Bishop Challoner's Meditations - Holy Thursday

ON OUR SAVIOUR’S PREACHING FROM THE CROSS

Consider first, that the whole life and doctrine of Christ was a continual lesson to his followers to renounce self-love, with its three wretched branches, viz., the lust of the flesh, that is, the love of sensual pleasures; the lust of the eyes, that is, the love of the perishable goods of this world; and the pride of life. These are the unhappy sources of all our evils, which withdraw us from our allegiance to God, and make us exchange the fountain of life for poisonous puddles, that can never satisfy our thirst. These are the foundations of a worldly and sinful life, and the broad road to death and hell. Alas! we love ourselves and our own will more than God; we are ever full of ourselves, sensual, covetous, presumptuous, as if we were some thing, and we can bear with nothing that opposes or contradicts us. But mark in particular, my soul, the sermon which the Son of God preaches from the cross, and see how loudly he there condemns from that pulpit all the illusions of our self-love, with all the maxims and practices of the world, and the unhappy attachments of worldlings to their carnal and sensual affections. O! remember that what he suffers is all by his own choice, and this not only to the end that he may expiate our sins, but also in order to undeceive us in the preposterous judgment we make of things, and to teach us to embrace what he embraces, to despise what he despises, and to condemn what he condemns. Learn then, my soul, at the foot of the cross, to overcome thy pride, by the great example of the voluntary humiliations of the Son of God; thy love of the world, by his voluntary poverty, and by his being stript of all things, and abandoned by all; and thy love of pleasures, by his voluntary sufferings and inexpressible torments.

Consider 2ndly, that Jesus Christ, in offering himself upon the cross a sacrifice to his Father, without any manner of reserve, and in dying in pure obedience to his heavenly will, preaches another excellent sermon to us, containing the whole perfection of a spiritual life; which consists in giving our whole selves to God, and in being obedient unto death. Yes, Christians, if you desire to be perfect, you must learn of your dying Saviour to make this offering of yourselves without reserve, to his Father and to your Father; you must join your offering with his, and make it by his hands, that it may be acceptable. You must make it every day and oftentimes in the day. O! give him then daily your soul and body; give him your understanding, your memory, and your will; give him your whole being, with all that belongs to it, both for time and eternity: and he will give his whole self to you. O happy exchange! Offer yourself then daily to do for him whatsoever he pleases; to suffer for him whatsoever he pleases; dedicate yourselves eternally to his love, and resolve to die a thousand deaths rather than to forfeit in any thing the obedience you owe to this your Father, Maker, King, and God.

Consider 3rdly, the particular lessons that our Lord also gives in his seven last dying words upon the cross. 1. Of perfect charity to our enemies, by his praying for them and excusing them to his Father: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’ 2. Of mercy and compassion for sinners, by the plenary indulgence he imparts to the penitent thief: ‘Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.’ 3. Of duty to our parents, in his recommending his Virgin Mother to the care of his beloved disciple, and of a filial devotion to her, as recommended for a mother to us all: ‘Woman, behold thy son. - Behold thy mother.’ 4. Of an earnest thirst for the conversion and salvation of all men, by that which he expresses in this word, ‘I thirst.’ 5. Of fervent prayer to God under anguish and desolation, by the fervour of his prayer, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ 6. Of perseverance to the end, till we have consummated, (that is, completely finished) the work for which he came into the world, by that word of his, ‘It is consummated.’ 7. Of committing ourselves both in life and death, by a perfect resignation, into the hands of God, by his great example: ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ O let us learn these last lessons of our dying Lord!

Conclude to frequent daily this school of the cross, if thou would learn to be wise indeed. But more especially take care to study well at the foot of the cross those two most essential lessons, the renouncing thy own will and embracing the will of God, by a resolute conformity and obedience, even unto death.