1. Christ's request, 'Father, forgive them.'
2. The argument by which it is enforced, ' For they know not what they do.'
I. Christ's request, ' Father, forgive them.' ' Father ' is a word of confidence towards God and of love to his enemies ; he mentionetli the sweetest relation. 'Father' is a word of blandishment, as children, when they would obtain anything at their parent's hands, cry, Father !
SERMON UPON LUKE XXIII. 34. 15
Some observe that when he speaketh of his own desertion he crieth, * My God ! my God ! ' but now, when he prayeth for the pardon of his enemies, he useth a more endearing relation, * Father.' But the observation is fond and nice ; for Christ in his own case useth the same endearing title : Mat. xxvi. 39, ' 0 my Father ! if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ; ' and there is a special reason why in his desertion he should say, ' My God ! my God ! ' as suiting the title to his case, Eli ! Eli ! my strong one ! my strong one ! He wanted the strong support and the sensible consolations of his godhead. It is most comfortable to observe how Christ upon the cross calleth God ' Father.' He felt him a judge, and believeth him a father. The special work of faith in afflictions is to maintain the comfort of adoption : Heb. xii. 5, ' Ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord.' Those that are under chastening may be sons. God doth not always put on the person of a judge when he taketh the rod in his hand ; the change of your condition doth not alter, nor make void your interest. God is the God of the valleys as well as the God of the hills. Christ was now, as a man, forsaken and rejected of God, left to the assaults of Satan and scorns of men ; and yet in the height of his pains and passion he re- taineth his confidence : ' Father, forgive them.' The whole world is not worth the comfort that is wrapped up in that one word, ' Father.' It is a great folly in the children of God to question his love merely because of the greatness of their afflictions. We presently cry out, as Job, chap. XXX. 21, ' Thou art become cruel to me ; with thy strong hand thou o])posest thyself against me ; ' that he hath put off all fatherly affection, because we judge of the cross according to the sense of our own flesh. And therefore, merely to question God's love because of afflictions is folly. Bather we may conclude the contrary of the two. Bastards are left to a looser discipline than sons ; tlie bramble of the wilderness is suffered to grow and spread when the vine is cut, and pruned, and pared ; the stones that are to be set in the building are most hewed and squared, others lie neglected in the quarry and are left to their own roughness. Multiplied afflictions are a sign God hath a care of you ; he will not suffer you to run wild. And therefore, in defiance of the cross, learn to call God Father ; look through the cloud of the present dispensation to the love of God to- wards you.
* Father, forgive them.' Christ speaks as foreseeing the danger and punishment which they would bring on themselves as the fruit of their madness and folly, and therefore he prays, ' Father, forgive them.' This act was provocation enough to move God to dissolve the bonds of nature, to cleave the earth, that it might swallow them up quick, or to rain hell out of heaven upon them. Lesser offences have been thus punished, and one word from Christ's mouth had been enough. But, ' Father, forgive them.' We hear nothing but words of mild pity. When he says, ' Forgive,' he means also convert them ; for where there is no conversion there can be no remission.
I shall look upon this prayer under a twofold consideration —
1. As an high moral act of an holy man.
2. As a taste of his mediation and intercession, where we shall con- sider the public relation he sustained upon the cross.
16 SERMON UPON LUKE XXIII. 34,
First, Let us look upon it as a moral action. He doth not threaten fearful judgments, but prayed for his enemies ; there was no stain of passion and revenge upon his sufferings : 1 Peter ii. 21, ' Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.' And wherein ? ver. 23, ' Who when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threatened not ; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.' One great use of Christ's death was to give us lessons of meekness and patience and humble suffering. In this act there is an excellent lesson. Let us look upon the neces- sary circumstances that serve to set it off — (1.) For whom he prays ; (2.) When he prays ; (3.) Why he prays ; (4.) In what manner.