Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 2 · Part 7 – Part 8
The Epistle
ACTS 13.26.
Yee men and brethren, children of the generation of Abraham, &c.
THis text is part of that excellent sermon made by the blessed Apostle S. Paul at Antioch, a City of Pisidia, to the Iewes assembled together in their Synagogue, on the Sabbath day. The maine scope whereof is, that Iesus Christ is the Sauiour of Israel, and Messias of the world, promised vntounto the fathers, and exhibited in the fulnesse of time to their children, euen vntounto vsus, as being by faith a generation of Abraham, and that through him all that feare God and beleeue, receiue forgiuenes of their sinnes, and are iustified from all things, from which they could not be iustified by the law of Moses. The whole sermon hath especially two parts:
Explication, from the 16. verse, to the 26. intimating that Iesus Christ is the blessed seed promised in old time by the Prophets, and preached in these last daies by Iohn the Baptist, who was sMat. 11.9.more then a Prophet.
Application, in the words allotted for our present text, wherin three points are principally regardable, to wit, an
insinuation, ye men and brethren, &c.
preoccupation, for the inhabitors of Hierusalem, &c.
commination, beware therefore lest that fall vponupon you, &c.
The Gospell of Christ is a proclamation in writing common to all, and the Preacher is the t… 1.23.voice of a cryer, euen the mouth of God to giuegive notice to the people, that the contents of the proclamation concerne them and eueryevery one of them. As Act. 2.39. The promise is made to you, and to your children, and to all that are a farre off euen as many as the Lord our God shall call. And Act. 3.26. VntoUnto you hath God raised vp his sonne Iesus, and him hee hath sent to blesse you, in turning eueryevery one of you from your iniquities. And here, Ye men and brethren, children of the generation of Abraham, and whosoeuer among you feareth God, to you is the word of this saluation sent. And vers. 38. Be it knowne vntounto you, that thorough the man Iesus is preached vntounto you the forgiuenesse of sins. Now that our Apostle might the better u….insinuate himselfe into the minds of his hearers, and thereby more powerfully perswade the truth of his doctrine: hee cals them brethren, children of the generation of Abraham, and such as feare God. x….The first title was among the Iewes held gratious; the second and third glorious, esteeming it euer the greatest honour to be the seruants of God and sonnes of Abraham. And whereas Christ crucified is vntounto the Iewes a y1. Cor. 1.23.stumbling blocke (for what Iew will out of his owne iudgement admit him for the Sauiour of Gods people, who was condemned by the chiefe Priests, and rulers, and inhabitors of Gods owne City Hierusalem: of which it is said zEsay 2 3.the law shall goe forth of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Hierusalem) our Apostle remoues the scandall of Christs crosse, retorting and answering this obiection in his ensuing discourse. First hee retorteth it, and maketh it aduantage in his present businesse. aCaluin.As if hee should say, ye men of Antioch, children of the generation of Abraham, especially such as feare God among you; I say ye should the rather embrace the word of saluation sent vntounto you, because the men of Hierusalem and their rulers killed the bAct. 3.15.Lord of life, condemning him in whom they found no cause of death. Hierusalem cLuk. 19.42.vnderstood not the things appertaining to her peace, but dMat. 23.37.murthered the Prophets, and stoned such as were sent to her. Take heed therefore ye men of Antioch, that ye commit not the like sinne and ingratitude, lest that fall on you which is spoken of in the Prophets; behold ye despisers, and wonder, and perish.
Secondly, S. Paul heere giueth answere to this obiection. It is true that the men of Hierusalem and their rulers hauehave crucified the Lord of e1. Cor. 2.8.glory; but it was out of their ignorance, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read eueryevery Sabbath day. They killed him indeed, but heerein they fulfilled all the Scriptures that were written of him, especially that Scripture, fPsal. 118.22.the same stone which the builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner. And lastly, though it be granted vntounto you that the Sauiour Iesus (through whom is preached vntounto you forgiuenesse of sins) had a death full of ignominy, for that hee was hanged on a tree: yet his rising againe from the dead the third day was exceeding glorious, in that hee gEphes. 4.8.lead captiuity captiue, triumphing ouer death, hell, and the graue. Now that Christ is risen againe from death he proues by the witnesse Of
Apostles
himselfe, we declare, &c. For Christ after his resurrection was seene of Paul, 1. Cor. 15.8.
Other, who went with him from Galilee to Hierusalem, of whom hee was seene many daies, as being witnesses chosen of God for the same purpose, Act. 10.41.
Prophets,
Esay, chap. 55.3.
Dauid, Psal. 2.7. & 16.11.
The first testimonie cited by Paul is in the second Psalme, thou art my sonne, &c. hCaluin. i… Psal. ….the which I finde expounded of Dauid and of Christ. If we take this spoken of Dauid, he may be called the sonne of God, as A
King, for Princes hauehave their iIob. 19.11. Rom. 13.1.power from God, and so stiled the children of the most high. Psalm. 82.6.
Man, for we are the kAct. 17 18.generation of God, it is he who made vsus, and not our selues, Psal. 100.2. and is not hee thy father that made thee, Deut. 32.6.
Regenerate man, for eueryevery one that is new borne is l1. …. 3 9.borne of God, adopted his sonne, and made his heire. Rom. 8.15.17.
Thus it may be said by God vntounto Dauid in type, this day hauehave I begotten thee, but onelyonly to Christ in truth. And therefore m… …. lib. 3. cap. 7.Rabbi Solomon, and other Doctors among the Iewes vnderstand this of the Messias, and assuredly Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes, chap. 1. vers. 5 did the rather cite this text to proue that Christ is God, for that hee knew their Rabbines vsually const…ued it of Israels Sauiour. The maine proposition of the second Psal. is, th… the Messias is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, euen Gods onelyonly begotten sonne, very God of very God. The which is concluded in this nVide Bellarm. de Cor. …. lib. 1. cap. 5. in principio.argument. Hee that is to bee worshipped and kissed of all Princes on earth is doubtlesse the King of Kings: but the Messias ought to be worshipped of all other Kings and Rulers and Iudges of the earth, ergo, the Messias seated vponupon Gods holy hill of Sion, is the King of Kings, euen the Lord who dwelleth in heauen. If the Princes of the world stand vp and take counsell together against the Lord, and against his anointed, it is but in vaine. For if his wrath be kindled (yea but a little) they shall instantly perish, hee shall bruise them with a rod of iron, and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell. On the contrary, blessed are they who kisse the sonne, and put their trust in him; happie men, and wise Kings are they, who serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce before him in reuerence. o1. Sam. 2.6.God onelyonly killeth, and maketh aliue; bringeth downe to the graue, and raiseth vp. Ergo, the Messias hauing his absolute power of life and death, is vndoubtedly Gods onelyonly begotten sonne, whom he hath made pHeb. 1.2.heire of all things, and qAct. 10.42.iudge of all men. And therefore Diuines interpret the cited words as properly spoken of Christ, and that in respect of his
generation,
temporall.
eternall.
Resurrection.
rEuthym. Genebrard. in Psal. 2. Chrysost. Cyril. Alex. Greg. Nyssen. apud Suarez. Tom. 2. disp. 45. sect. 1.Some construe this of his temporary birth, in saying thou art my sonne, God sheweth his diuine generation: and in saying this day hauehave I begotten thee, his humaine natiuity. For hodie, signifieth in holy Scripture the present life, Heb. 3.7. Psalm. 95.8. to day if ye will heare his voice. So that I hauehave begotten thee this day; as if he should hauehave said, I hauehave sHeb. 1.6.brought my first begotten sonne into the world; I hauehave caused thee to become tIoh. 1.14.flesh, and in the fulnesse of time to be borne of a uGalath. 4.4.woman.
xAugust. in Psal. 2. & Enchirid. cap. 49. Athanas. ser. 3. contra Arianos Ruffinus apud Lorin. in loc.Other vnderstand this of Christs eternall generation. ySuarez. Tom. 1. disput. 2. sect. 3.As if God should hauehave said, other are my sonnes improperly, but thou art my sonne properly; z…. de … in Psal. ….2.filius meus naturalis, singularis, substantialis: A sonne not by creation as the whole world, nor through adoption as the whole Church: but a sonne by nature, my begotten, and onelyonly begotten sonne, Iohn 3.16. The very brightnesse, and expresse character of my person, Hebr. 1.3. Whereas Arrians and other obiect against this interpretation the word hodie; Saint Orat. de …. 4. …. 6. …. …6.Augustine answereth appositly, that with God (vntounto whom all things are present) there is neither yesterday, nor to morrow, but onelyonly today, Apud Deum nunquam erastinus, nunquam he lernus dies est, sed semper bodie. And in his Enchiridion cap. 49. Vbi dies nec he…ternis…e inchoatur, nec initio era …terminatur, semper bodieraus est.
…Hilary, c…Eusebius, d…Ambrose, with e…other expound this of Christs resurrection, as Paul here. We declare to … the promise made to the fathers, God hath fulfil… vntounto their children, euen vntounto vsus, in that her … vp Iesus againe, euen as it is written in the second Psalme, thou art my sonne, this … hauehave I begotten thee. For to … vp againe from death vntounto life euerlasting is a new begetting; and in this sense Christ is called elsewhere the … …begotten, and the … borne of the de…. Againe, the circumstances of the place leade the Reader to this construction, Why doe the heathen so furiou… rage together, and why do the people imagine a vaine … that is, as Peter and Iohn hauehave well applied it, Act. 4.27. Her…d and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and people of Israel gathered themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ, euen his holy son Iesus: and when they had filled all things that were written of him (as Paul in our text) they tooke him downe from the tree, and put him in a sepulchre, hMat. 27.60 66.rolling a great stone to the doore thereof, and sealed it, and making it sure with the watch. In all which (as the Prophet speakes) their imaginations and actions were vaine; for hee that dwelleth in heauen did laugh them to scorne, the Lord had them in derasion: he raised his Christ againe the third day, making him a King ouer his holy … of Sion, i… Augustine. Genebrardus in Psalm. ….that is, absolute head o… his Church, giuing him all the heathen for his inheritance, and the vttermost parts of the earth for his possession. And so God in raising Christ vp againe from the dead, euidently shewed that he was his onelyonly begotten sonne. As if he should hauehave said, thou wert euer my sonne before to day, before there was any day: kVide Caluin. … Psal. 2. & Suarez Tom 2. in 3. Tom. …p. 45. sect. 1.but yet in this day of thy resurrection, I hauehave most especially manifested vntounto the world that thou art my son whom I hauehave begotten. It is then an Apud Sixt. …nen bib. sanct. lib. 7. he…as. 8. obiect. 11.idle conceit to thinke that Paul is not author of that Epistle written to the Hebrewes, because the words of Dauid vrged here to proue Christs resurrection, are cited heere, chap. 1. vers. 5. to shew Christs eternall generation. For (as Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, chap. 1. vers. 4.) Christ is declared mightily to be the sonne of God by rising againe from the dead. His resurrection is an infallible demonstration of his diuinitie, seeing none euer raised another from the dead but by God; none euer raised himself from the dead but God. I conclude this obseruation in the words of mLib. 3. de sa…am. cap. 1.…mbrose, Pulchre pater dicit ad filium, ego … genui te, hoc est, quando redemisti populum, quando ad ca…ere…um vocasti, quando implesti volunta…em meam, prob…. 1 meum te esse filium.
The next Scripture quoted heere by Paul is, Esay 55.3. The … of God made to Dauid concerning the sending of Israels Sauiour are, sure mercies, and faithfull wo…: he must of necessity therefore fulfill them in eueryevery respect, nAretius.the which hee could not hauehave done but in raising vp Iesus againe, for the resurrection of Christ is the o…orin.complement, and (as it were) Amen of all his promises; according to that of pRom. 4.25.Paul hee died for our sinnes, and is risen againe for our iustification. See conclusion of the Gospell on S. Thomas day.
The last authority cited in this place to proue Christs resurrection, is taken out of the 16. Psalme, verse 11. thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruptio…. The Iewes vnderstood this of Dauid, but (saith our Apostle) Dauid albeit he was a King, and a Prophet, and a qAct. 2.29.Partriarke, a man according to Gods owne heart, as it is recorded of him in this present chapter, at the 22. verse; yet (after hee had in his time fulfilled the will of God) he fell on r1. King. 2.10.sleepe, and was laid vntounto his fathers, and saw corruption. Earth he was, and to earth hee returned againe. But Christ Iesus although he was hanged on a tree, and put in a sepulchre▪ yet he saw no corruption. Hee rose againe the third day, triumphing ouer all his enemies sColos 2 15.openly, saying, O tHosea 13.14.death, I will bee thy death, O graue I will be thy destruction. And therefore this Iesus is he through whom is preached vntounto you forgiuenesse of sinnes, and by whom all that beleeue are iustified from all things, from which ye could not be iustified by the law of Moses.
Mors mortis morti mortem nisi morte dedisset, à nobis vitae Ianua clausa foret.
Beware therefore, lest that fall on you which is spoken of in the Prophets] This text is taken out of the first of Habakuk, vers. 5: uCaluin. in loc.but for as much as all the prophesies were collected together into one volume, he saith in the Prophets. xRi…era in Ha…acu… 1. Num. 5.Or according to the Hebrew phrase, in the Prophets, is as if he should hauehave said, in one of the Prophets, as Genes. 23.6. In the chiefest of our sepulchres bury thy dead, that is, in one of the chiefe. He doth alter the words of the Prophet according to the sound, but not according to the sense. Haba…u… saith, behold among the heathen, Paul heere, behold ye despisers. In which our Apostle doth expound and not confound the Prophet: for whereas the Iewes despised the word of God, hee sent them to be taught by the Caldeans; yCaluin. in Habacu…. ….as if Habakuk had said, ye will not obey Gods voice, ye will not learne any thing in his schoole: wherefore yee shall ere it beelong b… made to know his iudgements among the heathen: …ee (saith the Lord) I will raise vp the Caldeans that better and hasty nation, which shall march through the bredth of the land, to possesse the dwelling places which are not theirs. And zRibera. vbi sup. Num. 7.this their ouerthrow was a type of their future reprobation and spirituall vastity for the contempt of the Gospell.
These things are a1. Cor. 10.6.11.ensamples, and are written to admonish vsus vponupon whom the ends of the world are come. Let vsus therefore beware, that these heauie iudgements fal not vponupon vsus as they did vponupon the Iewes. Videte & aspicite, admiramini, admiramini, take heed, & againe I say take heed, b1. Thess. 5.19.quench not the spirit, despise not prophesying, receiue not the grace of God in vaine. cSaluianus lib. 5. de Gubernat dei.Nemo malus nisi stultus, he that is a despiser of the sauing word is an arrant foole; for if hee were wiser hee would kisse the sonne, and beware lest that fall on his head which is spoken of in the Prophets, behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish.
The Gospell
LVKE 24.36.
Iesus stood in the middest of his Disciples, &c.
COncerning the chiefe parts and passages of this Scripture: See Gospell 1. Sund after Easter: and Gospell on Saint Thomas day. Here pause, and pray.
Almighty father, which hast giuen thine onelyonly sonne to die for our sinnes, and to rise againe for our iustification: grant vsus so to put away the leauen of malice and wickednesse, that we may alway serue thee in purenesse of liuing and truth, through Iesus Christ our Lord: Amen.