Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/485

 upon thy  sore  and  bloody  shoulders;  thus  didst  thou humbly bear  thy  own  cross,  whose  weight  pained  thee excessively, and  coming  to  the  place  all  weary  and breathless, thou  refusedst  not  to  taste  wine  mingled  with gall and  myrrh,  which  was  the  only  relief  there  given thee

13. O  good  and  gracious  Jesus! being come  to  Mount Calvary, thou  wast  again  stripped  naked,  when  thy wounds were  renewed  by  the  violent  pulling  off  of  thy clothes. What bitter  pains  didst  thou  suffer,  when  thou wast fastened  to  the  cross  with  rough  nails,  and  the  joints of thy  limbs  stretched  as  on  a  rack! Oh, with  what  love and sweetness  of  charity  didst  thou  suffer  thy  hands  and feet to  be  pierced  through,  whence,  as  from  a  fountain, thy precious  blood  gushed  out.

14. O  good  and  gracious  Jesus! who, hanging  on  the cross between  two  thieves,  wast  assailed  with  blasphemies, and  after  so  long  a  continuance  of  thy  tortures, prayedst to  thy  Father  to  forgive  them:  and  even  when their fury  was  at  the  highest,  didst  exercise  the  greatest bounty, promising  Paradise  to  the  repenting  thief,  and bequeathing thy  dearly  beloved  Mother  (who,  pierced with  sorrow,  stood  by  the  cross,)  to  thy  beloved  disciple John, and  in  him  to  us  all;  and  after  thou  hadst  suffered for three  long  hours  intolerable  pains  and  extreme  thirst, they gave  thee  vinegar  to  drink,  which  when  thou  hadst tasted, bowing  down  thy  venerable  head,  thou  yieldedst up thy  spirit

15. O  good  and  gracious  Jesus? O good  Shepherd! thus thou  bestowedst  thy  life  for  thy  sheep,  and  even after death  still  thou  wouldest  suffer  for  us,  the  sacred side of  thy  dead  body  being  opened  with  a  spear,  out  of which  flowed  water  and  blood. Thus at  last  ended  all thy sufferings;  and  thy  enemies  having  slacked  their  thirst for thy  blood,  and  being  gone  away,  thy  disciples  came and took  thy  immaculate  body  down  from  the  cross,  reposed it  on  the  knees  of  thy  blessed  Mother,  and  after all imaginable  expressions  of  piety,  reverence,  and  love, wrapped it  up  in  linen,  and  laid  it  in  a  sepulchre.