The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 20
THE XX. LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
MATTH. CHAP. XXVII.
verse 46 And about the ninth houre IESVS cryed with a loude voyce, ſaying, ELI, ELI, LAMASABACHTHANI? that is, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee?
THE laſt daye (welbeloued in Chriſt) vponupon occaſion offered in this place, wee began to rehearſe ouer all the whole Paſſion of Chriſt: and vvee brought the matter to that agonie, and that inwarde anguiſh of the ſoule, which the Lord ſuffered, beſide all the outward paſſions of His bodie, eſpecially during the time of three yeeres and an halfe, to wit, the time in the which Hee bare openly the office of a Mediator betwixt God and man. Nowe as the Lord will giuegive vsus grace, by occaſion of this voyce, wherby the Lord vttered this heauie complaint to His Father, before He yeelde vp the ghoſte, when He ſaies, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? we ſhall ſpeake this day of that inwarde agony and anguiſhe of the ſoule that the Lord was in, when Hee vttered this voyce. I perceiue three groundes whereby we maye bee able in ſome meaſure (for who is able to attaine to the perfect knowledge of the greatneſſe of that agony that the Lord ſuffered?) to come to the knowledge of that agony. The firſt grounde I ſhall take out of the vvordes of Scripture, vvhereby that agonie is expreſſed. The ſecond ground I take from theſe effectes, that the Lord vttered, partly in prayer, and partly in heauie complaint in that agonie. And the thirde ground I ſhall take from our owne feeling. What auailes all the knowledge in the vvorlde without feeling of His Paſſion, and of His Reſurrection? Then to goe forward in order, and to open vp euerie one of theſe grounds: The laſt day I began to bring to you the words of Scripture, ſome out of the old Teſtamēt, & ſome out of the New, by the which this inward agony yt the Lord ſuffred in his ſoule is expreſſed moſt viuely. I cited to you thoſe words that are in the 53. chap. of Eſay, where there is a viue and liuely propheſie of Ieſus to come into the world: The Lord (ſaies the Prophet) tooke pleaſure to breake him. This breaking is not onelyonly of the body on the Croſſe, but chiefely in breaking of the ſoule: for the ſoule of Ieſus was rent with ſorrow. Then I cited out of the 116. Pſalme, the words of Dauid, being the type of Chriſt: The dolours of death hauehave compaſſed me, the ſorrowes of Hell hauehave ouertaken me. Then I came to the Goſpel of Matthew, and I cited theſe words out of the 26. CHAP. My ſoule is heauie on all ſides to the death. There is the heauineſſe of the ſoule, and an heauineſſe without any joy, and a heauineſſe to death, euen to euerlaſting death. Then I came to Luke, who in his 22. CHAP. hath theſe words, And he was in an agony: there is a battell. But where? In the Gardē. With whom? None was fighting with Him: no man was neare Him. Whom with, but with the heauie wrath of the Father, that He felt in His ſoule? In the 2. of the Acts I cited the wordes of Peter, Whome God raiſed vp againe, when He had looſed the dolours of death: The word in its owne languague ſignifies that paine that women ſuffer in trauelling, wherby the Scripture vſes to expreſſe the paine of Hell. And laſt of all I came to the words of Marke, in his 14. Chap. where he not onelyonly vtters this inward paine that the Lord had in His ſoule, but alſo the greatneſſe of it, and the degrees, and partes thereof. The wordes are, When the Lord was in the Garden, he began to be afraid, and aſtoniſhed, and then to bee in a wonderfull heauineſſe. The words in their owne language are more ſignificatiue.
Nowe Brethren, wee ſhall examine and weigh theſe wordes of Marke.The firſt word that Marke vſes ſignifies an aſtoniſhment, a feare, and an horrour, whereby the Lord in the Garden was troubled ſuddenly from the Heauen: ſo that all the members of His bodie ſhooke and trembled. It is not a matter of jeſtes: it aroſe vponupon a ſenſe of the wrath of God comming from Heauē: and a moſt vehement ſenſe thereof, that lighted on Him ſuddenly, becauſe Hee bare our ſinnes, and this terrible wrath ouer-tooke all the powers of His ſoule, and occupied them. Brethren, I take this to be none other thing, but that firſt ſtroke of euerlaſting death, whereby the reprobate ſh…ll bee ſtricken in the firſt entrie to Hell, when they ſet in their head firſt to Hell, the wrath ſhall ſo ſtrike them, that all the powers of the ſoule ſhall be dammiſhed. The ſuffering of Chriſt in His ſoule is the viue image of the ſuffering of the reprobate in Hell. And …t is it that Paul in the 1. Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians, ſets downe, When they ſhall crie peace, & all things are ſure, then ſudden deſtruction approaches: the wrath and vengeance from Heauen lightes on ſuddenly: ſo that all the haires of their heads ſhall ſtand on end, and it ſhall come vponupon them ſuddenly, euen as the ſhowres and dolour, comes on a woman who is trauelling in birth. I can giuegive no better example of it, than ye hauehave in the Prophecie of Daniel, in Belſhazzar the prophane man, he is ſitting with his Princes, banketting and prophaning the holy veſſels of the Houſe of the Lord. What falles out? hee ſees come out of the wall ſuddenly, an hand writting, he ſees it not ſo ſoone, (look the firſt ſtroke of Hel) but he is ſtricken with a feare & horrour, his knees ſhiuer & ſmite one another, & he becomes like a dead man: a viue image of Hell.
This for the firſt worde that Marke vſes, and the firſt part of that agonie that IESVS CHRIST ſuffered for vsus in His ſoule. Now wee hauehave to weigh the ſecond word, Hee ſayes, Hee beganne to bee aſtoniſhed, and to be in a wonderfull heauineſſe, The word in its owne language ſignifies an extreame paine in the ſoule: Who is able to tell it? (The Lord ſaue vsus from the extreamitie thereof) it roſe vponupon that horrible wrath that He was ſtricken with, and was lying on Him, and preſſing downe His ſoule: Firſt, Hee was ſtricken, then the heauie wrath of GOD lyes ſtill on the ſoule ſo that Hee hath dolour in His ſoule, that all the powers of His ſoule is full of wrath. Who can beare the wrath of the Omnipotent GOD: No, not CHRIST as He was man only, no not all the Angels in Heauen: The LORD ſaue vsus from it. When the wrath of the great GOD ſtrikes on any in the Hell, all the powers of the ſoule faile, and all leaue off to doe their duties, beeing full of diſpleaſure.
It is a mar…eilous thing (for as carefull as the LORD was wount to bee of the redemption of man▪ for that was His only care night and day, it was His meate and drinke) yet all that care was nowe away, and He forgets it, and Hee falles out in a Prayer, and Hee ſayes, Take away this cuppe from Mee: and that was the cuppe of His Paſſion for our Redemption: yea Hee bids His Father take it away, which if it had beene taken from Him, neuer a ſoule ſhould hauehave beene redeemed: Conſider then, if Hee was in an agonie, or not: when Hee forgate the worke of our Redemption. Now we muſt not thinke that this forgetfulneſſe came of ſinne (our forgetfulneſſe comes of ſinne) the Holy one had no ſinne: but it roſe of an infirmitie of Nature, wherewith Hee was cled for our ſinne. Yee ſee, if a man be in a diſtreſſe in the ſoule the ſenſes, and all the powers of the ſoule are ſo occupied about that ſorrowe, that they forget their owne functions and operations, to helpe the part that is diſtreſſed: Euen ſo it was with the LORD: for when for our ſinnes Hee was vnderlying the wrath of that Omnipotent Iudge, all the faculties of His ſoule, His vnderſtanding, His memorie▪ &c, left all their functions, that all might concurre to helpe Him in that common agonie. Well, Brethren, if yee would ſee Hell, yee hauehave here the viue image of it: The reprobate after that at the firſt they are aſtoniſhed vvith the ſudden vvrath: as they continue in Hell, their dolour and paine ſhall euer be augmented: the vvrath ſhall ſtill lye vponupon them, like a mountaine tumbling on them, and preſſing them euer in ſoule & body: ſo that they remaine euer in this euerlaſting paine. Chriſt made an end of it: but if thou be a reprobate: this anguiſh ſhall neuer leaue thee. Oh! that the vvorld vvill not knovv this, and once pauſe on it: vvould they then, thinke ye, runne to all miſchiefe as they doe. And if once thou be caſt into Hell, mountaines of dolour, and heapes of vvrath ſhall be heaped on thee for euermore. Theſe are tvvo parts of that Hell that the Lord ſuffers: novv vvould yee hauehave the thirde part▪ I remit you to the 5. Chapter to the Hebrewes vvhere there Paul ſayes, that the Lord vvhen Hee prayed in the dayes of His fleſh, vvith ſtrong cries, and vvith teares, Hee vvas heard: He had a terrible feare, beſide the preſent paine: He vvas in a feare of a greater danger to inſue. If thou goeſt to Hell once, beſide the preſent paine that thou ſhalt be in: And, O the vveight of that paine that ſhall be on thee! thou ſhalt euer hauehave a terrible feare of a greater paine to fall on thee, ye paine of Hell is not ended in a moment, but yu ſhalt finde the paine g…ovving euerlaſtingly, & a mountaine of vvrath ſhall come after another, as ye vvaues of the ſea follovving one another. It is a ſore matter to be in this paine euerlaſtingly.
Now we hauehave heard the firſt ground out of the wordes of the Holy Spirit: Come to the ſecond ground. When He was in the agonie, He vtters ſuch effects, that they who ſaw Him, and heard that pitifull voyce, might eaſily ſee, what anguiſh Hee had in the ſoule, He falles out in a prayer, Father, take away this cuppe; that is, the cuppe of thy wrath, wherein He vtters a forgetfulneſſe of our redemption, the dolour ſo increaſes vponupon Him, that Hee prayes with greater intention, with teares, and with ſtrong cries, and with weeping. Hell will cauſe thee to mourne, and compell thee to ſqueele, and houle like a dogge: laugh not, it will cauſe thee to gnaſh thy teeth, if thou be caſt in vtter darkneſſe: yet as He prayes, the wrath increaſes, that He did ſweate blood, and the droppes of blood fell from His face to the ground. What man read ye of, or heard yee euer of, or euer ſhall, that was in ſuch a feare, in ſuch a torment, that for the feare of the torment, he did ſweat blood. So, that ye ſee, that the Lord was in ſuch anguiſh, as neuer a man was. Were any of the Martyres in ſuch a feare, or ſuch an anguiſh, as this? No, no: Then as Hee vtters His agonie in prayer, ſo Hee vtters it in many, heauie and bitter complaints, Iohn 12. When hee is ſpeaking of His glorification ſuddenly, He breakes off, and ſayes, My ſoule is troubled, what ſhall I ſay? and then Hee turned Him to His Father, and ſayes, Saue mee from this houre: and laſt Hee ſayes, My ſoule is heavie on all ſides, euen to the death. But of all complaints, this that Hee vtters on the Croſſe: My God, my God why haſt thou forſaken mee? is the moſt heauie, and it proceedes from the moſt bitter anguiſh of the ſoule. Nowe the Lord grant, that this complaint may ſaue vsus from that complaint of the reprobate, that they ſhall vtter in Hell: No queſtion, theſe words vtter a forſaking of Him, and that Hee was deſerted for a time: He was left off, without all comfort in the world: Of all joy that He was wount to hauehave: all joy was taken from Him: They import not a diuulſion of the Godhead from the manhead: the glorious Godhead dwelt in the Lord Ieſus, whilſt as He hang on the Croſſe: GOD neuer left Him at any time, after that once the Sonne of God tooke to Himſelfe our fleſh: Hee left it neuer, no, not on the Croſſe, nor in the graue: Hee left it neuer, nor neuer ſhall, but the Godhead kept it ſelfe ſo cloſſe in Chriſt the man, that it would let Him hauehave no joy, whilſt He ſhould pay that ranſom to the vttermoſt farthing, whereby the juſtice of God was ſatisfied for our ſinnes. And this is the thing He complaines on: Yet whilſt He ſayes, My God, my God, He lets vsus ſee Hee deſpaires not, but in the meane time whilſt Hee was left, He cleau…th to God, & hath His confidence in His God, the Deuill and all the world cannot ſeparate Him from His GOD that dwelt within Him. Confidence in God will ofttimes be in the godly without feeling of joy, albeit that Spirit will not be out of their ſoules: The Spirit will miniſter no joy to them, yet the poore ſoule will neuer leaue off to put confidence in God. Well, this complaint tells vsus, that Ieſus Chriſt was deſerted for a time, to ſaue vsus, who ſhould hauehave bene reprobates for euer. But there is a great difference betweene Ieſus Chriſt, and the reprobate. Indeede they agree in this, that both He and they are left comfor…l…ſſe, He vttered a great complaint: ſo they ſhall complaine and houle: And as He cried and wept, ſo ſhall they: But here is the difference. He was for a time in a manner reprobate, they ſhall bee made reprobates for euer: Hee complained for a time, but they ſhall complaine for euer: He ceaſes not to put His confidence in God: the reprobate ſhall hauehave no confidence, but as God ſhall leaue them, ſo ſhall they leaue God, & as God ſhall turne His backe on them, ſo ſhall they turne their backe on God. This is a ſore matter. Then Ieſus Hee vttered this complaint, My God, my God: They ſhall not ſay, My God, why haſt thou left mee: but ſhall crie, alas, for euer! God hath left me for euer, and caſt me off from His preſence for euer. This ſpeech My God, is a ſpeech of confidence, and He cleaues to God in His heart, they ſhall ſhoute and cry, GOD hath left mee for euermore & caſt me off. This for the two grounds, come to the third ground, that is, our owne feeling: for if thou feeleſt not, all thy knowledge auailes not a ſtraw, Paul to the Phillippians Chapter 3. ſayes, He counted all things to be but loſſe and dung, that he might knowe Him, that is, Ieſus Chriſt. Thē he ſets down the parts of this knowledge, that I may know Him, & the vertue of His reſurrectiō, & the cōmunion of His Paſſions, & be made conformable to His death. Wherin ſtands ye knowledge of the reſurrection of Chriſt? It is not eneugh to know it only: The knowledge ſtands in a fe…ling of the force of the glorious reſurrection in thine heart, and thou ſhalt feele the olde canker of ſinne mortified, and thee to bee quickned with a new life to liue to God. And likewiſe wherein ſtands the knowledge of His ſuffering? It ſtands of the feeling in thine heart of the mortification of ſinne: Thou muſt feele a regeneration in thee, or elſe thou feeleſt nothing, and thy ſoule ſhall get no life, howbeit thou kneweſt all the Bible: All this knowledge of Chriſt is but a dreame, without a feeling: and thou art but ſleeping, except thou findeſt a vertue proceeding from His ſuffering to thy ſoule, to reforme it. But to ſpeake of that feeling-knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt vvho died for our ſinnes: Howe ſhalt thou find and feele in thine heart that Hee ſuff…red anguiſhe for thy ſinnes, not onelyonly in bodie, but alſo in ſoule? I thinke there ſhoulde bee no bodie, but they ſhould bee meditating on an anſwere: I ſhall tell you, how I, and thou, and euerie one of vsus ſhall feele that curſe and malediction that Ieſus ſuffered, and that was layde on Him for our ſinnes. If I finde in my ſoule in ſome meaſure that wrath for my ſinnes, which Ieſus felt in full meaſure (Lord ſaue vsus from that meaſure) if I taſte and get a proouing of that bitter cuppe of the wrath of God, that Ieſus dranke the dregges of, and all for my ſinnes: if I taſte of it, and put it to my mouth, vvhen I feele this vvaye and taſte, I vvill begin and reaſon: If I finde my ſinnes and the burthen thereof ſo heauie, that I can ſcarcely beare one ſinne among a thouſand, yea, though it were but an euill thought: If I finde the burthen of my ſinnes ſo heauie, who am but a man, O howe heauie muſt all the ſinnes of the Elect bee, that Ieſus bare on His backe! (Looke how I come to His feeling from the other.) Then I vvill ſaye, O howe heauie vvere the ſinnes that IESVS bare on His backe! And then I ſhall ſaye, If once I can but taſte one droppe of that wrath that followes my ſinnes, and findes it to bee ſo bitter: (Let them taſte of that cuppe vvho will, they neuer taſted of ſo bitter a thing) Then vvill I ſaye, O howe bitter vvas that full cuppe of vvrath vvhereof IESVS dranke out the dregges and all, ſeeing one droppe of it is ſo bitter in my ſoule. There vvee come in ſome meaſure to the feeling of that bitter vvrath that IESVS felt. Beholde the dealing of GOD vvith His owne: for although He loued them neuer ſo vvell, yet Hee vvill let them feele the burthen of their owne ſinnes in ſome meaſure, & He vvill tye the burthen of them on their owne backes, whileſt they grone and peach: and He will touch them with the ſenſe of wrath from heauen; and that to let them vnderſtand howe ſadde and heauie a wrath it was that Ieſus ſuffered for our redemption. And when wee feele anie burthen for ſinne, let vsus runne to meditate on the ſore burthen of IESVS CHRIST, or elſe thy ſickneſſe and thy trouble is not ſanctified to thee, if thou feeleſt not that Ieſus Chriſt hath borne the burthen of thy ſinne. Well, Brethren, this is a vvay, vvhereby vvee come to the feeling knowledge of the paine that CHRIST ſuffered, and this is bitter. But there is a ſweeter manner: If I feele that ſweete merciemercy of GOD in mine heart, and that peace of conſcience in my ſoule, I will beginne and reaſon with my ſelfe after this manner: This merciemercy that I taſte of, this peace of conſcience that I hauehave, this joy and gladneſſe that I taſte, it behooued to proceede out of the malediction, and out of the wrath that lighted on my Mediator, it had beene vnpoſſible for mee to taſte of merciemercy, if my Redeemer had not drunken out that full cuppe of wrath. And I ſaye, indeede to thee, if the Lord Ieſus Chriſt had not drunken out that cuppe of the wrath of God, there had neuer beene ſuch a thing, as any joy, or any piece of conſcience in this worlde, nor in the worlde to come, if it had not beene ranſomed with the precious blood of Ieſus Chriſt; there is not one droppe of grace, peace or joy, but that which is bought and which the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, hath payed for. Alas, if the world could vnderſtand howe deare one drop of grace is: No, ere one drop of grace came, it behoued the Lord to be taken, & put in the winepreſſe of Hell, & tread on, & tramped on with the feete of the wrath of God: for this Iuſtice of God who was offended, ſhould neuer hauehave ſuffered one droppe of grace to come, if it had not beene ſatisfied by the blood of the mediatour.
Now to ende this purpoſe, I know perfectly that all this ſpeech of the Croſſe, is but fooliſhneſſe to the wiſe of the world: Theſe wiſe Heades who compaſſe the Worlde with wiſdome, all is but fooliſhneſſe to them. It is fooliſhneſſe to them who periſh, as Paul ſayes, 2. Cor. 4.4. If thou findeſt the Croſſe of Ieſus but fooliſhneſſe, take thee a doome: thou ſhalt periſh, all the world ſhall not ſaue thee: & againe by the contrary ſayes Paul, The ſpeech of the Croſſe is the wiſdome of God, & the power of God to them who are ſaued. All is but fooliſhneſſe in reſpect of the Croſſe: all the ſtrength & might of the world, & things vnderunder Heauen is but weakneſſe, in reſpect of Ieſus Chriſt, and His ſtrength. If thou counteſt the ſpeech of the Croſſe, to be power & vviſdome: aſſure thy ſelfe, thou haſt an earneſt pennie, that thou ſhalt get life, & bleſſed is that ſoule that delites to heare of ye Croſſe of Chriſt, & counts it to be the povver & wiſdome of God, which ſhines wonderfully in this baſe Croſſe: ye wiſdome of GOD ſhined neuer ſo in the creation of the Heauens, and of the worlde, as in the vile and abject Croſſe of IESVS CHRIST. The power of GOD ſhined not ſo much in creating thee of nothing, as it ſhines in thy redemption: The more fooliſhe that this meane is that the LORD vſes in redemption, to wit, a ſillie Croſſe; the more baſe it appeares to bee, the greater is the glorie of the wiſedome of GOD, who wrought ſuch a great worke of redemption thorow ſuch baſe meanes. I ſay, the more infirme that this meane is, (for what is more infirme than a ſillie poore man, or a vile Croſſe?) the power of GOD appeares ye greater, who hath wrought ſuch a glorious worke out of ſuch a baſe meane. And I ſaye, if thy redemption had beene wrought with a glorie, as the Iewes and the Gentiles imagined, if GOD had yeelded to their fantaſie, and wrought our redemption by a glorious meane, that glorie of GOD had beene obſcured, and the meane had gotten all the glorie. But it hath pleaſed the LORD to worke this worke of redemption and ſaluation by baſe and naughty meanes, that the world reſpects no more of, than the dirt which they treade on. Looke what is the difference betwixt the wiſedome of GOD, and the wiſedome of man: Will yee looke to the cauſe of our redemption, to IESVS CHRIST, or to the Profeſſors, and to Miniſters, they are the fooliſheſt in the vvorlde: ſillie bodies, and compare them vvith potent men, they are but contemptible, and of no valour: and, compare them with wiſe men, they are but fooles. So looke to the Croſſe, and to the Miniſterie thereof, whereby wee are ſaued, all is weake, baſe, and contemptible: and all to this ende, that the LORD onelie maye gette the glorie: and, as the APOSTLE ſaies, He that glorieth, may onlie glory in the LORD: And let euerie one of vsus giuegive glorie to that LORD of Glorie: To whome with the Father, and the Holie Spirite, bee all Honour and Praiſe for euermore.
AMEN.