Christs Valedictions, Part 1
The Firſt Word.
LUKE 23.34.
Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
ALl Nations did ever in Nature acknowledg, not only a guiltineſs of ſin, but ſome means of Reconciliation to their gods in the remiſſion of ſins: For they had al ſome formal & Ceremonial Sacrifices and Expiations by which they thought their ſins to be purged and waſhed away; and the people of Iſrael were preſcribed by God himſelf, what, and how to offer their religious Victims: But the proper and true Propitiatory Sacrifice to take away the ſins of the world, was only Jeſus Chriſt, the Incarnate Word of the Eternal Father, who much Coveting that Ineffable work of man's Salvation, thought it not only enough to ſuffer, but before he ſubmits himſelf to thoſe great undertakings, deemed it alſo expedient to win the hearts of the people as well by Doctrine as Miracles. His whole Life was a continued Lecture and Method of teaching, and becauſe the words of a dying man works commonly a great impreſſion on the affections and judgments of the hearers, therefore being now to ſeal the Leaſe of that ineſtimable purchaſe with his own blood on the Croſs, he delivered ſuch divine Legacies, ſuch Soul-livening words, as ought to ſurvive in the hearts and actions of all true Chriſtians. The firſt whereof was this, Father forgive them, &c.
The Explication.He called him [Father,] not God or Lord, becauſe he well knew in this condition to be needful the Benignity of a Father, not the Severity of a Judge; the Smiles of Compaſſion, not the Frowns of Juſtice. And becauſe to bend God to a Lenity (who was without doubt much incenſed for ſuch grand iniquities) it was convenient to preſent the amiable title of a Father: the words ſeem to imply thus much, I who am thy ſuffering Son do pardon them, pardon thou alſo, O Father, their impieties, and forgive me (thy Son) this offence, though they deſerve it not. Take it to thy compaſſionate Remembrance, that thou art their Father by Creation and Preſervation, O then let thy Paternal favour ſhine upon them, for though they are evil, yet they are thy ſons; though they are ſinners, thou art merciful.
The word [Forgive] which is the ſum of the Petition, may as well be referred to the Puniſhment as the Fault; if to the Puniſhment, this Prayer was heard, whilſt the Jews for this preſent iniquity deſerved inſtant revenge, yet was it defer'd for forty years; and if in that interim they had repented, they had remained ſafe and untouched: but becauſe they did not, God permitted an Army of Romans (Veſpaſian then Governing) to come againſt them, who overthrew their Head City, and deſtroyed the Jewiſh Nation, ſome by the Sword, ſome by Famine, ſome ſold, the reſt Exiled into divers places of the earth, as foretold by the Parable of the Vineyard, and of the Kings inviting of gueſts to the marriage of his ſon,Mat. 20.1 & by the ſimilitude of the unfruitful Figtree.Mat. 22.2 If it be referr'd to the Fault,Luk. 13.6 the Prayer was alſo heard in that relation, for by the powerful efficacy thereof was given to many Repentance and Compunction of heart, in which number was the Centurion,Mat. 27 54 Luk. 23 48 and thoſe who returned ſtriking their guilty breſts, confeſſing him to be the Son of God.
The Perſons prayed for, are either h…s Manual Executioners, thoſe who divided his garments, or thoſe who were the effectual cauſes of his Paſſion, as Pilate who gave the ſentence, the people who cryed out, Crucifie, crucifie him, the Scribes who falſely accuſed him; or, as we may aſcend higher, the firſt man Adam and his poſterity. All were involved in the Sin, all are included in the Prayer. And thou, (O my ſoul) before thou hadſt a being, the Lord foreſaw thee alſo to be ranckt ſometimes amongſt his enemies, and thy ſelf not capable of petitioning, he prayes the Father for thee, that thy fooliſhneſs be not imputed to thee.
And that his interceſſion might be acceptable, he ſeems to guild the offences of his enemies with compaſſionate extenuations, as far as it might ſtand with his omnipotent Soveraignty, by adding, For they know not what they do. For certainly he could not palliate that injuſtice in Pilate nor that cruelty in the Souldiers, nor that envie in the High Prieſt, nor that fooliſhneſs and ingratitude in the People, nor falſe Teſtimonies in the Perjurers, this only remained, that he might in all excuſe their ignorance; for as the Apoſtle ſayes, If they had known it, 1 Cor. 2.8they had not crucified the Lord of Glory.
The Schools have made ſo many diviſions and ſub-diviſions of Ignorance, that there goes as much learning to underſtand Ignorance as Knowledg; but their ignorance in condemning the Lord of life was of a very ſtrange and tranſcendent nature▪ The people knew him to be innocently condemned, and Pilate himſelf ſealed it with a publick voice,Luk. 23.14 Mat. 27.24 I find no fault in this man, &c. and, I am innocent of the blood of this juſt man. The Integrity of his Life declared him to be Immaculate. and ſin-leſs, the greatneſs of his Miracles proclaimed him a God, and the whole current of the Prophets teſtified him to be the Meſſias, and yet they would not acknowledg him to be the Chriſt, the Lord of Glory: The reſon whereof is delivered by S. John, Joh. 12.37and the Prophet Iſaias, becauſe their eyes were blinded, and thoir hearts hardned, that they ſhould not ſee with their eyes, nor underſtand wth their hearts and be converted and healed.
But that blindneſs proceeded from an Ignorance which does not excuſe, becauſe it was voluntary & concomitant, not precedent. After the ſame manner are thoſe who ſin out of malice, they are alwayes infected with ſome Ignorance which is hatch't with the ſin. The Philoſopher ſaid, Every Evil man, is an Ignorant man: And truly it may be ſpoken of all ſinners, They know not what they do: For no man covets evil as it is evil, becauſe the Object of the Will is a thing not good or ill, but only (really or apparently) Good. Therefore they that make choice of evil, do chuſe it as it repreſents the Species and forms of goodneſs; yea, they apprehend it as the chiefeſt good: The cauſe of this is a perturbation of the inferiour part, which doth ſo clod and darken reaſon that it cannot rightly diſcern the Atoms of goodneſs in things coveted; for he who commits Adultery or Theft, would never affect either, were it not for the falſe good of delectation or gain which couches under Adultery or Theft, not perceiving the evil of turpitude and injuſtice which likewiſe harbour there. So, that whoſoever ſins, is like the man, who deſirous from a high Turret to throw himſelf headlong into ſome fierce River, ſhuts firſt his eyes, and then commits himſelf to the mercy of the Waters. He that is the Actor of evil, hates the light and labours under a pretended darkneſs, which being vincible and voluntarie does no way clear the Action.
But wherefore then ſerves the prayer? I anſwer, If the words be underſtood of thoſe executioners that performed only their commanded duties, and probably were ignorant as well of his Inocency as of his Divinity; or of us who were not then exiſtent, or of ſuch ſinners who knew not what was then in agitation at Jeruſalem: the Lord might moſt truly then Ejaculate theſe ſweet tones of his Compaſſion; but if they be applyed to thoſe grand contrivers and actors of that horrible treaſon, and well knew him to be the Miſſias, and an innocent man; then it is to be confeſt that Chriſts purpoſe thereby was only to extenuate the ſins of his adverſaries in the beſt manner he could; for although their Ignorance could not ſimply excuſe, yet it may have the colourable reaſon of an excuſe for if they had wanted all ignorance their offence had been more grievous; and certainly if a better and more probable plea could have been found, he had willingly preſented it even for Caiphas and Pilate the worſt of all his enemies.
1. Hence may we firſt learn Chriſt's charity to be ſo Supereminent, that we may with the Apoſtle conclude, It paſſeth all knowledge. Eph. 3.19.Neither are our tongues able to expreſſe, nor our underſtandings to conceive the height of it. If any of us labour under any croſs of grief, as the pains of our teeth, our eyes, or any other member, we are ſo poſſeſt with a ſenſe of any of theſe ſufferings, that we think on nothing elſe, nor will ſcarce admit any negotiations or viſits of friends; whereas crucified Chriſt wore on his head a Crown of thornes, not being able to move without exceſſive grief, nails pierced his hands and feet, from whoſe borings he drew moſt bitter pains; his naked body wearied with unmerciful whippings, publickly expoſed to ignominy and cold, throwing on him new ſorrows and new torments; yet as though he contemned thoſe cruelties and ſuffered nothing being only ſolicitous for the ſalvation of his enemies, and deſiring to avert from them an impendant danger, he preſents to his Father this mournful Obſecration, Father, forgive them, &c. If thoſe wicked men had ſuffered an unjuſt perſecution, what would he do? if friends, if kindred had ſuffered, not enemies, not traitors, not Paracides? His heart amongſt ſo many ſtorms of injurious ſufferings (as a Rock in the midſt of the Sea beaten with unruly waves) ſtood quiet and immoveable: after the infliction of ſo many deadly wounds, they deride his patience; and triumph at their evil doings; he ſpeaks not as an enemy ſtriving with his fierce adverſaries, but as a Father bemoaning his infants, or a Phyſician his patients ſtrugling with a grievous diſeaſe, and preſents them to an omnipotent hand to cure their odious infirmities. This is the force of an upright charity, not when one is reputed to have no enemies and have peace with all men, but to live peaceably with thoſe that are haters of peace. And this is that Love the Wiſe man ſpeaks of, that many waters cannot extinguiſh,Cant. 8.7 nor the floods drown it.
O duri, durati & obdurati nimis, quos tunta flamma non emolliat. Bern.As that deluge of ſufferings could not quench the flaming charity of our Saviour, ſo the rivers of perſecution ſhould not overwhelm Chriſtian Love in his members. A whiles after there iſſued out an imitating clemency, flaming in the breſt of S. Stephen the Proto-martyr, which thoſe ſhowrs of ſtones could not quench, but made him break forth into that ſweet prayer,Act. 7.60 Lord, lay not this ſin to their charge. After him this divine virtue was propagated to divers holy Martyrs, who burn'd with wonderful flames of charity, notwithſtanding the many torrents of ſufferings and perſecutions to overflow them.
I may aſcend here from Chriſts Humanity to his Divinity; great was his charity as man to his executioners, but greater it was and is as God towards men, who would war with him, and, if if they could, pluck him from heaven and Crucifie him again. Who can conceive the exceeding Love of God to men altogether wicked and unthankful? God ſpared not the Angels in their offences,2. Pet. 2.4 neither was he ſo indulgent to them as to ſuffer them to repent, but men ſinning, and blaſpheming and being deficient in their ſervices to him, he often ſuffers, and not only ſuffers them, but in the mean time he feeds, cheriſhes and ſupports them; (For in him we live, Act. 17.28move, and have our being) nay, he accumulates many benefits upon them, he adorns them with wit, fattens them with riches, prefers them to honors, and ſublimes them to Kingdoms, and in the mean while he patiently expects their return from their wayes of wickedneſs and perdition. Infinite are the preſidents of Gods charity towards the wicked, and enemies of his moſt Sacred Majeſty.
2. By this we are further taught to forgive received Injuries, and to make our enemies our friends: This remarkeable example of Chriſt ſhould be a perſwaſive argument to draw us to it. If he as well Pardoned as Prayed for his perſecutors, why ſhould not a Chriſtian do the ſame? If God, the Creator, who is able, both as Lord and a Judge to take a ſudden revenge on ſinners, yet is pleaſed to invite them to favour, and to offer them a free Pardon, why ſhould not a creature do the ſame? But you will ſay, It ſeems adverſe to the rights of Nature, that a man ſhould ſuffer himſelf to be unjuſtly trampled and violated in words or deeds, for we ſee brutiſh creatures, who are led only by an Inſtinct of Nature, ſharply on the firſt ſight to encounter and deſtroy their enemies: And we have it experienced in our ſelves when by chance we eſpy an adverſary, our choler kindles, our blood boyles, and there naturally ariſeth in us a thirſt of revenge. But he is altogether deceived who does thus reaſon and he confounds a juſt defence with an unjuſt vindication. For, to oppoſe an offered injurie, no man forbids, but to revenge it being done, the Divine Law gain-ſaies, for that appertains not to private men, but to the publick Magiſtrate; and becauſe God is the King of Kings, Deut. 32 35 Rom. 12 19therefore he proclaims it, Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
Beaſts which naturally ruſh upon their enemies, cannot diſtinguiſh between Nature, and the viciouſneſs of Nature; but man, which is beautified with Reaſon, ſhould ſeparate the Nature or Perſon which God created good, from the Vice or Sin, which is evil, and an Abortive meerly proceeding from the Divel. Love the Perſon, but deteſt the injury; imitate the Phyſic an, who loves the Sick, but loaths the Diſeaſe; which that moſt holy Aeſculapius of all ſouls hath taught us in the Goſpel,Mat. 5.44 Love your enemies, do good to them that hurt you, bleſs them that curſe you, &c. pray for them that hate you and perſecute you. The reaſon why men ſtomack their enemies, is becauſe they are brutiſh, and have a Community with Beaſts: But thoſe that are Spiritual, and can disband the Paſſions of the Soul, will rather compaſſionate their enemies, and by a Chriſtian Affability win them to peace, then plot their deſtruction: To them the yoke of Chriſt is ſweet, and his burden feather-light, and his commands not heavy; but to the carnal and natural man they ſeem difficult and weighty through reaſon of the predominancy of their own corruptions, and becauſe the love of God is not in them; for nothing is impoſſible to Charity, It beareth all things, believeth all things, 1 Cor. 13.7hopeth all things, endureth all things.
In holy Writ, we find how the Patriarch Joſeph in thoſe times afore the Law,Gen. 45 & 37 marvellouſly loved his brethren, who (as enemies) fold him to the Midianites. And how patiently David took the enmity of Saul who did much covet his deſtruction;1 King 4 yet when it was in his power to have killed him he would not. And in the law of Grace S. Paul ſpeaks of himſelf and Co-Apoſtles, Being reviled, 1 Cor. 4 12we bleſſe; being perſecuted, we ſuffer; being defamed, we pray and intreat. There is a known Story not impertinent to this purpoſe in Petrus Damianus, of a man whom another moſt traiterouſly had pulled out his eyes, and this Accident had confined him to a Monaſtry, where he lived a pure and unſpotted life, yielding all offices of charity, according to the ability of his perſon. It fell out this cruel creature who had done this miſchievous act, ſickned of a languiſhing malady, and found himſelf enforced to be carried to that ſame place where he was whom he had bereaved of ſight: His heart gave him, He would never endure him, but for revenge put out his eyes: But contrariwiſe, the blind man being better inſtructed, upon his earneſt ſuit was deputed to the ſervice of the ſick man, and he moſt willingly dedicated to him all the functions of his body, but the eyes, which the other had pulled out; and you would think him all eyes, all hands, all heart to attend this ſick man, ſo much conſideration, vigor, diligence and affection he uſed. And what ſhould they here ſay, who upon the leaſt affront burn with a revengful ſpirit?
But it may be the objection of ſome, If we return a benefit for an injurie, a benediction for a curſe, the wicked would wax inſolent, and the robbers of Gods glory would become much bolder, the juſt would be oppreſſed, and virtue contemned: But the caſe will prove otherwiſe, for oft times a ſoft anſwer breaks the jaws of anger,Prov. 15 and the patience of a good man begets an admiration in the perſecutor, and by a religious Alchymy converts an enemy to a friend; neither are there wanting on the earth Political Magiſtrates, whoſe care it is according to the ſevere cords of the Laws, to bind and enforce the wicked to ſuch an obedience, that the juſt may lead a quiet and peaceable life. But if Humane Juſtice ſhould ſometimes ſleep, yet the Providential eyes of God are ſtill open, who never ſuffers the evil to go unpuniſhed, nor the good unrewarded, and through an admirable way, when the wicked think they vex and torment the good, he makes theſe the more famous, the more illuſtrious: Saeviſti perſecutor in Martyrem, Leo. Ser. de S. Laur.ſaeviſti, & auxiſti palmam, dum aggeras Poenam. The Rage of a Tyrant adds to the Glory of a Martyr; nothing made Joſeph ſo renowned as the perſecutions of his brethren.Gen. 40
Some, to avoid the ſhadow of a little diſreputation among men, and to preſerve the ſmoke of honour, will rather perſecute then forgive their enemies, thereby diſplaying themſelves to be void of true wiſdom, when as they to ſhun a leſſe evil, fall into a far greater. It is an undenyable axiome pronounced by the Apoſtle,Rom. 3.… Evil things may not be done, that good may come. He that receives an injury falls into the evil of puniſhment, he that revengeth falls into the evil of the fault; betwixt which two there is no Symmetrical proportion, for the puniſhment makes a man but miſerable, the guilt and fault makes a man as well evil as miſerable; the firſt deprives a man of Temporal felicity, the other robs him as well of Eternal as Temporal. Beſides, it is generally held an argument of a noble mind to pardon, and a ſign of a mean, & Puſillanimous ſpirit to revenge. Julius Caeſar, that victorious Emperor of Rome, excelled more in Pardoning then Conquering his enemies, of whom Cicero gives this high Eulogie, That he forgot nothing but injuries. O, let not a Heathen under the Law of Nature ſurpaſs us in clemency and charity under the Law of Grace!
But that which makes men moſt averſe from doing good and praying for their enemies, is, their difference about holy things. Religion, which ſhould be the grand motive to Peace and Unity, is now become the main occaſion of ſuch rents and diviſions among us, as our Ancients never heard of, and Poſterity will ſcarce believe. The Jews were ſo infatuated in their counſels that they knew not what they did, and many of the Chriſtians are in ſuch a confuſion they know not what to hold: ſome for Paul, ſome for Apollo, ſome for they know not whom. And that which is moſt to be lamented is, that for ſome diverſities in opinion, they ſhould pronounce ſuch an heavy ſentence upon one another, as is that of Damnation. If God ſhould cenſure us as we cenſure one another, I know not who ſhould be ſaved. But my hope and praier is, That the Lord will be more merciful to all diſſenters, then they are to one another.
The ſeven Churches of Aſia were all the Churches of Chriſt, he walkt in the midſt of them,Rev. 1.13. Chap. 2.1. even in that Lukewarm Laodicean, he held the ſeven Stars in his right hand, and though ſome were more perfect then others, yet hath he a particular charge againſt the beſt of them.Chap. 2.4 14. Let the Romaniſts tell us never ſo much of their unerring Chair and Infallibility, and let the Carthariſts tell us never ſo much of their Purities, yet there is no Congregation ſo ſpotleſs but Chriſt may find a blemiſh in her, no Church ſo blameleſs, but that he hath few things to urge againſt her. Let us not then judge of others, but learn to reform our own errors; nor ſtudy how to diſpute, but to live well: to that purpoſe the Apoſtle's counſel is very pertinent, Put on (as the elect of God, Col. 3.12 13. 14. 15.holy and beloved) bowels of mercy, kindneſs, humbleneſs of mind, meekneſs, long ſuffering, forbearing one another, forgiving one another: If any man have a quarrel againſt any, even as Chriſt forgave you, even ſo alſo do ye: And above all things put on Charity, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
Ejaculations.
1. THou God of Love and Peace! we are in ſuch blindneſs and diſtractions that we know not what we think, ſpeak or do: we are at ſuch deadly few'd among our ſelves, that, like Herod and Pilate, we joyn together and muſter up our forces againſt thee, and all friends to Peace. Profaneneſs, Hypocriſie and Ingratitude towards thee, Malice, Hatred and Revenge towards one another, are the reigning vices of our Times: Pardon thou thoſe againſt thee, and give us grace to forgive theſe againſt our ſelves.
2. We are taught (Lord) there is one fin irremiſſible,Mat. 12.31 1 Joh. 5.16 and incapable of mercy, and therefore not to be prayed for, but being we know not who that ſinner is, and hope to find him no where, therefore we make prayers and ſupplications for all men,1 Tim. 2.1 even for our enemies: We have Thee for a Preſident, and thy Word for a Precept.
3. Thou prayeſt their pardon that are ſhedding thy blood, ſhall not we forgive thoſe that do us injuries? Thou art merciful to thy Enemies, ſhall we be cruel to our Brethren? How grievouſly do we provoke thee every day to thy face! one of our offences againſt thy infinite Majeſty is more then we are capable to receive from all our enemies on earth; yet how ſilently doſt thou paſs by all our hainous affronts, and bidſt thy Sun to ſhine, and thy rain to fall as well upon our grounds as thy holieſt owners? Thou doſt graciouſly invite us to thee with new mercies, and do we call our ſelves the ſons of that Father whom we will not imitate? Do we daily pray to thee, To forgive us as we forgive others, whiles we reſolve to forgive none whom we can plague with revenge?
4. Shall we hear a Cato ſay, That he could and did pardon all offenders but himſelf? and ſhall we pardon none but our ſelves? Shall a Pagan without God have ſuch rule over his Paſſion? and ſhall a Chriſtian, who profeſſeth a more divine Phyloſophy give the reins to the wild and unruly erruptions of his rage?
5. And what (Lord) though we differ in Judgments, yet let us not vary in Affections? What though our Brains be diverſe, yet let our Hearts be one?
6. We all believe in thee (O God) and in the ſame Chriſt, and are all Baptized into him, and look to be ſaved by his ſufferings. We agree in that one and only Foundation; we all embrace the two Teſtaments, and as I hope, the three Creeds, and many other very material points; why ſhould we vary about the ſuperſtructures and circumſtantials of Religion?
7. We believe thy mercy to be of that extent,Act. 2.21 Rom. 10.13 that whoſoever ſhall call upon thy Name ſhall be ſaved; why ſhould we then be ſo uncharitable as to exclude ſo many millions of weak, but true believers out of the Church below, or out of heaven above, for no other reaſon but becauſe they are not of our judgments in all things?
8. VVhile we thus cenſure and aſſault each other, what advantages we give to our common adverſary, who takes pleaſure to ſee us bickering with our ſelves? And how far are we from that. Legacy of thy Son, that true. Love he recommended to his Diſciples? Lord, then, we pray thee, glew our hearts together by the grace of thy holy Spirit, and purge our of them all the droſſe and dregs of hatred, malice, ſchiſm and hereſie.
9. If it muſt be with us as with thoſe two famous Rivers of the Eaſt, the Sava and the Danuby, that runne together threeſcore miles in one channel with their waters divided in very colour from each other, yet let it be (as it is in them) without noiſe, without violence.
10. Keep us from Satan, the Spirit of Diviſion, grant that we may live as Children of thy family, Doves of thy flock, and Lambs of thy fold, by forgetting and forgiving all that is ſpoke or done againſt us. Make us all (Lord) the ſons of Peace, even for his ſake who is the Prince of Peace, Jeſus Chriſt our Lord! Amen!