“Father, Forgive”

BY GUSTAVE DORÉ, THE FRENCH ILLUSTRATOR.

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"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."-Luke, 23, 34.

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OW came the final phase of earth's most awful tragedy. Over the physical torture of the crucifixion one shrinks from lingering. It was a form of execution not uncommon among the ancients, but reserved for the basest criminals or most hated foes. Those who were thus nailed up on a cross suffered sometimes for days before death released them from their agony. Some charitable women of Jerusalem had supplied a fund to purchase wine and opiates which were mercifully given to the victims of crucifixion to drink, and thus their senses were dulled. But when this drink was offered Jesus, He refused it. He had no will to pass away in drowsiness, but meant rather to face man's savagery at its fullest.

His garments were once more stripped from Him. His divine hands and feet were nailed upon the cross and then the huge instrument of torture was reared aloft and set upright in the earth, His bleeding body hanging pendant from its elevation. That one moment of sudden strain of the sharpest physical pain of all, that moment was taken by Jesus for His first utterance from the cross, that divinest of all recorded words of love, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

ROMANS IX-THE GENTILES CALLED

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pose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.1

26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:2 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.3 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.1

Chapter 10

5 The scripture sheweth the difference betwixt the righteousness of the law, and this of faith, 11 and that all, both Jew and Gentile, that believe, shall not be confounded, 18 and that the Gentiles shall receive the word and believe. 19 Israel was not ignorant of these things.

RETHREN, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

1Osee is the Greek form of Hosea. See Hosea, 2, 23 and 1, 10. Isaiah 10, 22f. Isaiah 1, 9. Isaiah 28, 16.

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ROMANS X-LAW AND FAITH

3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.1

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)2

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.3

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.* 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent ? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,

and bring glad tidings of good things!5

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith,

Lord, who hath believed our report 26

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

18 But I say, Have they not heard? into all the earth, and their words unto 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? voke you to jealousy by them that are nation I will anger you.

Yes verily, their sound went the ends of the world." First Moses saith, I will prono people, and by a foolish

20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after

me.

21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.10

'Leviticus 18, 5. Deuteronomy 30, 11-14. Isaiah 28, 16. Joel 2, 32. Isaiah 52, 7. Isaiah 53, 1. 'Psalm 19, 4. Deuteronomy 32, 21. Isaiah 65, 1. 10Isaiah 65, 2.