Christs Valedictions, Part 2
The Second Word.
LUKE 23.43.
Verily, I ſay unto thee, This day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe.
The Explication.THe occaſion of the Word, is this, When two Theeves were Crucified with our Saviour, one on the right hand, the other on the left; the one aggravating his former ſins did blaſpheme Chriſt, and objected unto him an Imbecility,Ver. 39. If thou be the Chriſt, ſave thy ſelf and us; the other defended him, and gives this modeſt check to the blaſphemer, Feareſt thou not God, Ver. 40being thou art in the ſame condemnation.
But the other Evangeliſts ſeem to affirm the two theeves to be guilty of blaſphemy,Mat. 27.44 Mar. 15.3… how then doth Luke ſpeak but of one?Aug. l 3 de Conſenſu Evang. c. 16. Auguſtine reſolves the doubt thus, Matthew and Mark do take there the number of multitude, for the number ſingular, as it is frequent in holy Writ: And ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the Prophets,Heb. 11.33, 37 how they ſilenced the mouth of Lions, how they were stoned, they were hewn aſunder, how they wandred up and down in Sheep skins, and in Goats skins. And notwithſtanding, he which ſtopt the mouth of Lions was only Daniel, and he that was ſtoned was only Jeremiah, and he that was hewen aſunder was only Iſaias. Some think the good thief to have changed his opinion upon the hearing of Chriſt preſenting thoſe compaſſionate ſpeeches to his Father, Father, forgive them, &c. But Luke doth evidently declare thoſe words to be delivered before the wicked thief began to blaſpheme; and this alſo is conſonant to the judgment of another Father of the Church,Ambroſ. in Luc. 23 who ſaith, One only to have blaſphemed, the other to have as well praiſed as defended Chriſt, and therefore rebukes the ſauſineſs of his companion, Feareſt thou not God? &c.
Happy thief! as well in regard of his fellowſhip in ſuffering with a Saviour, as of that divine light which began to open it ſelf thus unto him; he was no ſooner converted himſelf, but he begins to make a Proſelite of his brother. And then proceeding in a good work, and thoſe ſparkles of grace increaſing in his now happy Soul, he confeſſeth his own ſins,Ver. 41. and preacheth the innocency of Chriſt; And we, truly, are juſtly condemned to the death of the Croſſe, for we receive things worthy of what we have done, but this man hath done nothing amiſſe. Afterwards the Sun of illuminating Glory ſhining more brightly on him, his Soul breaks forth into thi… holy Ejaculation, Lord, remember me when thou comeſt into thy Kingdom.
Behold, with what an holy confidence he preſents his Petition! He whom Peter thrice denied, this poor Penitent openly confeſſed, and called him Lord. Thomas the Apoſtle denies to believe unleſs he could feel Chriſt; the thief but beholding him miſerably tortured on the Croſs, proclaims him boldly (and in the face of his adverſaries) an heir apparent to a Kingdom. He confeſſed him a Lord whom he beholds naked, wounded, grieved and openly derided; and he ſtiles him a King when there was no probability of reigning in him; for Kings only reign while they live, (and ſome ſcarce ſo long) but when they leave off their weed of Mortality, they part with their robe of Majeſty.
Neither doth he petition for any thing in particular, but only to Remember him. .i. If Chriſt did but caſt a thought on him, and glance but the gracious eye of his favour towards him, it were a plenary conſummation of all his deſires, becauſe he was fully aſſured of his power, goodneſs and charity.
But what Kingdom is here underſtood? Not that temporal Kingdom on earth which the Jews expected, and yet he had a title to reign over them, and was of the blood Royal of Iſrael, and therefore the Wiſemen after his Nativity made this enquiry Where is he that is born King of the Jews? Matth. 2And himſelf told Pilate, Joh. 18.37Thou ſaiſt that I am a King, for this cauſe am I born, and for this cauſe came I into the world, that I ſhould bear witneſs unto the truth. But though he was a King in the world, yet was he not pleaſed to exerciſe his Soveraignty, but lived as a Pilgrim among enemies, and received, inſtead of honours due to a Royal perſon, contempt and reproach. But the Kingdom here meant, is that Spiritual and Eternal one in the heavens; that, where there is a perfect Beatitude of the ſoul, by which man is free from all ſervitude, and the ſubjection of things created, and ſubject only to God, whom to ſerve is to reign: And that which is intimated in the Parable of a certain noble man, Lu's. 19.12.that went into a ſtrange Country to receive for himſelf a Kingdom, and ſo to come again. That is, Chriſt was to paſs by the weariſom ſteps of a bitter death to another life, there to receive a glorious Diadem, and then to return in the day of Judgment, to render every man according to his works.
And that Kingdom, as much as appertained to the Beatitude of the ſoul, Chriſt indeed had from his very Conception, but what belonged to his body he had it not de facto, or in a glorious actualitie (but de jure and in an honourable inheritance) until after his Reſurrection; for while he ſojourned on earth he was ſubject to all humane infirmities (ſin only excepted) yea, to death it ſelf; but there belonged to him a true glorious body, which after death he was to enjoy: for ſo he teſtifieth of himſelf, It behoved Chriſt firſt to ſuffer, Luk. 24.26and then to enter into his Glory.
And ſo it is for this Kingdom of Glory that this Thief prayes for; his cravings are not temporal or carnal, but his divine and new-faſhioned ſoul aims at things Sempiternal and ſublime, which makes Chriſt more compliable to his deſires, for he had no ſooner ended his humble and ſhort Petition, but behold a gracious return and grant; Verily, I ſay unto thee, &c.
He begins his anſwer with a ſolemn word [Amen, or Verily] a word which our Saviour uſed in any thing which tended to a ſerious concernment;Aug. Tract 41 in Joan it hath the propriety of an oath: and the reaſons why he uſes this importunate manner of ſpeaking is, becauſe the thief might well doubt of the promiſe, were it not for this earneſt aſſeveration.
1. In regard of his own perſon, which could not ſeem any way worthy of ſo bleſſed a reward, or ſo rich a bleſſing. For who could imagin ſo bad a liver to paſs ſo ſpeedily from the Croſs to a Kingdom?
2. In regard of Chriſts preſent condition, for then he was the miſerable Character of poverty, weakneſs, and all ſorts of humane Calamities. And he might thus argue, If he be not able whileſt he lives to perform good offices for his friends, how can he beſtow them being dead? This might have been his carnal reaſoning.
3. And then in regard of the thing promiſed, Paradiſe, which was then known to belong to the body only, not to the ſoul.
So is the Etymologie of it according to the Hebrew, An earthly Paradiſe. It had been more credible if Chriſt had ſaid, To day thou ſhalt be with me in the place of Joy, with Abraham, Jſaac and Jacob. Therefore being ſo many ſcruples might occur unto this new convert, Chriſt, to remove them all, confirms the the verity of his anſwer with this ſerious Proteſtation.
And his paſſage to Paradiſe was but ſhort, not a daies journey: He does not ſay, In the day of Judgment thou ſhalt be placed on the right hand with the Juſt; nor does he ſay, (with the Millenarians) after a thouſand years ſleep thy ſoul ſhall enjoy the pleaſures of heaven; nor doth he ſay, Thou muſt firſt be refined in the Romiſh Purgatory; or after ſome months or daies be beatified (and that had been a happineſſe beyond his expectation or merit) but, this day, this very hour, thou ſhalt tranſmigrate with me from the Tree of the Croſs, to the Joyes of Paradiſe.
Though it be Controverted by ſome, what is here meant by Paradiſe, yet it is the opinion of very Orthodox Divines, That Chriſt the day after his death, was with his Body in the grave, and with his Soul triumphing on the infernal Spirits in hell: but to neither of theſe can the name of Paradiſe be aſſigned; the grave being but a gloomy receptacle for dead bodies; (where Chriſt's body only could be lay'd.) and under hell is intimated a place of torments. But Paradiſe ſignifies a Garden of delight; in the Terreſtrial one there were flouriſhing Trees, fruitful Waters, Salubrietie of air, and all the variety of deliouſneſs that Adam could enjoy: And in the Celeſtial one there are glorious and immortal Joyes, frnitions of endleſſe Beatitude, an inacceſſible light, Seats and Manſions for the bleſſed. The firſt was Local and Tranſient, this is Spiritual and Eternal: The joyes of the other were Corporal; the Soul is Beatified in the latter by virtue of the Beatifical viſion of God. And this heavenly Paradiſe Chriſt promiſed the thief, and that he would be with him; and ſo he was according to his Divinity. According to his Humane nature, he was partly in the grave and partly in hell, untill the third day, upon which he aſcended in a glorious and triumphant manner into heaven. But according to the Divine (as he was God) he had an Ubiquitary Being, he was then and alwayes in Heaven, Paradiſe, and all places.Ioh. 3.13
Therefore very proper were the words of our Saviour when he ſaith not, This day thou ſhalt be with me in my Kingdom, becauſe that day Chriſt was not to receive his Kingdom, that is, a perfect felicity of Body and Soul, till after his Reſurrection, when he was to have a body glorious, immortal, impaſſible, ſubject to no ſervitude or infirmity: (neither was the thief to enjoy this fellowſhip until the general day of Judgment) but in Paradiſe, becauſe that day there was a community of glory to his ſoul, and thoſe of all true Saints. And this is the perfect and eſſential felicity belonging to the Heavenly Paradiſe. Neither doth Chriſt ſay, We ſhall be there, for he was then, and before that time there, according to the ſuperiour portion of his ſoul; but thou ſhalt be with me there, that is, even thy Soul ſhal alſo really be, where now actually my divine Soul is; .i. In the bleſſed joyes of Heaven. Learn hence, O man!
1. How great and admirable is the mercy and liberality of Chriſt towards all his ſervants? He, being oppreſt with ſorrows might not have heard the Religious thief; but his charity had rather be inſenſible of his own torments, then not to give ear to a miſerable ſinner, confeſſing his delinquencies. He was ſilent altogether at the maledictions and revilings of the Prieſts and Souldiers, but to the humble clamours of a poor penitent, he could not chooſe but give a gracious Audience. He was ſilent at their Execrations, becauſe he was Patient, and he was open-cared to the thief's Petition, becauſe he was Merciful.
Thoſe that ſerve Temporal Lords do labour much, but the rewards of their ſervices are commonly far ſhort of their expectations; and we might obſerve many who have ſpun out their times in the Courts of Princes, return home in their declining age either meer Mendicants, or unregarded: But this Holy Prince, and Preſident of true Liberality, received nothing from this Penitential ſervant, but a few good words, and deſires of ſerving him; and behold, what a Boon he confers upon him? that very day he granted him a free pardon of all the ſins he had committed in the whole courſe of his wicked life. Then he prefers him to Abrahams …ſom, to a Quire of Saints an… Angels; Patriarchs and Prophets were made his Aſſociats, and he himſelf made partaker of that Heavenly happineſſe which is Undefinable and Eternal. We read that the Roman Emperors gave vaſt treaſures, ſometimes whole Provinces and Kingdoms to their Minions, but this Prince beſtowed on his new favourite more then they could either reach or conceive. Neither was this goodneſs of Chriſt peculiar to this poor delinquent; his Apoſtles deſerted their ſmall veſſels, their nets and cottages to ſerve him, and then he appointed them Princes over the earth, he ſubjected to their commands Divels, Serpents,Pſal. 44.2, 3 Mat. 10 8 Principalities and Powers, and all ſorts of Diſeaſes. And he promiſes to all that ſhall leave their neareſt relations for his ſake, and part with their deareſt enjoyments for his ſervice, a hundred fold, that is, a reward incomparably greater then thoſe particulars, to wit, Spiritual joys and bleſſings in this world, and life Eternal in that to come. We might reflect our thoughts on what great things the Lord wrought for Martyrs and Confeſſors of former ages, how they came to honour by ignominy, to riches by poverty, to greatneſs by the infamous puniſhment of the Croſs, to immortality by a bloody death; and how he would ſtill honor them that honor him. What fools then are thoſe who relinquiſh Chriſt, the giver of all goodneſs, and ſacrifice to Mammon, the author of all evil?
2. We have here alſo repreſented unto us the power of Gods Grace, and the Imbecility of the Humane Will; This good thief was a remarkable ſinner, and perſevered ſo even to the puniſhment of the Croſs, and in ſo eminent danger of Damnation, there was none preſent that could afford him either the ſolace of advice or aſſiſtance: For though he was moſt near the Saviour of the world, yet he heard the high Prieſts and Phariſees affirming him to be a ſeducer, ambitious, and an uſurper of anothers Kingdom; and he heard his fellow thief (as it were) barking at him, and there was none that beſtowed a word of comfort on him or Chriſt; but behold the prevalency of Divine Grace! when he was thus bereft of all humane aid, and ſeemed to have no hope of Salvation, being on the next ſtep to perdition, the Spirit of God ſhined on him in a miraculous manner, and in an inſtant ſo beautified and changed his heart, that upon a ſudden he confeſſed Chriſt to be an innocent ſufferer, and the King of the world to come; and checkt his preſumptuous companion and perſwaded him to repentance, and before the ſtaring multitude committed himſelf to the protection of a dying Saviour. Whereas the other Malefactor (in whom is expreſſed to life humane infirmitie) was not at all moved at the ſtrangeneſs of thoſe accidents; not at the charity of Chriſt, who prayed for his perſecutors, nor at his extreme ſufferings, nor at the admonition and example of his fellow thief, nor at the unwonted darkneſs, nor at the cleaving of the Rocks aſunder, nor at thoſe who through juſt aſtoniſhment returned home ſtriking their breſts (all which hapned after the converſion of the good thief) yet was he not at all changed though he had the helps of ſo many perſwading arguments.
Obj. But why was the one inſpired at that inſtant with ſaving Grace, the other not? both were equally great ſinners before that time, and but one now a Saint?
Sol. No other reaſon can be aſſigned, then why God loved Jacob and hated Eſau? but becauſe it was the will of God: we muſt be ſatisfied with that. All other reaſons are ſhut up in the ſecret Ark of God, which we muſt rather admire in a divine honor and humble ſilence, then endeavour to unlock or touch. Shall the thing formed ask the Potter, Rom. 9.80.Why haſt thou thus faſhioned me? Shall not the Creator of all, make ſome veſſels of honour, ſome veſſels of diſhonour, yet all to his glory? which is as much manifeſted in the condemnation of the bad, as the ſalvation of the good. There can be no iniquity with him, for though his judgments are occult, yet are they not unjuſt.
3. But this Caution we are farther taught by the words: Though we muſt embrace the example of the holy thief in our Conſolation▪ yet not in our Imitation. It may miniſter this comfort to a ſad and deſpairing Soul, That God hath and can pardon a true penitent be his ſins never ſo great; but it muſt not lead us to defer our repentance until the utmoſt period of our lives. The converſion of Saul the perſecutor, and this thief upon the Croſs, is become Proverbium Peccatorum, the Sinners Proverb, and ſerves him,Gregor. and ſatisfies him in all caſes. But thou preſumptuous ſinner that putteſt off thy amendment upon confidence of theſe examples, doſt but delude thine own Soul: It is not ſafe concluding out of ſingle inſtances, there is much diſparity between thy caſe and this thief's.
1. Thy time is not the ſame: When thou canſt find ſuch another day, look for ſuch another mercy; A day that cleft the grave-ſtones of dead men; A day that rent the Temple it ſelf; A day that the Sun durſt not ſee; A day that ſaw the Soul of Chriſt depart from his body; there ſhall be no more ſuch dayes, therefore preſume not of that.
2. Beſides, thou maiſt look at the thief as on a Turk or Heathen newly entred into Chriſtianity, Baptized from ſin, Confirmed by Chriſt, ſo dying and ſaved; but how often haſt thou broke thy Baptiſmal vows? and with Copronimus defiled thy Font,Eccl. Hiſt. by rejecting thoſe means which God hath given thee to ſecure thy intereſt and hopes of heaven.
3. The thief was not converted at laſt but at firſt;Cyril. Non in fine ſed in prineipio converſus latro. as ſoon as God afforded him any Call he came. But to how many calls haſt thou ſtopt thine ears? O ſinful man! How often hath God called thee with a voice of Terror? by Thunder and Lightning, by Wars, Plagues, Famine and other Judgments? How often hath he ſweetly called thee by the pleaſant promiſes of the Goſpel, by the motions of his Spirit, and by the temporal bleſſings of peace and plenty? Thou ſhalt find here that although it hapned to one to receive Grace in his very laſt gaſp (which was a Miracle of Mercy, a Prodigie of Providence) yet the other found his judgment; the one Bleſſed, the other Blaſphemed; ſo the one was Saved, the other was loſt. And whoſoever ſhall peruſe Hiſtories, Sacred or Humane, and obſerve Quotidian events, ſhall find very few to end their dayes well, that have looſly ran the whole courſe of their lives. And as they can hardly eſcape the furie of a Divine Juſtice that have acted a negligent and a vicious life, ſo there are but few after a life well ſpun, but die in Gods fear and are made partakers of his Glory.
Begin then betimes, O man, to become a new man!n="*" Omn…m crede diem, …ibi deluxiſſe ſupremum. Hor. make every day thy laſt day, that thy laſt may be happy. The Indian Gymnoſophiſts cauſed their graves to be made before their gates, that at their ingreſs and regreſs they might be put in mind of their laſt day; and happy were we if in the daies of our youth and vanity we ſpent ſome time in the meditation of our Mortalitie, and of the account we are to make at the day our Souls and Bodies are divorced: For that day may be ſudden, and give us no time; or diſtracted, and take away our ſenſes; or curſed, and keep away Grace. Chryſologus, Gregor.a man as full of ſin as he was of wealth, being on his death-bed in a bitter Agony cryed out, Inducius veluſque mane, truce but till the morning! and with thoſe very words breathed his laſt. 'Tis not a tear or a groan then can expiate the ſins of a whole life, nor every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, Mat. 7.21.ſhall enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of our Father which is in heaven. Let theſe Reaſons then move thee further to avoid all delayes in preparing thy ſelf againſt the laſt day:
1. The uncertainty of its time: It was the policy of Julius Caeſar never to acquaint his Army aforehand with the time of their march, that they might be ready on all occaſions; and ſuch is the wiſdom of our God that he hath concealed this day from us, that we might alwayes ſtand upon our guard and be ready.
2 No time is ſecure: As no place, no Sanctuary can exempt us from deaths approach (it may come to us in the Church, in the Street, in our beds, &c.) ſo no time can priviledge from its arreſt; in the night as well as in the day, in youth as well as in old age.
3. Sometimes when men leaſt think of it it comes: Whilſt the Crocodile ſleeps then="*" A kind of a Rat. …cknewmon getteth in and …eateth his bowels; whileſt the Theban Centinel was nodding, Gen. Epi…ninondas came and thruſt him through.
4. All the time alotted before that day is little enough for ſo great a work: We have ſcarce time to learn how to live well, ſaith the Philoſopher, but we are ſtreightned with time to learn the art of dying well, ſaith the Divine.
5. Thy Preparation for, will be no Acceleration of the day: Our death will not be the nearer but ſweeter, the blow will not come the ſooner foreſeen,Premeditati mali malis ictas. but it will be the eaſier; thy life and death will be the more comfortable.
6. That day will be moſt diſmal and Exitial to all unprepared perſons; like that of the man, whom when the King came in found without a wedding garment, who was bound hand and foot and caſt into utter darkneſs.Mat. 22.13 Oh! that any, or all of theſe Conſiderations might awaken our ſecurity, and keep us from ſleeping in thoſe ſins which will deprive us of Eternal life.
LORD, We admire the deepneſs of the riches of thy mercy and goodneſs, who wouldſt condeſcend to be thus ignominiouſly tortured between two grand Malefactors for our ſakes: How thou didſt abaſe thy ſelf for our pride, and humble thy ſelf on earth to advance us to glory?
Teach us, Lord, who are but duſt and aſhes to be lowlyminded, and never to exalt our ſelves before or againſt thee, leaſt by our pride we be excluded (with the Angels) out of Heaven, or (with Man) out of Paradiſe.
But among all thy Attributes we moſt extol thy Mercy, which was ſo tranſcendent to this poor penitent thief, whom thou didſt reſcue from the jaws of hell through thy infinite Merits.
It had been enough (O God) if thou hadſt but promiſed him to be with thee: for where had been ill with thee? or where had it been well without thee? but thou haſt crowned him with bliſs and glory in the higheſt heavens.
By this we are taught (Lord) not to deſpair of thy Clemency, for though Cherubins keep thy Paradiſe, and thy gate of Mercy be guarded by Angels, yet thou haſt opened the door of it to as very ſinners as our ſelves.
Though we have ſinnes more numerous then the ſands of the ſea, or the ſtars of the firmament, yet is thy mercy more and above meaſure. No ſtains or guilts can make us ſo vile but thy Sons blood can waſh them off: David, Peter, Magdalen, Paul and this good thief were cured by the power of that merciemercy, and virtue of that blood.
But becauſe (Lord) we are too prone to preſume of thy mercy, which is ſo eminent over al thy works, we therefore entreat thee to keep us from carnal ſecurity, from a Lethargy in ſin, and the delayes of all religious duties.
When ever we fall into ſin, do thou (Lord) by thy Grace raiſe us up to a newneſs of life, to a true and timely repentance, leſt we ſleep and lie in our iniquities until we feel the horror of eternal death. Raiſe us with David from the ſin of wilfulneſs, with Peter from thoſe of infirmity, & with Paul from thoſe of ignorance.
Thou calledſt this penitent but once and he obeyed thy voice, repented, and was ſaved, but (Lord) how often are we called? how often wouldſt thou have gathered us (as a hen doth her chickings) under thy wings, but we would not!
O grant then, that me may be either allured by thy mercies, or terrified by thy judgments, or converted by thy Word, or won by thy Spirit, that we may hate ſin and forſake it, love thee and never leave thee until thou haſt brought us to that heavenly Paradiſe where thy Saints and Angels ſing daily Halalujahs to thy bleſſed Name. Grant this, Father of Mercies and God of Grace, even for his ſake who ſuffered with ſinners, and dyed for our ſins, Jeſus Chriſt.