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between heaven and earth, exposed to the gaze of all men. I adore Thee, O SON of the Living GOD! O GOD of my heart! O Life of my soul! I adore Thee, O Glory of the just, and Crown of the blessed! I adore Thee, O Source of Eternal blessings! O Lamb of GOD! Who takest away the sins of the world. I adore Thee, O Tree of Life, laden with all the fruits of grace and glory. I prostrate myself before Thee; I acknowledge that Thou art my only Hope, and that Thou possessest all the blessings which I can desire. If I am a slave, Thou art my Deliverer; if I am poor Thou art infinitely rich; I am a sinner, and Thou art my Saviour; I am guilty, and Thou art merciful; I am lukewarm, and Thou art full of love. I find in Thee, O my Saviour, the Remedy for all my evils and sins, and a Heart ever ready to succour me. O that I could love Thee more, and serve Thee better. Remember, O Gracious JESU, that Thou didst promise, that when lifted up, Thou wouldst draw all men unto Thee. Although I am nothing before Thee, and my sins have made me less than nothing, I am, notwithstanding, Thy creature, and the work of Thy Hands. Since then the time is come when Thou wilt draw all men unto Thee, suffer me not to be an exception. Draw me to Thee, change me and unite me to Thyself, O my God.

Prayer.

O LORD JESUS CHRIST, the everlasting SON of the FATHER, Who, for love of men, didst suffer Thy Sacred Body to be extended on the accursed Tree, and there

to hang in Awful Agony, with Thy blessed Hands and Feet cruelly nailed to the Cross; and in deep humiliation wast placed between two vile malefactors; I adore Thee, I fall prostrate at Thy Feet and worship Thee, as my LORD and my GOD; I praise and magnify Thee with all the powers of my soul, for Thy humility and love. Give me grace, O LORD, that I may, with a devout and grateful heart, meditate on this Thy boundless love, which made Thee willingly suffer Thy blessed Hands and Feet to be pierced for me; and do Thou fill my heart with the love of Thee, that I may always sigh after Thee, meditate on, and talk of Thee, delight in Thee as my only Hope, Consolation and Refuge. I bless Thee, O my Saviour, for thus freely shedding Thy precious Blood for me. O lift up my miserable soul, I beseech Thee, from the dust, and free it from all evil desires, that I may ardently love Thee. Wash me, O LORD, with Thy Precious Blood; heal and purify my heart; cleanse it from all spot of sin, and grant that my inmost soul may be ever refreshed with Thy Life-giving Body and Blood, that in the strength of that Food, I may overcome all enemies, and go safely through this wilderness, to my heavenly inheritance. Amen.

O Saviour of the world, who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us, save us, and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O LORD.

III. THE LORD PRAYS FOR HIS MURDERERS.

Gospel Narrative.

S. Luke xxiii. 34.

Then said JESUS, FATHER, And they parted His garments and cast lots. And the people stood beholding.

FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY
KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

Reflections.!

"FATHER, forgive them." Keeping such meekness under reproaches, showing such patience in torments, displaying such wonderful love and kindness to His crucifiers, He declared Himself the SON of that FATHER, to Whom He prayed. What greater miracle than this benign piety! this word of great patience, and meekness, of great love, and ineffable goodness, of great sweetness and pardon. Though beaten with Scourges, crowned with thorns, pierced with Nails, Crucified, filled with reproaches, yet regardless of all pain, He says, FATHER, forgive them. Let no penitent despair. Let no unjust man refuse to forgive; let no man refuse to pray for his enemies. The King of Glory, and LORD of Hosts, lays aside all threats, and pardons reproaches, and blasphemies, all injuries, yea, His very murderers. He regards not His Own wrong, He feels not their revilings. He

1 See also Williams, page 290.

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sympathizes with them, by whom He suffers, heals them by whom He is wounded; He solicits life for them by whom He is murdered. LORD, I adore Thy Majesty; I venerate Thy Death, I do not deride Thy Passion; I contemplate Thy mercy, I do not scorn Thy miseries, let Thy holy Humanity intercede for me; let Thine unutterable mercy commend me to Thy FATHER.

Meditations.

They have ever laid wait for Thee, and persecuted Thee and Thine; they have treacherously taken Thee, and spitefully crucified Thee, and yet Thou didst pray for their pardon. O may I, in love to Thee, spare all who do me evil; and do Thou pardon all my iniquities. Often do I crucify Thee, by my sins, yet Thou knowest that I believe in Thee, confess Thee my LORD and my God, to Whom I pray, wretched and unworthy sinner that I am, for pardon of my sins.

Most frequently did CHRIST pray, and He taught His disciples to pray; but nowhere is He found to have prayed so mournfully and lovingly as when He prayed for His enemies on the Altar of the Cross, with Hands outstretched, and Feet transfixed, and with all His Members distended and wounded. For then poured He forth the most sweet prayer in His FATHER's ears, that He would forgive those who were

sinning against Him. Beware, therefore, wretched man, frail and full of faults, lest thou hurt or grieve any, by unkind word or wicked deed, for whom CHRIST suffered and died; for precious in His sight is every soul which believes faithfully on Him, and truly keeps His commandments. Do thou, therefore, show charity, and pray also to GoD thy FATHER, that whom thou now hast as an adversary, thou mayest receive again as a reformed brother. But if he have done thee harm, forgive him from thy heart, for the love of JESUS CHRIST, Who has, in many things spared thee. For He was pitiful and merciful to all. He despised not the poor, He abhorred not the lepers, He derided not the weak, He soothed the sad, He appeased the angry, He bare with the perverse, He received the penitent, instructed the wandering, defended the innocent, strengthened the wavering, showed charity to all; and, what is more wondrous still, when stricken with blows and wounds, ceased not from prayer.

They blaspheme Thee, Thou prayest for them; they scorn, Thou pitiest; they sin against Thee, Thou prayest for their forgiveness; they profess their malice, Thou pleadest their ignorance. O compassion without measure, fit for the SON of GOD, the Saviour of men. O Saviour,Thou couldst not but be heard. Those, who out of ignorance or simplicity thus persecuted Thee, find the happy issue of Thine intercession. Now I see whence it was that three thousand souls were converted soon after at one sermon. Now they have grace to know and confess whence they have both for

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