redeemed and in thee no anger to bee appeased O good Father Charge me freely I say with thy stripes set them so surely and seuerely as thou wilt but suffer not my sufferings to bee vnfruitfull doe not double my griefe by causing me to lose the benefit of my grief For it would be a greater griefe to mee that these sinners should perish then are all the torments where with they teare mee euen as a louing mother sorroweth more at the losse of her childe then she did at her trauailes for his birth By suffering and by pardoning the redemption of the world must bee wrought and therefore pardon them O good Father For whom I suffer or else no redemption can follow And if the death which now I suffer if the life which now I offer bee not sufficient I will suffer another death I will offer another life I will doe anything O my good Father wholly to appease thee BVt if thou wilt not bee absolutely intreated yet forgiue them I beseech thee in regard of their ignorance For niether this people nor their Rulers doe dirâ—ctly know either who I am or what worke I haue in hand Whereby it followeth that they know not what they doe Blessed Father thou hast made mee wiser then my enemies For I know righâ— well what I am about to doe bâ—â— thou hast not suffered the diueâ— perfectly to know it much more is this vnskilful multitude inuolued in ignorance And therefore I am so farre from desiring reuenge that the more earnestly they endeauour with many torments to destroy mee the more earnest am I both in praying and pleading for their saluation For alas they are ignorant I pitie them with my heart and from my heart desire thee to bee intreated for them Giue them time and meanes to bee instructed open their vnderstanding to know mee and to know themselues but as the case now standeth forgiue them I pray thee for they know not what they doe And further seeing I am ioyfull in receiuing these harmes wherefore art thou displeased with those who doe them Seeing the party offended forgiue 〈◊〉 the wrong at whose suit will thy iustice prosecute What hath Iustice to doe when no man complaines Thou knowest right well that nothing can bee termed an iniurie which is not done against our will Seeing therefore I willingly suffer and that in obedience to thy will and appointment to performe a most necessary worke for the world remaine not thou displeased with those by whose hands my owne will is performed and this great worke accomplished BVT happily it may bee said that as this action in it selfe is the most heinous sin that euer was committed so are these in regard of themselues the most vnworthy to be forgiuen Be it so But O holy Father Do I die only for small offenders is not my death sufficient for all Doe I die for any other end but that all offenders may bee forgiuen And wilt not thou regard more my sufferings then any mans sinnes more my charitie in dying for my tormentors then their malice iu putting mee to death It is true indeed that if thou wilt punish them according to their demerits al the torments of hell are nothing neere sufficient but therefore it is better freely to forgiue them For as there was neuer sinne comparable to this so shalt thou neuer haue the like occasion to manifest thy mercy O my Father seeing my blood is shed by thy will imploy the same to the best effect let not any man be depriud of the benefit of that which is amply sufficient for all And fauour me also O father since I needs must die to make the best aduantage of my death to seâ— my life so well as I can And therefore pardon those I pray thee who torment me to death For the greater offenders thou pardonest for my sake the better I shall thinke my life employed and it nothing auaileth that I die for sinners if thou deniest to pardon sinners MEDITATIONS VPON THIS Prayer O PRECIOVS prayer fit onely to proceede from our All-mercifull Redeemer who as he taught vs to loue our enemies to pray for them that curse vs so heere by his example hee confirmed the same O meeke SAVIOVR what inflamed charity did sparkle in thy speeches how truely had the Iewes saide of thee before Neuer man spake as he speaketh For let all the prayers bee powred foorth that euer were made and wee shall find none parallell to this Many haue prayed for themselues many for their friends but who euer before in this sort prayed for his enemies Many haue forgiuen offences after they haue beene done when the paine is past and the offender happilie displeased at what hee did but whilest the mischiefe is in action and before it bee accomplished in the very height of madnesse and malice to see thee not onely forbeare to hate thy enemies but ardently to loue them to heare prayers for them flowing out of thy mouth with teares and groanes whilest thy blood was running out of thy veines to heare thee plead for them who wouldest not open thy mouth to speake for thy selfe What shall wee say but that pity and cruelty iniury and mercy anger and patience hate and loue did here meet and contend together O milde IESVS O the glory of my soule what humane iudgement yea what vnderstanding of Angels is able to apprehend that thou shouldest not only patiently endure but thus earnestly pray for thy mortall enemies Thy smart thy fainting the streames of blood which freshly flowed from thee might haue put thee in minde both of their malice and of their iniustice and yet wert thou wholly busied in procuring pardoÌ„ both for that for all their other sinnes O euerlasting goodnesse what a maruellous example hast thou giuen both of patience and of loue Thou didst release those who fastened thee plead for those who did accuse thee intreat for those who did reuile thee acquite and discharge those who are in hand to kill thee they will not returne into the City before thou art dead and thou wilt not die vntill thou hast obtayned their pardon O Redeemer of soules thou didst neuer either doe iniury to any or blame any for doing iniurie to thee All thy actions and words tended to teach vs patience pity humility gentlenesse and all other goodnesse Albeit thou haddest many enemies in this world yet didst thou neuer term any man enemy all were esteemed friendes because thou wert a true friend to all Thou hadst been formerly presented before the high Priest and Elders before Pilate and before Herode in whose presence for the most part thou wert silent but beeing presented before thy Father on the Crosse thou didst first open thy lippes to speake for thy tormentors O vnspeakable charity How inestimable was thy loue towards miserable man When thou wert accused before worldly Iudges thou wouldst not spend one word for thy selfe but wheÌ„ thou didst
to him that thou wilt not conuerse be familiar with him For thy SAVIOVR did not pray for his enemies vpon condition or in part hee prayed absolutely for all and for all offences of euery one GOD also is so noble in pardoning that hee cannot forgiue one sinne either alone or in part hee neuer pardoneth to halfes he cannot but either wholly pardon or wholly punish If any one sinne be vnpardoned the sinner must be charged with all O gentle IESV thou didst absolutely pray for all sinners and therewith offer thy blood as a sufficient ransome for all sinnes For all sinnes might bee numbred but thy precious blood could not be valued And it was not onely absolutely that thou diddest pray to thy Father but also that hee would presently forgiue thou wouldest not giue day it must bee foorthwith remission must bee granted without intermission Thou wert then neere the point of thy death but thou wouldest not die vntill pardon was granted thou wouldest not make paiment of all thy blood vntill thou hadst thy bargaine in hand vntill peace were composed betweene GOD and Man Thou art not like many worldly Parents who leaue small inheritances to their children intangled many times with debts suits or other incumbrances but for the heauenly inheritance which thou hast giuen vs thou hast made ready payment cleared all reckonings remooued all difficulties and charges and concluded perfect peace with thy Father before thy death saying vnto him FORGIVE and that presently O my Father for euen now is the time arriued to forgiue This is the houre of sacrifice the day of satisfaction the day of remission I am euen now readie to lay downe my life and I make now my last petition my last suit to thee shall bee this FATHER forgiue O heauenly FATHER as thou louest thy Sonne so hold him no longer in torments for I must not die vntill thou forgiue Neither did hee pray to the Father to forgiue the sinnes only which then had been committed but simply to forgiue euen those sinnes also which afterward should be committed For his persecuters had not then satisfied themselues with blasphemies and scornes they had not then offered him a spunge dipped in vineger they had not then opened his side with a speare they had not then feasted their eyes with sight of his dead bodie and yet he prayed as well for these as for all the cruelties which before they had done Yea for all sinnes not onely past and present but to ensue hee powred foorth this prayer Father forgiue Teaching vs thereby not onely readily to remit all wrongs receiued but to stand resolued nothing to regard whatsoeuer iniuries shall afterwards bee offered and to make diligent search that no secret desire of reuenge doe secretly rankle and fester in our soules But O meeke IESV O the hope of my soule what is the reason that thou doest pray to thy Father to forgiue Hadst thou not power in thy selfe to pardon sinnes Couldest not thou as easily giue as aske One word from thy selfe might haue serued the turne wherefore then didst thou intreate thy Father to forgiue O my soules solace was it to declare thy selfe to bee a perfect Priest in furnishing thy sacrifice with prayer for a Priest did offer not onely sacrifice but prayer hee was not onely a sacrificer but an intercessour for the people Or was it to shew that thou madest greater reckoning of the iniurie done to thy Fathers glorie then of the violence vsed against thine owne life Or lastly was it to manifest that thou wert so intentiue to the redemption of the world that thou wert not offended with any thing they did that thou tookest all in good part that thou didst not esteeme them malefactors to thee but benefactors to all the world regarding more the good that the world was redeemed then the hurt that thou didst die As if in other words thou hadst said FATHER These men haue broken thy Law discredited thy truth violated thy Temple blasphemed thy Name and therefore thou art hee who must forgiue them I haue no cause to forgiue because I am nothing grieued I am well pleased with my death I esteeme my life well bestowed seeing by this meanes the world is redeemed and heauen furnished with new glorious guests When losephs brethren feared that hee would reuenge their violence hee sayd vnto them When ye thought euill against me GOD disposed it to good that hee might bring to passe as it is this day and saue much people aliue Feare not therefore I will nourish you and your children Much more truely may our SAVIOVR say to those who crucified him You entended much euill against me but loe all is turned to my glory and to the good of many You thought by taking away my life to extinguish my power but loe I liue and haue all power in heauen and vpon earth There neuer was nor can bee done a more wicked act then the taking away of my life and yet neuer did so much good follow any act namely the saluation of much people aliue And now feare not my reuenge I haue prayed to the Father for you I haue obtained your pardon I haue obtained not onelie that you be not charged with the euill but that you may enioy the benefit of my death Which example if thou wilt follow O my soule If thou wilt regard more the good then the euil which ensueth euery action if thou wilt which is a property of GOD draw good out of euill thou shalt neuer hate any enemie but rather loue him for the good that hee worketh A great mans son will wel endure to be taught and reproued by his schoolmaster But there is no better schoolemaster then an enemie who beareth an eie ouer thy actions and wil be nimble to reprooue thy faults If thou wouldest liue warilie and in good order pray to GOD to send thee an enemie and thou shalt need no schoolemaster hee will spare thee that stipend An enemie is the bridle a friend is the couer of sinne Friends puffe vs vp but enemies humble vs and make vs vigilant and wise Hee who hateth his enemie striketh one that is sicke killeth a dying man Triacle is made of poison Take the malice of thy enemie temper it with loue to him and with the works of charitie towards him and thou makest an excellent preseruatiue for thy soule THEM BVT O gracious Sauiour who were they for whom thou diddest pray what them didst thou meane what them wouldest thou haue forgiuen were they thy cruell crucifiers wherefore then diddest thou not terme them bloodsuckers paricides sacrilegious hangmen or whatsoeuer other name either cruelty or impiety could deserue For two especiall causes One to instruct vs that wee abstaine from reprochfull speeches The other to declare that he esteemed no man to bee his enemy Vndoubtedly the Sonne of GOD did not accompt his executioners for his enemies but for his friends for his brethren
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
for his owne flesh and blood and therefore hee preached vnto them during his life and at his death prayed for them They hated him indeed but in so doing they hated the most louing friend they had in the world one who could not bee angrie with thē whose loue could not be either withdrawne or abated from working their good In case he disliked any thing they did it was not in regard of himselfe but of his FATHER and therefore he prayed his FATHER to forgiue them He who was nothing offended with iniuries against himselfe as regardlesse both of torment and scorne was most sensible of the iniuries and despite which reached to his FATHER not to haue them punished but forgiuen Also he vsed the generall word them not onely for them who were the present actors of his death but for all them besides who by their sins gaue cause to his death And thou O my soule art included in this prayer whose sinnes also are included in the cause of his death Thou hast thy part in his prayer thy part in his remission especially if thou adioyne thy prayer with his For if his prayer was profitable to them who neither prayed with him nor intreated him to pray for them it will bee profitable for thee in case thou doest both For verily his prayer was profitable to those who desired no pardon who did absolutely refuse it For how could they desire to bee pardoned who would not acknowledge that they did offend who cast all the blame vpon IESVS who held him to haue deserued worse then he suffered Those excommunicate Iewes were so farre out of their wits that they did not onely forbeare to aske pardon for their offence but repelled pardon so much as they could being not onely not sorrowfull for the mischiefes they did but grieued because they could doe no more They were not content to goe without pardon but they demanded vengeance for that which they did His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children O sottish Synagogue wherefore doest thou desire that the blood of CHRIST appointed to redeeme thee should bee turned to condemne thee O vnfortunate Iewes O cursed people if the Sonne of GOD had allowed your demand But hee appealed from it hee would not consent to your reprobate request he would in no case consent that his blood should be shed against you but for you You called vpon you the most cruell curse that could bee his blood be vpon vs but he encountred it with his mercifull prayer Father forgiue them It hath beene often seene that a man will not hurt his enemy that he will pardon him if hee repent but who but IESVS did pardon them who would not be pardoned who despised pardon who would not pardon him by whom they were to be pardoned who would pardon Barrabbas a murtherer among them but not IESVS who came to saue them O infinite goodnesse what wit is able either to acknowledge or apprehend such exceeding loue Thou diddest cleanse those who would be vnclean thou diddest set those at liberty who would be in restraint thou didst vnburthen those who would bee ouercharged thou didst saue those who would bee damned O my soules safetie If thou didst pardon those who desired no pardon wilt thou not pardon him who with sorrow and teares entreateth thy pardon Thou didst meet them who came to apprehend thee meet me then O good IESV who come to intreat thee Thou diddest defend thy cruell tormentors who scorned thy defence who acknowledged no fault defend him I beesech thee who flieth to thy defence who is much displeased that euer hee did offend I am not yet amended I confesse but it grieueth me that I am not amended and with teares I entreat thee that I may amend Create in mee a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within me O great GOD the heart which I brought from my mothers wombe is so vncleane that I dare not offer it to thee it dares not appeare in thy presence It is polluted with many foule sins it is loaden both with delights and cares of this world But create in mee a cleane heart fit to receiue thee infuse into it a right spirit fit both to loue and to praise thee O gracious GOD giue mee a new spirit for mine is olde and vnpleasant giue mee a cleane heart for mine is impure If thou doest not this if I bee not so changed no prayer of mine shall euer be heard FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY doe BVt O mighty Redeemer was it not sufficient either that thou didst pardon their sinnes or that thou diddest both absolutely and earnestly intreat thy Father to pardon but thou must also plead their cause before him Oh! how great was the worke of the Redemption of the world far greater then was the worke of creation The reason is plaine Because there is not so great a distance betweene nothing and nature as betweene sinne and grace For as grace is exceedingly aboue nature so is sinne exceedingly beneath nothing Nothing giues no offence but sinne offendeth infinitely And therefore GOD produced all things out of nothing only by his word but to reduce sinners to grace all these great actions were required To teach vs thereby no lesse to abhor sinne then we would abhor thus cruelly to intreate our SAVIOVR thus carelesly to put him to all these performances againe O fountaine of Loue Albeit all power is giuen thee both in heauen and vpon earth ye twouldest not thou heere susteine the office of a Iudge Albeit these intolerable both iniuries and indignities were heaped vpon thee yet wouldest not thou beare the part of an accuser but thou wouldest bee a Mediatour Now to a Mediatour two offices do properly pertaine either to present supplication or to make some defence The one our SAVIOVR did in saying Father forgiue them the other when he added for they know not what they doe By the first hee was an Intercessour by the second a Patron or Aduocate by both a most perfect Mediatour The Iewes before had sought after many accusations against IESVS but could find none and now innocent IESVS seeketh how to excuse them And verily this sinne was of so high quality and nature that besides ignorance nothing could bee brought either for excuse or for extenuation thereof And yet it seemed that their ignorance was not onely grosse and supine but voluntarily affected euen as if a man should willingly couer his eyes because hee will not see who it is whom hee intendeth to smite or kill But assuredly they knew not either what good they did to CHRIST or what euill to themselues They knew well enough what euil they did but they knew not what euil they did thereby deserue But where art thou O my soule In what estate esteemest thou thy selfe whensoeuer thou doest voluntarily aduenture to sin what shall thy SAVIOVR say for thy excuse For it seemeth that thou art in worse case then
were the Iewes who tormented him to death For ignorance was alleaged for them but that cannot possibly be pleaded for thee because hee is more clearly reuealed to thee then he was to them Thou knowest right well both what thou doest and what is to ensue But O saluation of soules If in the sharpest sence of thy torments thou didst extenuate thy tormentors sinnes wilt thou not now in thy seat of glory alleadge something to thy Father for those who with faith and with griefe implore thy defence It is true indeed that ignorance cannot bee pretended for mee But hast thou but one blessing O my SAVIOVR hast thou but one defence for all sinners Defend mee euen me also O my SAVIOVR say I was weake or inconsiderate or suddenly surprised Say what thou wilt O my SAVIOVR so I be not banished from thy defence And yet in very trueth it may be said that all sinners are blind that they know not what they doe For if they knew with what impietie they violate the goodnesse and dis-esteeme the iudgements of GOD with what defilements they deforme the beauty of their soule what losse they incurre of eternall glory what penalty of eternall torments awaiteth for them they would rather aduenture vpon a thousand deathes then vpon one sordide and slauish sinne O incomprehensible loue Thy members O my SAVIOVR were racked on the Crosse thy ioynts opened thy nerues crackt thy hands and thy feet were painefully nailed on euery side thou wert assailed with blasphemies and scornes all which thou didst beare off with thy loue Thy loue did not permit thee either to complaine or to be angry thy loue made thee sencelesse of griefe thy loue made thee forgetfull of thy selfe and mindfull of nothing but of mercy for thy enemies and to appease thy Fathers wrath against them O louing IESV what charitie burned in thy diuine breast that almost at the instant of thy death thou wert more regardfull of thy enemies then either of thy selfe or of any thy friendes For thy mother and some other thy friends stood sorrowing and weeping neere the Crosse thy enemies did most bitterly blaspheme and doubtfull it is whether the heauinesse of the one or the malice of the other did most exceed and yet thou wert not so intentiue to comfort the first as to prodcure pardon for the last Assuredly O my soule it is not our Lords minde to drie vp thy teares to asswage the sorrow which thou shouldest expresse in regard of his sufferings It pleaseth him well that his friendes should freely spend teares for his torments but he cannot endure that sins by his torments should not be pardoned As hee died for pardon of sinnes so was hee most carefull to vse all meanes to obtaine the same He came not into the world to drie mens eyes from weeping but to saue mens soules from perishing as this was his principall worke so his principall words were directed to this end O bottomlesse depth of charity and goodnesse neuer exceeded neuer equalled Verily O good IESV as thou saidest at thy last Supper I giue you a new commandement so mightest thou haue said vpon the Crosse I giue you a new example not onely to pardon but to pray for our enemies and in the best manner that you can to excuse them And that at the very instant of offence before it be fully accomplished before either intreaty or time hath either worne out or any deale abated our griefe For whilest their malice was hottest in action whilest with many cruelties they tormented thy body whilest with high blasts of blasphemy they vexed thy soule thou as if thou hadst beene depriued both of sence in thy selfe and respect towardes thy friendes didst wholly bend thy selfe to obtaine their pardon Thy griefe was greater without comparison that thy enemies should perish then that thy friends did lament or that thy selfe didst endure a most sharpe and shamefull death Verily O meeke IESV now was that verified which had beene prophesied of thee long before He made intercession for the transgressors And againe For the loue that I had vnto them loe they take against mee but I giue my selfe to prayer For thy charitie was so great that it would not suffer thee to complaine of thy torments Yea it enforced thee to pray for thy tormentors yea to excuse them Euen as a man will easily not only pardon but excuse him by whom he is cut lanced seared or otherwise grieued either for preuenting or curing some dangerous disease As before thou hadst taught vs to loue our enemies so here thou diddest giue example how farre wee should loue them euen to pray earnestly for them to bee sorry for their offences and rather to qualifie and couer then either to aggrauate or display them Hee that thus loueth not his enemy doth not beare true loue towards thee For the loue of GOD is so ioyned with the loue of our neighbour that they cannot be separate They both spring from the same roote they both flow from the same fountaine they are as it were twisted into one threed insomuch as with the same habituall loue where with wee loue GOD we loue also our neighbour As all the lines of a spheare which touch the Centre touch also one another so whosoeuer loueth GOD loueth also his neighbour thou canst not separate from thy neighbour vnlesse thou also separate from GOD. The Commaundement to loue seemeth to be no hard Commandement because it is to doe that whereto we are inclineable by nature If GOD had commanded vs to hate our neighbour it seemeth to haue bin more hard because it is more agreeable to our nature to loue then to hate Albeit thy neighbor be troublesome and hard yet loue him not the lesse If it bee hard to loue thy neighbour it is more hard to bee hated of GOD. THE FATHERS ANSVVERE NOW albeit the FATHER did not foorthwith answere the Sonne in an audible voyce albeit a voice did not sound from heauen at the death of IESVS as it did at his baptisme This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased yet as the Apostle said that his prayer was well heard so there is no doubt but it was effectually answered For as IESVS prayed much more then hee was heard to pray so was his prayer answered when no answere was heard But GOD doth not alwayes answere prayers by words but for the most part by effects When the Father denied his Sonnes prayer in the garden he answered by an Angel in words but when he granted his prayer vpon the Crosse hee answered not by wordes but by effectuall workings which is a most powerfull answere First therefore by vertue of this prayer one of the theeues crucified with him conuerted to him and desired to be remembred by him Then the Centurion who was appointed to guard him did openly confesse him to be the Sonne of