what place the Lord my King shall be whether in Death or Life even there also will thy Servant be 2 Sam. 15.19 20 21. And as Ruth said to her Mother-in-Law Naomi Entreat me not to leave thee nor to return from following after thee for where thou goest I will go where thou lodgest I will lodge they People shall be my People and thy God my God where thou dyest I will dye and there will I be buried The Lord do so to me Ruth 1.16 17. and much more also if ought but Death part thee and me Saith Peter So is my Heart knit to thee dear Master Peter I know that thou lovest me and therefore Satan hath a desire to sift thee and try thee as he did Job but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail thee not Job ch 1. Then Jesus goeth to Gethsemane for his hour being now come and taketh with him only three of his Disciples Peter James and John they being the three appointed by their Lord and Master to see the said Tragedy Peter because his chief Disciple to whom he should commend the Care of his Church which e're long was to suffer great Persecution James the last of the Disciples yet the first that was to suffer for the Gospel's sake and therefore most fit to see his Master betray'd that his Master's meekness and patience in suffering might be a pattern and example to him who e're long must follow And John the most beloved Disciple of Jesus whom Peter ask'd his Master But of this Disciple that lean'd on thy Breast at Supper-time and first said Whom it is Lord that shall betray thee What shall this man do Saith Jesus to him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Follow thou me Yet most Holy Jesus thou that knowest all things probably for such-like Reasons took these only along with thee and said unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death Tarry ye here and watch with me And be went a little farther and fell on his face to the ground and prayed O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt For tho' Jesus as Man fear'd the approaching danger that was coming upon him and just now ready to seize him and therefore was in this great Agony sweating drops of Blood falling to the ground yet as God it was mutually agreed upon already in the great Court of Heaven between his Father and Himself that this was the only way could be found out for the Redemption of fallen Man For God so loved the World that he have bis only begotten Son to death for it that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life therefore as God God-Man was resolv'd to fulfil his Father's Will Father all things are possible to thee but if this Cup shall not pass Thy Will be done O Holy Father And he cometh to his Disciples again a second time but finding them asleep saith to Peter Simon Why sleepest thou Could not you watch with me one hour You know what I have Pray'd for already Watch and Pray now lest you enter into Temptation The Spirit indeed Peter I know is willing but the Flesh it weak O Holy Jesu what Sweetness and Love is this of thine that even at the very minute that thou wert to be betrayed thou shouldest pity the Infirmities of thy Servants that even now thou hadst commanded to Watch and Pray and yet even in this very last minute found them sleeping one would rather have thought thou shouldst have been extremely angry with them but instead of that thou excusest their fault This sweetness and this behaviour of thine and compassion of Humane Infirmities will draw all Men to thee Christ knew at this time that shortly he was to suffer for the Sins of the whole World in what nature and kind soever as to the aggravation and heinousness of them and might he not then very well pass by the Infirmities of his beloved Disciples when he knew that their Sleep proceeded partly from their Trouble and Sorrow Jesus leaveth them again and goeth a Third time and prayeth more earnestly and cryeth louder and sweateth much greater drops of Blood than before O Righteous Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me but yet Holy Father thy Will be done O my Soul where am I The devout Soul hearing the Cry seeketh after our Saviour Where O Watchmen Where am I Where is my Beloved Where is he gone aside My Soul melteth away I hear his Cry but I know not where to find him I am sure it 's his Voice but I know not which way to go the dark Night hath conceal'd him from my Sight but not from my Heart His Cry pierceth my Soul O good Watchmen Dear Watch-men Where shall I find him whom my Soul loveth and longeth for Hark! Hark! He cryes louder and louder Help Help What 's the matter dear Saviour I cannot find thee I know not where thou art sometimes thy Voice seemeth near and sometime farther off sometimes on this side os me and sometimes on that sometimes before me and sometimes behinds whether from the Walls and Vaults of Jerusalem or whether from the Brook Cedron or from the Trees in the Garden or from all these places together these uncertain Sounds and Eccho's come I know not they perplex me and confound me I cannot find thee I know not where thou art Direct me Lord the way I know thou art the Way the Truth and the Light but I know not where to find thee thus at a distance this dark Night Direct me Lord the way Speak Dear Lord and thy Servant heareth My Soul is attentive to thy Call but I am not able to bear longer thy Cry O quickly Dear Saviour quickly Tell me but where I shall find thee What No Directions yet Dear Jesu O! dear Watchmen for the Lord's sake for my dear Saviour's sake for my poor Soul's sake tell me tell me for why should I be as one that turneth aside from the Flocks of thy Companions Saith the Watchmen we cannot longer endure to hear thee cry and make such moan We suppose you may find him in or about the Garden of Gethsemane We believe the Cry comes that way We can hear it easily but it is beyond our Bounds we must not nor dare not go beyond our own Precincts especially without the Gates of the City and more especially when there is so great a Noise and Tumult abroad we know not how soon there may be an uproar here and therefore we must keep our Posts upon Life and Death let what will come of it otherwise some of us would go along with you to direct you and light you along but that is the way I but are you sure the Cry and Noise comes from thence That we are not sure but this we are sure of That a great Company and
THE Lama-sabachthani OR CRY OF THE Son of GOD Useful at all Times especially For PASSION Week AND At all other Times for a Devout and Pious Soul in its nearest Approaches and Addresses to its Saviour before and after it comes to be an Actual Partaker of the Body and Blood of its Redeemer The Second Edition LONDON Printed by Edw. Jones for Samuel Lowndes against Exeter-Change in the Strand 1691. To Her most Pious and Sacred MAJESTY Queen MARY The Author most Humbly Offers and Dedicates the ensuing Enchiridion of a Crucify'd Saviour Madam WHen I consider the unexpressible Honour I lately had of being frequently a partaker with You at the Throne of Grace in Your Chappel-Devotion at the Hague Where observing Your great Strength and Zeal of true Piety accompanied with a perfect Stability of Humility Meekness and Lowliness of Spirit as a compleat Follower and Imitator of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whilst on Earth it struck such a Dint upon me As St. Austin says melted down his Soul into Divine Affections and enforc'd such a Love of Religion in me that made me inspir'd to that height and Ecstacy of Devotion and Intention of Thought that did not only as it were withdraw my Soul from all Commerce with the Senses but in a manner separate it a while from the Body And made it with the Apostle Paul to have Antipasts of Heaven and a fruition of Coelestial Enjoyments Such Raptures Elevations and Influences of Anticipated Glory as the Apostle had had the Disciples of our Saviour whilst their Great Lord and Master was Predicting and Communicating his Passion to be an abiding Commemoration of himself amongst them after his Ascension into Glory as it is largely set forth by our Saviour himself throughout the 6th Chapter of John And as it was observ'd of Peter and the rest of his Brethren in the Transfiguration of our Saviour on the Mount that when he Pray'd earnestly to his Father the Fashion of his Countenance was alter'd which did beget immediately in them such a Participation of Raptures and Ejaculations that made them very unwilling to relinquish the Place where they had enjoy'd such a Beatifical Presence The like have I perceiv'd in Your Majesties Countenance as if it spake aloud the very Language of Your Divine Soul that made mine always wish in its Publick Devotion to live in the Presence of so Great and so Glorious an Exemplar No less perfect are all these Coelestial Qualifications in Your ever Ador'd and Dearly beloved Sister to enumerate them again were but Tautology they are all so essentially compact in You both that modestly and justly You are the Glory of the Vniverse The Hypostatick Council of Heaven having decreed it from all Eternity that You Two shouâ—d be Leaders and Patterns to all Sincere and Devout Subjects and Christians in all Virtue Piety and Holiness and that they be close Imitators and Followers of You as You are of Christ This makes it transcendently the Felicity of all Humble Pious Souls to have Two such Matchless Guardian Angels walk before us and to be eminent for God in Your Generations as the aforesaid Mary and Anna the Mother of Jesus and Prophetess of our Lord. How much more Glorious must the Protestant Religion necessarily appear in You Madam now You are by the All-wise Providence of the Great God most happily arriv'd at the Zenith of Sovereignty whose Sovereign Beams have already dispers'd all those Clouds and Mists nay Storms and Hurricans of Popery that of late had like to have subverted and over-whelm'd these Nations into a Bloody Deluge by Massacre and Murder had not God reserv'd Your Majesty for such a day as This and brought You safe through the dangers of the Seas and plac'd Your Royal Person with King William on the Imperial Throne of Your Ancestors whose undaunted Magnanimity and Resolution by the Omnipotent Power of the Almighty hath procur'd this re-establishment for us again That when all our hopes were sinking in the Autumn of Despair God was pleas'd through him by a stupendious Miracle to restore us again without the tedious and cruel Sieges of War or Blood to a Protestant Settlement and Blessing This is the only cause that emboldens me to present to You the following Meditations and Contemplations of the Agony and Crucifixion of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Entituled The Lamasa-bachthani or Cry of the Son of God wherein I have endeavour'd as succinctly and as perspicuously as possibly I could to set forth every Action and Transaction of the Chief Priests Scribes Elders and Soldiers towards their accomplishing of their wicked Design in perfecting of the so much hunger'd for Crucifixion of our Dear Lord and Saviour How he was hurry'd and carry'd from one Place Court and Council to another Spit on and Buffeted in one Array'd and Rob'd in another Scourg'd and Crown'd with Thorns in another mock'd and derided in all but acquitted and discharg'd by none and yet not found guilty of Death in any I have follow'd the Evangelists as close as I could and have rank'd them as well as I am able in so small a thing and have made the rough Draught as like the Original as I can possible in suitable Expressions and earnestly beg of God it may please all and displease none being all Divine Truths I most humbly present it to Your Majesty hoping it may receive a Candid and free Acceptation from You. It will lye in a little Room in Your Closet and at the Table of the Lord being more fitted for the Heart of a Devout and Pious Soul than Voluminous therefore may be as the Viand of the Soul in its nearest Addresses to its Saviour before and after it comes to be an actual partaker of the Body and Blood of a Redeemer whom I have end avour'd to Delineate as well as I am able in so small a Tract in the utmost extremity of his Crucifixion in his Agony and Bloody Sweat on his Cross and Passion in his Death and Burial and there left his most precious Body in the Grave with Holy Angels to attend his Call I may hereafter presume to write of his Glorious Resurrection and Ascension also if I can find my weak Endeavours are in any degree useful according to the Pious and Honest Intention of MADAM Your Majesties most Obedient and for ever most Devoted Humble Servant Anonymus THE Lama-sabachthani OR THE CRY OF THE Son of GOD. HEAR O Heavens and give Ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken it O what is this I hear The Voice of the Son of God in the grievous Agony of his Soul just breathing out his last and crying to his God nay his Father to sustain and comfort him either O Holy Father take from me this bitter Cup of Vinegar and Gaul of thy high Displeasure or else forsake me not in the time of my drinking this bitter Portion Where is the Cry of the Son of God the
Judge that is now ready to cast both Soul and Body into Hell-Fire do produce Compassion And this is the present and perfect state and condition of all Men by reason of Sin For this and this alone is our dear Lord and Saviour conflicted in the Garden even to the extracting great drops of Blood trickling down his most sacred Hands and Face And when he saw his most Righteous Father would not reverse this eternal Decree and Punishment to Mankind for Sin without his own ever blessed Son's undergoing and suffering Death and Hell for us Saith he If this bitter Cup shall not pass from me without drinking of it Thy Will be done A Body hast thou prepar'd that is mounting the Cross and ready and willing to suffer all the Misery and Torment that the most cruel Rage and Malice of Men and Devils and an enraged God will permit to inflict rather than poor Man shall suffer the deep Pressures of Thy Eternal Wrath and Indignation in that Luke that burneth with Fire and Brimstone for evermore O blessed Father Thou art my Father from all Eternity and am not I thy Son Prov. 8.23 I was from everlasting before ever the Earth was While as yet he bad not made the Earth or the Fields nor the highest part of the Dust of the World When be prepared the Heavens I was there When he set a Compass upon the face of the Deep When be established the Clouds above When he strengthen'd the Fountains of the Deep When he gave to the Sea his Decree That the Waters should not pass his Commandment When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth Then was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his Delight rejoycing always before him Rejoycing in the habitable parts of his Earth And my Delights were with the Sons of Men when thou createdst them in a state of Innocency and Perfection And O Heavenly Father shall I now forsake them in a state of Sin and Misery and Eternal Destruction No O Holy Father for this very end did I come into the World I that immaculate Lamb slain from the beginning conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary as to human Nature am toucht with their Infirmities and therefore came to succour poor tempted Souls I know the Devil's Wrath and Power and continual Attempts to all Mankind For this cause was I carry'd into the Wilderness endur'd Hunger and Cold Fasting and Temptations and I cannot but succour and relieve and at last deliver those that are tempted As Man I my self O Righteous Father had fell by his Temptation but as God I overcame him and can I let them suffer when I know Man is not sufficient of himself to overcome the Devil nor Sin nor the Power of Death and Hell nor thy Eternal Wrath and Displeasure This was the Eternal Decree of the great Council of Heaven from everlasting That seeing Man was not able to recover his lost state That Man born of a Virgin conceived from his God-like Power by the Holy Ghost overshadowing her in the fulness of time should be born the Son of God fully qualifi'd God-Man to make compleat Satisfaction and Atonement for laps'd Man to the unsatisfi'd Justice and incensed Wrath and Indignation of God And for this Cause was I Born here on Earth and left the Bosom of my Heavenly Father and all Thrones and Dominions Principalities and Powers of Glorified Saints and Angels and took upon me Human Nature and came cheerfully leaping over the Hills and skipping over the Mountains as a Roe or young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices For this Cause came I as in the Volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy Will O God That poor Man might not be Eternally lost but thy incens'd Wrath might be appeas'd full satisfaction might be made the power of Hell might be broke and Devils themselves reserved in Hell bound in Chains of Darkness until the great Day and poor fallen Man acquitted and discharg'd and his Soul Eternally Sav'd This is Love indeed unbounded unlimited Love infinite inexhaustible incomprehensible Love of the Son of God the ever blessed Redeemer of the World O the Height Length Breadth and Depth of the Goodness of God to Mankind This is transcendent Love Love without comparison Now what must all this extort from us To see our dear Lord and Saviour just now mounting the Cross giving of himself up to the utmost Cruelty that the wickedness of Men and Devils can inflict upon him from the vehemency and Poison of their most barbarous Rage and all this for our Sins and to set us free Here is the Sentence of Pilate Take him scourg'd already accord-to your Custom and bound Take him and Crucifie him with this Inscription over his Head That every one that passeth by might understand it written in Latin Greek and Hebrew This is Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iews The Death of the Cross was the ancient Punishment of the Jews for their most notorious Malefactors Dr. Cave 's Primitive Christianity before Christ's time and therefore esteemed by the accursed Jews most fit for our Saviour to dye by Omitting all the various Forms and different kinds which were all us'd towards the Primitive Christians there were two things in this way of suffering rendred it very severe viz. the Pain and Ignominy of it Painful it must needs be because the Party suffering was fastned to it with Nails drove through his Hands and Feet the most sensible parts of Man from such a vast quantity of Nerves and Sinews uniting and terminating in those places And they were pierc'd only in those extream Parts so far distant from the Heart on purpose that the exquisiteness of their Torments and Death might be the more lingring and tedious Insomuch that some out of tender Compassion have caused some to be strangled before they were Crucified as Julius Caesar did the Pirats he had sworn to execute on the Cross Sueton. in Vit. Caesar Cap. 47. p. 76. But no such Favour was shewn to Christians they were suffer'd to remain during all these cruciating Pangs till mere Hunger starv'd them or the Mercy of wild Beasts or Birds of Prey dispatcht them Thus St. Andrew endur'd two whole days upon the Cross Martyrol Rom. p 736. Timotheus and his Wife Maura after many other Torments hung upon the Cross nine days together before they compleated their Martyrdom Nor was the Shame of this way of Suffering less than the Pain of it Crucifixion being the punishment of Slaves Traitors and the vilest of Malefactors Insomuch that for a Free man to dye thus was accounted amongst them the highest Degree of Ignominy and Reproach imaginable Therefore the Roman Historians call'd it Servile Supplicium a punishment only proper for Slaves But this punishment of the Cross Constantine took away out of Reverence to our Saviour not being willing that that should be the punishment of the vilest Malefactors which
God Let them in scorn and derision be Crucifying my Saviour between two Malefactors as the chiefest of them I in the greatest bitterness of my Soul will be pouring out the most ardent of my Prayers with Sighs Groans and Tears that are unutterable to remember me both now whilst thou art on the Cross and as soon as thou art exalted in thy Kingdom of Glory O God! the Son Redeemer of the World have mercy upon me miserable Sinner By the mystery of thy Holy Incarnation By thy Nativity and Circumcision By thy Fasting Baptism and Temptation Good Lord deliver me By thy Agony and Bloody Sweat By the Cross and Passion By thy precious Death and Burial By thy Glorions Resurrection and Ascension And by the coming of the Holy Ghost Good Lord deliver me O Son of God! I beseech thee to hear me O Lamb of God! that takest away the Sins of the World Grant me thy Peace O Christ hear me O Lord hear me O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me O Lord hear me and remember me now now thou art giving up thy most precious Life and pouring out thy innocent harmless and compassionate Soul Remember me when thou com'st into thy Kingdom What can a poor Soul beg more and desire more of its Redeemer at the point of Death Or what can be given or done more by an ever-blessed Saviour and Holy Jesu to save us from the Jaws of Death Power of Hell and Eternal Torments Than to be pouring out his own Soul by Prayers and Tears to his Heavenly Father at the very last minute of his precious Life for us But stay O blessed Jesu What is it I perceive and see still in this black and dismal hour O Lord Is it thee still in thy Agony and bloody Sweat It is so dark I can but just perceive thee Is it not finisht yet What say'st thou Lord now to my poor fainting dying Soul Speak Lord one word of comfort to me notwithstanding all thy Adversaries and implacable Enemies about thee Speak Lord and thy Servant heareth Speak Lord and my Soul shall live If thou art so faint thou can'st not speak in this grievous Conflict let thy good Prophet speak for thee Wherefore when I came was there no man to help When I call'd was there none to answer Do you think I am past Saving of you or Delivering of you in this time of my Dereliction Tho you all forsake me in this hour of my Crucifixion I do not forsake you my Children my Flock and my poor Lambs my Redeemed and the purchas'd of my Soul Is my Hand shortned at all though nail'd to the Cross that I cannot Save or that I cannot Redeem Or have I no power to deliver Behold at my Rebuke I dry up the Sea I make the Rivers a Wilderness The Fish stinketh and dieth for Thirst because there is no Water I cloath the Heavens with blackness and I make Sack loth their covering I make the Earth to quake and tremble and it would tumble down to the Eternal Abiss but that I bear up the Pillars of it at this very moment that I am bleeding and dying upon the Cross Let the Jews have as vile and mean thoughts of me as they please and cast all their scorn and malice mixt with their cruel rage and poison at me It 's I that make the Rocks to rent the Sun to gather paleness and the Moon to be turn'd into Blood Notwithstanding that all the Scriptures might be fulfill'd and my Redeem'd Ones the Purchas'd of my Soul set at liberty I give my Back to the smiters and my Cheeks to them that pluck't off my Hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting for the Lord Gâ—d doth and will help my Soul and sustain it Whatever my Body doth or shall cry out and say therefore I shall not be confounded therefore I have set my Face like a Flint and know that I shall not be asham'd He is near that justifieth me Who will contend with me Let us stand together Who is my Adversary Let him come near Behold the Lord will help me Who is he that will condemn me Lo they shall all wax old as a Garment and the Moth shall eat them up Who is it amongst you that feareth the Lord Who obeyeth the Voice of hit Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upod his God Behold all ye that kindle a Five that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your Fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Isa 50. But my Soul draw near or else thou wilt lose the sight of thy Saviour Darkness hastens on a-pace O Holy Jesu is it not thee Let me wipe and drain my dim and almost spent and blind Eyes and look again Lord it is thee I still perceive thy Tears distilling down thy sacred Face Thy Temples boiling out of Spirituous Blood Thy Sacred Hands and Feet blubbering up and venting out from behind the Nails great Bladders of Blood and Froth from the expulsive force of thy most exquisite Torments O Lord even now my Soul fainteth and dieth within me My Spirits fail me My poor Mortal Eyes and tender fainting Heart is not able to behold thee longer Nor yet while my Life and Strength remains can I forbear when an interval of Tears will permit my sight looking after thee still and pouring forth my fervent and frequent requests to thee and falling into these most strict Examinations within my self What! From the Sixth till almost the Ninth Hour is my dear Saviour in the height of this vehement Agony and not over yet But still labouring and groaning under the burthen of my Sins What great and heinous Sin of mine is it that I am guilty of that is not aton'd yet That God is so extremely incens'd at and that he will not yet pardon That my poor Saviour is yet struggling for till the last drop of his most Precious Blood is exhausted Let me look immediately into my Soul into every corner and crany of it all must out and be discover'd of what nature or quality soever it be whether Lying Cursing Swearing and Forswearing Theft Murther Fornication Adultery Incest Pollution with the Dead or Copulation with Beasts Blasphemy Spite and Contempt against thy Holy Word and Sacraments O quickly quickly quickly help me O my God to find it out and to bring all to remembrance that thou mayest no longer be extorted and convuls'd in these grievous Torments Look upon me dear Saviour and cast quickly thy dying Eye towards me Christ cast his dying Eyes to a Supplicant Sinner as thou didst upon Peter in the High-Priest's Hall denying thee that I may immediately remember it seeing thy Righteous Father is so exact
and severe that there is no Redemption of thy most precious Soul and Sacred Body from the Cross till thou hast paid the very utmost Farthing and hast made full and compleat Satisfaction for me O dear Lord That Cast of thy languishing distracted dying Eye towards me hath brought all to remembrance And there dear Saviour in the speedy conveyance of a most ardent Ejaculation is it most humbly and devoutly presented unto thee that thou mayest instantly be deliver'd from the Torments and Bondage of Death in making ample Atonement for it and my poor Soul may be recorded as soon as thou art exalted in thy Kingdom of Glory Stay O my Soul a small space longer for now Darkness hastens on amain that I can scarce see thee But what is it I hear Does this abominable Sin of mine stick so fast still in the strict Court of Heaven that it makes thee cry out thus Will it not yet be discharg'd What dreadful Cry is it I 'm sure it must be my Sin Thou O blessed Jesu art Spotless and without Sin Guile was not found in thy Mouth It must be mine O miserable and wretched Creature as I am How impossible was I and unable to have under went this Suffering and Agony for my Sin as a poor Worm Dust Ashes and sinful polluted Man when it makes the Son of God thus complain and cry out Hark! Hark! O my Soul what is it that sounds thus in my Ears 'T is no usual Cry it must come from my Tortur'd Redeemer Hark! Harst Silence Hark! What is' t Eloi Eloi Lama sabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O my Soul what is it What is it I hear Eloi Eloi Lama-sabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O Lord O God! O Saviour O ever-blessed Redeemer O my Christ Son of God! Lamb of God! Dearly beloved of the Father Where shall I go Where shall I hide my self from the Wrath and dreadful Displeasure of thy Father if thou cry'st out so that art his Son his only begotten Son in whom always he was so well pleas'd What then can I do or where shall I appear if Wrath break out never so little towards me when thou that art a God complains so bitterly What then must a poor vile wretched miserable undone Creature and grievous polluted Sinner do But stay my Soul Endeavour still to be looking up toward thy Saviour Let my tremblng fainting Heart still endure the Crowd If thou dyest here thou mayest still be remembred with the Penitent Thief It 's the only time and place under Heaven to give up a departing Soul but if otherwise thou art called for a longer time on Earth have patience and see the last of thy erer-blessed Saviour If the Mother of our ever-blessed Lord stand to see the last Gasp of her dearly beloved Son and if Mary Magdalen and others stand weeping and crying and praying to see the last Gasp and dismal End of this unparalell'd Tragedy thou hast as much need I say if amongst these Mary the Mother of our ever-blessed Jesu can stand to behold her Nine Months Labour in her precious Womb and to see the Travail of her Soul thus tormented to Death canst not thou do the same More especially thy Sins O my Soul are great which thou hast committed have patience a while and much shall be forgiven thee Let us now see what further the Jews have to do till their Wrath is quite spent And when the Sixth Hour was come there was Darkness over the whole Earth until the Ninth Hour and at the Ninth Hour Jesus cry'd out with a loud Voice saying Eloi Eloi Lama sabachthani Which being interpreted is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And some of them which stood by said He calleth for Elias let him come down and save him if he can Then presently he cry'd I Thirst immediately one runs and fills a Spunge full of Vinegar and Gaul and gives it him to drink Psal 69.21 Mark 15.23 All this Suffering hitherto of our Blessed Lord and Saviour had wrought nothing upon these Cruel Incredulous Jewish Stony Hearts but they squeeze this bitter Potion into his most Sacred Mouth with bitter Revilings which at all times is counted most base and inhuman to insult over the most vilest Malefactors at the time of their suffering the satisfaction and penalty of the Law yet such is the Cruelty of these barbarous Infidels Let us see say they if Elias will come and take him down from the Cross and save him But our Blessed Jesu as he had liv'd Christ the Son of the ever living God so he would dye Christ and Saviour of the World pâ—aying for his most bitter and inhuman Enemies at the very last minute of his most precious Life Father forgive them they know not what they do But when they saw that all their Rage Malice and Barbarous Cruelty ended in a Prayer for them their Hearts began to smite them and they stood gazing one upon another and when they began to see such thick Darkness fall upon them and the Earth quaking and trembling under their Feet they began to be convinc'd in their Consciences some of them and to say one to another Surely this is the Son of God and cry'd What shall we do And looking up to Jesus again they saw him bowing his Head and saying Consummatum est Now it is finished Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost And as one devoutly observes the posture of this Death carries in it a lively Representation of his great Love to Mankind his Arms stretch'd out as it were to embrace all those that would come to him and his Head bowing down to kiss them And at the Ninth Hour there was Darkness over the whole Earth for the Sun began to hide his Head as not able to behold it The Vail of the Temple was torn from the top to the bottom the Earth quak'd and the Rocks rent which made the Centurion that stood by as a Sheriff by Pilate's Command to see our Saviour executed begin to be grievously afraid and to say Of a certain this was the Son of God Luke 23.30 Matth. 27.54 And no sooner had our dear Saviour let fly his Blessed Spirit and ascended to his Heavenly Throne and glorified Saints and Angels but they rejoycing at his glorious Presence immediately brake forth into singing of Praises and Hallelujahs with the Penitent Thief And having now overcome the Power of Death and Hell forthwith the Graves open'd and many Bodies of the Saints which slept arose Matth. 27.52 and began to glorifie God Like 23.47 But the Jews when they saw all this began to call to the Mountains to hide them from the Wrath to come Luke 23.48 And all the People that came together to that Sight beheld the things that were done and were amaz'd and smote their Breasts and return'd that the Scriptures might
Wrinkle or any such thing And this I beg with all Humility and Devotion that I am able to do upon the Account and for the Sake of my ever Blessed Redeemer and Advocate concluding in that Heavenly Prayer He Himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. A Prayer for the Author or Reader O Lord assist me so with Thy Blessed Spirit that all that I have now Written or Read in this foregoing Work may always be fresh upon my Heart and Soul and grant me O God that at this time I may pour out my Soul unto Thee upon my bended Knees in such like Prayers and Supplications that may be prevalent with Thee my Heavenly Father to guard and defend me this Day from all manner of Sins and power of Temptations whatsoever More especially against all those Sins that do so easie beset me and meet me at every turn those Sins thou knowest O Heavenly Father are my familiar and prevailing Sins that now by the special Concurrence of thy Blessed Spirit I may be able to strike at the very root of them all and like David kill the Goliah Give me O Lord a true rectify'd Spirit Sanctify'd throughout to overcome all Infirmities and Corruptions of Human Nature And that I may betake my self sincerely to the great Business of the Salvation of my Soul And that with the Blessed Apostle I may run the Race that is set before me looking unto Christ Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endur'd the Cross despis'd the shame and now is set at the Right Hand of God daily to make Intercession for me For him O Heavenly Father hast thou highly exalted and given him a Name above all other Names that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should how both of things in Heaven and of things on Earth O sweet Jesu O blessed Jesu who can but bow to Thee and supplicate to Thee and pour out their Prayers and Tears to Thee that left the bosom of Thy Father and all the Adorations and Chorus's of Saints and Angels and came down from Heaven to suffer the cursed and ignominious Death of the Cross for my Sins to have thy tender Hands that were always doing of Good and healing Diseases and thy blessed Feet that always kept the steady Paths of Eternal Life now to be turn'd twisted extended distorted disjointed and Nail'd to the Cross to drink the Vinegar and Gaul of Thy Father's high Displeasure for my great and grievous Sins to have Thy most sacred Sides pierc'd and to gush out with Water and Blood To see Thee all over sweating and pouring down Streams of Blood from the Crown of Thy Head to the Foot of the Cross and to suffer all this for my great grievous hainous Sins and abominable Iniquities Nay further O Dear Jesu to see Thee endure and to lie under Thy Father's Wrath and the pressure of all these Agonies and Torments which made Thee bitterly to cry out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken â—e O Lord What shall I do Who is able to behold Thee longer Who can but love Thee and in loving Thee adore Thee with infinite unbounded and unmeasurable Love and desire earnestly to be Dissolved and to be with Thee But if it is Thy good Pleasure to spare me longer let the true Love and perfect sense of all this Love and Suffering of Thine my Dear Lord and Saviour help me to live up to that exact Pattern thou hast left me here of Meekness Lowliness Humility Charity Forgiveness Bowels of Pity and Compassion and that a perfect sense of Thy Crucifixion may always be fresh in my Heart and Soul that so it may beget in me a compleat hatred and dread of all Sins that in the whole Course of my remaining Life I may be preserved and defended from the like Sins that I run not the danger of Eternal Damnation And that the inexhaustible Bowels of Thy Mercy may take pity of me so that I Crucifie Thee not again but being delivered from all Iniquities by thy most mighty Power may with finishing my Course here be receiv'd into the open Arms of Thy Eternal Salvation And this I most heartily beg upon the bended Knees of my Soul for Thy sake only and upon the alone account of Thee my Dear Lord and Saviour and ever-blessed Redeemer and Advocate Amen and Amen A Death Bed Meditation I Owe to God a Death as his Son did for me Ever since I have been born I have been sailing to this Haven and gathering Patience to comfort me in this Hour therefore should I be one of those Guests that would not come to the Banquet when they were invited What hurt is there is going to Sleep In going to Paradise I shall lose nothing but the Sense of Evils and anon I shall have greater Joys than I feel Pains for my Head is in Heaven already to assure me my Soul and Body shall follow after O Death Where is thy Sting Why should I fear that which I would not escape because my chief Happiness is gone before and I cannot have it unless I go to it I would even go through Hell it self for Heaven and therefore if I march but through Death I suffer less than I would for God My Pains do not dismay me because I Travel to bring forth Eternal Life My Sins do not fright me because I have Christ my Redeemer there The Judge doth not astonish me because I have the Judges Son my Advocate The Devil amazes me not because the Angels pitch their Tents about me The Grave grieves me not because I know it was my Lord's Bed O that God's Mercy to me might move others to love him For the less I can express of it the more it is The Prophets and the Apostles are my Fore-runners every Man will go before or follow after If it please God to receive me into Heaven before them that serv'd him better what Thankfulness do I owe him and because I have deferr'd my Repentance till this Hour whereby my Salvation had been cut off had I dy'd suddenly How doth my God in his Infinite Mercy to prevent my Destruction call me by this lingring Sickness and prepares me for my End and makes me by wholsome Pains weary of this beloved World lest I should depart unwillingly like to those whose Death is their Damnation Thus he loves me while he beats me and his Stripes are Plaisters to cure my Sores therefore who shall love him if I displease him This is my whole Business now to strengthen my Body with my Heart and to be contented as God hath appointed until I can Glorify him or He me If I live I live to Sacrifice If I dye I dye to my Saviour for Christ my Saviour is Sacrificed for me and therefore should I fear Death I have not that Faith and Hope I have profess'd but I doubted of God's Truth in his Promises Whether or no he will forgive Penitent Sinners which I sear not Come Lord Jesus for now thy Servant cometh into thy Everlasting Arms of Mercy I commit my Soul into thy Hands O Heavenly Father Come Lord Jesus come quickly A Letter written to his Friend in his Sickness Beloved I Marvelled not that you have Pain for you are Sick but I marvel that you cover it not for Offences because the Wisdom of Man is to bite in his Gpief and always to shew more Comfort in God than Pain in Suffering Now God calleth to Repetitious to see whether you have learn'd more Patience and Constancy than others If Sickness be sharp make it not more sharp by frowardness But know this is a great Favour to us when we dye by Sickness that makes us ready for God when he calls us Now you have nothing to think upon but God and you cannot think upon him without Joy Your Grief passes away but your Joy will never Tell me Friend or Patient How many Stripes is Heaven worth Is my Friend only Sick in the World or his Faith weaker than others You have always Pray'd Thy Will be done and are you now offended that God's Will is done How hath the Faithful Man forgot that all things even Death if self turn to the best to them that love God Teach the Happy O Lord to see his Happiness through Troubles Every Pain is the prevention of the Pain of Hell Every Ease in Pain is a fore-tast of the Ease and Peace and Joys in Heaven Remember therefore your own Comforts to others before and be not impatient when there is most need of Patience but as you have ever Taught us to Live so now give us an Example to Dye and deceive Satan as Job did FINIS
Multitude of Soldiers ran that way and said nothing but ran apace whispering amongst themselves Some carry'd with them Swords others carry'd Staves and Halbards and Candles and Lanthorns in their hands We believe it 's some great matter they are gone about they carry it with so much secrecy as they go along but we cannot think it is for Jesus of Nazareth because we did see Judas one of the Lord's Disciples amongst them Hark! the Cry is louder indeed now I don't know what to think of it but there 's the ready way O my dear Lord have I found thee What in Blood Soul in the depth of thine Agony with violent Sweats and drops of Blood runing down thy Face and crying to thy thy Father too What 's the matter dear Lord Speak quickly to my Soul or else I sink and dye I cannot longer forbear having run my self quite out of breath with thy grievous Cry Grievous indeed it must needs be that maketh the Son of God sweat and cry and bleed thus I am striving and strugling praying Christ sweating and bleeding for thy Salvation with my Father's Wrath and Indignation but thy Sins are so great so heinous and grievous that nothing will satisfie him but thy Eternal Death which thou alas art never able to endure the Wrath and Indignation of an incensed and enraged God against thee I have been pleading and interceding with my Heavenly Father offering up strong Prayers and Tears for thy Atonement but all will not do A Life must be given and I have offered my own if nothing else will satisfie Not my Will but thy Will be done It must be so and the unalterable and uncontrouled Decree of the Almighty must be fulfilled and I come willingly as in the Volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy Will O God And behold here they are to whom I am betray'd Whom is it you seek for Soldiers with your Lanthorns and Torches Whom is it you look for Jesus of Nazareth I am he What gaze you for I tell you I am he The Signal was before agreed upon That whomsoever Judas kiss'd him they must seize therefore the strict Order before concluded of and delivered to them must punctually be observed lest a discovery should be made and they seize the wrong and the King of the Jews make his escape The Plot being laid thus cunningly and warily before-hand they must not too rashly nor unadvisedly proceed but stood looking earnestly till the Signal should be given Judas thô the dark Night conceal me from thy Sight yet here I am The hour is now come that the Son of Man must be betray'd into the hands of Sinners Then Judas came and cry'd Hail Master Judas betrays him and kissed him and straight way or forthwith they laid violent hands on him What makes you come thus with Swords and with Staves Judas as if I were a Thief and a Robber And they began immediately to spit in his Face and one of the Soldiers smote him on the Cheek with the Palm of his hand and asked him who struck him But Jesus said to Judas take me and lead me away and thy own Salvation too I have a Baptism to be Baptiz'd with and O how I long till it is accomplisht Peter endeavours his Master's Rescue But Peter as soon as he saw what inhumane rudeness they offer'd to his Lord and Master hastily drew his Sword and cut off one of the Ears of the High Priest's Servants Then Jesus rebuked Peter and said put thy Sword up into the Sheath He that useth the Sword let him perish by the Sword The Cup that my Father giveth me shall I not drink it John 18. v. 8. 11. Thinkest thou not Peter that if I would resist I would pray to my Father and he would presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels to rescue me but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfill'd And it pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to Grief when his Soul shall make and Offering for Sin he shall see his Seed he shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied By his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities Isa ch 53. v. 10 11. But stay O Malchus what Malchus's Ear healed wilt thou still persist in this bloody Deed and wicked Proceedings Wilt thou not hear the Voice of thy God in this Fray Thou shedd'st but a drop of Blood from thy Ear and thy Saviour Sweats not only drops of Blood in his Agony praying for thy Soul but also his Heart bleeds for thee and he takes immediately Compassion of thee and stretch'd forth his hand and cur'd thy Ear And could not this Miracle of the Lord of Life toward thee work perfectly upon thee to endeavour thy Physicians Rescue but still wilt thou go on to drag and hale him before the Judge Will not the immediate Touch of the Hand of God cure thy wounded Soul as readily as thy wounded Body Will not this Miracle of Christ and Love of his to thee persuade thee That he is Christ the Son of the Living God Wilt thou remain ignorant still of thy Saviour and Salvation How many of the Multitude that follow'd Christ would have thought themselves happy to have been blest with such a Touch yea that it might be but the Hem of his Garment Well if thou wilt still proceed in persecuting him he will proceed in praying for thee with the rest of thy Confederates Peter Was this the effect of thy Passion Christ reproved Peter just rous'd from sleep and begin to fight When saw'st thou such Weapons used in my School Was ever any thing but Prayers and Tears my Defence Hast thou overslept and neglected thy God and now fall immediately to fighting Couldst not thou and thy Brethren have watch'd and pray'd with thy Saviour for one hour especially when wak'd and stirr'd up by thy Master and when he had so lately told you the time was at hand in which he must be betray'd and by one of thy Brother Disciples Shouldst not thou rather have endeavour'd to have watch'd the time of his coming and dissuaded him from his intended Wickedness especially when thou hadst seen thy Saviour exceeding sorrowful even to Death Was he earnestly praying and in his Agony sweating drops of Blood dropping upon the Ground for thee And couldst not thou be watching for him but sit sleeping upon the Ground with the rest of thy Companions Or if you had been so extremely sleepy could you not have took your turns one after another This Peter is great neglect of so good a Master Was he striving and struggling sweating and praying to his Heavenly Father for thy Soul and couldst not thou be watching of his Body But he being upon the Work of Salvation excuses thy Infirmity from the Consideration of thy frail human Nature that was not able to undergo one single hours watch I know Peter
thy Spirit is willing but thy Flesh is weak How ready and willing is the Saviour of the World to accept of any drowsy inclinations or endeavours of his Servants in his Service if their Hearts be but sincere The Disciples slumber yet Christ trims their Lamps O infinite Love of the Son of God! to excuse and save poor drowsy Sinners For this Cause was he toucht with our infirmities and took upon him our human Nature This was the Cause of our Saviours interceding for us with his Father for our Lives O infinite Love of the Son of God! that whilst we were yet Sinners Christ dy'd for us Now let us follow him to the Judgment-Hall Carry'd to the Judgment-Hall to be arraign'd but first to Anna's House and not like Peter stand at a distance from him and at last deny him but rather be a sharer with him in his Death and pray with the Thief upon the Cross for Eternal Life They carry him first before Annas the High-Priest Caiphas's Uncle and in the way to his House to see what he could find against him This was one of the Great Council that consulted how they might take Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews and put him to Death This was he that deliver'd to Judas the thirty pieces of Silver out of the Treasury after they had all agreed upon it but when he was brought before him and he saw the Witnesses could not agree together upon their Examination that they might have longer time to lay their Heads together and more readily agree in their Accusation sends them to his Nephew Caiphas they being both High-Priests that year When he comes before Caiphas he Examines him and finding they could not yet agree in their accusing him rather than he should want full Witnesses against him and for that let him go he with the rest of them that were assembled together for the very purpose all the High-Priests and Elders and the Scribes for many there were that did bear false Witness against him but their Witnesses agreed not yet together Now the Great Assembly being all met as I said before to this very end and purpose and consulted and agreed thus farther of him He hath of late raised Lazarus out of the Grave after he had been sour days dead and began to stink and many of the Jews believe on him already from the Miracles that he daily sheweth amongst them and more especially for this Miracle that he wrought even now of raising Lazarus from the Dead and it is not barely a Report to make a noise for a while but it is as to Matter of Fact a very great Truth and a Miracle for some of us both heard him say at the Graves Mouth Lazarus come forth and he immediately as soon as this Man had call'd thus to him he that was dead came forth bound hands and feet with Grave-Cloaths about him and a Napkin upon his Head And this Man Jesus commanded some that stood by to loose him and let him go and many of the Jews that were there believed on him and went away with Mary and Jesus but we came to acquaint you what we have both seen and heard John 11.43 Then the Chief Priests and Elders John 11.47 with the Scribes and Pharisees further consulted and said What do we for this Man doth many Miracles and if we let him thus alone all Men will believe on him and the Romans will come and take away from us both our Place and Nation Caiphas said unto them ye know nothing at all nor consider that it is expedient for us Caiphas prophesies against himself that one Man should dye for the People and that the Nation perish not and this he spake not of himself but God order'd it so that the Prophecy should come out of his own Mouth and this being Recorded as his Opinion doth still remain that out of his own Mouth himself should be condemn'd at last And so from that day forward they took Counsel together to put him to Death John 11.53 And when they saw that all their Machinations and Contrivances prevail'd nothing to the purpose at last they hir'd two Soldiers and gave them Money to come and swear against him in the High Priests Hall And they with a loud and clamarous Voice exalted above the rest with open Mouth say This Fellow said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to raise it again in three days And so he were this being all Truth but he spake of his Body as the Apostle Paul saith Our Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost That in three days time he should raise it from the Grave But these two Fellows nor his Judges had not yet known the Scriptures nor the power of God Then said the High Priest Is it true what these two witness against thee But Jesus held his peace Then said the High Priest I adjure thee by the Living God to tell us whether thou art Christ the Son of the Living God And Jesus when it was put thus home to him in these three great Truths Art thou Christ the Son of the Living God Answered I am Then the High Priest rent his Cloaths and said What need we any further witness against him Ye have all heard now how he hath Blasphemed What think ye And they all with one consenting Voice condemn'd him to be guilty of Death Matth. 26.60 6 62 63 64. Mark 14.58 to thâ— 64. Then they began to spit upon him and to buffet him and strike him with the Palms of their hands and to revile him as a Pestilent Fellow and one that sow'd Sedition and Rebellion amongst them and they blind-folded him and smote him on the Face and said unto him Prophesie now unto us Christ who it was that struck thee And at last finding they could not agree together as to the putting of him to death and to pass Sentence upon him for they all acquiesc'd in the just Merits of his Condemnation yet he must be first sent to Pontius Pilate their Chief Governor But before we come to that we must observe the Words of our Blessed Jesus verify'd concerning Peter one of the beloved Disciples who follow'd after his Master to the High Priest's Hall to hear what they said of him and did with him And happy are they O Peter that have once deny'd their Saviour that bought them with Cursing and Swearing and bitter Execrations to find a door of Mercy ready open upon their Repentance to receive them again and immediately embrace them And now Peter what do I observe here But thou that wast the greatest Votary to thy Master and the forwardest to follow him to his dismal Trial where were all kind of the most wicked Profligate Wretches that could be pickt out amongst the Jews Scribes and Pharisees that were best and most notoriously qualify'd with Cursing and Swearing with Reviling Blasphemy and Perjury such that they had cull'd out on purpose that were qualify'd