Through the tender mercy of our God
or "bowels of mercy", to which the forgiveness of sin is owing;
the source and spring of pardon, is the free grace and abundant
mercy of God; it takes its rise from thence, though it is
channelled in the blood and sacrifice of Christ; and which no way
derogates from, but rather heightens the riches of God's grace
and mercy: for it was mercy that moved God to enter into a
covenant with his Son, in which forgiveness of sin is promised;
and it was mercy to set forth his Son, in his eternal purposes
and decrees; and to send him forth in the fulness of time, to
shed his blood for the remission of sins; it was the mercy of God
to us, that provided a lamb for a burnt offering, and then
accepted of the sacrifice and satisfaction of his Son, in our
room and stead, and forgave all our sins, for his sake; and
whatever the pardon of our sins cost God and Christ, it is all
free grace and mercy to us: it is owing not to the absolute mercy
of God, or to the mercy of God as an absolute God, but to the
mercy of "our" God; our God in Christ, our covenant God and
Father, whose bowels yearned towards us, and whose pity is that
of a tender parent: whereby
the day spring from on high hath visited us:
the word (anatolh) , here
used, and is translated "the day spring", is the same which the
Septuagint use, in ( Jeremiah
23:5 ) ( Zechariah
3:8 ) ( 6:12 )
where the Messiah is spoken of, under the name of the "branch":
and undoubtedly the Messiah Jesus, is intended here, who is the
man, that branch, that has grown up out of his place; not from
below, but from above; and who is the phosphorus, or bringer of
light, that bright and morning star, that sun of righteousness,
who has light in himself, and communicates light to others; even
light natural, spiritual, and eternal; and with his rays and
beams of light, life, and love, refreshes, exhilarates, and
warms, the hearts of his people: and by the "visit" he has made
in our "horizon", is meant his assumption of human nature; which,
like a friendly visit, proceeded from pure love to the children
of God; and was a drawing near unto them, for it was a taking on
him their nature, in which he represented their persons; and was
done through much difficulty and great condescension, since he
was in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal
with him; and his stay on earth in this nature, was but for a
little while; so that on all accounts, it may be truly called a
"visit": and which, as the remission of sin is wholly owing to
the tender mercy of our God, who put him upon it, called him to
it, sent him forth made of a woman, and in the likeness of sinful
flesh, to obtain eternal redemption, in which mercy and truth met
together: the end and design of this visit, are signified in the
next verse; for the following words belong to the day spring from
on high, and not to John the Prophet of the Highest.