Godly Meditations Upon the Lords Prayer, Part 15
A GODLYE MEDITATION vponupon the paſſion of our ſauour Ieſus Chriſt.
OH lord Ieſus Chriſt, the ſonue of the euerliuing and almightye god, by whom al thinges were made, and be ruled and gouerned, thou the liuely Image of ye ſubſtance of the father, the eternal wiſedome of god, the brightneſſe of hys glory, god of god, light of light, coequall, coeternall, and conſubſtantial with the father, thou of y• louelove thou haddeſt to mankinde, that when he was fallen from the felowſhippe of god into the ſocietie of Sathan and all euill, didſt vouchſalfe for our redemption to become a mediatour betwene god and man, takinge to the godhead our nature, as concerninge the ſubſtaunce of it, and ſo becameſt man, alſo the heire of all, and moſte mercifull Meſſias, which by the power of thy godhead, and merites of thy manhode, haſte made purgation of oure ſinnes, euen by thyne owne ſelfe, whileſt thou waſt here on earth being now ſet on the right hande of thy father for vsus, euen concerning our nature, in maieſtie, glory, & power infinite: I beſech and humblye pray thy mercy, to graunt me at this preſent, to reherſe ſome of thy paſſions and ſufferinges for me the laſte night yu waſt here before thy death, that thy good ſpirit might therby be effecttuall to worke in me faith, as well of the pardone of my ſinnes by them, as mortification of mine affections, comfort in my croſſes, and pacience in afflictions, Amen.
In the middeſte of thy laſte ſupper with thy deare Apoſtles, theſe things cold not but be before thee, namely that they all wold leaue thee, the moſt earneſt would for ſwere thee, & one of the xii ſhuld moſt traitorouſly betraye thee, which were noe ſmall croſſes vntounto thee. Iudas was admoniſhed of thee to beware, but when he toke no heed, but wilfully went out to finiſhe his worke, contēning thy admonition & counſel, he could not but vere thy moſt louing hart.
After ſupper there was contention amongs thy diſciples who ſhuld be greateſt after thee, yet dreaming carnally of thee and thy kingdome, & hauing this affection of pride & ambition buſy amongs them, notwithſtanding thy diligence in reprouing and teaching them.
After thy admoniciō to them of the croſſe y• wold come, therby to make them more vigilant, ſo groſſe were they, y• they thought they could with their .ii. ſwerds put away al pertis: which was no litle greife vntounto thee. After thy comīg to Gethſemane, heuines oppreſſed thee, & therfore thou woldeſt thy diſciples to pray, yu didſt tel to peter and his felows, that thy hart was heauy to death, yu didſt wil them to pray, being careful for them alſo leaſt they ſhuld fal into tentation. After this yu wenteſt a ſtones caſt frō them & didſt pray thy ſelf, falling flat & grouelīg vpō ye earth, but alas y• feltſt no cōfort, & therfore yu cameſt to thy diſciples, whiche of all others wer moſt ſwete & dere vntounto thee, but lo to thy further diſcomforte, they paſſe nether of thy perils nor of their owne, & therfore ſlepe a pace. After y• hadſt awaked them, yu goeſt again to pray, but yu foūdeſt no cōfort at al, & therfore didſt returne again for ſome cōfort at thy dereſt frēds hāds. But yet again, alas, they are faſt a ſlepe: whervpō yu art inforced to goe again to thy heauēly father for ſome ſparcle of cōfort in theſe thy wonderfull croſſes & agonies. Now here yu waſt ſo diſcouraged & ſo cōfortleſſe, that euē ſtreames of bloud came running frō thine eies & cares & other partes of thy body. But who is able to expreſſe ye infinitnes of thy croſſes euē at thy being in y• garden? al which y• ſufferdeſt for my ſake, aſwell to ſatiſfy thi fathers wrath for my ſines, as alſo to ſanctifie all my ſufferings the more gladelye to bee ſuſtayned of me.
After thy bloudye praier, thou cameſt, and yet agayne foundeſte thy diſciples a ſleepe, and before yu canſt wel awake thē, lo… Iudas cometh wt a great band of mē, to apprehēd thee a theſe, & ſo doth, leading thee away bound to the high Byſſhopps houſe Annas, and ſo frō him to Caiaphas. Here now to augment this thy myſerie, beholde thy Diſciples fle from thee, falſe witneſſes be broughte againſt thee, thou art accuſed and condemned of blaſphemie, Peter euē in thy ſight forſwereth thee, thou arte vniuſtly ſtricken for anſwering lawfully, thou art blindfelde, ſtricken & buffeted all the whole nighte in the Byſſhoppe Caiaphas houſe of their cruell ſeruants.
In the morning by times thou art condempned againe of the preſtes of blaſphemie, and therfore they bring thee before y• ſecular power to Pilate, by whō yu art openly arrayned as other theues and malefauoures were: when he ſawe that thou waſt accuſed of malice, yet he did not deſmyſſe thee, but dyd ſende thee to Herode where thou was derided ſhamefully in comminge and goeinge to and from hym all the waye wonderfully, eſpecially after Herod had apparelled thee as a foole.
Afore pilate againe therfore thou waſt brought, and accuſed falſly, no man did take thy parte or ſpeake a good worde for thee.
Pilate cauſed thee to be whipped & ſcourged and to be handeled moſt pitifully, to ſee if any pitie might appeare with the prelates, but no mā at al pitied thee.
Barrabas was preferred before thee, al the people head & taile, was againſt thee & cried hange thee vp, vniuſtly to death waſt thou iudged, yu waſt crowned with thornes that pearced thi braines, thou waſt made a mocking ſtocke, thou waſt reuiled, re…aited, beaten and moſt miſerably handled.
Thou wenteſt through Ieruſalem to the place of execution, euen the mount of Caluarie: A great croſſe to bange thee on was laid vponupon thy backe to beare and drawe, as longe as thou waſt able.
Thy bodye was racked to be nayled to the tree, thy hands were bored thorow, & thy fete alſo, nailes were put thorow them to faſten thee ther on, thou waſt hanged betwene heauen and earth, as one ſpewed out of heauen, & vomited oute of the earth vnworthy of any place: y• high prieſt laughed thee to ſckorne, the elders blaſphemed thee, and ſaied god hath no care for thee, the common people laught and cried out vpō thee, thriſt oppreſſed thee, but vinegre onelye and gal was giuē to thee to drinke, heauen ſhined not on thee, the ſonne gaue thee no light, the earth was afraied to beare thee, Sathan tempted thee, and thine owne ſenſes cauſed thee to crie out: my god my god, why haſt thou forſakē me? Oh wonderful paſſions which yu ſufferedſt. In them yu teacheſt me, in thē thou comforteſt me: for by them god is my father, my ſinnes are forgeuen: by thē I ſhuld learne to feare god, to louelove god, to hope ī god, to hate ſinne to be patient, to cal vponupon god, & neuer to leaue him for any tentatiōs, but with thee ſtil to crye father in to thy hands I cōmende my ſpirit.