Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/449

 king of  mockery  and  sorrow! In a  word,  I  see  Thee the laughing-stock  of  all  Jerusalem! From the wounded head  of  Our  Lord  streams  of  blood  flow down His  face  and  breast. I am  filled  with  astonishment, O  my  Jesus! at the  cruelty  of  Thy  enemies, who are  not  content  with  having,  as  it  were,  excoriated Thy  flesh  from  head  to  foot,  but  still  continue to torment  Thee  with  fresh  cruelties  and  insults; but I  admire  still  more  Thy  meekness  and  Thy  love in suffering  and  accepting  all  with  so  much  patience for the  love  of  us:  "  Who  when  He  was  reviled,  did not  revile;  when  He  suffered,  He  threatened  not; but  delivered  Himself  to  him  that  judged  Him  unjustly" (1  Peter  ii.  23). Ah, my  Jesus,  true,  indeed, it is  that  love  makes  Thee  sweet  and  merciful,  as  regards us,  showing  Thee  to  be  a  passionate  lover  of our  souls;  but  it  makes  Thee  pitiless  towards  Thyself, causing  Thee  to  suffer  such  bitter  torments. Thou wast  willing  to  be  crowned  with  thorns  to  obtain for  us  a  crown  of  glory  in  heaven:  "  He  was crowned  with  thorns,  that  we  may  be  crowned  with the  crown  that  is  to  be  given  to  the  elect  in  heaven." O my  sweetest  Saviour,  I  hope  to  be  Thy  crown  in paradise,  obtaining  my  salvation  through  the  merits of Thy  sufferings;  there  will  I  forever  praise  Thy love and  Thy  mercies:  "  The  mercies  of  the  Lord will  I  forever  sing;  yea,  I  will  sing  them  forever."

Jesus goeth before  us,  as  our  Captain,  with  His  cross;  under  this standard  we  must  follow  Him,  each  bearing-  his  own  cross.

Y Jesus,  since  God  has  burdened  Thee  with  all the sins  of  men,  my  sins,  alas! have added to the  weight  of  the  cross  that  Thou  didst bear to  Calvary. Ah, my  sweetest  Saviour,  Thou didst even  then  foresee  all  the  wrongs  that  I  should do Thee:  yet  Thou  didst  not  cease  to  love  me,  or