The sinful mans searchThe sinfull mans search

He was compassed about with fears and horrors, till his sweat was drops of blood, & his bones bruised in the flesh: he was whipped, and scourged, and chastised with sorrows, till he cried out in the bitterness of his soul: O Lord, if it be possible let this cup pass from me. The heavy hand of God was so grievous upon him, that it bruised his very bones and rent his reins a sunder: he could find no health in his flesh, but was wounded, yea, wounded to the death, even the most bitter death upon the cross. His tender fingers were nailed to the cross, his face was wrinkled with weeping & wailing, his sides embrued ⟨image 10⟩and gored with his own blood. spurting & gushing fresh from his ribs, the shadow of death was upon his eyes.

He was compassed about with feares and horrors, till his sweat was drops of bloud, & his bones brused in the flesh: hee was whipped, and scourged, and chastised with sorrows, till he cried out in the bitternes of his soule: O Lord, if it be possible let this cup passe from me. The heauie hand of God was so grieuous vpon him, that it brused his very bones and rent his reines a sunder: he could finde no health in his fleshe, but was wounded, yea, wounded to the death, euen the most bitter death vpon the crosse. His tender fingers were nayled to the crosse, his face was wrinkled with weeping & wailing, his sides embrued ⟨image 10⟩and gored with his own bloud. spurting & gushing fresh from his ribs, the shadow of death was vpon his eies.

O what grief could be like to this, or what condemnation could be so heavy, sith there was no wickedness in his hands? sith he was the brightness of his fathers glory, & the sun of righteousness that shined in the world: as to see his days at an end, to see such throbbing, sighs, and careful thoughts (without cause of his) so deeply engraven in the tables of his breast. But was this all? no my brethren, sith his excellency was such above all creatures, that the world was not worthy to give him breath, it was a greater grief unto him, to see himself made a worm and not a man, a shame of men, and contempt of the people; to see his life shut up in shame and reproaches, how could it but shake his bones out of joint, & make his heart melt in midst of his bowels: who was ever so full of woe? & who ever bin brought so low into the dust of death?