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Chapter 4ParrLament.1.4

Calling upon Christ, the Only Saviour of the World

Calling on Christ, the Only Savior

The speaker rejects despair and resolves to call on Christ, the light of the world and peacemaker, in whom alone he places his hope.

What—shall I fall into despair? No—I will call on Christ, the light of the world, the fountain of life, the relief of all who are weighed down with care, the peacemaker between God and humanity, and the only healing and comfort of all truly repentant sinners.✦✦✦12 By his almighty power he can save me and deliver me from this miserable state, and by his mercy he is willing to save even all the sin of the world.✦3 I have no hope or confidence in any creature, in heaven or on earth, except in Christ, my whole and only Savior.✦ He came into the world to save sinners and to heal those who are sick, for he says: "The healthy have no need of a physician."✦✦

Confession of Helplessness and Prayer for Grace

The speaker humbly confesses his sin and inability to save himself, and prays for the Holy Spirit to teach him to confess Christ and to intercede for him.

See, Lord, how I come to you: a sinner, sick and grievously wounded. I do not ask for bread, but for the crumbs that fall from the children's table.✦ Do not cast me out of your sight, even though I have deserved to be cast into hellfire.✦ If I looked at my sins and not at your mercy, I would despair, because in myself I find nothing to save me—only a dunghill of wickedness that condemns me. If I hoped by my own strength and power to get out of this maze of iniquity and wickedness, where I have walked so long, I would be deceived, because I am so ignorant, blind, weak, and feeble that I cannot get myself out of this tangled and wayward maze. But the more I look for means and ways to free myself, the more wrapped and tangled in it I become, so that I see my striving only gets in the way, and my hard work is labor spent going backward. It is the hand of the Lord that can and will bring me out of this endless maze of death: for unless the Lord's grace goes before me, I cannot ask forgiveness, nor can I be repentant or sorry for my sins.4 No one can confess that Christ is the only Savior of the world except by the Holy Spirit; indeed, as St. Paul says, "no one can say 'the Lord Jesus' except by the Holy Spirit." The Spirit helps our weaknesses and continually intercedes for us with such sorrowful groanings as cannot be put into words. Therefore, I'll first ask and pray the Lord to give me his Holy Spirit, to teach me to confess that Christ is the Savior of the world, and to utter these words, "the Lord Jesus," and finally to help my weaknesses and to intercede for me.✦✦5 For I'm completely certain and sure that no creature in heaven or on earth has the power, or can by any means help me, except God—who is omnipotent, almighty, gracious and merciful, well-disposed and loving toward all who call on him and put their whole confidence and trust in him.6 And therefore I will seek no other means or advocate but Christ's Holy Spirit—who alone is the advocate and mediator between God and man—to help and relieve me.✦✦7

Boldness through Christ's Invitation

The speaker marvels at Christ's merciful invitation to the burdened, which gives him boldness to come, and contrasts this divine mercy with the harshness of earthly rulers.

But what makes me so bold and daring that I would presume to come to the Lord with such audacity and boldness, when I am such a great sinner? Truly, nothing but his own Word: for he says, “Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.”✦ What gentle, merciful, and comforting words these are to all sinners!8 Wouldn't anyone who ran for aid, help, or refuge to any other creature be a frantic, mad, brutish, and foolish person? What a most gracious, comforting, and gentle saying this was, with such pleasant and sweet words to draw his enemies to him!9 Is there any worldly prince or magistrate who would show such clemency and mercy to their disobedient and rebellious subjects after they had offended them? I suppose they would not draw them with such words—except to summon those they cannot catch, and then punish them once they are taken. But just as Christ is Prince of Princes and Lord of Lords, so his love and mercy exceed and surpass all others.✦10

Read the original English

What, shall I fall in desperation? Nay, I will call upon Christ, the light of the world, the fountain of life, the relief of all careful, and the peacemaker between God and man, and the only health and comfort of all true repentant sinners. He can, by his almighty power, save me and deliver me out of this miserable state, and hath will by his mercy to save even the whole sin of the world. I have no hope nor confidence in any creature, neither in heaven nor earth, but in Christ my whole and only Saviour. He came into the world to save sinners and to heal them that are sick, for he saith: “the whole have no need of a physician.”

Behold, Lord, how I come to thee: a sinner, sick and grievously wounded. I ask not bread, but the crumbs that fall from the children’s table. Cast me not out of thy sight, although I have deserved to be cast into hell fire.

If I should look upon my sins, and not upon thy mercy, I should despair: for in myself I find nothing to save me, but a dunghill of wickedness to condemn me. If I should hope by mine own strength and power to come out of this maze of iniquity and wickedness, wherein I have walked so long, I should be deceived: for I am so ignorant, blind, weak and feeble, that I cannot bring myself out of this entangled and wayward maze. But the more I seek means and ways to wind myself out, the more I am wrapped and tangled therein; so that I perceive my striving therein to be hindrance, my travail to be labour spent in going back.

It is the hand of the Lord that can and will bring me out of this endless maze of death: for without I be prevented by the grace of the Lord I cannot ask forgiveness, nor be repentant or sorry for them. There is no man can avow that Christ is the only saviour of the world but by the Holy Ghost; yea, as St Paul saith, “no man can say ‘the Lord Jesus’ but by the Holy Ghost”. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh continual intercession for us with such sorrowful groanings as cannot be expressed.

Therefore, I will first require and pray the Lord to give me his Holy Spirit, to teach me to avow that Christ is the saviour of the world, and to utter these words, ‘the Lord Jesus’, and finally to help mine infirmities and to intercede for me. For I am most certain and sure that no creature in heaven nor earth, is of power, or can by any mean help me, but God: who is omnipotent, almighty, beneficial and merciful, well-willing and loving to all those that call and put their whole confidence and trust in him. And therefore I will seek none other means nor advocate, but Christ’s Holy Spirit ─ who is, only, the advocate and mediator between God and man ─ to help and relieve me.

But now, what maketh me so bold and hardy, to presume to come to the Lord with such audacity and boldness, being so great a sinner? Truly, nothing but his own Word: for he saith: “Come to me all ye that labour, and are burdened, and I shall refresh you.” What gentle, merciful and comfortable words are these to all sinners! Were he not a frantic, mad, beastly and foolish man, that would run for aid, help or refuge to any other creature? What a most gracious, comfortable, and gentle saying was this, with such pleasant and sweet words to allure his enemies to come unto him! Is there any worldly prince or magistrate that would show such clemency and mercy to their disobedient and rebellious subjects having offended them? I suppose they would not with such words allure them; except it were to call them whom they cannot take, and punish them being taken. But even as Christ is Prince of Princes and Lord of Lords, so his charity and mercy exceedeth and surmounteth all others.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.8.12;John.9.5 — Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' John.9.5 — While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
  2. ↩Ps.36.9;Rev.21.6 — They drink their fill of the abundance of your house, and from your river of delights you give them drink. Rev.21.6 — And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who is thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.'
  3. ↩1Tim.2.5;Col.1.20 — For there is one God and one mediator between God and humankind, the man Christ Jesus, Col.1.20 — and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross — through him, whether things on earth or things in the heavens.
  4. ↩John.1.29 — The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
  5. ↩Ps.146.3;Jer.17.5-Jer.17.7 — Do not put your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. Jer.17.5 — Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Jer.17.6 — He shall be like a tamarisk in the Arabah, and he shall not see when good comes, but shall dwell in the scorched places of the wilderness, in a salt land that is uninhabited. Jer.17.7 — Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and the LORD is his confidence.
  6. ↩1Tim.1.15 — The saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
  7. ↩Matt.9.12;Mark.2.17;Luke.5.31 — But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." Mark.2.17 — When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Luke.5.31 — And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do.
  8. ↩Matt.15.27;Mark.7.28 — She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Mark.7.28 — But she answered him, 'Yes, Lord; and even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'
  9. ↩Ps.51.11 — Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
  10. ↩1Cor.12.3 — Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
  11. ↩Rom.8.26 — In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
  12. ↩John.14.16;1John.2.1 — And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 1John.2.1 — My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.
  13. ↩1Tim.2.5 — For there is one God and one mediator between God and humankind, the man Christ Jesus,
  14. ↩Matt.11.28 — Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
  15. ↩Rev.17.14;Dan.8.25 — These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful. Dan.8.25 — And through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper in his hand, and in his heart he shall magnify himself, and in security he shall destroy many; and against princes he shall stand, and he shall be broken—but not by human hand.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Early modern 'careful' means full of care/anxious, not cautious; rendered as 'heavy with care.'
  2. 2 ↩Tudor 'health' often means spiritual healing/salvation; rendered here as 'healing' to keep the medical-soteriological sense that continues in s5.
  3. 3 ↩Rendered as willing intent (he is willing), not mere capacity; 'will' here is volition, paired with almighty power.
  4. 4 ↩Source 'prevented by the grace of the Lord' uses early modern prevent = go before / come first (prevenient grace), not 'stopped from acting.'
  5. 5 ↩Early modern 'require' here means request/ask, not demand.
  6. 6 ↩Early modern 'beneficial' rendered as 'gracious' (kindly/beneficent), not 'useful'.
  7. 7 ↩The source attributes both 'advocate' and 'mediator' to Christ's Holy Spirit. Classical Pauline usage makes Christ the one mediator (1 Tim 2:5) and the Spirit the Paraclete/intercessor; the rendering follows the source wording without doctrinal correction.
  8. 8 ↩Source 'comfortable' is Early Modern English for 'comforting / consoling,' not modern 'comfortable' as ease or convenience.
  9. 9 ↩Source 'comfortable' again means comforting/consoling; 'allure' is rendered as 'draw' in the sense of kindly attracting, not seducing.
  10. 10 ↩Source 'charity' is rendered 'love' per default lexeme policy for charitas; the theological-virtue force (paired with mercy) is retained.

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