GOD and others also who stood by smote their breasts their hearts being smote before and returned into the city Afterwards at the Feast of Pentecost three thousand were conuerted at one Sermon and fiue thousand at another Also by merit and power of this prayer Saint Stephen was called Saint Paul conuerred Saint Matthew elected and generally all our prayers are heard all our sinnes remitted in case we repent Wherfore conceiue O my soule that GOD the Father answered his Sonne not by externall voyce but by tacite and internall consent in maner as followeth O My Sonne I see thy sufferings and I see the loue wherewith thou sufferest The loue wherewith thou so imbracest thy paines that it will not suffer thee to bee angry for thy paines the loue whereby thou art both ready and desirous to suffer more paines then thou doest Loe now I accept thy sacrifice burning in the bright flames of thy loue loe thy teares groanes sighes and cryes haue preuailed with me and obtained thy desire Loe my Sonne I grant thy petition I heere lay downe my wrath I shut the floodgates of my fury and open the fountaines of mercy to all I offer grace iustice remission of sinnes adoption to bee children aswell to those who thus rage against thee as to all other sinners in all ages and of all countreys whensoeuer they haue beene or shall be or wheresoeuer they are or howsoeuer they haue offended All this my son I freely grant by the merits of thy passion but so as they reiect not this mercy offered so as they but open their armes to embrace it But I will compell no man against his will For as when thou diddest open the eyes of the blinde it was their owne eyes whereby they did see so when the will of sinners is both enlightned and enabled by grace their proper will must then fall to worke And therefore let all sinners but resort vnto me let them with humility in themselues and faith in thee sue forth their pardon let them take out this my grant vnder seale of the Sacraments and we will bee all friends they shall be my sonnes and thy fellow heires in my kingdome of Heauen MEDITATIONS vpon the same O HOLY FATHER how great are thy mercies towards miserable sinners giue me thy grace both by vnderstanding to know and by loue to admire them How much more forcible was this prayer of thy sonne vpon the Crosse for sinners then was his prayer in the garden for himselfe When hee prayed in the garden prostrate on the ground bathed in a bloody sweate thrice for himselfe thou wouldest not heare him but when hee prayed on the Crosse for his mortall enemies thou diddest grant his prayer at the very first word O infinite goodnesse that had more pity on the miseries of sinners then on the flesh of thy only sonne And because to thy diuine eie nothing is past nothing to come but all things are present because with thee there is neither yesterday nor to morrow because thou neither foreseest things to come nor remembrest things past but beholdest all things with one act of thy diuine knowledge because things which are not only far off in regard of vs but happily are not are present to thee it followeth that thy sweet sonne still hangeth crucified before thee betweene heauen and earth still bleedeth and praieth for sinners Father forgiue them Forgiue thou I pray thee by vertue of this prayer the sinnes of thy suppliant which alas I haue almost forgotten but are all present before thee and cry to thee for iustice For if this powerfull prayer was heard for his professed and malicious enemies who neither desired nor regarded his prayer shall it not bee heard for those who ioyne with him both in prayer for forgiuenes and in teares to extinguish thy anger against them Heauenly Father I haue nothing of my owne which thou canst accept but I heere present to thee the merits and obedience of thy only Sonne all the labors and griefes which in this world hee endured for sinners For this is our stocke this is our treasure this is the inheritance which he hath giuen vs and wherof he hath made vs heires by his last will and testament and this is rightly ours Because it is no lesse ours which is freely giuen vs then that which wee purchase by our owne endeauours And O blessed SAVIOVR what can I want if I haue thee If I haue thee I haue my part in thy prayers in thy teares in thy blood in thy death in all the merits of thy sufferings and shall haue my part in thy glory Thou didst not only pray for sinners on the Crosse but continually praiest to thy Father for them that hee will vouchsafe to forgiue thē to impute their offences to thee and to impute thy righteousnesse to them O bowels of mercy cease not I beseech thee often to repeat this paryer to thy Father for mee Father forgiue him For because by sinning I often become thy enemie I often crucifie thee what should become of me if thou shouldest not often pray to thy Father to forgiue me And therefore O my sure Saluation so often as either by my owne infirmity or potency of my enemies I slippe into sinne so often say to thy Father for me Father forgiue this sinner Father for my sake bee not displeased with him And the greater my offences shall be the greater shall be thy glory in procuring my pardon For because of all attributes to GOD goodnesse after our manner of vnderstanding is the most excellent and that wherein hee glorieth most and that for which hee is most praysed both in heauen and vpon earth it followeth that the more goodnesse hee expresseth in any action the more glory he acquireth thereby And therefore as generally GOD hath not manifested so great goodnesse in anie worke not in all as in the worke of our Redemption wherein he both did and suffred so many things to make vs good as thereby in generall the passion of our SAVIOVR is so farre from being ignominious that all the workes of GOD layd together doe not beget to him so great glory so in particular the greater the sinnes are that thereby are remitted as they manifest the greater goodnesse so the glory which they rayse must be the greater IN WHOSE Presence this Prayer was made ALL this was done in the presence of his blessed Mother and of diuers of his dearest friends As calling them to be witnesses of this Generall pardon as calling them to be witnesses that as all were redeemed so all might bee pardoned by his death Teaching them also first to forgiue iniuries done personallie to themselues secondly that albeit they were permitted to weepe for his death yet they were not licenced either to seeke or to desire reuenge Lastly to enioyne them to ioyne with him in this charitable prayer Father forgiue them for they know not what
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
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
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