Fifty Sermons, Sermons · Sermon 34
SERMON XXXIIII.
LUKE … …
Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
THe word of God is either the co-eternall and co-essentiall Sonne, our Saviour, which tooke flesh (Verbum Caro factum est) or it is the spirit of his mouth, by which we live, and not by bread onelyonly. And so, in a large acceptation, every truth is the word of God; for truth is uniforme, and irrepugnant, and indivisible, as God Omne verum est omni vero consentiens. More strictly the word of God, is that which God hath uttered, either in writing, as twice in the Tables to Moses; or by ministery of Angels, or Prophets, in words; or by the unborne, in action, as in Iohn Baptists exultation within his mother; or by new-borne, from the mouths of babes and sucklings; or by things unreasonable, as in Balaams Asse; or insensible, as in the whole booke of such creatures, The heavens declare the glory of God, &c. But nothing is more properly the word of God to us, then that which God himself speakes in those Organs and Instruments, which himself hath assumed for his chiefest worke, our redemption. For in creation God spoke, but in redemption he did; and more, he suffered. And of that kinde are these words. God in his chosen man-hood saith, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
These words shall be fitliest considered, like a goodly palace, if we rest a little, as in an outward Court, upon consideration of prayer in generall; and then draw neare the view of the Palace, in a second Court, considering this speciall prayer in generall, as the face of the whole palace. Thirdly, we will passe thorow the chiefest rooms of the palace it self; and then insist upon foure steps: 1. Of whom he begs, (Father) 2. What he asks, (forgive them.) 3. That he prays upon reason, (for.) 4. What the reason is, (they know not.) And lastly, as into the backside of all, we will cast the objections: as why onelyonly Luke remembers this prayer: and why this prayer, (as it seemes by the punishment continuing upon the Jews to this day) was not obtained at Gods hands.
So therefore prayer is our first entry,Of Prayer. for when it is said, Ask and it shall be given, it is also said, Knock and it shall be opened, showing that by prayer our entrance is. And not the entry onelyonly, but the whole house: My house is the house of prayer. Of all the conduits and conveyances of Gods graces to us, none hath been so little subject to cavillations, as this of prayer. The Sacraments have fallen into the hands of flatterers and robbers. Some have attributed too much to them, some detracted. Some have painted them, some have withdrawn their naturall complexion. It hath been disputed, whether they be … how many they be, what they be, and what they do. The preaching of the word hath been made a servant of ambitions, and a shop of many mens newfangled wares. Almost every meanes between God and man, suffers some adulteratings and disguises: But prayer least: And it hath most wayes and addresses. It may be mentall, for we may thinke prayers. It may be vocall, for we may speake prayers. It may be actuall, for we do prayers. For deeds have voyce; the vices of Sodome did cry, and the Almes of Toby. And if it were proper for St. Iohn, in the first of the Revelations to turne back to see a voyce, it is more likely God will looke down, to heare a worke. So then to do the office of your vocation sincerely, is to pray. How much the favourites of Princes, and great personages labour, that they may be thought to have been in private conference with the Prince. And though they be forced to wait upon his purposes, and talk of what he will, how fain they would be thought to have solicited their own, or their Dependants businesse. With the Princes of Princes, this every man may doe truly; and the sooner, the more begger he is: for no man is heard here, but in form… pauperis.
Here we may talk long, welcomely, of our own affaires, and be sure to speed. You cannot whisper so low alone in your Chamber, but he heares you, nor sing so lowd in the Congregation, but he distinguishes you. He grudges not to be chidden and disputed with, by Iob. The Arrows of the Almighty are in me, and the venim thereof hath drunk up my spirit. Is my strength, the strength of stones, or is my flesh of brasse, &c. Not to be directed and counselled by Ionas: who was angry and sayd; Did not I say, when I was in my Country, thou wouldest deale thus? And when the Lord sayd, Doest thou well to be angry? He replyed, I doe well to be angry to the death. Nor almost to be threatned and neglected by Moses: Doe this, or blot my name out of thy book. It is an Honour to be able to say to servants, Doe this: But to say to God, Domine fac hoc, and prevail, is more; And yet more easie. God is replenishingly every where: but most contractedly, and workingly in the Temple. Since then every rectified man, is the temple of the Holy Ghost, when he prays; it is the Holy Ghost it selfe that prays; and what can be denyed, where the Asker gives? He plays with us, as children, shewes us pleasing things, that we might cry for them, and have them. Before we call, he answers, and when we speak, he heares: so Esay 65. 24. Physicians observe some symptomes so violent, that they must neglect the disease for a time, and labour to cure the accident; as burning fevers, in Dysenteries. So in the sinfull consumption of the soule, a stupidity and indisposition to prayer, must first be cured. For, Ye lust, and have not, because ye aske net, Jam. 4. 2. The adulterous Mother of the three great brothers, Gratian, Lombard, and Comestor, being warned by her Confessour, to be sorry for her fact, sayd, she could not, because her fault had so much profited the Church. At least, sayd he, be sorry that thou canst not be sorry. So whosoever thou be, that canst not readily pray, at least pray, that thou mayst pray. For, as in bodily, so in spirituall diseases, it is a desperate state, to be speechlesse.
It were unmannerlinesse to hold you longer in the Entry. One turne in the inner Court,Of this Prayer. of this speciall prayer in generall, and so enter the Palace. This is not a prayer for his own ease, as that in his Agony seemes. It hath none of those infirmities, which curious schismatikes finde in that. No suspicion of ignorance, as there, (If it be possible.) No tergiversation nor abandoning the noble worke which he had begunne, as there, (Let this cup passe.) It is not an exemplar, or forme, for us to imitate precisely, (otherwise then in the Doctrine) as that Prayer, Mat. 6. which we call the Lords Prayer, not because he sayd it, for he could never say, forgive us our trespasses, but because he commanded us to say it. For though by Matthew, which saith, After this manner pray, we seem not bound to the words, yet Luke sayth, When you pray, say, Our Father which art, &c. But this is a prayer of God, to God. Not as the Talmudists Jews faine God to pray to himselfe, Sit voluntas mea, ut misericordia mea superet iram meam; But as when forain merchandise is mis-ported, the Prince may permit, or inhibit his Subjects to buy it, or not to buy it. Our blessed Saviour arriving in this world fraited with salvation, a thing wch this world never had power to have without him, except in that short time, between mans Creation and fall, he by this prayer begs, that even to these despisers of it, it may be communicable, and that their ignorance of the value of it, may not deprive them of it. Teaching that by example here, which he gave in precept before, Mat. 5. 44. Pray for them which persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore,Father. doing so now, he might well say, Father, forgive them, which is the first room in this glorious Palace. And in this contemplation, my unworthy soule, thou art presently in the presence. No passing of guards, nor ushers. No examination of thy degree or habit. The Prince is not asleep, nor private, nor weary of giving, nor refers to others. He puts thee not to prevaile by Angels nor Archangels. But lest any thing might hinder thee, from coming into his presence, his presence comes into thee. And lest Majesty should dazell thee, thou art to speake but to thy Father. Of which word, Abba, the root is, To will; from which root, the fruit also must be willingnesse, and propensenesse to grant. God is the Father of Christ, by that mysticall and eternall unexpressible generation, which never began nor ended. Of which incomprehensible mystery, Moses and the ancient Prophets spake so little, and so indirectly, that till the dawning of the day of Christ, after Esdras time, those places seem not to be intended of the Trinity. Nay, a good while after Christ, they were but tenderly applyed to that sense. And at this day, the most of the writers in the reformed Churches, considering that we need not such farre fetcht, and such forced helps, and withall, weighing how well the Jews of these times are provided with other expositions of those places, are very sparing in using them, but content themselves modestly herein, with the testimonies of the New Testament. Truly, this mystery is rather the object of faith then reason; and it is enough that we believe Christ to have ever been the Son of God, by such generation, and our selves his sonnes by adoption. So that God is Father to all; but yet so, that though Christ say, Iohn 10. My Father is greater then all, he addes, I and my Father are all one, to shew his eternall interest: and Iohn 20. Hee seemes to put a difference, I goe to my Father, and your Father, my God, and your God. The Roman stories have, that when Claudius saw it conduce to his ends, to get the tribuneship, of which he was incapable, because a Patrician, he suffered himself to be adopted. But against this Adoption, two exceptions were found; one, that he was adopted by a man of lower ranke, a Plebeian; which was unnaturall; and by a younger man then himselfe, which took away the presentation of a Father. But our Adoption is regular. For first, we are made the sonnes of the Most High, and of the ancient of daies, there was no one word, by which he could so nobly have maintained his Dignity, kept his station, justified his cause, and withall expressed his humility and charity, as this, Father. They crucifyed him, for saying himself to be the Sonne of God. And in the midst of torment, he both professes the same still, and lets them see, that they have no other way of forgivenesse, but that he is the Sonne of that Father. For no man cometh to the Father but by the Son.
And at this voice (Father) O most blessed Saviour,Forgive them. thy Father, which is so fully thine, that for thy sake, he is ours too, which is so wholly thine, that he is thy selfe, which is all mercy, yet will not spare thee, all justice, yet will not destroy us. And that glorious Army of Angels, which hitherto by their own integrity maintained their first and pure condition, and by this worke of thine, now neare the Consummatum est, attend a confirmation, and infallibility of ever remaining so; And that faithfull company of departed Saints, to whom thy merit must open a more inward and familiar room in thy Fathers Kingdome, stand all attentive, to heare what thou wilt aske of this Father. And what shall they hear? what doest thou aske? Forgive them, forgive them? Must murderers be forgiven? Must the offended aske it? And must a Father grant it? And must he be solicited, and remembred by the name of Father to doe it? Was not thy passion enough, but thou must have compassion? And is thy mercy so violent, that thou wilt have a fellow-feeling of their imminent afflictions, before they have any feeling? The Angels might expect a present employment for their destruction: the Saints might be out of feare, that they should be assumed or mingled in their fellowship. But thou wilt have them pardoned. And yet doest not out of thine own fulnesse pardon them, as thou didst the theef upon the Crosse, because he did already confesse thee; but thou tellest them, that they may be forgiven, but at thy request, and if they acknowledge their Advocate to be the Son of God. Father, forgive them. I that cannot revenge thy quarrell, cannot forgive them. I that could not be saved, but by their offence, cannot forgive them. And must a Father, Almighty, and well pleased in thee, forgive them? Thou art more charitable towards them, then by thy direction wee may be to our selvs. We must pray for our selvs limitedly, forgive us, as we forgive. But thou wilt have their forgivenes illimited and unconditioned. Thou seemest not so much as to presume a repentance; which is so essentiall, and necessary in all transgressions, as where by mans fault the actions of God are diverted from his appointed ends, God himself is content to repent the doing of them. As he repented first the making of man, and then the making of a King. But God will have them within the armes of his generall pardon. And we are all delivered from our Debts; for God hath given his word, his co-essential word, for us all. And though, (as in other prodigall debts, the Interest exceed the Principall) our Actuall sinnes exceed Originall, yet God by giving his word for us, hath acquitted all.
But the Affections of our Saviour are not inordinate, nor irregular. He hath a For, For.for his Prayer: Forgive them, for, &c. And where he hath not this For, as in his Praier in his agony, he quickly interrupts the violence of his request, with a But, Father, let this cup passe; but not my will: In that form of Prayer which himself taught us, he hath appointed a for, on Gods part, which is ever the same unchangeable: For thine is the Kingdome; Therefore supplications belong to thee: The power, Thou openest thy hand and fillest every living thing: The Glory, for thy Name is glorified in thy grants. But because on our part, the occasions are variable, he hath left our for, to our religious discretion. For, when it is said, James 4. You lust and have not, because you aske not; it followeth presently, You aske and misse, because you aske amisse. It is not a fit for, for every private man, to aske much means, for he would doe much good. I must not pray, Lord put into my hands the strength of Christian Kings, for out of my zeale, I will imploy thy benefits to thine advantage, thy Souldiers against thine enemies, and be a bank against that Deluge, wherewith thine enemy the Turk threatens to overflow thy people. I must not pray, Lord fill my heart with knowledge and understanding, for I would compose the Schismes in thy Church, and reduce thy garment to the first continuall and seemlesse integrity; and redresse the deafnesses and oppressions of Judges, and Officers. But he gave us a convenient scantling for our fors, who prayed, Give me enough, for I may else despair, give me not too much, for so I may presume. Of Schoolmen, some affirm Prayer to be an act of our will; for we would have that which we aske. Others, of our understanding; for by it we ascend to God, and better our knowledge, which is the proper aliment and food of our understanding; so, that is a perplexed case. But all agree, that it is an act of our Reason, and therefore must be reasonable. For onelyonly reasonable things can pray; for the beasts and Ravens, Psalme 147. 9. are not said to pray for food, but to cry. Two things are required to make a Prayer. 1. Pius affectus, which was not in the Devills request, Matth. 8. 31. Let us goe into the Swine; nor Job 1. 2. Stretch out thy hand, and touch all he hath; and, stretch out thy hand, and touch his bones; and therefore these were not Prayers. And it must be Rerum decentium: for our government in that point, this may inform us. Things absolutely good, as Remission of sinnes, we may absolutely beg: and, to escape things absolutely ill, as sinne. But mean and indifferent things, qualified by the circumstances, we must aske conditionally and referringly to the givers will. For 2 Cor. 8. when Paul begged stimulum Carnis to be taken from him, it was not granted, but he had this answer, My grace is sufficient for thee.
Let us now (not in curiosity, but for instruction) consider the reason:They know not. They know not what they doe. First, if Ignorance excuse: And then, if they were ignorant.Ignorance.
Hast thou, O God, filled all thy Scriptures, both of thy Recorders and Notaries, which have penned the History of thy love, to thy People; and of thy Secretaries the Prophets, admitted to the foreknowledge of thy purposes, and instructed in thy Cabinet; hast thou filled these with prayses and perswasions of wisedome and knowledge, and must these persecutors be pardoned for their ignorance? Hast thou bid Esay to say, 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, shall not have compassion of them. And Hosea 4. 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: and now dost thou say, Forgive them because they know not? Shall ignorance, which is often the cause of sinne, often a sinne it self, often the punishment of sinne, and ever an infirmity and disease contracted by the first great sinne, advantage them? Who can understand his faults, saith the man according to thy heart, Psalme 19. 12. Lord cleanse me from my secret faults: He durst not make his ignorance the reason of his prayer, but prayed against ignorance. But thy Mercy is as the Sea: both before it was the Sea, for it overspreads the whole world; and since it was called into limits: for it is not the lesse infinite for that. And as by the Sea, the most remote and distant Nations enjoy one another, by traffique and commerce, East and West becoming neighbours: so by mercy, the most different things are united and reconciled; Sinners have Heaven; Traytors are in the Princes bosome; and ignorant persons are in the spring of wisdome, being forgiven, not onelyonly though they be ignorant, but because they are ignorant. But all ignorance is not excusable; nor any lesse excusable, then not to know, what ignorance is not to be excused. Therefore, there is an ignorance which they call Nescientiam, a not knowing of things not appertaining to us. This we had had, though Adam had stood; and the Angels have it, for they know not the latter day, and therefore for this, we are not chargeable. They call the other privation, which if it proceed meerly from our owne sluggishnesse, in not searching the meanes made for our instruction, is ever inexcusable. If from God, who for his owne just ends hath cast clouds over those lights which should guide us, it is often excusable. For 1 Tim. 1. 13. Paul saith, I was ablasphemer, and a persecutor, and an oppressor, but I was received to mercy, for I did it ignorantly, through unbelief. So, though we are all bound to believe, and therefore faults done by unbeliefe cannot escape the name and nature of sinne, yet since beliefe is the immediate gift of God, faults done by unbeliefe, without malicious concurrences and circumstances, obtaine mercy and pardon from that abundant fountaine of grace, Christ Jesus. And therefore it was a just reason, Forgive them, for they know not. If they knew not, which is evident, both by this speech from truth it self, and by 2 Cor. 2. 8. Had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; and Acts 3. 17. I know that through ignorance ye did it. And though after so many powerfull miracles, this ignorance were vincible, God having revealed enough to convert them, yet there seemes to be enough on their parts, to make it a perplexed case, and to excuse, though not a malitious persecuting, yet a not consenting to his Doctrine. For they had a Law, Whosoever shall make himself the sonne of God, let him dye: And they spoke out of their Lawes, when they said, We have no other King but Caesar. There were therefore some among them reasonably, and zealously ignorant. And for those, the Sonne ever-welcome, and well-heard, begged of his Father, ever accessible, and exorable, a pardon ever ready and naturall.
We have now passed through all those roomes which we unlockt and opened at first. And now may that point, Why this prayer is remembred onelyonly by one Evangelist, and why by Luke, be modestly inquired: For we are all admitted and welcommed into the acquaintance of the Scriptures, upon such conditions as travellers are into other Countries: if we come as praisers and admirres of their Commodities and Government, not as spies into the mysteries of their State, nor searchers, nor calumniators of their weaknesses. For though the Scriptures, like a strong rectified State, be not endangered by such a curious malice of any, yet he which brings that, deserves no admittance. When those great Commissioners which are called the Septuagint, sent from Hierusalem, to translate the Hebrew Scriptures into Greeke, had perfected their work, it was, and is an argument of Divine assistance, that writing severally, they differed not. The same may prove even to weake and faithlesse men, that the holy Ghost super-intended the foure Evangelists, because they differ not; as they which have written their harmonies, make it evident: But to us, faith teacheth the other way. And we conclude not, because they agree, the holy Ghost directed; for heathen Writers and Malefactors in examinations do so; but because the holy Ghost directed, we know they agree, and differ not. For as an honest man, ever of the same thoughts, differs not from himself, though he do not ever say the same things, if he say not contraries; so the foure Evangelists observe the uniformity and samenesse of their guide, though all did not say all the same things, since none contradicts any. And as, when my soule, which enables all my limbs to their functions, disposes my legs to go, my whole body is truly said to go, because none stayes behinde; so when the holy Spirit, which had made himself as a common soule to their foure soules, directed one of them to say any thing, all are well understood to have said it. And therefore when to that place in Matth. 27. 8. where that Evangelist cites the Prophet Ieremy, for words spoken by Zachary, many medicines are applyed by the Fathers; as, That many copies have no name, That Ieremy might be binominous, and have both names, a thing frequent in the Bible, That it might be the error of a transcriber, That there was extant an Apocryph booke of Ieremy, in which these words were, and sometimes things of such books were vouched, as Iannes and Iambres by Paul; St. Augustine insists upon, and teaches rather this, That it is more wonderfull, that all the Prophets spake by one Spirit, and so agreed, then if any one of them had spoken all those things; And therefore he adds, Singula sunt omnium, & omnia sunt singulorum, All say what any of them say; And in this sense most congruously is that of St. Hierome applyable, that the foure Evangelists are Quadriga Divina, That as the foure Chariot wheeles, though they looke to the foure corners of the world, yet they move to one end and one way, so the Evangelists have both one scope, and one way.
Yet not so precisely, but that they differ in words: For as their generall intention, common to them all begat that consent, so a private reason peculiar to each of them, for the writing of their Histories at that time, made those diversities which seem to be for Matthew, after he had preached to the Jewes, and was to be transplanted into another vineyard, the Gentiles, left them written in their owne tongue, for permanency, which he had preached transitorily by word. Mark, when the Gospell fructified in the West, and the Church enlarged her self, and grew a great body, and therefore required more food out of Peters Dictates, and by his approbation published his Evangile. Not an Epitome of Matthewes, as Saint Ierome (I know why) imagines, but a just and intire History of our blessed Saviour. And as Matthewes reason was to supply a want in the Eastern Church, Markes in the Western; so on the other side Lukes was to cut off an excesse and superfluitie: for then many had undertaken this Story, and dangerously inserted and mingled uncertainties and obnoxious improbabilities: and he was more curious and more particular then the rest, both because he was more learned, and because he was so individuall a companion of the most learned Saint Paul, and did so much write Pauls words, that Eusebius thereupon mistaketh the words 2 Tim. 2. 1. Christ is raised according to my Gospell, to prove that Paul was author of this Gospell attributed to Luke. Iohn the Minion of Christ upon earth, and survivor of the Apostles, (whose books rather seem fallen from Heaven, and writ with the hand which ingraved the stone Tables, then a mans work) because the heresies of Ebion and Cerinthus were rooted, who upon this true ground, then evident aud fresh, that Christ had spoke many things which none of the other three Evangelists had Recorded, uttered many things as his, which he never spoke: Iohn I say, more diligently then the rest handleth his Divinity, and his Sermons, things specially brought into question by them. So therefore all writ one thing, yet all have some things particular. And Luke most, for he writ last of three, and largeliest for himselfe, 1 Act. 1. saith, I have made the former Treatise of all that Iesus began to doe and teach, untill the Day that he was taken up; which speech, lest the words in the last of Iohn, If all were written which Iesus did, the world could not contain the Bookes, should condemne, Ambrose and Chrysostome interpret well out of the words themselves, Scripsit de omnibus, non omnia, He writ of all, but not all: for it must have the same limitation, which Paul giveth his words, who saith, Acts 20. in one verse, I have kept nothing back, but have shewed you all the counsell of God; and in another, I kept back nothing that was profitable. It is another peculiar singularity of Lukes, that he addresseth his History to one man, Theophilus. For it is but weakely surmised, that he chose that name, for all lovers of God, because the interpretation of the word suffereth it, since he addeth most noble Theophilus. But the work doth not the lesse belong to the whole Church, for that, no more then his Masters Epistles doe though they be directed to particulars.
It is also a singularitie in him to write upon that reason, because divers have written. In humane knowledge, to abridge or suck, and then suppresse other Authors, is not ever honest nor profitable: We see after that vast enterprise of Iustinian, who distilled all the Law into one vessell, and made one Booke of 2000. suppressing all the rest, Alciate wisheth he had let them alone, and thinketh the Doctors of our times, would better have drawn usefull things from those volumes, then his Trebonian and Dorothee did. And Aristotle after, by the immense liberality of Alexander, he had ingrossed all Authors, is said to have defaced all, that he might be in stead of all: And therefore, since they cannot rise against him, he imputes to them errours which they held not: vouches onelyonly such objections from them, as he is able to answer; and propounds all good things in his own name, which he ought to them. But in this History of Lukes, it is otherwise: He had no authority to suppresse them, nor doth he reprehend or calumniate them, but writes the truth simply, and leaves it to outweare falshood: and so it hath: Moses rod hath devoured the Conjurers rods, and Lukes Story still retains the majestie of the maker, and theirs are not.
Other singularities in Luke, of form or matter, I omit, and end with one like this in our Text. As in the apprehending of our blessed Saviour, all the Evangelists record, that Peter cut off Malchus eare, but onelyonly Luke remembers the healing of it again: (I think) because that act of curing, was most present and obvious to his consideration, who was a Physician: so he was therefore most apt, to remember this Prayer of Christ, which is the Physick and Balsamum of our Soule, and must be applied to us all, (for we doe all Crucifie him, and we know not what we do) And therefore Saint Hierome gave a right Character of him, in his Epistle to Paulinus, Fuit Medicus, & pariter omnia verba illius, Animae languentis sunt Medicinae, As he was a Physitian, so all his words are Physick for a languishing soule.
Now let us dispatch the last consideration, of the effect of this Prayer. Did Christ intend the forgivenesse of the Jewes, whose utter ruine God (that is, himselfe) had foredecreed? And which he foresaw, and bewaild even then hanging upon the Crosse? For those Divines which reverently forbeare to interpret the words Lord, Lord, why hast thou forsaken me? of a suffering hell in his soule, or of a departing of the Father from him; (for Ioh. 16. it is, I am not alone, for the Father is with me) offer no exposition of those words more convenient, then that the foresight of the Jewes imminent calamities, expressed and drew those words from him: In their Afflictions, were all kindes, and all degrees of Miserie. So that as one writer of the Roman Story saith elegantly, He that considereth the Acts of Rome, considereth not the Acts of one People, but of Mankinde: I may truly of the Jewes Afflictions, he that knoweth them, is ignorant of nothing that this world can threaten. For to that which the present authority of the Romanes inflicted upon them, our Schools have added upon their posterities; that they are …laves to Christians, and their goods subject to spoile, if the Lawes of the Princes where they live, did not out of indulgency defend them. Did he then aske, and was not heard? God forbid. A man is heard, when that is given which his will desired; and our will is ever understood to be a will rectified, and concurrent with God. This is Voluntas, a discoursed and examined will. That which is upon the first sight of the object, is Velleit as, a willingnesse, which we resist not, onelyonly because we thought not of it. And such a willingnesse had Christ, when suddenly he wished that the cup might passe: but quickly conformed his will to his Fathers. But in this Prayer his will was present, therefore fulfilled. Briefly then, in this Prayer he commended not all the Jewes, for he knew the chief to sin knowingly, and so out of the reach of his reason, (for they know not.) Nor any, except they repented after: for it is not ignorance, but repentance, which deriveth to us the benefit of Gods pardon. For he that sinnes of Ignorance, may be pardoned if he repent; but he that sinnes against his Conscience, and is thereby impenitible, cannot be pardoned. And this is all, which I will say of these words, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
O eternall God, look down from thy Throne to thy footstoole: from thy blessed Company of Angels and Saints, to us, by our own faults made more wretched and contemptible, then the wormes, which shall eat us, or the dust which we were, and shall be. O Lord, under the weight of thy Iustice we cannot stand. Nor had any other title to thy merciemercy, but the Name of Father, and that we have forfeited. That name of Sonnes of God, thou gavest to us, all at once in Adam; and he gave it away from us all by his sinne. And thou hast given it again to every one of us, in our regeneration by Baptisme, and we have lost it again by our transgressions. And yet thou was not weary of being mercifull, but diddest choose one of us, to be a fit and worthy ransome for us all; and by the death of thy Christ, our Iesus, gavest us again the title and priviledge of thy Sonnes; but with conditions, which though easie, we have broke, and with a yoke, which though light, and sweet, we have cast off. How shall we then dare to call thee Father? Or to beg that thou wilt make one triall more of us? These hearts are accustomed to rebellions, and hopelesse. But, O God, create in us new hearts, hearts capable of the love and feare, due to a Father. And then we shall dare to say, Father, and to say, Father forgive us. Forgive us O Father, and all which are engaged, and accountable to thee for us: forgive our Parents, and those which undertooke for us in Baptisme. Forgive the civill Magistrate, and the Minister. Forgive them their negligences, and us our stubbornnesses. And give us the grace that we may ever sincerely say, both this Prayer of Example and Counsell, Forgive our enemies, and that other of Precept, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.