Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/159

 ings by  the  same  prophet:  "  Remember  my  poverty,"  he says,  "the  wormwood  and  the  gall." (Lament, iii.  19.) Reflect, and  apply  the  case  to  yourself:  if  you  had  suffered  any  serious  loss  in  your  property  or  person  in  the defence of  your  friend,  would  you  not  justly  expect  that he should  ever  be  grateful  for  your  friendly  kindness? How much  more  has  Christ  suffered  for  you!

III. Present yourself  before  Christ  as  an  attentive spectator of  His  sufferings,  and  promise  to  meditate  on them  with  feelings  of  gratitude. Say with  the  prophet, " I  will  be  mindful  and  remember;  and  my  soul  shall languish  within  me.  These  things  I  shall  think  on  in  my heart,  therefore  will  I  hope." (Lament, iii.  20.)  And if you  contemplate  His  passion,  you  will  have  good  reason to  hope;  for  He  suffered  in  order  that  He  might  be able  to  present  Himself  as  our  advocate  before  His Father, and  allege  His  own  sufferings  in  our  behalf. He pardoned  the  thief  on  the  cross,  and  gave  him  admission into  paradise.

I. He  who  suffers  is  the  immaculate  Lamb  of  God, "who did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile  found  in  His  mouth." (1 Pet.  ii.  22.)  He  was  the  Holy  of  holies,  possessed  of the  divine  Spirit  beyond  measure,  the  perfect  form  and image of  His  Father. His crucifiers  confessed  Him  to be  the  ,Son  of  God,  and  their  judge  had  already  pronounced Him  innocent.

II. He who  suffered  had  already  devoted  His  whole life to  the  good  of  others;  He  "  had  gone  about  doing