The reason of this is evident ; for an ignorant rejection of Christ will consist with a desire to please Godr: whereas that rejection of him that militates against the clear convictions of our own mind argues a rooted love of sin, and an inveterate hatred to God and his Christ s. While therefore the latter is " a sin unto death','' and a sure forerunner of perdition", the former may be repented of and forgiven.]
But, however true this statement may be, we can- not but admire,
II. The wonderful love of Christ in urging this plea on behalf of his murderers — In contemplating this part of our subject, let us consider,
1. What his conduct was towards his murderers —
[Justly might he have aggravated the guilt of his mur- derers, and said, ' These are they among whom I have wrought all my miracles ; and multitudes of them have experienced my power to heal : yet this is the way in which they requite all my kindness : I desire therefore, O my Father, that thou wouldest vindicate my cause, and execute upon them some signal vengeance as thou hast on others, whose guilt was infi- nitely less than theirs. Let the earth open to swallow them up, or lightning descend from heaven to consume them, or fire and brimstone be rained down upon them, or an angel slay hundreds of thousands of them in an instant.' He might at least have said, as the martyr Zechariah did in similar cir- cumstances, "The Lord look upon it and requite itx." But instead of this, he prayed that they might be forgiven : he sought out the only extenuating circumstance that could be thought of, and urged it as a plea on their behalf. This was a conduct truly astonishing, and worthy of an incarnate God.]
2. The wonderful love displayed in it —
[Suppose he had at such a time been praying for his friends, it would have argued most unbounded love ; but to be praying for his enemies ! to plead the cause of those who by their clamours had compelled his judge to deliver him up into their hands, and to be imploring the richest mercies for those who were loading him with all manner of insults and indig- nities ! What love was this ! that in the midst of his agonies he should lose all sense of the injuries he was receiving, and, without a murmuring or vindictive word, should occupy him- self wholly about the welfare of his enemies, dreading nothing
r Acts xxvi. 9. John xvi. 2. s John xv. 23.
1 1 John v. 16. u John hi. 19. Heb. x. 39.
x 2 Chron. xxiv. 22.