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
his vnspotted feet struck through with rough and rigid nayles and enable mee by the fastning of them to the Crosse to run constantly the way of thy commandements Obserue O eternal Father thy deare Sonne in the fairest flourish of his age how his necke bowed his head declined how his whole countenance was deformed Behold how his starry eies are sunke and set in his head how his nose growth sharp his lippes pale his eiebrowes hard his cheekes shrunke and wane behold his breast swolne his side bloody his bowels drie his armes and legges stiffe Beholde his whole body resolued into death Behold my Priest who need not bee sprinkled or sanctified with other blood but gloriously glistereth in his owne Behold my pleasing and perfect sacrifice odoriferous and acceptable to thee Behold my Aduocate whome I haue directed to plead my cause before thee Heare him I pray thee and regard the defence that hourely hee maketh for me Grant O pitifull FATHER that I may alwayes haue him for my Aduocate whom by no merit of mine but by thy pure grace thou hast giuen for my Redeemer O omnipotent FATHER of my LORD what I could find most precious most highly to bee esteemed I haue deuoutly presented to thee Compose thy selfe now to dispose thy grace and mercy towardes mee And albeit I am vnworthy of thy rich fauours in regard of my merits yet remember thy mercies remember thy promises remember the inestimable merits of my Redeemer remember what hee hath done and what he hath suffered euen from his Cratch to his Crosse not for himselfe but for me All which I heere offer to thee most gentle FATHER as a sacrifice for my sinnes and for all my necessities for whatsoeuer I require of thee it is in his name and for his sake it is for the loue thou bearest to him and for the loue that hee beareth to thee Thou hast promised to honour fathers in their sons and sonnes for their fathers O fauourable LORD honor now thy onely Sonne by doing good to moe for the loue thou bearest to him For he is my FATHER my second Adam and I am his sonne albeit vndutifull yet because in trueth I am his sonne for the loue thou bearest to him be fauourable to mee For assuredly he hath payd for mee much more then I owe. No offence can bee so grieuous for which his sorrowes his sufferings his obedience and aboue all his profuse loue hath not amply satisfied which his large riuers of blood cannot wash away which may not bee drowned and deuoured in his death O heauenly FATHER there is nothing in my selfe which I dare presume to present vnto thee For what can proceed from this carion which is not noisome what fruit canst thou expect from this earth which thou hast cursed from the beginning but thornes and briers And therfore I offer this my SAVIOVR and Redeemer thy most blessed Son and the vnmeasurable loue whereby thou didst send him into the world apparelled with my flesh to free mee thereby from eternall death Beseeching thee to accept his humble and feruent prayers for my dry and dull deuotions Accept his teares for the torrent of teares which I should powre foorth but by reason of the hardnesse of my heart I cannot Accept his incomprehensible dolours and torments which thou onelie perfectly knowest for the sorrow contritiō which I am bound to performe Lastly accept his sharpe and penurious life with all his trauailes and exercises of vertue accept his cruell death and all his passions as a sacrifice to thy glorious Maiesty for all the euill workes which I haue done and for all the good workes which I should haue done Feede mee with his flesh inebriate me with his blood let his griefe enter into my soule that I may bee resolued wholly into his loue Away all forraine loues away with the multitude of worldly phantasies and dreames let me be crucified with him to the world let me so die with him that my life may bee layde vp in thy diuine treasury Thy Apostle compareth all worldlie things to dung and may bee likened to the swallowes dung which fell vpon the eyes of Tobias and made him blinde For we cannot see spirituall things so long as our eyes are daubed with this dung The rich haue wanted and suffer hunger but they who feare the LORD want no good thing The things of this world doe not fill but inflate euen as the Prophet sayd of Ephraim Hee feedeth on winde They are like sharpe liquors which doe not satisfie but prouoke hunger They are like salt water to quench thirst or oyle to extinguish fire O my life O desire of my soule hide mee from the world obscure me from the fawning fauours thereof and take me into the secret retreits of thy bosome to dwel One thing is necessary and that doe I desire My beloued is one My CHRIST IESVS my GOD my spouse is one and my only loue O heauenly FATHER let nothing be sweet nothing sauourie vnto mee let nothing affect mee but onely IESVS CHRIST Let him bee wholly mine and I wholly his Let mee neither loue nor know any thing but him and him crucified To whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honor and prayse for euer Amen Praise and Glory and Wisedome Strength Dominion Riches and Power bee vnto our GOD for euermore Amen FINIS LONDON Printed by IOHN BILL M.DC.XXIII Christs trauailing vp the Mount His stripping His nailing Psal. 71. How he was strained Psal. 21. The Crosse erected Numb 21. Exod. 29. Leuit. 23. With whom he was crucified Asoliloquie * Bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darkenesse Heb. 5. 7. His praying Ezek. 22. His Pleading * And now brethren I know that through ignorance yee did it as did also your Rulers Act. 3. 17. Obiect Answ. The condition of Caluary changed Iohn 4. The great mercies of GOD. The patience and loue of CHRIST The true Mediator Ezek. 22. Who prayed To whom For whom Where When. How In what manner Heb. 5. His strong crying His teares How offensiue sinne is Attention in prayer Whose sinnes we must lament Oculi mei defecerunt prae lachrymis With how many mouthes CHRIST craued forgiuenesse Psal. 130. Not conditionally but absolutely Presently For all sinnes past present and to come Wherefore he prayed to his Father to forgiue and did not forgiue them himselfe Gen. vlt. Our Sauiour would not bee A iudge An accuser But a Mediatour Two offices of a Mediatour Noe defence for the lewes but ignorance The grossenesse of their ignorance Ignorance cannot be alleadged for vs. Yet some defences may Gen. 27. All sinners are ignorant The loue of CHRIST It is not CHRISTS will that wee forbeare to weepe A new example Prophesies fulfilled Isa. 53. Psal 109. The charity of CHRIST How far to loue our enemies The loue of GOD ioyned with the loue of our neighbour Not so hard to loue as to hate A troublesome neighbour must be loued Matth. 3. Heb. 5. How GOD often answereth The effectuall answere of the Father GOD doth not absolutely compell Christs prayer more powerfull for sinners then for himselfe All things present to GOD. Christ still crucified An oblation No want if we haue Christ. A prayer The greater our offences are the greater is GODS glory in pardoning And wherefore A perfect peace-maker A great holy day Luk. 2. 14. Ioh. 12. 27. The great peace of the world concluded How the Diuell eyeth contentious persons By hating others wee loose GODS loue A short Prayer Phil. 3. Diuites eguerunt Psal. 34. Hos. 12. Cant. 6. Cant. 6.