Exposition of Isaiah 9, Part 2
The people that walked in darkenes hauehave sene a great light: they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death, vppon them hathe the light shined.
Esay (as I hauehave said) speaketh of spirituall darkenesse, whiche is the greatest plague, & the sorest scourge: and of spiritual light, which is the chiefest felicitie, and greatest grace. For what can be more horrible than blindnesse of the harte, and ignoraunce in diuine matters? What can be more amiable, what more excellent, than a heart enlightned, and the knowledge of God? Concerning the former, where it is, there can be nothing but all euill, so that euen the good is not good, although it be present. As for the latter, where it is, there can bée nothing but good, so that euen the euyll is not euill, although it be presente. For what can hurt him, which knoweth and hath God?The great light vvherof the prophet speaketh vvhat it is What can profit him, who being destitute of God, hath Sathan? This greate light therefore and verye shining brightnesse, is the holy Gospell, or the worde of God concerning grace, whiche is a spirituall lighte, shewing, what God is, what he giueth vntounto vsus, or bestoweth vponupon vsus, and what he wil hauehave vsus to doe. It teacheth moreouer, what is sinne, death, Satan, the world, &c. What they hinder our saluation, & what they further it.
Thinkest thou not that this is an vnspeakable lighte,Spir tuall light. whereby wee maye looke both into the heart of God, and also into the depth of the deitie? Wherby moreouer, we perceiue the cogitations of Satan, and what sinne is, and howe we may be deliuered frō it: also what is man, and the worlde, and how a Christian muste take héede thereof. When as before no man knew what God is, neither whether there be any diuels or no,Spiritual dark…nesse. neither what is synne and death, so far was it off, that they knew how to be delyuered from thē. So also no man knew what is man, and the worlde. For eueryevery one thought that there was muche honestie, reason, and goodly vertues in thē, neither did any man thinke their chiefest wisedome to be meere foolishenesse, their moste noble vertue, moste filthye wickednesse.
Such ignorance and blindnesse Esay here calleth darkenesse, and the lande of the shadow of Death, wherein the people liued, and by the name of People he signifieth speciallye the Iewes. Heere nowe beginne contention and offence at the light: For albeit this light did arise, and was preached to al the people, yet a great part refused to receiue it, for they would not séeme to be blinde or in darknes, but thought thēselues to be in light.
Let vsus nowe consider, whereby men deserued to sée such a light.Not bycause of any merit of men, but of his mee…e grace hath God caused this light shine. Here is shewed no worke, no frée will, but rather will bonde and thrall. For who can doe anye thing in darkenesse? Howe can he knowe what is to be done, who knoweth nothing. Doeth not Christe saye Iohn. 12. Hee that walketh in the darke, knoweth not whether he goeth. It is to be attributed therefore to nothing, but to only grace, that a light ariseth in darkenesse, and shineth vponupon the people. Now Esay when he sayth: The people whiche walked in darknesse, hauehave seene a great light, is not so to be vnderstoode, as though he made a difference betwéene two sortes of people, noting vntounto vsus one sort which walketh in darkenesse, and an other sort which walketh in light: according as ye Iews do seuer thēselues frō ye Gentiles as thoughe they walked in lighte, and the Gentiles in darkenesse. But he is to be vnderstood thus, that thereby he sheweth the miserie of al people. As if hée should say: God hath mercy on a people lying in excéeding great darknesse, and very muche néeding light, and suffereth a great light to shine vntounto thē, not moued thervnto by their merites, but preuenteth them with his mercye, before they praye or desire anye thing, as Luke notablye declareth, where Zacharias sayeth:Luke. 1.78. Throughe the tender merciemercy of oure GOD, whereby the daye spring from an highe hathe visited vsus: to giuegive light to them that sit in darknesse, & in the shadowe of death, &c. In whiche wordes Zacharias doeth as it were with his finger shew this Prophesie of Esaye. Whiche is also done Iohn. 1. Where there is often mention made of the light. Whereby it may be easily vnderstoode, that he speaketh especiallye of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles. For if ye Iewes the select people of God did remaine in darkenesse, howe muche more did the Gentiles?