and drank unto others from the abundance of his heart fuch manifold confolations. Whether (faith he) we be befides our felves, it is to GOD: or whether we be fober, it is to you", all things for your fake, most dearly Beloved. This is the hour, in which the Prophet rejoiceth, faying: And he hath put a new fong into my mouth: even a thanksgiving unto our GOD°. My lips hall greatly rejoice, when I fing unto thee: and fo fhall my foul which thou haft redeemed. My heart and my flesh shouteth aloud for the living GOD. And more there have been, who have spoken excellent things of this hour, and have tafted the good gift of GOD'; the power alfo and Grace, whereof they partook. My GOD, thou gavest them this; thou, my GoD, wert propitious unto them, and taughteft them inwardly by thy Spirit. Blessed are those servants, that have been judged worthy to be made partakers of the heavenly gifts, and to serve day and night fo fweet and loving a Lord. Their life and converfation is not upon earth; but their hearts live upon the memory of eternal things. They are filled with n 2 Cor. v. 13. o Pfal. xl. 30. P Pfal. lxxi. 23. * Heb. vi. 5 the the good things of the Lord, and I wish they would leave the relicks for their Babes; that the poor may eat and be fatisfied with the crumbs that fall from their Masters table. But where is that hour, whereof again it is written: This is your hour, and the power of darkness? Lord Jefus, (if I well remember) these are thy words. And many other paffages it delighteth me to recall to mind; because I know that for my fake all things were done and written. CHAP. III. An Exhortation to Patience, from the Words and Example of Jefus-Chrift, and the Patriarchs. THE DISCIPLE. Weeteft Jefus, where is the word of our Salvation, which thou spakest in the bitterness of thy Soul? My foul is exceeding forrowful even unto death. s Pfal. xvii. 17. ▾ Luke xxii. 53. Pfal. xxii. 26. And And presently after to thy Difciples: The bour is come; behold the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of finners, and Jhall be crucified, and killed. And elfewhere: Father, fave me from this hour: But for this caufe came I unto this hour; that is, deareft Saviour, that thou mayst die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. For except a corn of wheat, which is Chrift the Lord, fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone: But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. O happy and bleffed hour, in which Man was redeemed from eternal death! O joyful and thrice-welcome Heaviness, which wiped away the perpetual forrow of our perdition, and reftored to mortals the forfeited joys of Paradife! This was the fruit, Holy Jefus, of thy facred Paffion, and exceeding heavinefs taken upon thee for us, that thou mightest recover loft Men to an immortal life. That was an hour therefore not of joy, but of forrow; not of confolation, but of paffion; not of peace, but of affliction; infomuch as thou faidft, O Jefus, to the multitudes: Are ye come out as against a thief with fwords and ftaves bark xiv. 4 c John xii. 27. e John xii. 24. for for to take me? This verily was an hour of storm and tempeft, for the Jews cry'd out vehemently: Crucify him, crucify him, he is guilty of deaths. Nevertheless Jefus held his peace; and when he was accused of the high Priefts, anfwered nothing". II. Wherefore now complaineft thou, O my Soul? Say, what is become of thy Patience? Thou art guilty, and Jefus fuffereth the penalty in thy ftead. Thou haft finned, and he is fcourged. Thou hast done this great evil, which could not be expiated but by his innocent death. What retribution therefore wilt thou make him, for all the benefits he hath done unto thee? And what wilt thou give in exchange for thy foul? He laid down his life for thee; what wilt thou render back unto him? I will receive the cup of Salvation: And call upon the Name of the Lord. Thou canft do no lefs. And if thou wouldst not be ungrateful, endeavour to drink it also. JESUS-CHRIST. III. Canft thou drink the cup, that I have tafted? f Matt. xxvi. 55. g Matth. xxvii. 22, 23. Kk THE THE DISCIPLE. I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me. JESUS-CHRIST. Drink ye all of it. Drink of my wine, which I have mingled. And again I fay unto you: Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in youTM. And fay not in your hearts: This is an hard saying, and who can hear it? Caft your eyes upon me, and behold how I bore alone the burden and heat of the day. Tho' there have been fome, that have born a heavy burden, yet what was it in comparison of mine? I ftuck faft in the deep mire, where no ground was, and yet there was no fault in me. I have troden the wine-prefs alone, and of the people there was none with me. The plowers plowed upon my back, and made long furrows. Behold my hands, and my feet', how I was crucify'd for you. Reach hither your hands and put your fingers into the print of the nails. Feel and han |