The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

First, for the place where he was crucified, and that in general was without the City, and in particular it was called Golgatha. Now he suffered without the City of Jerusalem for four reasons. First, that thereby he might fulfil that which was foresignified by the figures of the old Law. For the bodies of those beasts, upon which the sins of the people were put, (whose blood was offered by the High Priest in the holy place) as things accursed, were burnt without the camp of the people of Israel, Levit. 1. 11, 12. and 6. 30. and 16. 27. Heb. 13. 11, 12. So Christ as the Sacrifice that bare the curse due to the sins of the people, as unworthy the society of men, was led to be crucified without Jerusalem. Secondly, that thereby he might teach us to take notice of it, that we have here no abiding City, and must not look for any long peaceable entertainment in the ⟨p. 383⟩world, but must seek an abiding City in the world to come, Heb. 13. 14. Thirdly, that thereby we might be armed and resolved to go to him without the camp, bearing his reproach, not caring what indignities we find from the world, so we may meet with Jesus, Heb. 13. 13. Fourthly, he was cast out of the earthly Jerusalem, that he might bring us into the heavenly Jerusalem. The particular place was called Golgotha, (that is to say,) a place of a Skull. Why this place was called Golgotha is not with one consent affirmed. Many of the Fathers say it was called the place of the Skull, because Adam was buried there, and his Skull was found there. Some have said it was called so of a little Hill that was in the place, of the likeness of a mans Skull. But the most likely opinion is, that it was so called, because it was a place full of Skulls of dead men that had been executed there: and so it must needs be a place, whither only notorious offenders were brought, and besides a place of pollution, by reason of the touch of dead bodies. Now our Saviour suffered in this place, First, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, that said, he should be despised and rejected of men, Isaiah 53. 3. Secondly, that so for our exceeding consolation, he might cure the barrenness of our justification and salvation in the very place of condemned men, whom Justice had sentenced to die: