The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 13
THE XIII. LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
MATTH. CHAP. XXVII.
verse 27 Then the Souldiers of the Gouernour tooke IESVS into the common hall, and gathered about him the whole bande. verse 28. And they ſtripped him, and put about him a skarlet robe, verse 29 And platted a crowne of thornes, and put it vponupon his head, and a reede in his right hand, and bowed their knees before him, and mocked him, ſaying, God ſaue thee King of the Jewes, verse 30 And ſpitted vponupon him, and tooke a reede, and ſmote him on the head. verse 31 Thus when they had mocked him, they tooke the robe from him, and put his owne rayment on him, and led him away to crucifie him. verse 32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they compelled to beare his Croſſe.
MARC. CHAP. XV.
verse 16 Then the ſouldiers led him away into the hall, which is the common hall, and called together the whole band, verse 17 And clad him with purple, & platted a crowne of thornes, and put it about his head, verse 18 And beganne to ſalute him, ſaying, Haile King of the Jewes. verse 19 And they ſmote him on the headwith a reede, and ſpate vponupon him, and bowed the knees, and did him reuerence. verse 20 And when they had mocked him, they tooke the purple off him, and put his owne clothes on him, and ledde him out to crucifie him.
verse 21 And they compelled one that paſſed by, called Simon of Cyrene (who came out of the countrey, and was father of Alexander and Rufus) to beare his Croſſe.
LVKE XXIII.
verse 24 So Pilate gaue ſentence, that it ſhould be as they required. verse 25 And he let looſe vntounto them him that for inſurrection and murther was cast into priſon, whome they deſired, and deliuered IESVS to doe with him what they would. verse 26 And as they led him away, they caught one Simon of Cyrene, comming out of the fielde, and on him they laide the croſſe, to beare it after IESVS. verse 27 And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, which women bewayled and lamented him. verse 28 But IESVS turned back: vntounto them, and ſaide, Daughters of Ieruſalem, weepe not for me, but weepe for your ſelues, and for your children. verse 29 For behold, the dayes will come, when men ſhall ſay, Bleſſed are the barren, and the wombes that neuer bare, and the paps which neuer gaue ſucke. verse 30 Then ſhall they begin to ſay to the mountaines, Fall on vsus: and to the hilles, Couer vsus. verse 31 For if they do theſe thinges to a greene tree, what ſhall be done to the drie?
WEE hauehave hearde (Brethren) theſe dayes paſt, the vvhole accuſation of Chriſt before the Iudge, & the Romane Gouernour Pilate. Laſt, wee came to that woeful ſentence of damnation, pronounced againſt this innocent. Now Ieſus being condemned to die, & to die the ignominious death of ye Croſſe; it reſts, that we ſhould come to His ſuffering on the Croſſe; but before we come to it, wee hauehave to ſpeake of theſe thinges, namelie, which we hauehave read vntounto you, partlie out of MATTHEVV, and partlie out of LVKE: Then firſt vvee hauehave to ſpeake of the deliuering of Ieſus into the handes of men of vvarre, to bee crucified at the pleaſure of the Iewes; and howe they receiued Him: and then vvee ſhall ſee vvhat they doe vvith Him, being receiued: they bring Him backe againe beeing receiued, to the common Hall, to a ſecret part thereof, and miſuſes Him at their pleaſure: therefore, vve ſhall come to the leading of Him out: vvith the Croſſe, out of the portes of Hieruſalem, to that vile place vvhere Hee ſhould bee crucified. We ſhall ſpeake of the manner of His going out; howe hee goes out to ſuffer the death of the Croſſe: and laſt, of two incidentes that fell in by the vvaye, as they vvere leading Him out: The one howe Hee met vvith a man, named SYMON of CYRENE, vvhom they compelled to helpe Him to beare His Croſſe: Another, the multitude that followed Him: and as all Nations reſorted to HIERVSALEM at the Paſſeouer, they followed Him, and vvomen followed Him vveeping, Hee turnes, and anſweres them, as yee vvill heare.
It is ſaide then, that Pilate deliuered IESƲS, vvhen Hee vvas condemned, to the Souldioures to bee crucified: and it is ſaid of them, that as hee deliuered the innocent vntounto them, ſo they tooke Him to the common Hall: they are farre readier to receiue Him, and to crucifie Him, than He was to deliuer Him. The leſſon, Brethren, is verie eaſie, and many experiences teaches it dayly: There was neuer yet a wicked Iudge in the world, ſo readie to deliuer the innocent to ſuffer, or to deſire an euill action to be done, as hee will finde wicked executioners vnderunder him, to put his wicked ſentence in execution: the good Iudges could neuer finde good officers vnderunder them ſo readily to execute an euill action as the wicked Iudges finde for an euill action.
Saul, when he had Achimeleck, and the Prieſtes of the LORD to ſlay, hee found Doeg the Edomite the knaue readie, and he ſlew fourſcore fiue Prieſts of the LORD, 1: Sam. 22.18. But Dauid the good King, when hee had to doe with Ioab, who had committed many foule murthers, could not put in excution his will, therefore hee laments, and ſayes: I am this day weake, and newly annoynted King: and theſe men, the ſonnes of Seruia are too ſtrong for mee, me, 2. Sam. 3.38, 39. This is oft ſeene of good men: that there are verie few good counſellers in the world, to helpe a good King in a good action: and where ye ſhall finde one good, yee ſhall finde foure euill: Euill men and wicked counſellers are verie riſe: a wicked King ſhall not want, but ſhall get moe than hee deſires: the deuill hath many ſeruants in the worlde, but GOD hath few: Our owne Countrey may ſpeake of the experience of this.
But to goe forward: When hee hath deliuered the innocent Ieſus to the ſouldiers, and they receiued Him: Take they Him to the place of execution? No, but whilſt all was in preparation, whilſt the place, and the Croſſe, was in preparation, and whilſt all things were making readie, in the meane time the ſouldiers, with the malitious Jewes could neuer get their heart ſatisfied with CHRIST, They bring Him to the common Hall, to the Seſſion houſe, to a ſecret part of it, and vſes Him more cruelly, than they did before: and there They beeing gathered, like as many torturers, there is not one of them, but they abuſe Him: Firſt, They put a crowne of thornes vponupon His heade: This is the ſecond time: Next they take off His owne cloathes, and cloathes Him with Purple, and they put a reede in His hande, and they kneele before Him, and mockes the King of Glorie, ſaying, Haile King of the Iewes: Then they take the reede, and ſtrikes Him with it, and in despite ſpits on His face: When they hauehave done this, they take off that Royall rayment, and leade Him out, to crucifie Him. Yee woulde wonder at this, for a man, though hee were neuer ſo wicked, a thiefe and a murtherer. yet after hee bee once condemned, men will giuegive him peace till he die, and men will ſtriue to comfort him before hee die againſt the terroures of death, that hee maye die in peace: yea, his verie enemies will thinke they hauehave gotten enough, when they hauehave gotten him condemned, and they deſire no more: But beholde the enemies of our LORD and SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST▪ they can neuer gette their heartes ſatisfied vponupon Him, they cannot ſuffer Him to reſt or breathe, their inſatiable vvrath cannot bee ſatiated. The malice of men againſt vvickedneſſe vvill ende, but the malice of men againſt an Innocent, will neuer ende, and namelie againſt him vvho ſuffers for CHRISTES ſake: there is no meaſure of their crueltie, there is nothing that can ſatiate their bloodie heartes: for the children of darkeneſſe doe deadlie hate the children of light: the ſuffering of the Martyres hath euer proued this, that the Antichriſt coulde neuer bee ſatisfied in drinking of their blood. The perſecuters of the Trueth will neuer be ſatiate, there is no ſatietie of the malice of the haert of ye childe of darknes againſt the child of light. If thou hadſt ſlaine a mans father, it may be he would hauehave forgiuen thee: but and if thou bee the childe of GOD, and if hee bee the childe of darkeneſſe, hee vvill neuer bee ſatiate, till he gette thine heart blood. The IEVVES and the Souldiours could neuer bee ſatiate, till they had gotten the heart blood of the Innocent.
But Brethren, we muſt looke vp higher: for it was not ſo much with theſe Iewes and Souldiours that IESVS hath to doe, as with an angrie GOD▪ and th…t becauſe Hee bare the burthen of our ſinnes: theſe torturers were but inſtrumentes of that terrible wrath of the Father vponupon the Sonne: It was not ſo much their wrath, as the wrath of the Father that purſued Him ſo ardently. After Hee was once deliuered into the hands of theſe Hangmē, wrath begins ſo to be powred foorth on Him frō Heauen, that He got no reſt till He was crucified & dead on the croſſe. It is a terrible thing for a ſinner, yea, if hee were a king, who is not in Ieſus, and partaker of His ſuffering, to fall into the hands of an angrie God and a conſuming fire: if thou bee out of Chriſt, thou ſhalt feele it the terribleſt ſight that euer was, howbeit wanton men and women make their paſtime to anger that great Iudge, going to murther, defiling their bodies and ſoules by harlotrie: it may be for a time, that they get reſt: but after that once that righteous Iudge put hands in thee, I promiſe thee, that thou ſhalt neuer get reſt: The verie reprobate when they ſhall ſee that there is none ende of wrath, ſhall crie: O Lord, ſhall neuer this wrath hauehave an end: if thou goeſt to Hell, thou ſhalt finde none end of wrath. Now bleſſed is that ſinner that gets grace to hauehave recourſe to Ieſus Chriſt, & to lurke vnderunder His ſuffering. When they hauehave vſed Him ſo vnworthily within the common Hall, and when all is made readie: Then they leade out Ieſus, & caries Him out of the Portes of Hieruſalem, to an ignominious death: and as they lead Him out: ſo Ieſus Chriſt goes out willingly to ſuffer, at the good pleaſure of His Father, knowing that now His houre was come. God forbid, but that wee ſhould thinke that Ieſus Chriſt ſuffered willingly: No, Brethren, in this example of Ieſus Chriſt the innocent: and that His willing going to death, wee ſee, that it is the innocent who goe to death willingly, and namely, they who are innocent in the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, that hauehave their conſcience ſprinkled with the blood of the immaculate Lambe: As for men, who are not cled with this innocencie, alas for them, It is not poſſible, that theſe can hauehave conſolation, or can with gladneſſe offer vp their liues: it may bee, that ſome will pretend willingneſſe, but that is but a ſhew: Againe, it may be, that there bee ſome ſenſleſſe bodies, that knowes not how terrible death is, and what euill is in it. O! death is terrible for either Heauen or Hell followes on the taile thereof: and wilt thou count litle of that port, by the which thou paſſeſt from this life to eternitie. So, ſome may be ſenſleſſe, as a Kow goes to the ſhambles: and ſome may hauehave a falſe conſcience: but if thou hauehave not an aſſurance, that thou art waſhed with the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, Woe ſhall come to thee, wrath ſhall light on thee. There is no conſolation in death to any, but to theſe who die in the innocencencie of Ieſus Chriſt. I marke the manner how He goes out: He goes out, bearing His owne Croſſe: or rather drew it after Him: this was after the manner of the Romanes, that the man whome they condemned to die this death, they commanded to beare His Croſſe, and therefore they were called Furciferi, gallowes bearers: now they practiſe this on the innocent Ieſus.
Nowe to come to it, that falles out whilſt Hee is bearing His Croſſe. As they are going out, They meete a man by the way whoſe name was Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, a man in a towne of Africa, and the towne was called Cyrene, a laborious man, retu…ning from the Countrey, to Hieruſalem, they meete the poore man, and compelles the man to take vp the one ende of the Croſſe Ieſus goes before, and he goes behind: they would not hauehave Ieſus relieued: No, they pitied Him not, but they would hauehave Him formeſt in the burthen. Thinke not, Brethren, that this re…ieuing was of any compaſſion they had to Ieſus: No, they had no pitie vponupon Him: but it came to p…ſſe, becauſe Chriſt Ieſus was faint, weake, and we…ried vnderunder the burthen: and no wonder, He was a man: He tooke on our nature, and all the infirmities thereof, that wee might bee made ſtrong. After that once the Lord had fallen in their handes, Hee got no reſt, Hee got no ſleepe that night, Hee faſted, and His ſoule was vexed: and then all that night, and all that day following, from the morning to the noone-tide, hee got no reſt, but was twiſe ſcourged, and buffeted: As for the ſouldiers, they thought themſelues too gay: As for the Iewes they thought themſelues too holy, and in end He was made a curſe (but for our cauſe) And therefore meeting with this Gentile, Simon, they compelled him to helpe Him. This wants not a Myſterie: This Simon was a figure of the Gentiles, and this calling, albeit of compulſion, ſignifies our calling, beeing Gentiles, to take vp our croſſe, and followe Ieſus out of the portes of Hieruſalem. And as the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes Chap, 13. verſe 13. ſayes, Goe foorth of the Ca…e bearing His reproach: for here we hauehave no continuing citie: but wee ſeeke for one to come. As for the Iewes, they would neither touch Chriſt, nor His Croſſe with their finger, becauſe they judged Him accurſed. Indeede, I grant, GOD made Him accurſed, but Hee was made a curſe, that wee ſhould bee the bleſſing of GOD, through H…m: As Paul ſayes to the Galathians, Chap. 3. verſe 13. Wouldeſt thou know thy felicitie in this worlde, and in the worlde to come: it ſtands in joyning with that man that was accurſed, & whoſoeuer thou be, yt ſhalt not joyne with this man who is accurſed, I giuegive thee this doome, Curſed ſhalt thou be euerlaſtingly, vengeance & malediction ſhall lie on thine head euerlaſtingly. We are Gētiles, not Iewes: let vsus thē with this Simon of Cyrene take vp ye Croſſe of Chriſt, & follow Him out of the portes of Hieruſalem, to beare His ſhame, yt we may be partakers of His glory: if thou be not partaker of His ignominie and ſhame, I denounce to thee, thou ſhalt not be partaker of His glorie: thou who waſt not humbled with Chriſt, thou ſhalt neuer be exalted with Him: this for the firſt incident. There is another thing that falles out, whereof wee read in the 23 Chapter Luke, as He goes to the place of execution, it is ſaid, that the multitude followed Him: This multitude was not onelyonly of the Iewes, but alſo of all Nations who reſorted to Hieruſalem, at the time of the Paſſeouer. Nowe this multitude followed to ſee what ſhould become of Him, as men who are inclined to ſee wonders. S…e on what minde thou followeſt a man to death, theſe ſpectacles are ſpectacles of thy miſerie: they followe to ſee the faſhion: but ſurely this following of Chriſt, and this going of Chriſt to His ſuffering with ſuch a multitude, learneth vsus a leſſon: it pleaſed the Father, that Ieſus Chriſt ſhould ſuffer an open ſhame: He would not hauehave Him ſtollen down, or ſecretly executed in the night: He would hauehave Him accuſed publikly before the great Iudge, who repreſented Ceſars perſon: Then as Hee went out, He would hauehave all the worlde to ſee Him: and then Hee would hauehave Him mounted vp, and nailed vponupon the Croſſe in the face of the world: in a worde, the Father would hauehave the Sonne who became ſuretie for vsus, to die; and not onelyonly to die, but alſo to be pined: and not onelyonly pined, but alſo to bee pined ſhamefully. There is not a ſinne in the worlde, (let wanton men take their paſtime in ſinne, albeit it were done neuer ſo ſecretly, goe to thy chamber & doe it, doe it in the night, goe to holes and moſt ſecret places and commit wickedneſſe) but the end thereof, how ſecret ſo euer it was, ſhall bee with open ſhame: I denounce againſt ſecret ſinnes againſt God, thy ſecret ſinnes ſhall bring an open ſhame to thee, if thou hauehave not recourſe to the ſhame of Ieſus: either of neceſſitie thou muſt ſuffer in thy perſon eternally, and drinke out the full cuppe of the wrath of God: or els, thou muſt hauehave recourſe to the ſhame of Ieſus Chriſt: and this is our comfort, that wee hauehave: Wilt thou firſt of all repent thee (an impenitent man will neuer get the cloake of Chriſts righteouſneſſe to couer his ſhame) and turne and beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt: Wilt thou hauehave recourſe to Him, and loure vnderunder His Paſſion: I promiſe thee, that thou ſhalt neuer come to an open ſhame: it my bee that men come to an open ſhame for ſinne in this worlde, but in the worlde to come, I promiſe thee, thou ſhalt not ſuffer any ſhame, in that daye thy ſinnes ſhall not come to the light, neither man nor Angell ſhall ſee them. But if thou hauehave not recourſe to Ieſus, thou ſhalt bee roo…ed out like a thiefe out of a hoale, before millions of millions of Angels, and before all the worlde, and the ſecrets of thine heart ſhall bee reueiled, and heapes of the wrath of God, ſhall bee powred on thy miſerable head: Hell ſtands not only in paine, but in ſhame and confuſion: thou ſhalt goe downe to Hell with a fearefull ſhoute, from the ſight of this world, at that judgement.
Now to come to theſe women: amongſt the reſt there followes Him certaine women out of Hieruſalem: there is a great difference betweene them and the multitude: women oft times ſhames men. The ſouldiers pities Him not, their pleaſure is in His miſerie: wee ſee not heere, that any of the multitude mournes, but it is ſaide, that the women of Hieruſalem that followed Him, wept for Him. This was done of the Father, to teſtifie His innocencie, the Father at all times, will hauehave the innocencie of His Sonne witneſſed: during the time of His accuſation, the Iudge preached His innocency: & as he was giuing out the ſentēce againſt Him: he both by deed, in waſhing of his hands, & word, teſtifies His innocencie: And now whilſt He goes out, Hee makes theſe women to bewaile Him. No queſtion all this was done by the Lords prouidence, Ieſus the innocent Hee was lamented for. Wilt thou bee innocent like to Him, thou ſhalt not want bewailing: ye ſee this, if he be a thiefe, and hee bee penitent, and hauehave recourſe to Ieſus, and ſeeke to be innocent with that innocencie of Ieſus Chriſt, men will pitie him: but eſpecially in that great daye, if thou appeareſt innocent in the innocencie of Ieſus Chriſt, thou ſhalt get ſuch pittying of God, and of all the Angels, that thou ſhalt neuer die, but ſhalt be receiued to glorie: and if thou appeareſt before Him without this innocencie, thou ſhalt not be bewailed: none ſhall pitie thee, neither God, nor Angell, but thou ſhalt goe to deſtruction: and when thou art going to Hell, thy father nor thy mother ſhall not weepe nor lament for it, but ſhall rejoyce & approue Gods judgement. Yee ſee then, howe good a thing it is to be innocent in the innocencie of Ieſus Chriſt, albeit wee be not innocent, but guiltie in ourſelues. When Chriſt heares the lamentation and mourning of the women, Hee lookes ouer His ſhoulder, And beholding them, He ſtandes, and ſpeakes, Daughters of Hieruſalem, weepe not for mee, but for your ſelues, and for your children: and He giues the reaſon wherefore they ſhould weepe ſo, becauſe of that fearce & terrible judgement which ſhould ouer-take Hieruſalem, and all for this innocēt blood, and for the refuſall of that innocent One: For beholde, the dayes will come (ſaies Hee) when men will ſay, Bleſſed are the barren, and the wombes that neuer bare, and the pappes that neuer gaue ſucke. Then ſhall they begin to ſay to the mountaines, Fall on vsus: and to the hilles, Couer vsus. And vn…er the deſtruction of Hieruſalem, Hee vnderſtands & adumbrates that terrible judgement & wrath in the latter day, & that great deſtruction that remaines for the wicked: & He confirmes this judgemēt which He threatens, by an argument taken from the greateſt to the ſmalleſt, If they doe ſo to a griene tree, what ſhall they doe to a withered? what ſhall they doe to you? By the greene tree Hee meanes Himſelfe, who in Himſelfe was freſhe, ſappie, greene, and fruitfull, albeit for vsus Hee was like a drie tree, becauſe Hee was guiltie for vsus. And by the drie tree Hee meanes vsus, who are vnfruitfull in our ſelues, and meete for nothing, but for confuſion, to be caſten into the fire. Marke heere ſhortly of this: It is the ſenſe of miſery that makes any bodie to weepe: No doubt when one weepes ſore, the heart hath a ſenſe of miſery: and this ſenſe is either of a mans owne miſery, or for a ſympathie of the miſerie of another. They who hauehave a ſenſe of the miſerie of others, they will mourne. I ſee fewe of this ſort in theſe dayes. There are few now that will weepe for the miſery of another. All ſympathie is out of the world, and the pleaſure of men is in the pleaſure of others. Indeede I thinke that Ieſus condemned not this compaſſion. Certainely, compaſſion vponupon the eſtate of another is good. Away with a pittileſſe heart, for it hath not felt the merciemercy of God, and bowels of His compaſſion. But this is Chriſtes will, that the ground of their lamētation ſhuld not be ſo much His ſuffring for them as the ſenſe of their owne miſery & ſinne, which brought Him to ſuch a miſery. The Lord would hauehave the women conſidering the greatneſſe of their owne miſery, which made Chriſt for their cauſe to bee ſo miſerable: that should hauehave beene chiefelie the cauſe of their mourning: that shoulde hauehave beene the cauſe of their dolour: for as Iohn ſaies out of Zacharie, They ſhall ſee Him whome they pearced. Our ſinnes hauehave pearced Him. The godly in the latter daye, when they ſhall ſee Him, they shall mourne. It was not ſo much the Souldiours that pearced Him, as thy ſinnes. HaueHave not therefore thine eye ſo much on Pilate, Herode, or the Iewes, or on the men of warre, or Hang-man, as on thy ſelfe, and on thine owne ſinnes: for it was thy ſinnes that pearced Him thorowe: and in the latter day, when the godly shall ſee Him, whome they hauehave pearced, they shall weepe. Turne thine eyes on thy ſelfe, and let the ground of thy weeping bee for thine owne ſinne, that pearced the Innocent.
There is another thing heere worthie to bee conſidered: I ſee it is a good thing to bee in heauineſſe: and yee ſee that the LORD ſpeakes nothing to the men of warre, nor to anie others in the way, but onelyonly to the poore women who were weeping: Hee comfortes them, and inſtructes them, Hee leades them to the grounde of their weeping, to the ende that they shoulde repent, and hauehave recourſe vntounto Him. The beſt eſtate of men and women, is to bee ſadde in heart, and mourning, either for their owne miſery, or the miſery of others: for the Lord ſaies, Bleſſed are they that mourne, for they ſhall bee comforted. And, GOD dwelles in a coutrite heart, ESAY. CHAP. 66. VERS. 2. PSAL. 51. VERS. 19. Thou who laugheſt, thou needeſt no comfort. Thou who art mourning for thy ſinnes, and the ſinnes of the worlde, the Lord Hee shall ſpeake to thee, and giuegive thee conſolation with His owne mouth. Nothing becommeth a Chriſtian better, than ſadneſſe, and to hauehave his ſinnes before his eyes, and to bee ſadde both at noone and at Euen: for all this joye that a true Chriſtian hath, is ſadneſſe. Awaye with wantonneſſe, mocking, and jeſting, there is no true joye there: and the Lord vſes not to comfort ſuch, nor ſpeake to ſuch, for they neede it not. I fore-warne thee, that thou shalt neuer gette the taſte of that joye, but in teares: and then vvhen the heart is broken, and caſten downe, then the LORD is mighty to raiſe thee vp, and to comfort thee. The Lord therefore giuegive vsus grace, when wee looke to the death and paſſion of CHRIST, that wee maye gette a ſenſe of our owne miſerie: and that wee maye bee in ſadneſſe, and mourne, that our ſinnes pearced the ſides of the innocent, vvho vvas the GOD of Glorie: and that vvee maye hauehave recourſe to this ſuffering, and gette grace in our LORD: To vvhom with the Father and the Holie Spirite, bee all Honour, Praiſe, and Glorie, for euer and euer: AMEN.