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."
To Jesus carrying His Cross.
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
