Christs Valedictions, Part 4
The Fourth Word.
MATTH. 27.46.
My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me?
The Explication.WE have Expounded formerly the three firſt Words which our Saviour uttered on the Croſs about the ſixth hour. We will proceed in the following part of this Treatiſe to unfold four other Words which he ſpake after the Eclipſe and ſilence of three hours. But it ſeems very material to declare firſt what that darkneſſe was, and from whence and to what end it was cauſed: Our Evangeliſt ſaies,Ver. 45 From the ſixth hour was there darkneſs over all the earth unto the ninth hour, and then he cryed with a loud voice, ELI, ELI, LAMASABACH THANI, i. My God, my God, &c. And that this darkneſs was produced by the defect of the Sun, is elſewhere expreſly noted,Luk. 23.45 And the Sun was darkned.
But here are ſome difficulties to be ſolved;
1. For the Sun was wont to be deficient in the new Moon, when betwixt the Sun and the earth, there was an interpoſition of the Moon, which at the death of Chriſt could not happen, whileſt the Moon was not joyned with the Sun, which is uſuall in the new Moon, but was oppoſite to the Sun, and in its fulneſſe, for then was the Paſſeover of the Jewes, which according to the Law began the fourt eenth day of the firſt month:
2. Beſides, if the Moon was joyned with the Sun at the paſſion of our Lord that darkneſs could not continue for three houres; for the eclipſe of the Sun cannot laſt long, eſpecially if it be a plenarie Eclipſe, and abſcond the whole Sun; for the Moon moves ſwifter then the Sun according to its proper motion, and according to this it could not ſhadow the whole Sun, unleſs it were for a very ſhort Space, for beginning to recede, forthwith it leaves the Sun free, that it might illuminate the earth with its accuſtomed fulgour, as you might obſerve by the laſt greateſt Eclipſe that happened in our Horrizon in the year 16.
And laſtly there could never be an Univerſal darkeneſs occaſioned through any conjunction of the Sun with the Moon; for the Moon according to the judgment of all Aſtronomers is leſſe then the Sun, or the earth, and therefore cannot by the interpoſition of its body, ſo mantle the Sun, that the whole earth ſhould be darkned.
But if ſome do object, That the evangeliſts meant this darkneſs to extend to the whole land of Paleſtina only; and not abſolutely to the univerſall earth: That opinion might be eaſily refelled, through the teſtimonie of Dionyſius Arecpagita, who in his Epiſtle to Polycarpus witneſſeth himſelf to have ſeen that defection of the Sun, and that horrible darkneſſe in the City of Heliopolis which is in Aegypt. And Phl…gon, a Greek Hiſtorian, and an Heathen, doth remember this Eclipſe, in theſe words, Quarto anno ducentiſimae ſecundae Olympiadis, Lib. 2magna & excellent inter omnes quae antea acciderant, defectio Solis eſt facta, dies hora ſexta ita in tenebroſam noctem verſus eſt, ut ſtellae in caeto viſae ſunt. Among thoſe great and famous things which fell out in the Annalls of the Olympiads, there was ſuch an Ecclipſe of the Sun, that the day about the ſixth hour was turned into darknight, that the Stars were ſeen, And this Hiſtorian writ not in Judea. Of this Author look Origen againſt Celſus, Euſ. Chron ad annun Chriſt. 30.3.and Euſebius in his Chronicle, the ſame is teſtified by Lucian Martyr, ſaying, * ſearch the Annalls, and you ſhall find that in the times of Pilate the Sun being fled, the day was interrupted with darkneſs; theſe words of Lucian are quoted by Ruſſiarus, in his tranſlation of the Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory of Euſebius into Latin Tertullian alſo in his Apolegetick, and Oſorius in his Hiſtory, with others,lib. 7. c. 4 do ſpeak not only of Judea, but of other parts of the world.
Theſe things being premiſed, we may conclude, that though the Eclipſe when it is natural, is wont to happen in the new Moon, and not in the ful, but that at the death of Chriſt was ſingular and Prodigious, and cauſed only by him, who made Sun, Moon and earth: it proceeded not from any natural cauſes, but from the hand of an omnipotent God; who, as he was able to bring the Moon after an inſolite manner from the Eaſt by a moſt ſwift courſe to the Sun, and after three houres be reduced to its place again, ſo he could effect that the Moon ſhould (as it were) ſtand unmoved under the Sun for that ſpace▪ ſo that it ſhould not move flower, nor ſwifter then the Sun. And whereas it is ſaid, that this deficiency of the Sun could not be univerſall over the whole world, by reaſon the Moon is leſſer then the earth, and much leſſer then the Sun; it is granted, that what the Moon could not do, the Creatour of Sun and Moon did ſupply, only by not co-operating with the Sun, in its illuſtration; for without his aid and influence, things Created have no power of themſelves to be more; Neither was this darkneſs occaſioned from ſome extraordinary black and thick miſts, as ſome have imagined; for the Ancients affirm that the ſtars were then ſeen in their proper Spheares, whereas thick clouds would not only have obſcurd the Sun, but alſo thoſe orbes of leſſer luſtre, as the Moon and the ſtars.
Why God would have this darkneſs to be ſo Remarkable, divers reaſons are given, but two eſpecially: the firſt was to ſignifie the marvellous excaecation of the Jewes,Leo in Ser. 10. de… paſſion… Dem. which does to this day, and ſhall endure according to the vaticinations of Eſay, who ſpeaks thus of the beginning of the Goſpel; Ariſe, O Jeruſalem, be bright, for thy ſight is come, and the Glory of the Lord is riſen upon thee; for behold, darkneſs ſhall cover the earth, and groſs darkneſs the people: the other cauſe was to demonſtrate the greatneſs of the Jewes offence, as Jerome teacheth. Heretofore (ſaith he) evil men did perſecute,Jerom Comentar. in Matth. vex, and kill the good, now, God himſelfe deſcending to be cloathed in Humane fleſh, they dare perſecute and Crucifie. Heretofore Citizens had diſcords with Citizens, and from diſcords fell to chidings, from chidings to wounds, from wounds at length to murderous executions, but now ſervants and ſlaves have riſen againſt the King of Men and Angels, and with an incredible audacity have nayled him to a Croſs; Therefore the whole world did tremble, and the Sun it ſelfe drew back it's beames, and hid its face, as deteſting ſo fowl, ſo facinorous an Act, as to put the Lord of Life to death, and the darkneſs then was ſo terrible, that it made a Pagan Philoſopher cry out,Aut deus naturae patitur, aut mundi machina diſſolvitur. Dion. Areop. either the God of Nature ſuffers, or the whole World is at an end.
And this was formerly typified in the daye; of Pharaoh, when there was a great darkneſs over the land of Egypt for three dayes,Exod. 10.21. which was a ſignification of their ſuperſtitious blindneſs and ignorance of the true knowledg of God, and the obſtinacy and diſobedience to Gods Commandment; And as then Meſes brought the Iſraelites from the Egyptian bondage they were in, under Pharaoh; ſo the true Moſes here, Jeſus Chriſt, brings all that believe in him from the bondage of Satan unto everlaſting happineſs.
Let us now come unto the words themſelves, (My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Pſal. 22.1.) and theſe we find to be taken out of the Pſalmiſt, and in them Chriſt complains, in a voice more then ordinary, that he was relinquiſhed of God the Father, at that inſtant.
For the better clearing of the ſenſe▪ we muſt obſerve, that Chriſts derelictions of the Father, may be underſtood five ſeveral wayes, whereof one only is true and here meant: there were five conjunctions or unions in the Son of God, The firſt is that of Eſſence between the firſt and ſecond Perſon of the Glorious Trinity, and that as it is natural and eternal, ſo it is perpetual and inſeparable; of which Chriſt himſelfe ſpeaks, I and my Father are one, and therefore he ſaid, not My Father, Joh. 8.16.but My God, why haſt thou forſaken me? For the Father is not called God of the Son, till after, and by reaſon of the Incarnation. 2. The ſecond is the Conjunction of the Divine and Humane nature in the ſecond Perſon, and this can never be diſſolved, for what he once took, he never puts off; And the Apoſtle ſaies, Chriſt, (that is God and Man) ſuffered for us. 1 Pet. 2.21.The third is the union of Grace;Joh. 1.14. For Chriſt was a Man full of Grace and truth, and this doth and ſhall remain: The juſt dyed for the unjuſt, 1 Pet. 3.18the death of Chriſt had nothing profited us, if there had been a ſeparation of Grace; The fourth is the union of Glory, for the ſoule of Chriſt ſaw God from its very conception, Joh. 1.14.and according to its ſuperiour part was already truely bleſſed,Aquin. 3. p. q. 46. ar. 8. and therefore this conjunction could not be diſſolved, becauſe a ſoule once truely bleſſed is alwayes bleſſed; bleſſedneſſe being the ſumm and compendium of all goodneſs: There remains a fifth union, which is that of Protection, whereof he ſpeaks: He that ſent me is with me, Joh. 8.29.and hath not left me alone. And this for a ſhort time was ſuſpended, and diſſolved, that the oblation of a bloody ſacrifice might take place for the Redemption of mankind.
God was able divers wayes to have protected Chriſt, and to have withſtood his Paſſion, according to that prayer of his in the Garden.Marck. 14.36. Father all things are poſſible to thee, take away this cup from me, nevertheleſs not what I will, but what thou wilt. Nay, Chriſt could have defended himſelfe, and commanded Legions of Angels to have guarded his Perſon.Mat. 26.53. No man could take his life from him: but he laid it down himſelf; Joh. 10.18.and he might as well beſtowed on his body the gift of impaſſibility, as that of incorruption: But it pleaſed the Father, it pleaſed the Son, it pleaſed the Holy Ghoſt to permit the common decree, that humane cruelty ſhould prevail againſt him then; he told his bebetrayers the hour was come,Mark. 14.41. in which the Son of man ſhould be delivered into the hands of ſinners, God then ſo left and forſook his Son, that he ſuffered his humanity for that Space to be without any conſolation, & to endure (for our ſins) moſt bitter ſorrows, yea the torments of hell it ſelf.
And he put himſelf to thoſe unſpeakable ſufferings by reaſon of the greatneſſe of mans ſin, which he took on his body to expiate for us, that we being delivered from ſin,1 Pet. 2.24 ſhould live in righteouſeneſs by whoſe ſtripes we are healed And as this ſin was infinite as being againſt a perſon of an infinite value, the Lord God, ſo the perſon Satisfying, was to be of an incomprehenſible dignitie and excellency. And though one drop of his precious blood had been an ampler anſom for all mankind; yet that his paſſion might be eſteemed by us the more meritorious, and gain more Souls, he ſhed all; becauſe he did undertake for the ſins of the whole world, therefore it pleaſed him to ſuffer a world of torments, when he laboured under that Dereliction of his father.
1. Learn hence (O man) how infinite and inexpreſible was the love of Chriſt to thee, when he ſuffered with ſo much patience and humilitie ſuch wonderful torments for thy ſins. His ſoul was very heavie unto death.Man 26.3 There is no Chriſtian but will acknowledge that our Saviour was ten thouſand times more able to ſuffer then the moſt Conſtant Martyr that hath ſuffered for his Name, and if he were more able to bear whence could it happen that he was preſt with ſuch ſorrow, ſuch heavineſs and ſuch feare? but that he alone ſuffered more then all the martyrs ever ſince righteous Abel to this day: this ſhould work an imitation in us to love the bitter cup of repentance, and to reject the cups of Conſolation and Secular delights, to rejoyce in afflictions, and to trample on the ſeeming felicities of this world. Doth God viſit our land with Plague, Famine, War or other judgements? O! remember that theſe Calamities are but as a drop to that vaſt Ocean of ſorrows, the Son Gof od ſuffered for us, and that they are far leſs then our ſins deſerved; for they are but temporal and reach no further then our bodies, but by his ſufferings we are exempted from thoſe miſeries which might juſtly fall on our ſouls and bodies eternally. We then are as priſoners, once condemned for capital crimes, but releaſed again with our lives, and only chaſtized with ſome few ſtripes; have we not then great cauſe to rejoyce, that we have eſcaped greater judgments?
2. But though God ſeems for a while to forſake his friends, and leave them in durances, and to withdraw his grace and favour from them; yet his indignation cannot laſt for ever, in the end he will return unto them, and ſhew them the light of his gracious Countenance, and be merciful unto them, if they call upon his glorious name in their diſtreſſes. Chriſt upon the Croſs ſuffered a great dereliction, his Glory was obſcured, his divinity ſeemed to be hid, the light of heaven was ſubſtracted from him, in ſtead of a Diademe, he wore a Crown of thorns, in ſtead of a Scepter a Reed, in ſtead of a ſtatelyretinue belonging to a King, they afforded him the ignominious fellowſhip of two theeves, thus was he dejected, and ſcorned, and expoſed to all imaginable croſſes, but, behold, upon his humble expoſtulation, and prayer to God, the ſence was altered, and a ſpeedy Period put to all theſe calamities, the heavens were unmantled, the light appeared, his laſt and worſt enemy (Death) was conquered, his body and ſoul were received in a glorious and triumphant manner into the higheſt heavens, where now he reigns King for evermore.
And the reaſons why God ſometimes withdrawes his preſence from his People, and deferres their deliverance from afflictions, are to humble them throughly, to bring them to an utter denial of themſelves: to learn patience, that they might acknowledg whence their deliverance and all benefits they enjoy do proceed namely, not from themſelves, nor any creature, but from the All-merciful God, and that accordingly they might learn to value and prize his gifts at their deſerved excellency, (for we find this generally verified, that benefits eaſily obtained, are lightly regarded and ſoon forgotten) the children of Iſrael were in captivity about four hundred and thirty yeares in Egypt, but after they had expected the ſalvation of the Lord, they were brought ſafely through the Red ſea,Exod. 12. by the conduct of Moſes. David had a promiſe to be King of Jeruſalem and Judea, but the Lord exerciſed him by many and grievous afflictions before he came to the Crown,Pſal. 119.82. in ſo much that (he ſaies) his eyes failed with waiting upon his God; Zachary and Elizabeth deſired of God, both of them in their youth, and many years after, for iſſue, but their requeſt was not granted untill they were old;Luk. 1.18. the Church Militant for ſome hundreds of yeares after Chriſts Reſurrection, ſeemed to be forſaken and rejected of him, when ſhe was ſo battered by Tyrants, and ſo undermined by Hereticks, that ſhe was like to be cruſhed and ſtifled in her very cradle, ſhe was tryed ten times in the fire, by ten ſeveral and diſtinct perſecutions, wherein God ſeemed to equal the ten plagues of Egypt, and to lay as much on his people for their probation, as he had laid upon others on their behalfe; More Chriſtian blood effuſed, then in the Sacrifices of the old Law, for ſo we read many a hundred, many a thouſand made Martyrs in one day, a whole City, a whole Army deſtroyed at one time for the Goſpels ſake, ſo that as the Iſraelites formerly went through the red Sea towards the land of Canaan, theſe through an Ocean of blood paſt to a Kingdom of bliſs. And when the Church had prayed and faſted, and ſuffered ſo many years, God in the end hearkned to the voice of her lamentation, took her in his Armes, wiped all teares from her eyes, took away all occaſion of complaint, made Kings and Queens to be her Nurſes, and ſo made her Glorious in the eyes of man, acceptable in his, and cheerful in her own ſight; This ought to work a confidence in all Gods afflicted ſervants, that he will not quite deſert them; their deliverance will be ſeaſonable enough, if they will wait and depend upon him: a cloud on the skie may for a while ecclipſe the light of heaven, but that will ſoon be diſſipated, and the Sun will appear.
3. We are further taught by this deſertion of our Saviour to fear to ſin, and to bewail our offences, the only cauſe of his great ſufferings.
What Stoick is ſo void of motion, but will be ſenſible to ſee a friend ſuffer for him, what he was himſelf was juſtly guilty of? what Chriſtian ſo flint-hearted, that will dare commit a ſin, if he does but caſt a ſerious thought on him, who ſuffered ſo much, not for his own, but our ſins? The Paſſion of Chriſt if rightly conſidered may be ſtiled a Schoole, where all Martyrs and Saints are made: who would complain of doing too much, of ſuffering too much, of being too much abaſed or deſpiſed, if he do but behold his Saviour delivered over, and abandoned for him, to ſuch horrible confuſions, ſuch inſupportable torments? (O my God, my wounded God! as long as I ſhall ſee thy wounds,Nolo vive te fine vulnere cum te video vulneratum. Bonaventum. I will never live without a wound) who will be clothed with purple and coſtly ſilks, and uſed to ſoftneſs and delicacy, and ſee his Redeemer crowned with thorns, and fixed to the Croſs? who will not withhold his hands from violences, and rapines, and ſee Chriſt's armes diſtended on the Croſs? who will not fetter his feet, and hinder them from running after the unbridled deſires of his heart, if he but viewes Chriſt's feet pierced through with nailes? who will not make bitter his tongue, in ſubduing the pleaſures of the taſte, and ſee Chriſt have nothing but gall and vinegar to drink? who will not contemn the ayerie honours of the world, when he beholds him that is able to walk upon the wings of Cherubims; take upon him the forme of a ſervant, and creep among us like a little worm of the Earth? who can delight in any ſinful joy, and behold him ſo ſad, ſo pain'd, ſo dejected? this then is a ſovereign antidote againſt the venome of our ſins, to have our Saviours Image dayly in our hearts, and to reflect our thoughts upon him Crucified in all our actions; When the forty Martyrs were in the frozen lake,Baſil. or…t. in 40 mar. thirty nine of them had their mindes wholly bent upon the future Crown, and one of them unhappily thought of nothing but of his puniſhment, All of them remained victorious, except this wretched creature, who ſoiling the glory of his patience, came out of the poole to dye preſently after in his infidelity. So if our ſuffering Saviour, be before our eyes, in all our tribulations and temptations; we ſhall be more then Conquerours,Rom. 8. but if pleaſure or profit be our objects, we turn our backs to Chriſt, and ſhall have no ſhare in the benefits of his Croſs.
MY God, My God! in what an extaſie is my ſoul, when it contemplates what thou didſt, in thoſe three houres ſilence, when horrour and darkneſs involved the univerſe? when thou wert not in a chair of State, but on thy Croſs, full of ſorrowes, full of ſufferings!
Thou (Lord) who only knoweſt the extremities of thy own Paſſion, teach thy ſervants, how much they owe to thee, and in a religious dejection of themſelves to give thee only the glory of their ſalvation.
We know not (Lord) whether we ſhall more admire the greatneſs of thy love, or the greatneſs of thy Paſſion, both exceed our merits, both ſurpaſs our apprehenſions: but ſince thy goodneſs hath thus acted for us, we ſhould be unthankfull, if we did not ſpend ſome of thoſe houres which thou haſt given us, in a ſweet recordation of thoſe thy bleſſings, and not only ſo, but imprint them in our actions.
Thou didſt not ſo expoſtulate with thy Father for relinquiſhing of thee, as not knowing the Cauſe; for of what canſt thou be ignorant, who knoweſt all things, and in whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledg? but that thou mighteſt exhort us to ſeek and learn things neceſſary and profitable for our ſoules.
There was no ſeparation between thee and thy God in matter of Eſſence, or grace, or affection, but only in the point of preſent Protection.
Thy Father left thee (O Son of God) in that ſad Agony, that thou mighteſt the more gloriouſly triumph; he left thee to ſtruggle with Death, that thou mighteſt unſting Death, and having overcome the ſharpneſs of it, open the Kingdome of heaven to all believers.
Thou mighteſt have had a numerous Army of Saints and Angels for thy defence againſt thy enemies, and death it ſelf; (for all Power in heaven and earth was given unto thee O Lord) but thou wert pleaſed to permit that Divine decree between thee and thy Father, and thy Spirit, that thou ſhouldſt firſt ſuffer all theſe things, and then to enter into thy Glory.
But tell us we pray thee (Thou Lever of Men) whether or no did the vehemency of thy ſorrowes in that ſpace, ſilence thine heart from thine accuſtomary devotion? for we when we are but toucht with any affliction, can ſcarce lift up a thought to thee, or ſpeak of thy praiſes.
But (O our Saviour) it was not ſo with thee; for though thy fleſh was weak, yet thou didſt bear a Spirit prompt to all holy exerciſes. We know that though thy tongue moved not; yet with the mouth of thine heart thou didſt ſend implicit ejaculations to thy Father for us; neither didſt thou only pray in heart, but in wounds and blood; And as many wounds as were in thy Sacred body, ſo many ſupplicants there were for us to thy heavenly Father; and as many drops of blood, ſo many tongues petitioning mercy for us.
O our God! we are juſtly confounded in the Abyſſe of thy love and mercy to the ſons of men. O were our ſins ſo great that no ſacrifice could at tone thine Anger but the blood of thy Son, thy only begotten Son, in whom alone thou art well pleaſed! O ſuperabundant love! O prodigious Mercy!
But (Lord) teach us by his example not to caſt cur affections on the pleaſures and vanities of this world, but to delight in the cup of affliction whereof he drank in an overflowing meaſure.
Make us fear to ſin for his ſake who ſinn'd not and yet ſo highly ſuffered for our ſins, and when me fall under the rod of thy diſpleaſure for them, correct us not in thy fury, leſt we ſhould be conſumed and brought to nothing.
Though thou doſt eclipſe thy ſavours ſometimes from thy dea…eſt ones, yet we are confident thou wilt not totally and finally forſake thoſe who do not (ſo) forſake thee.
Therefore we pray thee be not farre from us (O God) and though we attribute to thy Juſtice the glory of our deſerved ſufferings, yet let thy mercy have the glory of our deliverance from them, for the Paſſion of thy ſon's ſake. Amen.