Exposition of Isaiah 9, Part 8 – Part 9
For vntounto vsus a Childe is borne, and vntounto vsus a Sonne is giuen.
Esaye nowe declareth and setteth forth vntounto vsus the ruler and King of thys kyngdome: who surely is a wonderfull King, and doeth greate and wonderful things, whereof mention hath bene made before, that he ouercommeth death, sinne, and the lawe, that he ruleth without the sword, and replenisheth the worlde with ioye. For Esay doeth here manifestlye affirme, that all these things therefore come to passe, for that vntounto vsus a Chylde is borne, and vntounto vsus a Sonne is giuen. As if he sayde: by that Chylde and Son all these thyngs are done, hée is the meane whereby they are perfourmed. And in this text the wordes vntounto vsus, are diligentlye to be marked,The vvords vntounto vsus, are of great force, and to be throughly of vsus cōsidered as wherein muche consisteth. Whatsoeuer children are borne, they are borne eyther to themselues or to theyr parentes: but thys Chylde alone hath this goodlye title, and herein excelleth the rest, that hée is borne vntounto vsus, vntounto vsus, vntounto vsus, euen vntounto vsus sayeth the Prophete. He is the Childe of vsus all, hée came into the worlde for oure commoditie and profytte: for there was no néede that hée shoulde be borne for hys owne sake. Wherefore whatsoeuer hée is, whatsoeuer he hath and worketh from hys natiuitie, or after the taking of his humaine nature, it both is, and is called ours, he serueth vsus therein, that it maye bée for our saluation and blessednesse. The wordes, vntounto vsus, require onelyonly a firme fayth. For although he were borne a thousande tymes and a thousande tymes againe, and were not borne vntounto vsus, nor were made ours, we shoulde be nothing profited or holpen thereby, for what doeth it profitte or auaile vsus, that so manye thousands of men hauehave bin borne from the beginning of the worlde, and are dayly yet borne?
Let vsus nowe marke the words of the Prophete, and consider the person of thys King, and howe fit wordes the Prophete vseth, and howe orderly hée placeth them.
Firste, whereas he sayeth:Christ born very and natural man. a Childe is borne, it is as muche as if hee sayde, verye and naturall man. For the worde Ieled, which he here vseth, signifieth among the Hebrewes an infante or childe newely borne, as hée came from the mother. Whereby is confirmed, that Christ is very natural man, borne of a woman, who hath fleshe, bloude, bones, marrowe, skynne, haire, who liueth, walketh, stādeth, & behaueth himselfe like vntounto another man, yet so, that herein he differeth from al other, yt he is borne without sinne. For as these wordes of the Prophet which we hauehave now in hand, do proue him to be borne very naturall man, so the wordes that go before,Christ born vvithout …nne. do proue him to be born without al spot or blemish of sinne, as where Esaye sayeth that he hath broken the burden, the rod, and the staffe, that is, sinne, death, and the lawe. For it was not méete that he shoulde be borne in sinne, who shoulde destroye sinne, and subdue it to himselfe, otherwise Sinne would hauehave broken him rather, and made him subiect to it own power, as it doth all other men that are borne. It is moste certaine therefore that this Chylde is naturall man, and yet notwithstandyng innocent and holye, and that all whatsoeuer hee hath and doeth is ours. For whereas hée is holye,The innocēcie and holynesse of Christ, is ours. whereas hee is innocente, that holynesse and innocencye is ours, euen as well as if wée possessed it, for as muche as he is borne vntounto vsus: and therewith are wee adorned and clothed before God, as with oure apparell whiche is giuen vntounto vsus, if wee beléeue it to be so. We are innocent therefore, and holy in the innocencie and holinesse of this childe.
He is also a sonne, and giuen vntounto vsus. He saith not that he is a sonne borne, but giuen. Which wordes surely are moste sweete and comfortable: He calleth hym a sonne, whereby he proueth thys King to be not onelyonly Man, but verye naturall God also. He must néeds be another maner of sonne than are the sonnes of al others,Christe very God. forasmuch as he must do so great things as are spoken of before: If so be that al the sonnes of al mē whatsoeuer, were made ours, yet it woulde profitte vsus nothing, séeing that among them al there is not so muche as one, who is not vnderunder the power of sinne, death, and the law. Whereas therfore this sonne shold abolishe death, synne, and the lawe, it is necessary that he be endued wyth diuine power, especially séeing that he must do it, not for his owne sake but for ours, inasmuche as he is giuen vntounto vsus.Hovv Christ vvas borne of a vvoman, yet not of the corrupt seede and nature of man. For to redéeme others from sinnes, death, & the lawe, is the verye power of God. Now if he be a Son and God, al things are in his power, and hee is equall to God. Howbeit that Diuinitie was not borne vntounto vsus, neyther hathe hee it for our cause: he hath receiued it of the father from euerlasting for hymselfe, notwithstanding it is giuen vntounto vsus, that it is also ours. Which if it be ours, what then remaineth that is not oures? as Paule sayeth Rom. 8. Seing that God hathe giuen hys sonne for vsus to death, howe shall he not wyth hym giuegive vsus all things also?
Nowe then we knowe the person of thys king, that hee is verye God and Man, borne also of a virgin. For whatsoeuer is borne of man and woman, is subiect to synne, as it is said Ioh. 3. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. Forasmuch therefore as he shoulde abolishe sinne and death, it behoued that he should not bee borne,*That is, of the corrupte seed & nature of man. of fleshe and bloude, and yet notwithstanding shoulde bee borne very natural man, as Esay here sayeth: VntoUnto vsus a child is borne. Here it was necessary that a meane should be found out & had, that he shold both be borne of a woman, & yet notwithstanding not be born of flesh. Whiche thing came to passe after this sort: His mother was conceiued with childe not by ye power & proper nature of the fleshe, but aboue the course and custome of nature, by the speciall vertue and power of the holye Ghoste, that is, his mother was a virgin, and became with childe wythout the naturall copulation of man: which we confesse in our Créede: which was conceiued by ye holy Ghost &c. Forasmuch therefore as hee became man without sinne hauyng power ouer syn, whom syn could not at any time, euen from ye first instant of his humanity, subdue to it selfe, it was not a thing vnworthye, that he should be also the son of God: For neyther could it be that the son of God should be vnderunder syn, otherwise God himselfe should hauehave become a sinner, and néeded a redéemer as well as we. Who then shoulde hauehave holpen vsus?
And the gouernement is vponupon his shoulder.
The Kingdome of Christ is his Christians,The Kingdome of Christe vvhat it is, and vvhy it is sayd to lye vppon his shoulder. as it is sayde. 1. Pet. 2. Ye are a chosen Generation, a royall priesthoode. And Psal. 2. I will giuegive thee the heathen for thine inheritaunce. And not a fewe such sentences there are in the scripture. Such a Kingdome Esay affyrmeth to lye vppon hys shoulder: first therfore, for that he hathe layed vsus and our sinnes vppon himselfe, and hathe borne them on the Crosse, as it is sayde. 1. Pet. 2. VVho his own selfe bare our synnes in hys body on the tree. And Iohn 1. Behold that lambe of God, which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde. And Luke. 10. The Samaritan putte the man that was halfe dead vponupon his own beaste. Moreouer hee is the shepheard, whiche on his shoulders bringeth home the loste shéepe.
Herof now thou maist easily perceiue,Most comfortable to Christians, that Chryst beareth hi… Kingdome on hys shoulder. how swéete, how comfortable and amiable wordes they are, when as Esay sayeth: The gouernement is vppon his shoulder. He sayeth not that his kingdome is at Ierusalem, Syria, Asia, India, or in anye place of the worlde, but hee sayeth that it lyeth vponupon his shoulder. Wheresoeuer he is, there is his kingdom wholly frée, tyed neyther to any place, tyme, nor person, but to himselfe alone. Moreouer he beareth it with all the infirmities therof, euen as a father doth his childrē, and a shepheard the lambe, neither doth he caste it off bycause of synne, but doth minister vntounto it helpe and remedy. For hys kingdome is a kingdome of Grace, a kingdome of helpe, a kingdome of consolation for al miserable synners. And surely it is a straunge and maruellous kinde of spéeche, when as it is saide, that he beareth his kingdom vponupon his shoulder, and notwithstanding it muste be in the whole worlde. For in all Countries his kingdome muste be gouerned by the Gospell, and yet must euerie where bée borne of him vppon his shoulder. The Princes of this world suffer themselues to be borne and caried of their kingdom, but this king doth lifte vp, beare, guide, place in safetie, and direct them that bee hys. Which is done no otherwise than after this sorte: He did beare vsus al togyther vponupon ye Crosse,Hovve Christ beareth his Kingdome on his shoulder. and now he beareth vsus by the gospel, that is, hee is preached that he did then beare vsus, and obtayned for vsus remission and pardon of our sins, both paste, present, and to come. O what a goodly title is this? Howe full of comforte is thys worthye saying spoken of Christe, that hee beareth hys kingdome vponupon his shoulder? The same meanyng hath that whiche Moses singeth in hys Hymne. Deut. 32. that God hath borne ye people of Israell vppon hys shoulders, that is, he hath delte with them as with infants, he hath brought them vp, nourished them, hath borne their maners and conditions, & hath holpē & succoured thē &c. euē as Christ hath done also vntounto vsus. Therfore also the prophet saith that the rule or gouernment lieth vpō his shoulder, that he may giuegive vsus to vnderstand yt it is a kingdom of Faith. For we sée his back parts behind, we do not behold his face before, as he himself saith vntounto Moses Exod. 33. Thou maist not see my face, but my backe part thou shalt see whē I passe away. So Paul also saith. 1. Cor. 13. Nowe we see through a glasse darkely, but then shal wee see face to face. Hee beareth vsus therefore in faith, so yt although we sée him not, yet we féele his power, wherby he beareth, deliuereth, helpeth and preserueth vsus.
It followeth nowe cōcerning his name.