304 On the P a.ffion. and the greatefi offenders, thofe whon1 the lownefs of their condition, or the greatnefs of their crin1es, n1ade unworthy of any re– fpeet. In this fad and painful pofiure did our Saviour hang, without any thing to com– fort him. The holy angels, \vho were ac– cufiomed to ferve him upon other occafi– ons, do now difappear no-t one qf then1 to flrengthen or relieve him. As for n1en, mi– ferable con1forters are they all: the foldiers fcofLhin1; thofe that pafs by exult over hin1 ; a con1panion of his fufferings adds unto them by his reproaches: his difciples had forfaken him, oneof then1 had betrayed hin1 another forfworn hin1, a third run away -fron1him naked, th~lt he n1ight not be appre· , h·ended with hin1. Indeed fon1e devout wo– men followed hin1 out of the city; hut their con1paffion did fo little -eafe his grief, that he defired then1 to referve their tears for the calamities that \V ere to befal then1felves: Daughters ofJerufalem, weepnotfir me, but weep for yourjelves and for your children*· Ee beheld the two perfons that were the dearefi to him in the world his n1other, and - his friend, fitting under the crofs; but all that theycould do,was but to lan1ent and n1ourn; and this but redoubled his forrow. _His ' bleifed * Luke xxiii. ~ s. .
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