the solace of my soule who could be worthy to stand so neere thy Crosse as to see blood streame from thy flesh and teares from thy eyes to see thy blood mixed with teares to see that as with sweat and blood thou begannest thy passion so with teares and blood thou diddest conclude it What adamant heart would not breake what leaden eyes would not melt into teares what earthy spirit would not be moued as the whole earth was to see thy sacrifice sprinkled or rather imbrued with blood and thy prayers watered with teares to see thy teares beautified with blood and thy blood washed with teares to see thee at once to smite thy Fathers cares with thy prayers and to mollifie his heart with thy sighes and grones O blessed Redeemer Albeit thou didst pray to thy Father for the greatest matter that euer was demanded of him yet if thou hadst desired a greater thy blood was so abundant thy cries so strong thy teares so plentifull and the loue from whence they flowed so ardent that thy loue thy blood thy teares and thy cries must haue obtayned it O sinne How offensiue art thou to the heauenly Father how deepely dangerous to the state of our soules seeing this expiation was necessary to abolish thee seeing pardon for thee could not be obtayned but by these cruell sufferings by these bloody teares of our Reedemer And thou o my soule crie hideously when thou praiest to the Lord and weepe abundantly for thy sinnes sigh groane teare bloody teares from thy soule when thou askest forgiuenesse seeing thy Sauior thus cried and wept when hee made intercession for thee For what reason or iustice is it that thy Sauiour crie and weepe for thee and not thou for thy selfe Or if thou canst not weepe in thy prayers yet be earnest attentiue let not thy thoughts be either scattered or heauy and dull for if thou be not attētiue to make thy prayers the Lord will not bee attentiue to heare them Learne also to lament not onely for thy owne offences but for the sinnes and miseries of others euen as the Prophet Hieremie lamented for the calamity of his people when he sayd My eyes faile and are dimme with weeping For albeit true charity beginneth alwayes at our selues yet must it extend vnto all there is no truer token of true charity then when it doeth extend vnto all not onely in shewing compassion for their miseries but especially in crauing pardon for their sinnes Ioy at the good which happeneth to other men and greeue at their euill and so shalt thou make profit of euery mans conuersation OF THE SVBSTANCE OF THIS Prayer BVT proceed O my soule to the substance of this praier and obserue well euerie word therof for there is not one word therein that is not of weight FATHER FIRST he began with the sweet word FATHER Hee did not terme him LORD for that was a name of seuerity and iustice but FATHER which is a name of pity and mercy If he had sayd LORD forgiue them as Saint Stephen prayed afterward it might haue seemed that hee had referred their pardon to the curtesie and iudgement of iustice But FATHER is a name of compassion a name of the new Testament A name which by the blood and merits of our IESVS we may challenge to vse towardes hm That as he pleased to bee our brother so hee would thereby make vs the sonnes of his FATHER And therefore hee vsed the same worde in praying for vs which hee did in praying for himselfe For as he prayed for himselfe Father into thy hands I commit my spirit so he prayed for vs Father forgiue them As if he should haue said O my Father acknowledge me now for thy Sonne thy onely Sonne thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleased thy Sonne to whom thou wilt denie nothing for as I am obedient to thee as to my Father so I expect to bee heard of thee as thy Sonne Father I am therefore come into this world that sinners also should be receiued for thy sonnes and therefore heare mee now in praying for them If euer thou wilt heare them praying to thee in my Name heare now my owne prayer for them So deare a Sonne as I am to thee so acceptable let my prayer be to thee If thou hearest not the prayers of thy Sonne whose prayers then wilt thou heare If thou reiectest my prayers thou doest more torment mee then doth the Crosse. The Crosse I patiently endure to abolish a greater euill that is to appease thy wrath and to make sinners accepted for thy sonnes But fauour these torments of thy Sonne that they be not endured in vaine Fauour thy Sonne not to double his terments by denying him his charitable request Thou doest amply reward the trauailes which any man shall performe in thy seruice Now thy Sonne requireth no recompense for himselfe for all my trauailes for all my torments in obedience to thy will I require no other recompense but that thou wilt grant my request for miserable sinners FORGIVE BY this word our Lord discharged the office of a Priest in praying for the sins of the people for which hee cryed not onelie as a Priest but as a sacrifice which neuer demandeth free forgiuenesse but bringeth satisfaction with it And not only he cried with his mouth but his wounds cryed his blood cryed his defilements cryed his torments cryed al his members cryed Forgiue So many wounds as he receiued so many griefes as he endured so many mouthes hee opened with one voyce intreating Accept these sufferings for the sinnes of all men for wee doe pay thee whatsoeuer they owe. Wee giue thee blood and smarte for ransome life for satisfaction body and soule for sacrifice Let there now bee mercy with thee for this is a plenteous redemption It is a hard thing indeed which is demanded namely that a most indulgent Father should forgiue and forget the cruell death of his only Sonne his entirely beloued Sonne But the sonne himselfe demands it he demands it with his blood with his wounds with all his sufferings he demands it Not vnder any condition as hee prayed for himselfe in the garden If it be possible If thou wilt If it may be but positiuely and absolutely he prayeth thee to Forgiue His owne passion hee left to thy will but thy pardon hee doth absolutely intreat He put it to thy pleasure whether hee should die or no but he leaueth no consultation no choice for thy granting of forgiuenesse his prayer for forgiuenesse is so absolute as it may not be denied Hereby thou mayest learne O my soule that remission of sinnes and all diuine graces are to be desired of GOD without condition because this prayer is alwayes referred to the honour of GOD. Also that whensoeuer thou forgiuest thy enemies thou doe it absolutely without reseruation Neuer accompt it a Christian forgiuenes when it is with exception that thou wilt not speake
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
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