thy flesh and teares from thy eyes to see thy blood mixed with teares to see that as with sweat and blood thou begannest thy passion so with teares and blood thou diddest conclude it What adamant heart would not breake what leaden eyes would not melt into teares what earthy spirit would not be moued as the whole earth was to see thy sacrifice sprinkled or rather imbrued with blood and thy prayers watered with teares to see thy teares beautified with blood and thy blood washed with teares to see thee at once to smite thy Fathers cares with thy prayers and to mollifie his heart with thy sighes and grones O blessed Redeemer Albeit thou didst pray to thy Father for the greatest matter that euer was demanded of him yet if thou hadst desired a greater thy blood was so abundant thy cries so strong thy teares so plentifull and the loue from whence they flowed so ardent that thy loue thy blood thy teares and thy cries must haue obtayned it O sinne How offensiue art thou to the heauenly Father how deepely dangerous to the state of our soules seeing this expiation was necessary to abolish thee seeing pardon for thee could not be obtayned but by these cruell sufferings by these bloody teares of our Reedemer And thou o my soule crie hideously when thou praiest to the Lord and weepe abundantly for thy sinnes sigh groane teare bloody teares from thy soule when thou askest forgiuenesse seeing thy Sauior thus cried and wept when hee made intercession for thee For what reason or iustice is it that thy Sauiour crie and weepe for thee and not thou for thy selfe Or if thou canst not weepe in thy prayers yet be earnest attentiue let not thy thoughts be either scattered or heauy and dull for if thou be not attētiue to make thy prayers the Lord will not bee attentiue to heare them Learne also to lament not onely for thy owne offences but for the sinnes and miseries of others euen as the Prophet Hieremie lamented for the calamity of his people when he sayd My eyes faile and are dimme with weeping For albeit true charity beginneth alwayes at our selues yet must it extend vnto all there is no truer token of true charity then when it doeth extend vnto all not onely in shewing compassion for their miseries but especially in crauing pardon for their sinnes Ioy at the good which happeneth to other men and greeue at their euill and so shalt thou make profit of euery mans conuersation OF THE SVBSTANCE OF THIS Prayer BVT proceed O my soule to the substance of this praier and obserue well euerie word therof for there is not one word therein that is not of weight FATHER FIRST he began with the sweet word FATHER Hee did not terme him LORD for that was a name of seuerity and iustice but FATHER which is a name of pity and mercy If he had sayd LORD forgiue them as Saint Stephen prayed afterward it might haue seemed that hee had referred their pardon to the curtesie and iudgement of iustice But FATHER is a name of compassion a name of the new Testament A name which by the blood and merits of our IESVS we may challenge to vse towardes hm That as he pleased to bee our brother so hee would thereby make vs the sonnes of his FATHER And therefore hee vsed the same worde in praying for vs which hee did in praying for himselfe For as he prayed for himselfe Father into thy hands I commit my spirit so he prayed for vs Father forgiue them As if he should haue said O my Father acknowledge me now for thy Sonne thy onely Sonne thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleased thy Sonne to whom thou wilt denie nothing for as I am obedient to thee as to my Father so I expect to bee heard of thee as thy Sonne Father I am therefore come into this world that sinners also should be receiued for thy sonnes and therefore heare mee now in praying for them If euer thou wilt heare them praying to thee in my Name heare now my owne prayer for them So deare a Sonne as I am to thee so acceptable let my prayer be to thee If thou hearest not the prayers of thy Sonne whose prayers then wilt thou heare If thou reiectest my prayers thou doest more torment mee then doth the Crosse. The Crosse I patiently endure to abolish a greater euill that is to appease thy wrath and to make sinners accepted for thy sonnes But fauour these torments of thy Sonne that they be not endured in vaine Fauour thy Sonne not to double his terments by denying him his charitable request Thou doest amply reward the trauailes which any man shall performe in thy seruice Now thy Sonne requireth no recompense for himselfe for all my trauailes for all my torments in obedience to thy will I require no other recompense but that thou wilt grant my request for miserable sinners FORGIVE BY this word our Lord discharged the office of a Priest in praying for the sins of the people for which hee cryed not onelie as a Priest but as a sacrifice which neuer demandeth free forgiuenesse but bringeth satisfaction with it And not only he cried with his mouth but his wounds cryed his blood cryed his defilements cryed his torments cryed al his members cryed Forgiue So many wounds as he receiued so many griefes as he endured so many mouthes hee opened with one voyce intreating Accept these sufferings for the sinnes of all men for wee doe pay thee whatsoeuer they owe. Wee giue thee blood and smarte for ransome life for satisfaction body and soule for sacrifice Let there now bee mercy with thee for this is a plenteous redemption It is a hard thing indeed which is demanded namely that a most indulgent Father should forgiue and forget the cruell death of his only Sonne his entirely beloued Sonne But the sonne himselfe demands it he demands it with his blood with his wounds with all his sufferings he demands it Not vnder any condition as hee prayed for himselfe in the garden If it be possible If thou wilt If it may be but positiuely and absolutely he prayeth thee to Forgiue His owne passion hee left to thy will but thy pardon hee doth absolutely intreat He put it to thy pleasure whether hee should die or no but he leaueth no consultation no choice for thy granting of forgiuenesse his prayer for forgiuenesse is so absolute as it may not be denied Hereby thou mayest learne O my soule that remission of sinnes and all diuine graces are to be desired of GOD without condition because this prayer is alwayes referred to the honour of GOD. Also that whensoeuer thou forgiuest thy enemies thou doe it absolutely without reseruation Neuer accompt it a Christian forgiuenes when it is with exception that thou wilt not speake
his vnspotted feet struck through with rough and rigid nayles and enable mee by the fastning of them to the Crosse to run constantly the way of thy commandements Obserue O eternal Father thy deare Sonne in the fairest flourish of his age how his necke bowed his head declined how his whole countenance was deformed Behold how his starry eies are sunke and set in his head how his nose growth sharp his lippes pale his eiebrowes hard his cheekes shrunke and wane behold his breast swolne his side bloody his bowels drie his armes and legges stiffe Beholde his whole body resolued into death Behold my Priest who need not bee sprinkled or sanctified with other blood but gloriously glistereth in his owne Behold my pleasing and perfect sacrifice odoriferous and acceptable to thee Behold my Aduocate whome I haue directed to plead my cause before thee Heare him I pray thee and regard the defence that hourely hee maketh for me Grant O pitifull FATHER that I may alwayes haue him for my Aduocate whom by no merit of mine but by thy pure grace thou hast giuen for my Redeemer O omnipotent FATHER of my LORD what I could find most precious most highly to bee esteemed I haue deuoutly presented to thee Compose thy selfe now to dispose thy grace and mercy towardes mee And albeit I am vnworthy of thy rich fauours in regard of my merits yet remember thy mercies remember thy promises remember the inestimable merits of my Redeemer remember what hee hath done and what he hath suffered euen from his Cratch to his Crosse not for himselfe but for me All which I heere offer to thee most gentle FATHER as a sacrifice for my sinnes and for all my necessities for whatsoeuer I require of thee it is in his name and for his sake it is for the loue thou bearest to him and for the loue that hee beareth to thee Thou hast promised to honour fathers in their sons and sonnes for their fathers O fauourable LORD honor now thy onely Sonne by doing good to moe for the loue thou bearest to him For he is my FATHER my second Adam and I am his sonne albeit vndutifull yet because in trueth I am his sonne for the loue thou bearest to him be fauourable to mee For assuredly he hath payd for mee much more then I owe. No offence can bee so grieuous for which his sorrowes his sufferings his obedience and aboue all his profuse loue hath not amply satisfied which his large riuers of blood cannot wash away which may not bee drowned and deuoured in his death O heauenly FATHER there is nothing in my selfe which I dare presume to present vnto thee For what can proceed from this carion which is not noisome what fruit canst thou expect from this earth which thou hast cursed from the beginning but thornes and briers And therfore I offer this my SAVIOVR and Redeemer thy most blessed Son and the vnmeasurable loue whereby thou didst send him into the world apparelled with my flesh to free mee thereby from eternall death Beseeching thee to accept his humble and feruent prayers for my dry and dull deuotions Accept his teares for the torrent of teares which I should powre foorth but by reason of the hardnesse of my heart I cannot Accept his incomprehensible dolours and torments which thou onelie perfectly knowest for the sorrow contritiō which I am bound to performe Lastly accept his sharpe and penurious life with all his trauailes and exercises of vertue accept his cruell death and all his passions as a sacrifice to thy glorious Maiesty for all the euill workes which I haue done and for all the good workes which I should haue done Feede mee with his flesh inebriate me with his blood let his griefe enter into my soule that I may bee resolued wholly into his loue Away all forraine loues away with the multitude of worldly phantasies and dreames let me be crucified with him to the world let me so die with him that my life may bee layde vp in thy diuine treasury Thy Apostle compareth all worldlie things to dung and may bee likened to the swallowes dung which fell vpon the eyes of Tobias and made him blinde For we cannot see spirituall things so long as our eyes are daubed with this dung The rich haue wanted and suffer hunger but they who feare the LORD want no good thing The things of this world doe not fill but inflate euen as the Prophet sayd of Ephraim Hee feedeth on winde They are like sharpe liquors which doe not satisfie but prouoke hunger They are like salt water to quench thirst or oyle to extinguish fire O my life O desire of my soule hide mee from the world obscure me from the fawning fauours thereof and take me into the secret retreits of thy bosome to dwel One thing is necessary and that doe I desire My beloued is one My CHRIST IESVS my GOD my spouse is one and my only loue O heauenly FATHER let nothing be sweet nothing sauourie vnto mee let nothing affect mee but onely IESVS CHRIST Let him bee wholly mine and I wholly his Let mee neither loue nor know any thing but him and him crucified To whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honor and prayse for euer Amen Praise and Glory and Wisedome Strength Dominion Riches and Power bee vnto our GOD for euermore Amen FINIS LONDON Printed by IOHN BILL M.DC.XXIII Christs trauailing vp the Mount His stripping His nailing Psal. 71. How he was strained Psal. 21. The Crosse erected Numb 21. Exod. 29. Leuit. 23. With whom he was crucified Asoliloquie * Bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darkenesse Heb. 5. 7. His praying Ezek. 22. His Pleading * And now brethren I know that through ignorance yee did it as did also your Rulers Act. 3. 17. Obiect Answ. The condition of Caluary changed Iohn 4. The great mercies of GOD. The patience and loue of CHRIST The true Mediator Ezek. 22. Who prayed To whom For whom Where When. How In what manner Heb. 5. His strong crying His teares How offensiue sinne is Attention in prayer Whose sinnes we must lament Oculi mei defecerunt prae lachrymis With how many mouthes CHRIST craued forgiuenesse Psal. 130. Not conditionally but absolutely Presently For all sinnes past present and to come Wherefore he prayed to his Father to forgiue and did not forgiue them himselfe Gen. vlt. Our Sauiour would not bee A iudge An accuser But a Mediatour Two offices of a Mediatour Noe defence for the lewes but ignorance The grossenesse of their ignorance Ignorance cannot be alleadged for vs. Yet some defences may Gen. 27. All sinners are ignorant The loue of CHRIST It is not CHRISTS will that wee forbeare to weepe A new example Prophesies fulfilled Isa. 53. Psal 109. The charity of CHRIST How far to loue our enemies The loue of GOD ioyned with the loue of our neighbour Not so hard to loue as to hate A troublesome neighbour must be loued Matth. 3. Heb. 5. How GOD often answereth The effectuall answere of the Father GOD doth not absolutely compell Christs prayer more powerfull for sinners then for himselfe All things present to GOD. Christ still crucified An oblation No want if we haue Christ. A prayer The greater our offences are the greater is GODS glory in pardoning And wherefore A perfect peace-maker A great holy day Luk. 2. 14. Ioh. 12. 27. The great peace of the world concluded How the Diuell eyeth contentious persons By hating others wee loose GODS loue A short Prayer Phil. 3. Diuites eguerunt Psal. 34. Hos. 12. Cant. 6. Cant. 6.