Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/163

 Father, and  to  open  to  them  the  gates  of  heaven. He suffered in  every  manner,  because  in  every  manner  men had offended  their  God,  and  because  His  object  was  to apply  a  remedy  to  every  vice. To correct  our  covetousness,  He  chose  to  die  naked;  to  reform  our  pride,  He willingly  suffered  reproaches;  he  opposed  his  torments to our  luxury,  and  He  drank  vinegar  and  gall  to  atone for our  intemperance.

II. He suffered  in  a  most  peculiar  manner  for  His  enemies, that  is,  for  all  sinners;  for  "God  commendeth  His charity  towards  us,  because,  when  as  yet  we  were  sinners, according  to  the  time,  Christ  died  for  us  and  when  we were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God;  by  the  death of  His  Son." (Rom. v.  8,  10.)  And  what  is  more,  when He was  in  the  act  of  expiring  on  the  cross,  He  prayed  for His executioners,  that  He  might  teach  us  "  to  overcome evil  by  good." (Rom. xii.  21.)

III. Christ suffered  for  all  mankind  in  general,  and  for each of  us  in  particular. Apply, then. His sufferings  to yourself,  and  make  them  your  own. Render yourself capable of  saying  with  St.  Paul,  "  I  live  in  the  faith  of the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and  delivered  Himself for  me." (Gal. ii.  20.)  Reflect  what  return  you  can make for  so  much  love:  "What  shall  I  render  to  the Lord  for  all  the  things  that  He  hath  rendered  to  me?  I will  take  the  chalice  of  salvation." (Ps. cxv.  3.)  Take, therefore, the  chalice  of  His  passion,  and  drink  it  up,  at least  spiritually  by  contemplation:  this  is  the  return which your  Saviour  expects,  and  of  which  He  will  most cordially accept.