by fasting it afterward the body nayled thereto was grieuously shaken And so was the brasen serpent lift vp in the wildernesse so were the sacrifices offered to GOD accustomed to be lift on high And so was it fit that hee should bee lift vp who was appointed to be a mediator betweene GOD and man who was to reconcile heauen and earth together who was to cast about his eyes in seeking his lost sheep and vpon whom we all should set our eies And they would not crucifie him alone but between two theeues whereby their intention was to obscure his Name to defile his credit to make him in stead of Messias to bee reputed a prince of theeues But our Sauiour turned this to another end namely that hee died for sinners and that he hath discharged the price of their sinnes Doubtlesse he so loueth sinners that he did not onely conuerse with them during his life but died betweene them and will bee euer present among them to heare them to pray for them to pardon them when they call vpon him not onely during the time of their liues but vntill the last minute of their death Yea after death he will bee ready to receiue them being penitent into his glory THY SAVIOR being thus mounted vpō the Crosse and fastned hand foot for sacrificing of his life consider seriously O my soule what he did what he said in what thoughts he was busied First consider his vnspeakeable torments in that he was depriued of all comforts both externall from others and internall within himselfe If he stirred any part of his body his wounds were thereby made more grieuous If hee remained quiet besides that immobility is a terrible torment one of the torments of hel the very weight of his body did teare his wounds wider Then consider how in those extremities the first time he opened his lips the first voyce which his tongue did forme was in making intercession for his enemies Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe They mocked reuiled blasphemed but hee prayed the more they burned in hate the more was hee enflamed with loue Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and from the aboundance of his loue did this prayer proceed But thinke not O my soule that these were all the words which IESVS spake that this was all his prayer at large but rather a summary collection thereof For the Apostle saith that he di◠offer vp prayers supplications with strong crying and teares And therfore when he seemed silent when his voyce was not heard when happilie his lippes did not moue whilest the Iewes were busied some in tormenting and some in deriding him conceiue O my soule that thy sweet IESVS either as senceles or as regardles heereof was wholy attentiue in praying to his heauenly Father for them for thee and for all sinners And so his members being strongly streyned vpon the Crosse as the strings were on Dauids harpe hee made such tunable harmony as neuer before had been heard in the world sounding in this sort to the eare of his Fathers mercy HIS PRAYER EXTENDED O Most iust most mercifull most holy Father thou seest what a weighty worke I haue begun and now I am entred into two of my great offices The office of a Priest as well in offering my body for a sacrifice as in making supplications for the people and the office of an Aduocate in pleading the cause of sinners before thee In both these heare me I pray thee Heauenly Father load this bruised body of mine with thy stripes powre foorth the full measure of thy wrath vpon it I am ready to indure whatsoeuer charge it shall please thee to impose But forgiue them I beseech thee for whom I thus suffer Let mee not in this cruell maner lose my blood and lose them also for whom I expend it the price being paied suffer me I pray thee to enioy my purchase O my eternall Father In recompence of my obedience to thy will in recompence of my comming into the world to reconcile it to thee in recompence of all my trauailes ouer-paced in recompence of my present torments and death I intreat nothing of thee but that thou wilt pardon these mercilesse sinners I am well content that thou wouldest not yeelde to my naturall desire when I prayed for my selfe that this cup might passe from me but denie mee not I pray thee in praying for these For I esteeme the benefit greater that they be forgiuen then that this cup should haue passed from me I regard more the good that they liue eternally then I regard the hurt that for the present I die O my good Father there is a time to pardon and a time to punish but if euer there be a time to pardon it is now Euen now when I aske forgiuenes at the very end of my life now whilest my blood freshly runneth for forgiuenes whilest the sacrifice is in offring for which thou shouldest forgiue For now thou doest publikly proclaime thy pardō mercy truth iustice peace do now embrace and kisse kindly together Thou didst once forgiue the Israelites O my Father when Moses and Aaron offered a little incense for them and wilt thou not forgiue these for whom I wholly offer my selfe Thou didst once grant victory when Moses held vp his hands vnto thee and wilt thou nothing regard the stretching foorth of my bleeding hands Father I am come into the world I now suffer death in the world to appease thine anger but what profit will ensue of my comming and of my death if men should be still charged with thy hate If my death cannot appease thy wrath what then can doe it What then can make atonement betweene thee and sinners O my good Father when I came into the world by thy appointment when by thy appointment I vndertooke to die thou diddest promise that thy wrath should bee extinguished by my death that thy wrath and my life should determine together Wherefore to discharge thy promise and because my life is more precious to thee then thy wrath forgiue I pray thee and bee appeased Loe heere I set my selfe in the breach loe heere I enterpose betweene sinners and thee BVT O great Mediator wherfore doest thou so earnestly entreat for sinners What ease is this to thy torments what good to thy selfe In case thou wilt not reuenge thy wrongs yet wherefore doest thou not leaue them to thy fathers pleasure wherefore should not Iustice run her course The Law sayth Eie for eie hand for hand life for life And what auayleth it thee that these offendours must now be forgiuen O! YES I am well content O my Father that thou load me with thine anger in what measure thou thinkest fit but so as nothing may remaine vnreconciled to thee so as my redemption may not bee imperfect and maimed so as there may remaine in man no fault to bee
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
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
addresse thy selfe to craue of thy Father wherefore doest thou not intreat him either to mitigate or shorten thy paines Wherefore hast thou no pitie vpon thy innocent flesh thy martyred members Wherefore seemest thou so little to regard thy life or wherefore seemest thou to neglect thy mournefull Mother thy dispersed Disciples thy heauie followers and friends and disposest thy selfe to pray for thy enemies Wherefore intreatest thou without intreatie Wherefore crauest thou forgiueneâ—â— without either satisfaction or submission for their offence O sweete and onely Sauiour How fierie is the force of thy Spirit how hast thou verified that which before thou didst say that thou wert not sent but to the losâ— sheepe of the house of Israel what thou camest not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance All thy life time thou diddest conuerse with sinners both by exhortation by example to conuert them to thee now at thy death thou prayest for them O Caluarie how is thy condition suddenly changed Before this time thou wert a place where Iustice was executed vpon infamous offendors but now thou art consecrated for a place of oblation and intercession for them It was not meete that Oblation should goe single without Intercession and therefore as our great Priest made heere his Oblation for sinne so here also did hee make Intercession for sinners And O you stiffe necked Iewes See how our blessed Lord hath requited your dealings You turned his house of prayer into a denne of theeues and hee hath turned your denne of theeues into a house of prayer Teaching you as before he had told that the houre was then come when neither at your temple in Ierusalem nor at the mountaine in Samaria the Father should bee worshipped but hee should bee worshipped in spirit and trueth O crucified IESVS O delight of my soule What shall wee say of thy exceeding goodnesse with greater reason may wee now demand Where is thy ancient wrath then the Prophet Dauid once demanded Where are thy ancient mercies O my soules safety who can despaire of thy goodnes who dares distrust it Thou didst pardoÌ„ those who would not be pardoned shall pardon bee denied to those who ardently desire it Thou didst pray for those who tormented and blasphemed thee and wilt thou not pray for those who pray vnto thee O blessed SAVIOVR when thou wert on the Crosse all things forsooke thee except onely thy patience and thy loue By thy patience thou didst endure all extremities of torments by thy loue thou didst offer vp supplications with strong cryings and teares The Iewes prouoked thy Father to take vengeance vpon them in saying His blood bee vpon vs but thou didst pray him to remit that vengeance because thy blood was shed for them They caried thee before the high Priest and before Pilate to haue thee condemned but thou didst present them before thy Father that they might bee pardoned They cried against thee Let him be crucified but thou prayedst for them Father forgiue them Certainly O my SAVIOVR It is so great a mysterie that thou didst pray for those who did blaspheme thee that thou didst pardon those who tormented thee to death without sorow without intreatie and that thy prayer Father forgiue them should preuaile against their praier His blood bee vpon vs that albeit wee must beleeue it yet we caÌ„not coÌ„prehend it And thou O heauenlie Father seeke no more for a man who should make vp the breach and stand in the gap betweene thee and the Land Loe this is he this is the true Mediatour betweene thee and vs raised between heauen and earth to reconcile both together And because nothing can serue for a fit meane to combine two contraries but that which participates of the nature oâ— both Loe this Mediatouâ— participates of thy nature being perfect GOD and of our nature beeing perfect man and therefore is a fit meane to ioyne to fasten to vnite both together A fit meane I say vpon whom man may discharge all his sinnes and GOD discharge all his anger who like a strong and impregnable wall may keepe our sinnes from approaching to GOD and GODS vengeance from approaching to vs. BVT O my soule do not runne ouer this banquet in haste take a more exact haste of euery dish meditate and ruminate vpon these things as a cleane beast cheweth the cud Consider first the principall circumstances of this prayer then exactly weigh euery worde thereof THE PRINCIPALL CIRCVMSTANCES OF This Prayer WHo then was it that thus did pray The sonne of GOD who was most worthy to bee heard To whom did he pray To GOD the Father who was most powerfull to grant For whom not only for his tormentors not onely for the people of the Iewes but for all sinners for whom hee died for all men whose sins were the proper cause of his death EueÌ„ for those who little regarded themselues yea for many who theÌ„ were not he earnestly prayed for vnlesse CHRIST first prayeth for sinners they shall neuer bee able to pray for themselues Where was it Vpon the Altar of the Crosse. When In time of his extreame torments and of his drawing neere to death How His hands stretched like another Moses to heauen and all his body imbrued with blood In what manner O! in a most perfect forme For the Apostle saith that he offred vp Prayers supplications with strong cryings and teares His Prayers were many formed in manner of humble supplications with cryings with valide and strong cryings and with teares And therfore the matter of the prayer being of great piety and merit it is no marueile that the Apostle added that he was heard By this strong crying thou must vnderstand that with a most forcible affection with deepe groanes with a violent intention of desire and will hee offered vp his supplication to GOD. For hee is saide to pray aloude whose soule is fired with feruent deuotion and desire whose thoughts are neither distracted nor remisse but both entirely and earnestlie attentiue to the businesse in hand The cry of sins is exceeding stroÌ„g yet the eare perceiueth no noise but the feruent cry of deuotion is much stronger albeit no voyce bee outwardly heard There is no strong crying to GOD but through aboundance either of loue or of griefe both which were most forcible in our SAVIOVR vpon the Crosse. Loue for compasion towards others griefe for the passion which hee felt in himselfe He was enflamed to loue by his mysticall members his naturall members enforced him to griefe From this loue and this griefe his crie must needes bee exceeding strong And besides it must bee a violent voyce that was heard for all men that did silence and drowne the clamour of all sinnes For it was not for his tormentors only but it was for all men that he then prayed hee who died for all prayed for all But O good IESV O
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