Resume, then, the meditations from the commencement of the Passion, and follow the order even to the end. I shall content myself with a brief history, leaving each one to enlarge upon and draw out the points of meditation, as the Lord grants him the grace to do so.
Attend then, to every particular, as if actually present ; see Him, our Dear Lord, as He goes forth from the Supper, and how, having finished His discourse, He enters the Garden with His disciples. At length, enter with Him, and ponder how affectionately, kindly, and confidingly He talks with them, and exhorts them to prayer ; how also He withdraws from them a little, that is, about a stone’s cast, and falling down humbly and reverently upon His knees He prays to His Father. Pause here a little while, and revolve in your mind devoutly the marvels of the Lord God.
Now the Lord Jesus prays; often before this we read that He prayed ; but on those occasions He prayed as an advocate, now He prays for Himself. Pity Him, and admire His most profound lowliness. For although, as God, He is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father, He seems as it were to forget that He is God, and prays as man, and takes up the posture of one of the weakest creatures, praying to the Lord. Consider, too, His most perfect obedience; for what does He pray for? Certainly, He prays to the Father, that the hour of death may pass from Him ; that is, if it be the Father’s will that He might not die ; and this prayer is not heard, that is according to a sort of will which was in Him. For, so to speak, there was a manifold will in Him. Here, then, exercise pity upon Him, in that the Father wills that He should die, and thus, through His True and Only Son, He spared Him not, but in this way delivered Him up for us all. For “so God loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.” And the Lord Jesus fulfils this command, and reverentially accomplishes it. See, in the third place, the unspeakable love for us, both of the Father and of the Son, most worthy of compassion, wonder, and veneration ; for us this Death is appointed ; for us it is endured, through Their exceeding love. The Lord Jesus, then, prays to the Father for a long time, saying, “O My most merciful Father, I beseech Thee, hear My prayer, and hide not Thyself from My petition. Consider and hear Me, how I mourn in My prayer, and My Heart is disquieted within Me.1 Incline Thine ear to Me, and hearken to the voice of My prayer. It pleased Thee, O Father, to send Me into the world, that I might make satisfaction for the injury done to Thee by man; and immediately when Thou didst will, I said, Lo, I come ; in the volume of the book it is written of Me, that I should fulfil Thy Will, O My God ; I am content to do it ; My talk hath been of Thy Truth and of Thy Salvation.2 I have been in poverty and much labour from My youth up, doing Thy will, and all that Thou hast commanded; and I am prepared to fulfil whatever remains. Yet, if it be, O My Father, take from Me this so great bitterness as is prepared for Me by My enemies ; for see, O Father, the enmity of the multitude, how many they are, and how they conspire against Me, and take their counsel to take away My life.3 But, Holy Father, if I have done any such thing, or if there be any iniquity in My hands, if I have rewarded evil to him who dealt friendly with Me, then let Mine enemy take Me. I have always done those things which are pleasing in Thy sight ; but they have rewarded Me evil for good, and hatred for My good-will. They have corrupted My disciple, and made him their guide, that they might kill Me ; they have valued Me at thirty pieces of silver, at which I was prized by them. I pray Thee, O My Father, that this cup may pass from Me ; but if it seem otherwise to Thee, not My will, but Thine be done. But, O Father, stand up to help Me ; make speed to save Me : for granted that they knew Me not, O most Beloved Father, to be Thy Son, yet because I led among them a blameless life, and conferred upon them many benefits, they ought not to be so cruel against Me. For remember that I stood before Thee, that I might speak in their behalf, and turn away Thine indignation from them. But alas ! shall evil be recompensed for good? But they have digged a pit for My soul,4 and prepared a most shameful death for Me. Thou seest, O Lord ; be not silent; go not far from Me, for trouble is hard at hand, and there is none to help Me.5 Thou hast known My reproof, My shame, and My dishonour ; My adversaries are all in Thy sight ; Thy rebuke hath broken My heart ; I am full of heaviness.”6