stand and overcome the temptations that are behind. Help us, Lord, in the conflict of the spirit; let thy cross, O Lord, be unto us a medicine against all vice; and grant, that we alway cheerfully take up our cross, and follow thee. Amen. [Matt. xxvii. 27-34, 38. Mark xv. 16-23, 27, 28. Luke xxiii. 26-33. John xix. 16-18.] THEN the soldiers led Jesus again into the judgment hall and when they had mocked him, they stripped him out of the purple robe, and put his own garments upon him, and led him forth to be crucified. And he bare his own cross himself, and went on towards the place of execution. And as they led him, they caught one that was called Simon of Cyren, who came from the field, and was the father of Alexander and Rufus: him they compelled to carry the cross of Jesus, and laid it upon him, that he might bear it after Christ. And there followed him a great company of people, and women, which bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turned back to them, and said: Ye daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days will come, in the which they shall say: Happy are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us: for if they do this in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And unto the place of execution, there were led with him two other, murderers, to be slain. And they came unto the place called Golgatha, that is, a place of dead men's skulls, or the place of execution. And they gave him to drink vinegar mixt with gall; but when he had proved it, he would not drink it. And they crucified him, and with him two murderers, the one on the right hand, the other on the left, and Jesus in the midst: that the scripture might be fulfilled: He was counted among the evil-doers. Isai. ix. 1 Pet. iii. Gal. vi. DOCTRINE AND FRUIT. HERE ought we with devout hearts to behold our Saviour Jesus; how meekly he taketh the cross upon him for our sakes, and patiently beareth it, to bring the lost sheep again upon his shoulders. Here we see our King bear his kingdom upon his shoulders, as Esay the prophet saith. He is not only led forth, but it is done with great reproach, even as if he were a ring-leader of murderers and unthrifts. Oh, how was the King of glory blasphemed and misentreated for our sakes! He taketh our sins upon him, and dischargeth us of our burden. In the consideration of this reproach, we should not weep over him, but over ourselves. For if this be done to the innocent Son of God, what are we then worthy of? By this also must we learn patiently to bear our cross in following our foregoer; for he sheweth us an example before, that we should follow his footsteps, even to the death. And if we so consider our cross, it shall be light and easy unto us. We have sworn under the cross, from the which we must not shrink, if we will follow the Lord. The love of Jesu Christ shall make all adversity sweet and acceptable unto us. Our joy and comfort ought to be chiefly "in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world must be crucified unto us, and we unto the world." He shall cause our slothful flesh to be quick and diligent, and shall kindle our cold heart. He goeth before us in the narrow way, and is a companion of our pilgrimage, a helper in all trouble, a comforter in all adversity, a worker with us in the grievous travail that we suffer for his sake. O Lord, help us to bear the heavy burdens; that we may be diligent and apt unto all good works. Assist us with thy power and grace; help us according unto thy accustomed mercy; teach us to break and utterly to leave our own will. Make us true cross-bearers and followers of thee: take from us all worldly lust and wilfulness, whatsoever hindereth us in thy love; that in obedience and patience we may alway follow thee, and find rest with thee after adversity. Thou, Lord, wast stript out of thy apparel, and spoiled thereof, that we with virtues might be clothed. The same that was put upon thee to rebuke and shame, is unto us become the highest honour. Thou wast lift up from the earth, that thou mightest draw the hearts of thy faithful believers unto thee from all earthly things, and kindle them in the love of high heavenly things; that thou through thy death mightest reconcile and fully restore all that is in heaven and earth. O ye righteous and faithful, that delight to serve God, behold with the eyes of your heart, how our God, Lord, King, and Redeemer hangeth on the cross for us: let us consider our lover, who for our sakes hangeth naked and bare in great shame and reproach before the world. He spreadeth out his arms, to call and receive unto himself us poor sinners and lost children, saying: "Come to me, all ye Matt. xi. that labour and are laden, and I will refresh you." He sheweth his wounds, out of the which floweth the plentiful river and Zech. xiii. fountain of his precious dear blood, to the washing away of all our filthiness. He boweth down his head, to speak friendly unto us. Boldly therefore, with great comfort and confidence, ought all sinners to resort unto him, where they shall find help and consolation, defence and protection: there should they lay down the heavy burdens of their sins. Unto us must all the world be a cross, and we unto the world; only let Christ the Lord be our life, and to die with him our greatest advantage. Far be from us all rejoicing, save only in the cross of Jesus Christ: far be from us all confidence in our own works and merits; for all our health consisteth in the cross of Jesus Christ, wherein undoubtedly we may well set all our hope. By him cometh forgiveness of sins; out of him floweth the riches of all deserving; with him is the reward of all righteousness. Through the contempt of ourselves, and of all temporal things, let us barely, nakedly, and simply follow the naked and crucified Lord. Teach us, O God, to have delight in contemning ourselves, and all temporal things; and when other folks are in trouble, to be sorry and pray for them. Grant us grace to wish good unto those that hurt and punish us: let us not trust in men; for there be few faithful and constant friends. Here also should we learn not to be grieved, if we have few lovers and many enemies; for so happened even unto Christ our head. He had many foes; to whom yet he did none evil, but much good, and received great unthank for his labour. Sweet and acceptable should it be unto us, to suffer Rev. ii. Psal. cxx. reproach of the world, and to be despised for his sake; yea, to avoid all voluptuousness and joy of the world, seeing1 we are fastened unto the cross with Christ. To seek much pastime and pleasure of the world, becometh not him that must suffer adversity. All this learn we in the passion of Christ, and in the cross. Blessed is he that directeth his daily exercise and his whole life thereafter; he shall enjoy the fruit of the tree of life for ever. O God, heavenly Father, look upon the face of thine Anointed, who hanged for us upon the cross: be merciful unto us poor sinners, which be laden with great and grievous sins; forgive us for the most worthy merits' sake of thine only-begotten dear Son, who for our sins was beaten and wounded; let him satisfy thee for all our sins. He is our surety in thy sight, our faithful Advocate and Mediator; him thou gladly hearest, O Father of mercy, and graciously acceptest his intercession for all sinners. O gracious Lord Jesu, Son of the eternal God, who of very love towards us tookest upon thee our weak flesh, undefiled from all sin, and didst offer up the same flesh unto thy Father upon the altar of thy cross for the safe-guard of the world; have mercy upon us thy servants, for thy everlasting goodness; and for the infinite merits' sake of thy holy passion. For thy deserving excelleth all men's sins, and much greater is the abundance of thy mercy than all our wickedness. Therefore fly we unto thee under the protection of thy holy cross, and with sighing hearts seek we help, grace, and remedy for our wounds. Receive us that are fled unto thee; heal us that be sick; make us just and righteous, that be sinners. Draw thou us up on high, O Lord Jesu, from all worldly things; bind up our flesh with thy fear; wound us with thy sweet love, that nothing else take hold of our heart, save only Jesus Christ. Out of the wounds of Jesu, and out of the running out of his blood, do we receive hope; there find we medicine for our souls, abundance of grace, and perfect forgiveness. Whatsoever we receive of sinful vices, whatsoever we commit with bodily sensuality, the same is altogether washed and reformed in the fountain of Christ's blood. O the unoutspeakable love, which the Son of God beareth towards his church; that he [Ed. 1593, saying.] washeth and cleanseth it with his own blood, with the blood Eph. v. of the new testament, that it may be holy, pure, and without spot! Not with silver and gold doth God redeem his crea- 1 Pet. i. ture, but with the precious blood of his own Son. O dear children, let us not tread under foot the blood of the holy testament; let us not be unthankful unto our Saviour. Thy holy blood, O Jesu, make us pure and clean from Heb. x. all sin, and sanctify us throughout; that our spirit, soul, and body may cheerfully wait for thy coming, and live with thee 1 Thess. v. for ever. [Matthew xxvii. 35-37. Mark xv. 24—26. Luke xxiii. 34-38. John xix. 19-24.] JESUS said: 0 Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Pilate wrote a superscription of the matter, and fastened it above at the head of the cross. The super scription was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, with these words: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This superscription did many of the Jews read; for the place where Jesus was crucified was near unto the city, and the superscription was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. Then said the high priests of the Jews unto Pilate, Write not, King of the Jews, but that he called himself the King of the Jews. Pilate answered: What I have written, I have written. The soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier one part, and also his coat. The coat was without seam, wrought upon throughout. Then said they together: Let us not divide it, but cast lots for it, who shall have it; that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have parted my raiment Psal. xxii among them, and for my coat they cast lots. And the soldiers did such things in deed. Then sat they down and kept There stood also much people, and beheld. him. |