The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 14
THE XIV. LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
MATTH. CHAP. XXVII.
verse 33 And when they came vntounto the place called Golgotha, (that is to ſay, the place of dead mens skulles) verse 34 They gaue him vineger to drinke, mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drinke.
MARKE 15.
verse 22 And they brought him to a place named Golgotha, which is by interpretation, the place of dead mens skulles. verse 23 And they gaue h…m to drinke wine mingled with myrrhe: but he receiued it not.
LVKE XXIII.
verse 32 And there were two others which were euill doers, led with him to be ſlaine.
IOHN CHAP. XIX.
verse 17 And hee bare his owne croſſe, and came into a place named of dead mens skulles, which is called in Hebrewe, Golgotha:
NOwe ye hauehave heard (Brethren) of the accuſation of CHRIST before the Iudge Pontius Pilate, and of His condemnation out of the mouth of the Iudge Pilate, and then wee heard that after the ſentence of damnation was pronounced, he deliuered Him into the handes of the Iewes to bee crucified, they take Him, and firſt of all they leade Him in againe to a moſte ſecret part of the Common Hall, and there they handeled Him more freely, yea, more vilely than euer before, ſeeing Hee was a condemned man: and when they had vſed whatſoeuer indignitie they pleaſed againſt Him, they leade Him to the place where Hee ſhould be executed. In the Hiſtorie wee hauehave marked three or foure things that fell out in the way: Firſt, how the Lord is bearing His owne Croſſe to the place of execution: Next, Hee beeing wearied vnderunder the burthen, one Simon of Cyrene comming from the Countrey to the towne, is compelled to take vp one ende of the Croſſe, to helpe him: So Ieſus goes before, and beares the one end of the Croſſe, Simon of Cyrene followes, bearing the other end thereof: The third thing: the multitude followes, men of all countreyes, that were conueened, and come out of Ieruſalem, at ſuch a ſolemne time at the Paſſeouer: Amongſt the reſt, there were women of Ieruſalem, better than the reſt of the multitude, who followed him, and wept for him. Wee hauehave heard what anſwere the Lord gaue them, and how he inſtructed them in the right cauſe of their weeping. Now the laſt thing that is marked: it is this, that we hauehave read out of the Goſpel of Luke, there were led out two thieues with him. Then in this dayes exerciſe, we ſhall heare of theſe points: The firſt, concerning the two thieues that were led out with him: The next is concerning the place: The third is concerning the ſowre & bitter drinke that they gaue him to drinke: The fourth, concerning the act of the ſuffering, and fiftly, concerning the houre.
To returne to the firſt: As hee goes out to the place where hee ſhould ſuffer: There are ledde out with Him two thieues, to ſuffer with him in that ſame place: Ieſus is ledde out to the place of execution like a thiefe, beeing innocent, and ledde out with thieues to ſuffer with thieues. Amongſt all the reſt of the things that Ieſus Chriſt ſuffered, beſide the paine that he ſuffered in ſoule and bodie, he ſuffered extreame ſhame, as we ſay, hee was ſhamed and ſhent: I ſhewed to you, that ſhame followed alwayes vponupon ſinne. Ieſus Chriſt tooke vponupon him the ſinnes of the world, and therefore hee behooued to ſuffer ſhame before the worlde. The Lord Ieſus Chriſt was ignominious in reſpect of the painfull and ignominious death: for hee was mounted vp vponupon the Croſſe, in preſence of them all: and in reſpect of the multitude, all the worlde was gazing vponupon him: and in this reſpect, when hee goes out to ſuffer, hee is counted a thiefe among the thieues, and the Lord was alſo ignominious in reſpect of the place.
Brethren, in this matter, I looke not ſo much to the Iewes, or to the ſouldiers, as I looke to his Father in heauen: who was the diſpoſer of this whole worke. There was nothing done, but that which GOD the Father had decreed to bee done, and vvhat Hee does concerning His Sonne, Hee does it moſte juſtlie: for IESVS became ſuretie for the ſinnes of the vvorlde, and Hee bare the burthen not onelie of murther and theft: but of all the ſinnes of the Elect. And as He goes out with the two Thieues, Hee bare the burthen of one of them, and relieued him of his ſinnes: and the one of them that ſame night ſupped with Him in Paradiſe: Therefore, ſaye I, vvhatſoeuer was the part of the Jewes or of the Souldioures▪ yet the doing of the FATHER to the SONNE was moſte juſt. And when wee reade of this, let vsus bleſſe the FATHER of IESVS CHRIST, for wee hauehave good cauſe ſo to doe: For in this juſtice Hee ſhewes great merciemercy towardes vsus: and, if Hee had not done this, woefull and miſerable had the eſtate of man beene. Now I come to the place, which in Hebrew is called GOLGOTHA, that is, a place of dead mens skulles, or braine pannes. This place was without the portes of the Towne of Hieruſalem. And no queſtion Ieſus like an vnworthie reprobate was carried out of the portes of Hieruſalem to ſuffer, and this was figured vnderunder the Lawe. The beaſtes that were to be offered were carried out of the campes of the people, and there vvere burnt, and afterwardes their blood was carried into the Sanctuarie, to bee a typicall propitiation for the ſinnes of the people, and the people were ſprinkled therewith: Euen ſo, IESVS CHRIST, that eternall Sacrifice, was carried out like an out-caſt out of the portes of the Towne, to ſuffer that ignominious death, that when Hee had ſuffered Hee might enter in with His precious blood into that Heauenlie Sanctuarie for the ſinnes of the world by that eternall propitiation, HEBR. CHAP. XIII. VERS. 11. and 12. Concerning the name of the place wherefore it is ſo called, there is great controuerſie and doubting: Some thinke that it was ſo named, becauſe the skull (or braine panne) of ADAM was delued vp out of that ſame place where the Croſſe was ſet, and vvhere IESVS ſuffered. But I count this but a vaine fable of the vain Papiſts, for their Legēds are full of ſuch like fables. And again, ſome thinke that it was ſo named, becauſe in this place were vſed to bee caſten heapes of skulles, and dead mens bones to bee kept, which vſe may bee ſeene in ſundrie partes, and this is more likely. And laſt, others thinke that it was ſo named, in reſpect of the figure & ſhape of the place: It was a round knoll, like a mans head, riſing vp, and round at the height; alſo, it was high, that theſe who were executed might be a ſpectacle to the people to be wondred at, and therefore in reſpect of the ſhape, it was called Caluarie, that is, the skull of a dead man: and thoſe who hauehave reſorted to thoſe parts, they report this day, that the ſame place is a round knolle like a dead mans skull, where the Lord Ieſus was crucified beſide Ieruſalem. But how euer it be, this is moſt certaine, that this place was ſhamefull and ignominious: and the innocent is conueyed to that place where the murtherers vſed to bee execute. No doubt, it was vile, and ſtinked, yet it hindred not that ſweete ſauour to aſcend to the Father, through His death, and the more ignominious that the death was, the glorie and triumph was the greater, and the more ſtinking that the place was, the more ſweetly ſauoured Hee to the Father, His ſacrifice had a moſt ſweet ſmell in the noſthirles of the Father. This is the thing that I marke: I ſee, that theſe Iewes who perſecuted the Lord of glorie to the death, cannot bee ſatisfied, and the hatred againſt the innocent is endleſſe. They are not content that He die a ſhamefull death: but they will hauehave Him to die a ſhamefull death in a ſhamefull place, and they will hauehave Him conuoyed and led out like a thiefe. No, brethren, the hatred of the worlde againſt the children of the light, hath none ende: they hated the Lord firſt: The Lord Ieſus is the light of the world, and euer from that day the children of darkneſſe ſhall neuer ceaſe to hate the children of light: aſſoone ſo euer as a man ſhall profeſſe that he appertaines to Ieſus Chriſt, at that ſame moment, the worlde, and the children of darkneſſe ſhall beginne to hate them, and to perſecute them: As the rage of the Iewes was vnquencheable againſt Chriſt, ſo it was after His paſſion and aſcenſion againſt all Chriſtians. Brethren, in this matter, we muſt paſſe aboue the malice of the Iewes, and behold the counſell of God, and ſee, that all this doing comes from Heauen, for the Father doth it, albeit He vſe the miniſterie of theſe Hangmen: I ſee this, He layes on ſhame vponupon His owne Sonne: and not only ſhame, but He heapes ſhame vponupon ſhame vponupon Him: He will firſt hauehave Him ſhamed in respect of the death of the Croſſe: then Hee will hauehave the world to gaze vponupon Him: and next, in reſpect of the two thieues that were ledde out with Him: and then in reſpect of the place: Hee will hauehave Him to ſuffer ſhame in all things, in preſence of the world: So that one would wonder, that the Father would purſue the Sonne with ſuch extremitie of wrath: it is no ſmall thing to take on the burthen of ſinne. O ſinfull ſoule! runne vnderunder ſinne as thou wilt, yet one day thou ſhalt find it the heauieſt burthen that euer was. If the ſuretie ſuffered ſuch a paine, and ſuch a burthen, what ſhall become of thee? If thou by thy ſelfe ſhalt vndertake ſuch an heauie burthē of wrath for thy ſins? But Brethren, the thing that appertaines to vsus concerning the place of execution is this: All this proceſſe & judgement is a type of that great & terrible judgement of the world in that Great day: & ye ſhall ſee that viſible judgement to bee like this judgement that was holden on Ieſus. He ſuffers like a reprobate, and is judged, and that ſame thing that Ieſus ſuffered temporally, when the great Iudge ſhall ſit, the reprobate ſhall ſuffer eternally. Then take heede: It is a terrible thing to fal into the hands of that liuing God, who is a conſuming fire. Looke to it as yee will, for whoſoeuer hee be that ſhall not bee ſaued in Ieſus in that day, beſide all the ſhame that they ſhall beare, the verie place wherein they ſhall ſuffer ſhall adde ſomething to their ſhame: As their ſoule and bodie ſhall bee ignominious; ſo the place ſhall be ſtinking: the very place ſhall heape ſhame after ſhame: let Hell bee where it will, it is the moſt ſhamefull and ignominious place that euer was: and thou ſhalt bee ſhamed and ſhent whoſoeuer ſhall bee caſten into it. And by the contrarie, in that Great daye of Iudgement, they who ſhall bee ſaued in this IESVS, as they ſhall be glorious manie wayes: ſo euen in reſpect of the place, they ſhall be glorious. That Heauenlie Hieruſalem is the pleaſandeſt place that euer was, and thoſe that ſhall come to Heauen, beſide all that glorie that they ſhall hauehave therein, they ſhall hauehave glorie in the verie place: for Chriſt ſuffered in a place, foule, vile and ignominious, that they might dwell for euer moſt glorious in that glorious place, that Heauenlie Paradiſe.
Nowe to come to the third, vvhichwhich is that drinke vvhichwhich is propined vntounto CHRIST when He comes to that place: no queſtion He was verie thirſtie: beſide the paine, He had an extreame thirſt: and beeing thirſtie, Hee deſired to drinke: Hee vvas a vvearied man, for He vvas holden all the vvhole night ouer vvithout either meate, drinke, or ſleepe, yea, and all the next daye alſo, beſide the feare of death: and therefore, it vvas no maruell that Hee deſired to drinke. And MATTHEVV ſaies, that they gaue Him Vineger to drinke, mixed with Gall: Then, both ſoure and bitter vvas His drinke. Now it is true that Sainct MARKE ſaies, that it vvas Wine mixed with Myrrhe: All is alike: for Myrrhe hath the bitterneſſe of the gall. There are ſundrie opinions about this drinke, which they gaue Him: Some thinkes that this was a delicious drinke, and that it was caried there, and offered by the women who followed Him weeping: to the end He might feele the leſſe paine, ſo long as Hee vnderlay ſo longſome and cruell death. There are others who thinke that this drinke ſerued to haſten the death: becauſe the death was painfull, for they count Myrrhe to be of this force, that it will caſt out blood at any wound. So when the LORD had drunke, they thought, that the blood ſhould hauehave ſpringed out at the wounds, and ſhould hauehave moſt haſtely procured His death.
But I leaue theſe opinions, and I thinke, that this was no delicious drinke: and I thinke againe, that this drinke was not giuen to haſten His death: & I think that this ſowre & bitter drinke, was offered in deriſion and ſcorne by the Iewes, and ſouldiers, who had no pitie nor compaſſion vponupon Him, and that of the bitter malice of their heartes they offered it to Him. No merciemercy for Chriſt now, but all extremitie: and to thinke ſo, I am partly moued by that Prophecie which is contained in the 62. Pſalme, and 22. verſe, wherein the LORD is brought in, complaining and ſaying, In my thirſt they gaue mee vineger to drinke: and partly, by the Hiſtorie following, wherein it is ſaide, Then they brought Him in deriſion a ſponge with vineger, and put it to His mouth: and this His drinke is to bee counted a part of His Paſſion. Of this we hauehave this leſſon, alwayes keeping this ground, That this Iudgement is a type of the latter Iudgement. Amongſt all the paines that they ſhall ſuffer, who ſhall not bee found in IESVS CHRIST, they ſhall thirſt to death, both of ſoule and bodie, as the LORD thirſted, who was counted as a reprobate: ſo the reprobate ſhall thirſt exceedingly: And as the LORD got not ſo much as a drinke of water, to quench His thirſt, no more ſhalt thou.
As the rich Glutton, when hee was in Hell, could not get one droppe of water to coole his tongue, that was ſo ſore burning in torment: no more ſhalt thou bee quenched of that eternall wrath: for ſinne brings the moſt terrible drowght and hotneſſe in the ſoule and body that euer was. Thou ſhalt drinke the cuppe of the bitter wrath of God for euer & euer▪ Bleſſed are they who hunger & thirſtes for righteouſneſſe they ſhall be filled, ſayes Chriſt. They who ſhall bee ſaued in Ieſus Chriſt, ſhall neuer thirſt, for they ſhall hauehave in their bellies the fountaine of liuing water. Ieſus Chriſt, when this drinke is propined, Hee taſtes it, and would hauehave no more of it, becauſe as Ieſus Chriſt bare the nature of man, ſo Hee had this naturall taſte, and nature abhorred this drinke: And albeit that patiently He ſuffered all injuries of others: yet Hee would not vſe violence againſt nature to His owne ſelfe: let one ſuffer violence of others, but doe no violence to thine owne ſelfe: Yet we ſee, that albeit He knew well eneugh, both the bitterneſſe and ſowreneſſe of it, yet Hee taſted it: This learnes vsus, that there was no bitterneſſe nor ſowrneſſe but the LORD would taſte it, that thou ſhouldeſt not onelyonly taſte, but alſo drinke, yea quaffe all delicious and ſweet drinke euermore: yea, not only of the water of life, but euen the delicious drinke of this worlde, for refreſhment of our bodie. Then when thou art drinking a ſweet drinke, remember that Ieſus Chriſt dranke a bitter drinke, that thou ſhouldeſt drinke a ſweete drinke. Otherwiſe, I tell thee, drinke on, and pamper thy belly as thou wilt, thy ſweete drinke ſhall become a bitter curſe vntounto thee.
Now we come to the very action of crucifying: Hee is thirſtie, He cannot get the thirſt quenched: He muſt ſuffer the death with an extreame thirſt: there is not a thiefe, but hee will get a drinke. The men of warre come to the execution: and firſt, they ſtripped the LORD of glorie: They take His garments off Him: So the LORD, before Hee was mounted vponupon the Croſſe, Hee was ſtripped naked, and then beeing ſtarke naked, they mount and ſpread out that glorious bodie on the Croſſe, And nailes Him with nailes: and this is complained of before: They pierced through mine hands and my feete, Pſalme 22.17. And now beeing nailed on the Croſſe, it commeth to paſſe, as Paul ſayes in the Epiſtle to the Galathians, Chap. 3. verſe 13, 14: Hee is become a curſe for vsus, that wee ſhould become the bleſsing of God in Him: Not that Ieſus beganne then to be accurſed of the Father, when He hang vponupon the Croſſe: No, from the time of His conception: euen all the time that Hee was in the world: As our ſinnes were laide vponupon Him, ſo the curſe of God was on Him, purſuing our ſinne: All theſe three and thirtie yeeres that Hee liued in the worlde, the curſe of God goes neuer off Him: for the curſe of God neuer leaues ſinne. A wicked man will ſeeme to bee bleſſed, and to proſper, and who will ſit at ſuch eaſe as he will, play him, and bleſſe himſelfe in his owne heart, but vvhen hee comes to a miſerable ende, and dies a miſerable death, when the miſerable death appeares, then the world ſees, that that man was curſed. It appeared not that Ieſus Chriſt vvas curſed, till He vvas dying, and going to be nailed on the Croſſe, then all the vvorld ſees that Hee is curſed, beſide all the things that ſinne brings on a man to: it ſhall bring thee to a ſhamefull death: and if thou bee not found in Ieſus Chriſt, and bee not couered with His Croſſe, then thou ſhalt die in the ende a curſed death: although thou be in thy bed, and thy Wife, thy friends, and all thy children about thee, the death that thou ſhalt die, ſhall be accurſed. Bleſſed are they who die in the Lord: Curſed are they vvho die not in the Lord, let them be hanged, beheaded, or die in their bed, terrible ſhall be that death that followes after this death: The death that He died, vvas a ſore & odious kinde of death, to a man to be taken quicke, and nailed quicke on the Croſſe: and no doubt, Hee hang for the ſpace of three houres: ſo as ye death of thoſe vvho are not in Chriſt, is accurſed, ſo it is ſore: He ſuffered not only this paine in body, No, the chiefe torment vvas in ye ſoule, & it vvas tormented vvith that bitter ſenſe of the vvrath of the Father. It is not a death of the body that ſinne brings on, it brings an extreame bitter paine to the ſoule. The Lord dies not in a moment, hee is dying, and not dead, a viue image of the death of hell: thou ſhalt die in the paine of hell, and neuer get an end. Thoſe vvho die in Chriſt, die vvhat death they will, bee they beheaded, or hanged, or drawne in raxes, or burnt, they ſhall neuer die a curſed death: their death is a ſweete death, and all the joyes that euer was, ſhall iſſue of their death: It muſt be ſo, What makes a curſed death but ſinne: and if thou be in Him, as IESVS was crucified: ſo thy ſinne is nailed vponupon His backe: and therefore beeing taken away, what muſt followe, but that thou muſt be glorified.
And either thou ſhalt bee crucified thy ſelfe, No, not in the Earth, but in the Hells euerlaſtingly: or els thou muſt hauehave thy ſinnes crucified on the Croſſe of IESVS CHRIST, and be partaker of his death: and therefore, if any of vsus would die a bleſſed death (it is certaine, that wee muſt die) let vsus ſee whether our ſinne was crucified with Chriſt, or not: Shall I hauehave no warrand of the death of ſinne in mee, and that I was crucified with IESVS CHRIST, and am freed of all paine eternallie, thorowe His Croſſe? Will yee that I ſhall tell you, howe yee ſhall get the certaintie of this? Looke if thou findeſt a continuall death of ſinne, looke if thou findeſt this regeneration and a newe life, and louelove of GOD and a delite to ſerue Him in ſome meaſure, then aſſure thy ſelfe, that thy ſinne was crucified on the Croſſe with IESVS CHRIST: and, if thou liueſt in wantonneſſe, and getteſt no mortification, thou ſhalt bee crucified in the Hell, yea, though thou were a King. Our lordes and gentlemen will paſſe their time, but I denounce, albeit thou bee an Emperour, thou ſhalt bee tormented, and conſumed awaye by that eternall vvrath of GOD in Hell. Goe on thy vvayes. O, the vvorlde is ſleeping! Shall they neuer knowe vvhat they are adoing? What are theſe oppreſſors doing? theſe murtherers doing? theſe adulterers and fornicators doing? Is there anie care of Heauen in them? Is Heauen or Hell but tales? No, no: it ſhall bee the terribleſt ſight that euer thou ſawe. It is not as men ſaye, to wit, Hell is but a boggarde to ſcarre children onelie: No, thy miſerable ſoule ſhall finde in wofull experience the dolour and woe of that place.
Nowe it reſtes, that I ſpeake about the houre in the which Hee vvas crucified. Onelie Sainct MARKE calles it, About the thirde houre. Then apparentlie, the LORD IESVS vvas nayled on the Croſſe betwixt eleuen and twelue of the clocke: And a little before twelue Hee vvas mounted vp vponupon the Croſſe: for betwixt the ſentence of Condemnation and Execution, there paſſed not an houre: For there vvas a malicious earneſtneſſe to haſten Him to the Croſſe, neither vvoulde they giuegive Him leaſure to drawe His breath. This lets vsus ſee the fearceneſſe of the vvrath of the Father vvhen Hee judges ſinne. After that Hee vvas once condemned, Hee gotte no reſt, but vvas haſtened to the place of Execution, to ſuffer paine and ſhame. Looke ſtill to the grounde. This judgement is the type of the latter judgement: if the ſentence of condemnation bee paſſed, immediatelie thou ſhalt bee pulled awaye (looke to it as yee vvill) to euerlaſting torment. Therefore, bleſſed is that ſoule that hath part of the ſuffering of IESVS CHRIST. To Him, therefore, vvho once vvas ignominious, and now is glorious, bee all Honour for euermore: AMEN.