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Good-Friday; or, Jefus Chrift crucified.

Cerne Homo quid pro te patior,
Vide poenas quibus afficior,
Vide clavos quibus confodior;
Cum fit tantus dolor exterior,
Intus tamen planctus eft gravior,
Tam ingratum dum te experior!

Hugo de Paffione Chrifti.

WHO is this, that from the Land of Edom,*

With dyed Garments, does from Bozrah come? This mighty Prince, in his Apparel red, Who did himself alone the Wine-Prefs tread? +

'Tis I that speak in Righteousness, and will You fave, and all my Promises fulfil : When there was none to help, none that could fave,

Then, you my Church, I in remembrance have.

* Ifa. lxiii. 1, &c. + Rev. xix. 15.

'Tis

'Tis I, ev'n I, that am the Lord your God,* 'Tis I alone, can fave you by my Blood. First, let us then, think who it was that died, That was for us on this Day crucified; It was Chrift Jefus, the Eternal Son Of the Eternal Father, he alone

Both God and Man, and yet in Perfon One.
His Manhood gave him a Capacity

Of Suffering, that he for us might die ;'
His Godhead 'twas, that did (I do believe)
The Merit to that Death and Suffring give.
Of both the Natures, he muft needs partake,
That a compleat Redeemer he might make.†
In the next Place, think what thofe Suff'rings
were,

Which Jefus Chrift the Son of God did bear,'
When by Confent, his Father on him laid
The Sins of all, and he the Ransom paid. §

*Ifa. xliii. 11. 25.

Ro. ix. 5. Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8. Gal. iv. 4. 1 Tim. iii. 16. § Ifa. liii. 5. 1 John ii. 2.

But fo unknown, and great his Suff'rings were,
That neither Men nor Angels can declare;
As all undoubtedly will grant, if they
Th' Afflictions of his Soul and Body weigh.
Th' Afflictions of his Body, who can tell?
Who but himself could know what he did feel?

YET think, and we fhall fome Idea have Of what he fuffer'd in our Stead, to fave Us finful Men: The Prophet tells us, He Acquainted was with Grief, and Mifery; A Man of Sorrows, whofe whole mortal Life Confists of Hardship, Poverty and Grief. But when he came at last for us to die, Betray'd by Judas his Apoftacy, An Act of the most horrid Villany! They use him with extreme Barbarity; When to the Smiters he did give his Back, Vile Men! who for no Cruelty did lack! But did with Stripes his precious Body tear, And from his Cheeks they plucked off the Hair. They

They blindfold him and ftruck him, then they

cry,

Now, who it was that fmote thee, Prophefy;
And many other things they spoke blafphemously.
Barabbas they before him do prefer,
Who was feditious and a Murderer;
And Pilate who pronounc'd him to be Juft,
Does yet condemn him to a Death accurst.
Then on bis Head a Crown of Thorns they put,
That from the wounded Parts the Blood gufh'd

out;

Then with a purple Robe they him array'd,
And for a Scepter, they gave him a Reed,
Then fcoffingly, Hail King of Jews! they faid;
And with the Reed, they smote him on the Head.
Then with their filthy Spittle they defile
His awful, lovely Face: Then to the Hill
Of Golgotha, call'd alfo Calvary,

They bring th' afflicted Son of Man to die.

Yea, tho' he heal'd their Sick, reftor'd their

Dead,

And Thousands of them marvellously fed,

G 2

Yea,

Yea, fed their ftarved Souls with Food of Life,
Yet they fhew him no Pity, no Relief;
But the ungrateful, wretched People cry'd,
Yea, they all cry'd, let him be crucify'd.
Then they the purple Robe from him take off,
Which they put on in Mockery and Scoff.
Then they his heavy Crofs upon him laid,
Till faint, and finking under it, they made
Another whom they met, to bear it on
Unto the Place of Execution:

And there (Odreadful, and astonishing!
To think but feriously of fuch a Thing!)
His bleffed Body they ftark naked ftript,
Which they before inhumanly had whipt,
And fo extended it, that (as it were)

His very Bones did look, and on him flare.*
And their prodigious Malice to compleat,
They to the Crofs do nail his Hands and Feet;
Great Nails they drive with unrelenting Hearts,
'Thro' thofe moft fenfible and tender Parts :