Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

6. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Herod back again to Pilate; O my Saviour how art thou now abused! new accusations are forged; and when Pilate sees that nothing will do, but Christ must dye, he delivers him to be stripped, whipped, clothed in Purple, crowned with Thorns, and Sceptred with a Reed. He that with spittle cured the eyes of the blind, is now blinded with their spittle; who can number those stripes wherewith they flea and tare his body, one wound eating into another, that there is no health in his bones by reason of my sins? O Jesus! was that frothy spittle the Ointment, those Thorns thy Crown, that Reed thy Sceptre, that Purple-dyed and embroidered with blood, thy Royal Robes? or because Adam's sin brought forth Thorns, must it therefore be thy penance to wear them? unthankful people thus watered with his blood, that bring forth nothing but Thorns to crown him. But Oh that the Lord of Heaven, the Creator of the World, the Glory of the Angels, the Wisdom of God, should, for my sake, be punished with whips and scourges? O my heart, how can I think on this without tears of blood? O joy of the Angels, and Glory of Saints, who hath thus disfigured thee? who hath thus defiled thee with so many bloody blows? certainly they were not thy sins, but mine; it was love and mercy that compassed thee about, and caused thee to take upon thee this so heavy a burden; love was the cause why thou didst bestow upon me all thy benefits, and mercy moved thee to take upon thee all my miseries.

6. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Herod back again to Pilate; O my Saviour how art thou now abused! new accusations are forged; and when Pilate sees that nothing will do, but Christ must dye, he delivers him to be stripped, whipped, cloathed in Purple, crowned with Thorns, and Sceptred with a Reed. He that with spittle cured the eyes of the blind, is now blinded with their spittle; who can number those stripes wherewith they flea and tare his body, one wound eating into another, that there is no health in his bones by reason of my sins? O Jesus! was that frothy spittle the Ointment, those Thorns thy Crown, that Reed thy Scepter, that Purple-dyed and imbroidered with blood, thy Royal Robes? or because Adam's sin brought forth Thorns, must it therefore be thy pennance to wear them? unthankful people thus watered with his blood, that bring forth nothing but Thorns to crown him. But Oh that the Lord of Heaven, the Creator of the World, the Glory of the Angels, the Wisdom of God, should, for my sake, be punished with whips and scourges? O my heart, how can I think on this without tears of blood? O joy of the Angels, and Glory of Saints, who hath thus disfigured thee? who hath thus defiled thee with so many bloody blows? certainly they were not thy sins, but mine; it was love and mercy that compast thee about, and caused thee to take upon thee this so heavy a burthen; love was the cause why thou didst bestow upon me all thy benefits, and mercy moved thee to take upon thee all my miseries.