Light for Them that Sit in Darkness, Book · Question 1 – Question 3
LIGHT for them that sit in DARKNESS.
Of this Man's Seed, hath God according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.
Acts 13. 32.
THese Words are part of a Sermon, which Paul preached to the People that lived at Antioch in Pisidia; where also inhabited many of the Jews. The Preparation to his Discourse he thus begins; Men of Israel, and ye that fear God give audience, ver. 16. by which having prepared their minds to attend, he proceeds and gives a particular relation of Gods peculiar dealings with his People Israel, from Egypt to the time of David their King; of whom he treateth particularly.
That he was the Son of Jessey, that he was a King, that God raised him up in mercy, that God gave Testimony of him, that he was a Man after God's own heart, that he should fulfil all his Will, ver. 22.
And this he did of purpose, both to ingage them the more to attend, and because they well knew that of the fruit of his Loins God had promised the Messiah should come.
Having thus therefore gathered up their minds to hearken, he presenteth them with his Errand; to wit, That the Messiah was come, and that the promise was indeed fulfilled, that a Saviour should be born to Israel.
Of this Man's Seed (saith he) hath God according to the promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.
In this Assertion he concludeth,
1. That the Promise had kept its due course in presenting a Saviour to Israel; to wit, in Davids Loins; Of this Man's Seed.
2. That the time of the Promise was come, and the Saviour was revealed; God hath raised unto Israel a Saviour.
3. That Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph was he: He hath raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.
From these things we may inquire for the explication of the Words.
1. What this Jesus is.
2. What it was for this Jesus to be of the Seed of David.
3. What it was for Jesus to be of this Man's Seed according to the promise.
4. And what it was for him to be raised unto Israel.
These things may give us light into what shall be spoken after.
Quest. 1. First, What this Jesus is.
He is God, and had Personal Being from before all Worlds; therefore not such an one as took being when he was formed in the World; He is God's natural Son. The Eternal Son of his Begetting, and Love. God sent forth his Son; he was, and was his Son, before he was Revealed. What is his Name, and what is his Sons Name, if thou canst tell? Prov. 30. 4. Ezek. 21. 10. He hath an Eternal Generation, such as none can declare: not Man, not Angel, Isa. 53. 8. He was the delight of his Father before he had made either Mountain or Hill. While as yet he had not made the Earth, or the Fields, or the lightest part of the Dust of the World▪ all things were made by him, & without him was not any thing made that was made, & he is before all things, and by him all things consist. It is he with whom the Father consulted when he was about to make Man; when he intended to overthrow Babel, and when he sent Isaiah to harden the Hearts of Israel, Pro. 8. 26. Joh. 1. 3. Heb. 1. 2, 3. Col. 1. 17. Gen. 1. 26. and 11. 7. Isa. 6. 8. This is the Person intended in the Text. Hence also he testifies of himself, that he came down from the Father; that he had Glory with him before the World was. And what and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before, John 16. 28. Chap. 17. 5. Chap. 6. 62.
Quest. Secondly, What was it for Jesus to be of Davids Seed?
To be of Davids Seed, is to spring from his Loins, to come of his Race according to the Flesh: and therefore as he is Davids God, so likewise is he Davids Son; the Root, and also the Off-spring of David: And this the Lord himself acknowledgeth; saying, I am the Root, or God, and the Off-spring, and Son of David, and the Bright and Morning Star, Revel. 22. 16. This is indeed the great Mystery, the Mystery of Godliness. If David called him Lord, how is he then his Son? see Luk. 2. 4. Rom. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 8. Matt. 22. 45.
And hence it is that he is said to be wonderful, because he is both God and Man in one Person. To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder, and his Name shall be called Wonderful, Isa. 9. 6. Wonderful indeed! Wonderful God, Wonderful Man, Wonderful God-Man, and so a Wonderful Jesus & Saviour. He also hath wonderful Love, bore wonderful Sorrows for our wonderful Sins, and obtained for his a wonderful Salvation.
Quest. 3. Thirdly, What it was for Jesus to be of this Mans Seed according to the Promise.
1. This Word [Promise] doth sometimes comprehend all the Promises which God made to our Fathers from the first Promise to the last; and so the Holy Ghost doth call them. The Promise made unto the Fathers, God hath fulfilled the same to us their Children, Acts 13. 32, 33.
2. But the word Promise here, doth in special intend that which God made to David himself. Men and Brethren, said Peter, let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his Sepulcher is with us unto this day: therefore being a Prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him, that of the Fruit of his Loins according to the Flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne; he seeing this before, spake of the Resurrection of Christ, &c. Acts 2. 29, 30.