epithite to the end wee may know what the vse of the Law is namely that God manifests himselfe therein and shewes what a one he will be towards vs and lastly hee there ordaines all things which are needefull for vs to know This then is an excellent commendation of the Law which containes the doctrine of saluation and the rule of a right and happy life And this is the reason why hee iustly forbids vs to turne from it in the least iot as if hee should say Forsake all your superstitions after which these runne so violently They were not content with God alone but sought a thousand inuentions for what will satisfie him that forsakes the Lord Christ speakes also in this sort They haue Moses and the Prophets let them hears them Luke 16.29 For although Abraham bee brought in speaking there yet is it a perpetuall oracle which proceedes out of the mouth of God Wee are inioyned then to heare the Law and the Prophets to the end we should not be carried vp and downe after the curiosities of mans braine neither to desire the knowledge of any thing by meanes of the dead For if the Law and the Prophets sufficed not the Lord would not forbid vs to vse other meanes And hereby we learne that whatsoeuer is added to the word of God ought to be condemned and reiected Why so All our wisdome should be limited within the bounds of Gods word Because it is the Lords wil that we should wholly depend vpon his word and that all our wisdome should bee limited within the bounds thereof If we then listen vnto others we snatch vnto our selues a libertie which he hath forbidden vs and in so doing wee offer him great outrage Now whatsoeuer it is which men shall bee bold to set vp of themselues will bee found nothing else but a corrupting of this word Let vs therefore reiect all other teachers if we minde to obey God And he also shewes further that we shall then be well armed against all idolatries and superstitions when wee relie vpon the Law of the Lord. For as S. Paul calles the word The sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 so also by it ought we to bring Satan and all his inuentions to nought Retire we thither then when the enemies shall assault vs that being armed therewith wee may fight valiantly and at the last ouercome and put them to flight If they speake not c. I will not recite all the diuers expositions of this place because it would be too tedious And indeede the true exposition seemes to mee so sure that it may easilie refute all others The common interpretation is that the wicked doe therefore aduance their lies and set their wiles to sale because there is no light in them that is to say because they are depriued of common sense But for mine owne part I expound it that the faithfull are heereby exhorted to be of good incourage so as if the vnfaithfull agree not to the true doctrine they doe nothing else herein but shew their blindnesse And therfore must we contemne their blockishnesse to the end it may bee no let nor impediment vnto vs as also Christ admonisheth that we should boldly let such blinde guides alone lest we be moued with their blinde obstinacie They are blinde saith he and leaders of the blinde Will you wittingly perish together with them Matth. 15.14 For this cause the Prophet commands that such authoritie be giuen to the word of God to the end wee may boldly despise the whole world if they should gainsay it for by the authoritie thereof wee may condemne the Angels themselues if they should fall into such a sinne If an Angell from heauen should preach any other doctrine let him be accursed saith Paul Gal. 1.8 How much more boldly then may wee condemne men which resist God And this maner of speech also which the Prophet vseth hath great waight if they speake not according to this word because such a one is iudged blind who readily and without resistance imbraceth not this sentence namely That wee must not bee wise beyond the Law of God We must not be wise beyond the law of God Vers 21. Then hee that is afflicted and famished shall * Oâ— shall passe by this Country goe to and fro in it and when he shall be hungry he shall euen fret himselfe and curse his King and his gods and shall looke vpward LEst the faithfull should suffer themselues to be enwrapped in the common errors hee addes how horrible the punishment is which threatneth the wicked when they shall be once reuolted from God and also shall inforce themselues to draw others to the same reuolt with them The place is somewhat obscure but the cause thereof proceeds of this that some haue not weighed the words as they ought to haue done Now the verb Abar hath great weight for by this word To passe he signifies the giddinesse which causeth men to wander so as they are altogether disquieted not being able to stay loÌ„g in any place whatsoeuer We must supplie a noune to the verb indefinit to wit The Iewes shall passe By the pronoune in it he vnderstands the countrie of Iudea which the Lord had preferred aboue all other regions and therefore this may be well inough vnderstood albeit the Prophet hath not expressed it As if he should say I haue promised indeed that this region should be the perpetuall heritage of my people Gen. 12.15 17.8 but they shall be as restles vagabonds and it shall fare with them as with those who being driuen out of their countrie being afflicted with pestilence famine and all maner of miseries do seeke euery where for some place of abode better then their owne but can no where finde it Thus these words are opposed to that singular benefit of God whereof Moses makes mention so often to wit that they should dwell perpetuallie in Iudea for he foretelles here that they shall be vvanderers and vagabonds not in their countrie but in a strange region so as in whatsoeuer place they should ariue they should be assailed and vexed with infinite calamities Affamished It seemes the Prophet speakes of the Iewes conuersion as if he should say After they haue bin thorowly humbled with Gods iudgements they will come to repentance and questionlesse this is the true remedie whereby God for the most part heales the oâ—stinacie of men Notwithstanding if any tâ—inke that by the word hunger the Prophet describes the wrath and stubborne yelling of the wicked it must be obserued that he not only comprehends hunger and thirst but by the figure called Synecdoche all other calamities also By the word To prouoke he signifies that which we haue in our common speech they fret or chafe The meaning is that they shall begin to be displeased in themselues and shall also detest all those succors in which they trusted before and this in deed is the beginning of conuersion
are not iumbled together vnlesse it bee when God smites his people in iustice as we haue said before for in a State well managed men put a difference betweene the master and the seruant Neither can a Commonwealth long stand without buying and selling now to make the poore equall with the rich what is it else but to ouerthrow all humane societie We haue the Prophets meaning then The confusioÌ„ of estates in a kingdome a forerunner of very strange alterations as if he should say All policie shall be abolished because in these ruines the rich should be brought into extreme pouertie To conclude he here sets sorth an horrible destruction after which shall ensue a wonderfull change Vers 3. The earth shall bee cleane emptied and vtterly spoiled for the Lord hath spoken this word HE confirmes that which hee said before and withall admonisheth them that these changes shall not fall out by haphazard as they say but that it shall come to passe by the prouidence and worke of the Lord. He said expresly in the first verse that the Lord was determined to emptie the earth now he tels theÌ„ that it shall so come to passe adding a reason of it to wit because God had spoken the word and therefore it could not be called backe againe Vers 4. The earth lamenteth and fadeth away the world is feebled and decayed the * Or high proud people of the world are weakened THe Prophet holds on his speech still for all these words serue to lay forth the maner of the ruine of the whole earth that is to say so much as was knowne to the Iewes Now hee sets out this iudgement of God vnder borrowed speeches more familiarly that he might awaken the drowsie as hee is wont to doe By the high people we may vnderstand those which were more excellent then others for that was a matter of greater wonder then if some people of a base condition had been destroyed Notwithstanding if any be pleased to expound it particularly of the Iewes I will not gainesay them for albeit the Assyrians and Egyptians exceeded them in riches and power yet notwithstanding the Iewes were higher then they in regard that God had adopted them for his owne Yet the other exposition pleaseth mee better for so his meaning is that God will not onely punish them of meane estate but those also that are aduanced to honour and dignitie aboue others Vers 5. The earth also deceiueth because of the inhabitants thereof for they transgressed the lawes they changed the ordinances and brake the euerlasting couenant OThers translate The earth is polluted because the verbe Caneph signifies to be wicked both senses may agree but the verse following requires that wee expound it The earth deceiueth For hee seemes to amplifie it further by and by after when hee saith Vers 6. that the curse hath deuoured the earth There is no great hardnesse in the word Tacath whether we translate it Vnder or Because of her inhabitants Now there is a mutual traffique as it were betweene the earth and those that labour in it so as she ought to render theÌ„ that which she hath receiued into her bowels with vsurie for otherwise shee deceiues them but she yeelds a reason why she deceiues when shee laies the blame vpon the inhabitants for themselues haue made her barren by their wickednesse Mens sinnes the cause of the earths barrennesse Our sinne is the cause why the earth sustaines vs not nor brings forth her increase as God hath ordained by the course of nature His will is that shee should be a mother vnto vs to the end she may yeeld vs food now if she change her nature and course or degenerates from her fruitfulnesse let vs impute that to our owne wickednesse because we our selues ouerthrow that order which God hath set for otherwise the earth would neuer deceiue but would alwaies render vs that which she ought The cause is by and by added why the earth is become vnfaithfull and deceiues her inhabitants for is it not good reason they should be defrauded of their prouision of food that will defraud God their Father and sustainer of his honour Now he taxeth the reuolt of his nation heere in a particular manner for their fault was much more heinous and lesse excusable then all the sinnes of those which were neuer taught in God his schoole The word Thâ—rah is transferred to the law because it signifies doctrine but it is heere put in the plurall number and signifies all the doctrine that is comprehended in the law Now because the Law consists as well in Commandements as promises the Prophet addes two other words or parts of it to make his meaning the more plaine The word Chok signifies an Ordinance and by it some vnderstand the Ceremonies others Maners Wee may translate it Instructions foâ— I take it not only for Ceremonies but for all things that belong to the rules of good life Thirdly he puts the word Berith which signifies a bargaine or couenant This word is to be restrained to the couenants whereby the Lord adopting his people promised to be their God He reprocheth their vnthankfulnes then because that albeit the Lord had manifested himselfe vnto them diuers waies and had giuen them singular testimonies of his loue yet were they rebellious and wanton transgressing his lawes and violating his holy couenant Quest But why directs he his speech to the Iewes Because he knew that he was sent vnto them as their Prophet to teach them Ans Hence wee may gather what the rule of a well ordered life is The rule of a well ordered life described for it is conteined in the Law which we must precisely follow if we will approue our doings vnto God if we turne from it to the right hand or to the left we are guiltie of transgression Wee may also obserue that God would not only haue vs to thinke vpon his Lawes and Commandements in his word but also vpon his Couenant The principall part of the word consists in the promises for the principall part of the word consists in the promises by which hee adopts and receiues vs for his people Now it is not to be doubted but in these varietie of words the Prophet meant to amplifie the matter as if he should say You are whollie corrupt nothing remaines sound amongst you Why he calls it an euerlasting couenant He calles it the euerlasting couenant because it ought to be perpetuall inuiolable and to indure for euer for it ought to continue alwaies from the father to the sonne that the memorie of it might neuer be lost but might be preserued stedfast in all ages He laies forth their disloyaltie then and malice in that they durst violate the Couenant made betweene God and them and ouerthrow the things which the Lord would haue kept sure and stedfast This was odious no maruell then if the earth auenge her selfe of such an impietie by
life both for himselfe and his And thus the Prophet shewes that both the head and the members shall liue eternally The vvill of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This word hand is often taken for ministrie as where it is said that the Lord gaue the Law by the hand of Moses Numb 36.13 Also the Lord did this by the hand of Dauid 2. Sam 3.18 meaning that he vsed his seruice In this sort also shall the will of the Lord prosper in the hand of Christ that is to say the Lord vvill cause Christs ministrie to bring forth his fruit that it may not seeme he was exposed to so many cruell torments in vaine Vnder these foure or fiue words is comprehended a very large and ample doctrine which euery one may collect by himselfe for wee will content our selues now with expounding the text onely The vvill of the Lord is taken in the same sense heere as it was in the former member for he vseth the word Kephets which signifies a franke and liberall affection full of mercy This text then sets two benefits of God before vs First that hee spared not his owne Sonne Two benefits se before vs in this verse but deliuered him vp for our sakes to redeeme vs from death Rom. 8.32 Secondly that he suffers not this his death to be fruitlesse and vnprofitable but causeth it to fructifie very largely for vvhat benefit should vve reape thereby vnlesse vvee felt the power and efficacie thereof in our selues Vers 11. He shall see the trauaile of his soule and shall bee satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities The former argument further prosecuted ISaiah prosecutes the same argument For he shews that after Christ hath suffered death he shall reape the fruit thereof from the saluation of men To the words shall see therefore must be supplied the fruit and efficacie Surely these things containe wonderful consolation in them for Isaiah could no way better expresse Christs infinit loue to vs then in shewing that hee takes a singular pleasure in the worke of our saluation and doth herein as it were refresh himselfe as with the fruits of his owne labours Euen as one that reioiceth to see that which aboue all things hee desired to inioy◠as if nothing but that could content him In the next place he shewes the meanes by which we may feele the vertue and power of Christs death to wit by his knowledge This word knowledge or doctrine may be read in a double sense to wit in the actiue or passiue but in whether of them you reade it we shall easilie see the Prophets meaning Neither shall the Iewes be able to cauill so impudently but wee will force them to confesse that which is heere said to wit that Christ is the onely Doctor and author of righteousnesse for the Prophet manifests so much by the effect saying that he shall iustifie many Thus then men shall not only learne in the schoole of Christ to define what this righteousnes is but themselues also shall be made iust Note really and effectually thereby The difference betweene the righteousnes of the law and that of faith And heere behold the difference between the righteousnes of the law and that of faith For albeit the law shewes what it it to bee iust yet Saint Paul shewes it is impossible to obtaine righteousnes by it Which he proues by experience in regard the law is but a looking glasse seruing to manifest vnto vs our owne vnrighteousnesse Rom. 3.9 10. But the doctrine to obtaine the righteousnesse which Christ sets before vs is nothing else but a knovvledge of him to wit faith that is when we accept the benefit of his death and doe wholly rest our selues therein Philosophers The Philosophers giue many goodly precepts wherein they thinke all iustice is comprehended but they were neuer able yet to make any man righteous by them For where is he that had euer yet the power to liue according to their rules It is a small matter to know wherein true iustice consists vnlesse therewithall we taste the benefit of it But to let the Philosophers passe The Law conferres righteousnes to none we see the law it selfe which containes a perfect rule of a godly life is not able to conferre righteousnesse as we haue said Not because there is any want in it for Moses testified and protested that hee did set before them in it good and euill life and death Deut. 30.19 But the law is vnable to confer righteousnes to vs Why the law is vnable to confer grace in regard of the corruption of our nature as S. Paul well affirmes that this impossibilitie proceeds from our flesh and not from me law Rom. 8.3 For our nature is enmitie vnto it and our lusts ouercarry vs violētly as wild beasts to rush against the commandement of God And thus the lavv ingenders vvrath rather then righteousnesse Rom. 4.15 The law then condemnes all men and hauing discouered their sinne makes them without excuse We must therefore seeke out another meane whereby to obtaine righteousnes namely Christ our righteousnes Ier. 23.6 33.16 in Christ himselfe whom the very law points vs vnto as to the end of it Rom. 10.4 But what is that righteousnes of the law Doe these things and thou shalt liue Leuit. 18.5 Gal. 3.12 But none can doe them Then you must seeke another righteousnes which S. Paul collects out of a place of Moses The word is neere thee in thy mouth and in thine heart This is the word of faith which wee preach Deut. 30.14 Rom. 10.8 By this doctrine we are iustified not as it is nakedly and barely propounded but as it offers vnto vs Christ and all his benefits by which our sinnes are done away and we set at peace with God for if vvee imbrace this benefit by faith vve are reputed iust before him And our Prophet also expounds his owne meaning in shewing wherein this knowledge consists for these two members must be ioined together By his doctrine or by the knovvledge of himselfe he shall iustifie many because he shall beare their iniquities For as hee hath once offered himselfe for the purgation of all our iniquities so now hee daily allures vs to receiue the fruit of his death by the preaching of the Gospell The publishing of which his death and passion is the substance and foundation thereof that by bearing of it wee might be iustified Saint Paul also accords very well with this sentence of the Prophet For hauing shewed that Christ was offered for the remission of our sinnes that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him hee addes we are ambassadors for Christ and do beseech you that you will be reconciled vnto God 2. Cor. 5.20 My righteous seruant The Prophet teacheth that Christ iustifies vs not onely as he is God but also as he is man Christ iustifies
to rage and the guilt and scruples of their consciences astonish them He hath very aptly then compared the wicked to the raging sea He that would escape and auoid these tempests and horrible boiling of spirit let him beware how hee reiects this peace which the Lord offers him There is no meane betweene these two for vnlesse wee abandon all our lusts to entertaine this peace we must of necessitie be continually tormented and vexed after an horrible maner Vers 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked THe Prophet confirmes the former sentence namely A confirmation of the former denunciation that the wicked shall gaine nothing in seeking this peace for they shall haue alarums rung in their eares on euerie side and in regard that God makes warre vpon them therefore they shall but lose their labour to hope for peace I grant the vvicked would with all their hearts inioy peace yea they much desire it For what seeke they else in this world but to be secured and to rocke their consciences asleepe that they may take their fill of pleasures and giue themselues ouer without checke vnto all lasciuiousnesse They indeuor to banish frō them al thoughts of Gods iudgements What course the wicked take to attaine peace and would faine become senslesse and these they take to be the true meanes whereby to obtaine peace but they shall neuer this way inioy it for till they be reconciled vnto God in Christ their consciences will euer be galling them and they shall not cease to be molested with the accusations thereof And thus hee brings in God the onely author of peace who by this terrible sentence takes from the Iewes their peace and calles him his God opposing it against their vaine glory who falsly couered themselues vnder such titles For they could not be said to haue any knowledge of God whilest they reiected both his Prophet and doctrine and therefore Isaiah is bold by Gods expresse commandement to proclaime open warre against them THE LVIII CHAPTER Vers 1. Cry aloud spare not lift vp thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes This Chapter depends vpon the former THis present Chapter was ill diuided in regard this is knit vnto the former so as if we will vnderstand the Prophets meaning wee must reade this as if there were no breking off Isaiah hath testified that the people should be so chastised that yet some hope of peace remained fot them Now hee confirmes this doctrine and teacheth that the Lord hath charged him to cry out of the throte A plaine gosier or as wee commonly say in our speech with open throte To what end Forsooth to shew the people their sinnes Neither speakes hee onely of the lifting vp of the voice but of that vehemencie and seueritie of speech whereof hypocrites stand especially in need as if God thundered vpon them from heauen For they flatter themselues in their vices if they be not rounly dealt withall and bee forced to come into the light nay no good is to bee done vpon them vnlesse they bee laid vpon with maine blowes Where he addes spare not it is a forme of speech much vsed among the Hebrewes I speake and will not hold my peace as we also commonly say Cry without ceasing We haue told you that the Prophet speakes not heere simply of the sound of the voice Crie sans espargner but signifies a sharpe biting kind of reprehension wherewith hypocrites must be galled to the quicke as for example if the Prophets should onely propound the Law of the Lord and shew wherein the rule of a well ordered life consists should fall into the praise of Gods worshippe and without any vehemencie reprooue iniquities what would hypocrites haue been the better for such a cold manner of preaching For their consciences are so drowsie that they cannot be awakened but with loud and shrill cries A cold maner of preaching then would doe them no good vnlesse they were sharply pressed and thundered vpon with terrible threats Saint Paul imitating the Prophets hauing proued all mankind guiltie and worthy of death he riseth vp with great vehemencie against such as had some appearance of holinesse and yet abused Gods patience Behold saith he thou art called a Iew and restest in the Law and gloriest in God thou knowest his will and approuest the things that are excellent being instructed in the Law Thou takest vpon thee to be a leader of the blind a light to such as are in darknesse an instructer of the ignorant and an instructer of them that lacke discretion hauing a forme of knowledge of the truth in the Law But thou which teachest others teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest another should not steale yet doest thou steale c. Rom. 2. Against such in conclusion hee denounceth iudgement and the horrible vengeance of God because they abused Gods goodnesse and gloried in his name in vaine Likewise in this place the Prophet taxeth the Iewes in particular who gloried in the name of the Lord and in the meane while rose vp in armes against him This is the course then that must be taken with hypocrites who content themselues with an outward maske of holinesse if wee meane to discharge our duties profitably and as we ought And euen as the Lord hath exercised his Prophets in this combat so mus◠wee also at this day be in like maner exercised that we may not feare the faces of hypocrites nor content our selues to haue reproued them lightly in two or three words but to cry aloud with might and maine against them But may some say If the Lord command such to be reproued for their sinnes Obiect to whom he promiseth peace then no doubt but his meaning was to leaue them some hope of saluation and yet it is out of question that this speech is directed to the reprobates against whom before he proclaimed open war I answere the faithfull were then few in number for a small remnant only imbraced this peace which was offered them When Isaiah then giues hope of a peace neere hand he had respect to that little flocke when he proclaimed warre that was to terrifie the multitude who were reuolted from God and contemned all admonitions For the state of the people was such that nothing was sound nor pure among them as we haue seene in chap. 1.21 He mentions the house of Jacob in regard the most of the people were corrupted Now this distinction in the Prophets Sermons is diligently to be noted of vs in that they now speake to the whole bodie of the people and by and by restraine their speech to a small number of the faithfull But it is not without a very sharpe and biting reproch that hee calles those his people and the children of Iacob which were degenerate from their originall and had shamefully reuolted from the faith of the Patriarks This
remaines alwaies the same For if it be asked Who reedifed Ierusalem Truly it was this people But out of this infinite multitude God culled out an handfull and cut off all the rest Some thinke that the Cities should not be big enough to containe so many people for which cause they should be forced to build those againe which were throwne downe before But this seemes too farre fetched By the foundations from generation to generation whereof he speakes in the second member some thinke that the Prophet only repeates that which he said before and so expound foundations of generations because they had a long time bin ouerthrowne in regard these buildings were forthwith to be reedified and set vp but many impediments should come betweene that should cause the worke to cease notwithstanding this may be referred to the time to come thus Thou shalt reare vp the buildings which shall remaine for a long space for he seemes to promise vnto the Church such an estate as shal continue a long while as if he should say other buildings stand not long but this shall indure for many generations If any had rather referre it to the time past I gainsay him not And thou shalt be called The Prophet here comprehends two points First that the people should resemble a ruinous building Secondly that they should shortly be built againe But he attributes to the Iewes that they shall be the repairers and directors of the paths in regard the Lord shall vse their seruice to that end Wee haue heere then an excellent promise namely that the ruins of the Church shall be gathered againe together and repaired Now seeing the Lord will vse our selues in this worke let nothing hinder vs from imploying our whole seruices this way And albeit the world resist and scorne vs as witlesse people yet let vs be of good courage and ouercome all these impediments For we must be valiant and bold when we know it is the Lords vvorke who hath enioined vs thus to doe Vers 13. If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will on mine holy day and call the Sabbath * Or delites a delite to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honor him not doing thine owne wayes nor speaking * Or thy words a vaine word SOme thinke the Prophet hath respect to the outward obseruation of the Sabbath because it was not lawfull to trauaile on that day Now howsoeuer I reiect not this yet I take it that the sense hath a larger extent for vnder the figure Synecdoche he signifies the whole course of mans life it being a thing well knowne to all that by vvalking our whole conuersation is vnderstood He saith then If thou ceasest to follow thine owne swinge if thou shut vp all passage against thy selfe vvalke not vvhither thy fantasie leades thee c. For they are said to turne their feete from the Sabbath who impose not this law vpon themselues namely not to wander whither their vnbridled lusts would carrie them Now as before vnder the fast he comprehended all ceremonies and shewed that these disguisings in which they placed their holines were nothing but vain and vnprofitable things so in this place he shewes wherein the true obseruation of the Sabbath consists to the end they should not thinke it to be in the outward rest from bodily labor but in the true renouncing of our selues that is in abstaining from all wickednes violence voluptuousnes and euill thoughts First by the word foote he meanes their works for the Iewes durst not trauaile nor dresse any flesh vpon the Sabbath day and yet they made no scruple at all to vex their poore neighbors and to scorne the afflicted notwithstanding he comes forthwith to speake of the vvill and vvords that he might comprehend all the parts of that obediēce which is due vnto God The word delights ought to be referred vnto God and not to men For there is nothing which pleaseth him better or is more acceptable vnto him then the obseruation of the Sabbath and his pure worship He carefullie repeates that men do much ouershute themselues if they cōtemne the commandements of God to set vp their vnprofitable workes in the stead thereof and also admonisheth vs to suffer our selues to be gouerned by his only will Moreouer he mentions some particulars whereby he shewes that the true obseruation of the Sabbath consists in the renouncing of ouer selues and in the conuersion of the whole man and therefore he layes the vvill for the foundation that from thence may flow vvords and deeds for we lightly vtter the conceptions of our vnderstandings and by our vvords we manifest our vvill then followe the actions Whosoeuer then will indeuor to serue God as he ought he must first of necessitie whollie renounce his will and carnall reason Hence we see wherefore the Lord so oft requires the obseruation of the Sabbath in the Scriptures Exod. 20.13 Doubtlesse he looked higher then to the externall ceremonie which is this rest in which the Iewes placed a worke of great holinesse No he rather meant that hauing put off all the concupiscences of the flesh and renounced all their inordinate affections For a more particular explication and application of this 13. verse see Widley vpō the Sabbath Lib. 2. Chap. 4. Sect. 2. they should testifie their sincere obedience For in truth that man can neuer be said to meditate aright of the heauenly life that is not dead both to the world and to himselfe Now howsoeuer this ceremonie bee abolished yet the substance remaines For Christ is dead and risen againe to the end we might keepe a perpetuall Sabbath that we cease from our own workes to suffer the Spirit of grace to worke powerfully in vs. Vers 14. Then shalt thou delight in the Lord and I will cause thee to mount vpon the high places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iaakob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it THen shalt thou delight It seemes he alludes to the word delights in the former verse For the word Tithannagh which the Prophet vseth comes of the word Onegh which hee vsed in vers 12. in saying that the Lord tooke great delights in the true obseruation of the Sabbath In a word his meaning is that the people receiued no delight from God because they prouoked him to anger would not obey his will For if wee square our liues according to the rules of Gods Law wee shall be his delights and hee shall be our ioy and contentment He testifies then that the Iewes are the cause themselues that God takes no more pleasure in them also that their owne liues are so comfortlesse By this then hee priuily reprocheth the Iewes namely that through their owne folly they haue drawne downe so many calamities vpon them Afterwards he addes that they shall mount vpon the high places of the earth thereby promising vnto them their returne
many texts that are contained in other bookes of the holy Scripture as they will also be most helpefull to giue the true sense of the Prophet Isaiah which hath mooued mee good Reader to bestow my paines in translating the whole anew into French lest such among you as vnderstand not the Latin tongue should be depriued of so great a benefit Reade and profit thereby in the feare of God A PREFACE TO THE PROPHECIE OF ISAIAH BY Mr. IOHN CALVIN THey haue been wont to spend many words in setting forth the office of the Prophets The Prophets ground their doctrin vpon the law But I see no readier way then to referre them to the law whence their doctrine is drawne as the riuers from the fountaines For they set the law before them for their imitation so as by good right we may affirme and hold them to be the expositors thereof in whom there is nothing separate from it Whereof they are the Expositors The law containes three points Now the Law containes three points First the doctrine of life secondly the threatnings and promises thirdly the couenant of grace which is founded in Christ For as touching the Ceremonies they were exercises by which the people were held in the seruice of God and in godlinesse according to the Contents of the first Table The Prophets then expound the doctrine thereof more at large and lay that foorth in more plaine termes which is brieflie contained in the two tables teaching that which the Lord principallie requires As touching the threatnings Threatnings and promises Promises which Moses touched in generall they applie them to their owne times and describe them particularly Lastlie that which is said obscurely in Moses touching Christ and his grace they set it foorth more perspicuouslie and alleage more ample and abundant testimonies of the free couenant But that the thing may be more cleere we must fetch the matter further off namely from the Law it selfe which God ordained as a perpetuall rule for his Church that it might alwaies be in mens hands and that all their successors should follow it Now because this doctrin of the law sufficed not this obstinate vnruly people the Lord also foreseeing that they would neuer be held in vnlesse it were by some bridle hee addes a prohibition Prohibitions not to seeke to Magitians Southsayers Inchanters Sorcerers nor to such as regard the times or the flying of birds Deut. 18.9.10.11.12 to such as asked counsell of familiar spirits or at the dead because such things were an abomination to the Lord. And to preuent the replies which they might make namely that their condition should be worse then that of the infidels who had their Southsayers Astrologers Sacrificers and such like of whom they might aske aduice and counsel but they shuld be destituted of any that might be able to giue them satisfaction in doubtful and intricat causes herein to take away al pretext that they might not defile themselues in these execrable customes of the Gentiles God promiseth to raise them vp Prophets Deut. 18. by whom he wil manifest his wil who also shall faithfully teach them whatsoeuer hee shall giue them in charge that they might haue no cause to complaine for the time to come as if any thing were wanting vnto them I grant that in that place Moses mentions a Prophet and not Prophets Notwithstanding it is a change of the number to wit the singular for the plurall a thing common in the Scriptures And howsoeuer the place ought properly and principally to bee vnderstood of Christ as S. Peter expounds it Act. 3. in regard he is the Prince of the Prophets and that all of them with their doctrine also depend vpon him and with one consent aime at him yet by this name which is collectiue it also comprehends the rest of the Prophets The Lord then hauing promised them Prophets by whom hee would declare vnto them his counsell and will he commanded the people to rest in their exposition and doctrine Not that the Prophets should adde any thing to the law but that they should faithfully expound the same and conserue the authoritie thereof Whence also it is that Malachi exhorting the people to persist in that doctrine Mal. 4.4 saith or rather God by him Remember the Law of Moses my seruant which I gaue him in Horeb for all Israel Thus bringing them backe to Gods law only and commanding them to be content therewith But would Malachi haue them to despise the Prophets then No. But forasmuch as the prophesies are dependances of the law and that the law summarilie comprehends them all this exhortation sufficed For such as are well acquainted with the summe of the doctrine and principall heads of it hauing their willes well inclined thereto it is certaine that they will not contemne the prophesies for it were a thing too fond to boast of hauing affection to the law and yet in the meane while not to make any account of the diuine interpretation thereof such as are some at this day who are so shamelesse Note that they dare brag of louing Gods law and the whilest cannot endure to bee admonished or reprehended by the doctrine which is drawne and collected from the same Thus when the Prophets deale with mens manners they bring in no new thing The first table but explane those things which were misunderstood in the law As for example the people thought they had done their duties to the vtmost when they had offered sacrifices and obserued the ceremonies for the world is wont alwaies to measure God according to their owne ell and to botch him vp a carnall seruice This corruption the Prophets reprooue sharpely shewing that all ceremonies are nothing where the integritie of the heart is wanting and that God will be worshipped by faith and a right inuocating of his name This was manifested to them plainely enough in the law but it was needfull it should take a deeper impression and that they should be put againe in mind of it The hypocrisie The second tâ—ble wherewith men maske themselues vnder the vaile of ceremonies was to be discouered As touching the second table the Prophets thence drew their exhortations shewing how all wrong fraud and violence was to be abandoned The Prophets office then was nothing else but to hold the people in obedience to Gods law In the threatnings Threatnings and promises they haue something more speciall For what Moses propounded in generall they describe in particular Besides they had visions Visions which were proper to them by which the Lord reuealed things to come that so they might applie the promise and threatnings to the peoples vse and might further assure them of Gods will Moses Moses threatens God will pursue thee with the sword the enemies shall vex thee without and within domesticall contentions shall annoy thee Thy life shall hang as by a thread thou shalt tremble
a terrible and grieuous threatning to wit that the vengeance of God is readie to sease vpon them to the end they might feele that the contemners of God shall not remaine vnpunished We must also note that there is but one only rule of well liuing that is the obedience which wee yeeld vnto God and to his word Also in these words there is a traÌ„sported sentence by a figure which wee call Hypallage because the speech should be resolued thus If you be of a readie mind and haue full consent of will to obey or else thus and yet in the same sense If ye hearken and obey me and my word Seing then that God placeth the felicitie of men in obedience it followes that our life is then well ordered when wee heare God speakâ—ng and that we obey him in all things Now wee may see how great the wickednes of men is when they vouchsafe not to lend their eare to God but reiect the felicitie which hee offereth and prepareth for them Truely their froward affections ought to bee timed to the end that whilst these poore wretches draw the wrath of God vpon their owne heads they might not wittingly and willingly cast themselues headlong vpon the edge of the sword Wee must note also that in the verse followin g which is the conclusion he threatens them with extreame ruine if so be they still continue to rebell obstinately against God The good things of the earth He meanes the fruites which the earth brings forth for the necessitie of our life For the earth seemes to bee somewhat vnkind when it brings not forth her fruites but keeps them as it were in her bosome Although I make no question but hee alludes to the promises of the law where God promiseth that he will blesse the ground of such as walke in his commandements that they may haue abundance of all good things And yet hee offereth not the commodities of this life vnto vs to the end he would stay vs in an earthly felicity which hypocrits indeed only gape after wholly imploying all their wits thereabouts but that by the contemplation thereof we should lift vp our minds to the heauenly and spirituall felicity as also that by the taste of his so great goodnes he might accustome vs to rellish the estate of eternall happines Now the ancient people were inured rather to be called by such shadowes and resemblances to the heauenly inheritance namely by the taste of earthly benefits And this difference is well to be noted that we may applie this doctrine to our vse according to that degree whereunto God hath been pleased to exalt vs. Now the Prophet would teach vs that true felicity with the complements thereof consists in the obedience of God also that the wicked in rebelling against him doe draw vpon themselues all manner of calamities and that we therfore ought to impute all the euils which we endure to our sinnes and rebellions as to the proper cause thereof Vers 20. But if yee refuse and be rebellious yee shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it TThe wicked alwaies thinke the punishments which they suffer are farre greater then their fault although God deale mercifully and fauourably with them And howsoeuer they dare not wholly iustifie themselues yet notwithstanding they cease not as we haue said heretofore to accuse him of too great seueritie But the Prophet shewes how there shall bee no end of their plagues which they often suffer till they bee wholly consumed as also that there are yet more heauie chastisements prepared for them of God that they should not imagine to escape with those light fillips wherewith they were hitherto smitten The Papists wrest this place to establish their free will And thus they reason If men be happie when they will obey God then it followes that it is in their owne power to will Behold a childish argument For the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet disputes not what or how great our power of will is to good or euill but admonisheth that it is by our owne default that we enioy not the abundance of all good things and further that the necessities wherewith wee bee pinched are the iust rewards of our disobedience and rebellion Now there is great ods betwixt demanding whether a man bee able to make his will which is euill good and whether by his wicked will which is his owne by nature hee drawes vpon himselfe all the plagues which he endureth These subtile and craftie doctors therfore do vniustly and falselie ground their doctrine of free choice of good and euill vpon this place For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Because threatnings ordinarily doe not much moue such as are carried away with their inordinate desires and lusts the Prophet to the end he might awaken them from out of their so great drousines admonisheth them that this sentence proceeds not from the mouth of a mortall man but that it is come out of the mouth of the eternall God who is not mutable as men are but is alwaies as good as his word He sets the authoritie of God before them then to feare and terrifie them to the end that such among them as were fallen into a dead sleepe in their vices might earnestly giue themselues to hearken to his threatnings Vers 21. How is the faithfull citie become an harlot It was full of iudgement and iustice lodged therin but now they are murtherers TO the end the reprehension might be the more forcible and that their wickednes might be the more detestable in that this people were thus reuolted from God and from all integritie and vprightnes he cries out as if he saw some strange and vnwonted thing And surely it was an horrible change that the people whom the Lord had chosen and set apart to bee a royall priesthood to himselfe should thus fal from so soueraigne pietie and godlines into the gulfe and sincke of all sinne and wickednes But he speakes chieflie of the citie of Ierusalem which was the royall seate of the Sanctuarie of God hee complaines that she which heretofore was a faithfull gardian of iustice is now become a denne of theeues and that of an holy and chast virgin she is become an harlot To the ende therefore hee might make the bastard Iewes who were farre from the integritie of the holy Patriarks the more ashamed hee takes vnto himselfe the person of a man astonished who wondreth and reasoneth with himselfe how such a thing could come to passe Also in this word faithfull hee alludes as I thinke to the faith in mariage which the wife ought to keepe to her husband I grant that the signification of the word reacheth further but waying the circumstance narrowly I thinke it not amisse to take the word faithfull for chaste For a little after he opposeth the contrarie member calling her harlot So as being in times past a loyall wife keeping faith to her
the vanitie of men is who lay out an infinite masse of money to build pallaces which yet will one day bee nests and dens for nightcrowes owles mise and such like beasts These things are dayly before our eyes and yet wee take none of them to heart to grow the wiser by them There fall out so many and sodaine changes so many houses desolate so many cities wasted and laid on heapes lastly so many other and so euidēt signes of God his iudgements and yet notwithstanding men can not bee withdrawne nor weaned from this insatiable greedinesse of coueting The Lord threatneth by the Prophet Amos You haue built you houses of hewen stone but you shall not dwell in them Also he shall smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts Amos 5.11 and 6.11 This falls out day by day and yet the inordinate affections of men can not be aswaged Vers 10. For ten acres of vines shall yeeld one bath and the seed of an omer shall yeeld an epha HE teacheth that the like shall befall to the fields and vines namely that the couetous shal not inioy their reuenues which they desire because their lust is insatiable yea so as by their rauening they shall destroy the fruits of the earth euen as certaine beasts doe cause the buds of the vine and eares of corne to burne and moulder away by their breath The fields therefore shall be so barren that they shall hardly yeeld againe the tenth part of their seed The vines also shall yeeld very little wine A bath is a certaine measure of moist things as Iosephus witnesseth now it conteines 72. english halfe pints which measure is very little for ten acres and principallie in a fat soyle An omer is a certaine measure of drie things and also conteines as the same Author saith 31. bushels Epha is the tenth part thereof whereby it appeares that it conteines a little more then three bushels And yet notwithstanding in good ground one doth not only gather ten times as much but thirtie times more then was sowen and in ordinarie ground much more then it receiued when it comes otherwise to passe no doubt it is a certain signe of the curse of God who auengeth himselfe of the insatiable couetousnes of men and they notwithstanding lay the fault in the badnes of the soyle as if that were the cause but all in vaine because we shall not want ouerplus if the Lord do not curse the earth for the couetousnes of them that dwell in it When they gather together and heape vp so carefully what doe they else but swallow vp the benefits of God by their greedinesse And though this vice be not seene in all because they are not able yet the affection thereof is not wanting for the world was neuer more set on fire with this coueting Is it any wonder then if it haue experience of this punishment of God Vers 11. Woe vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunckenes and to them that continue vntil the night til the wine do inflame them IT was not the Prophets meaning to reckon vp all the sinnes heere which then raigned but he only toucheth some perticulars vnto the which they were most addicted and hauing handled the generall doctrine it was necessarie to come to application yea and to touch those things which were chiefest because there would haue been no end if he should haue prosecuted them all one after another After that he hath reproued the vice of couetousnes he speakes against gurmandizing which was then a very common sinne among them for he makes choise not only of such perticular vices which were in one or two personages but of such as reigned commonly euery where And the truth is that these vices are so contagious that they infect the whole body To rise betimes signifies as much as to do some thing carefully as it is sayd in Salomon Woe to the people whose Princes eate in the morning that is to say who place their chiefe care in feeding their belly and in inioying their voluptuousnes Eccle. 10.16 now this is nothing else but to ouerturne the whole order of nature For as Dauid saith Man ought to rise in the morning to goe to his worke and to wait vpon his busines till the euening Psal 104.23 Men must not rise in the morning to be idle but to labor But if he rise to do nothing but to take his pleasures and to giue himselfe to follow drunkennes it is monstruous He addes that they continue till the euening As if he should say from morning to night they continued in their drinkings and were neuer weary in gouzelling in of wine Now abundance and excesse are ioyned together because where all things abound there men abuse them to excesse and intemperancie Vers 12. And the harp and the violl timbrill and pipe and wine are in their feasts but they regard not the worke of the Lord neither consider the worke of his hands HE addes Instruments with voluptuousnes by which men giuen to gurmandise prouoked their apppetit It may be these Instruments were differing from ours yet notwithstanding they appertained to Musick which Isaiah condemnes not for it is an arte in no wise to be contemned Musick in it selfe not to be condemned but he painteth forth a people ouerflowing in all sorts of superfluitie and who gaue themselues libertie to take all their delights which sufficientlie appeares by that which followes But they regard not As if he should say they so wallowed themselues in their delights and were so giued to their pleasures that it seemed they were begotten and brought vp in them neuer thinking wherefore God gaue them things conuenient For men were not sent into the world to eate and drink We are not put into this world to plunge our selues in delights but rather that we should studie how to please God to plunge themselues in dissolutions but to obey God and to serue him in reuerence to acknowledge his benefits and to studie how to please him in all things but when they ouerflow in excesse daunsing and singing without any other drift then to passe their life in iolitie they are worse then brute beasts for they consider not to what end God created them neither how he gouernes the world by his prouidence vnto which marke all that we do in our life ought to tend I thinke it enough that I haue laid forth that sence which I take to be the most plaine because I cannot receiue other mens accute interpretations Among others theirs who by the worke of the Lord vnderstand the law Neither am I purposed to recite euery mans opinion It sufficeth to hold that the Prophet laies this reproch vpon such as gaue themselues to surfetting so as they willingly became brutish when they withdrew their minds from God who was the author of life Vers 13. Therefore my people is gone into captiuitie because they had no knowledge and the glorie
thereof are men famished and the multitude is dried vp with thirst I Allow not the exposition of some interpreters namely as if the people fell into many vices through ignorance and error because the teachers had their mouthes shut vp which in the end was the cause of their ruine No he rather sets himselfe against a grosse and voluntarie ignorance as if hee should say They drew their destruction vpon themselues by their owne follie The sence is then that the people shall perish because they had despised instruction whereas they might haue been at their ease if they would haue beleeued good counsell And therefore the Prophet expresely saith My people because they were seperate from other nations by a singular priuiledge to the end they being kept and guided vnder God might hold a right manner of good life As it is said in Deut. 4.7 What nation is so great that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous or to whom the gods come so neere vnto them as the Lord thy God is neere at this day vnto thee This shall be your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of all the people to heare your God Such profanenesse therefore greatlie agrauates the crime that this people should bee starke blind in the midst of so great light And therfore this accusation namely That the people which God had taken into his charge should bee without knowledge was very grieuous For the law was euery way sufficient for the direction of their whole life seeing it is a shining light amiddest the common darkenes of this world And therefore it was a monstrous thing that the people would not giue themselues to walke in the way which was set before them but rather wilfully cast themselues headlong into destruction The Prophet now to their reproch telles them that they ought to impute all the calamities wâ—ich they indured to their owne default because they refused to bend their eare to God who would so faithfully haue taught them Whereas some expound the word Captiuitie by a metaphor it seemes too strict because the Prophet here describes the punishment wherewith God did smite this people in part and wherewith hee determined to smite them afterward to the end hee might plainely shew that the people was miserable by reason of their sin as if they had in a manner wished the curse of God to fal vpoÌ„ them When the Prophet made this Sermon there were some of the tribes gone into captiuitie alreadie Also the destructions of both kingdomes did approch And therefore the Prophet speakes as if they had been all now presently in Babilon Lastly he addes another scourge to wit that not onely the common people but also the most excellent among them should be dried vp with famine and want wherein the vengeance of God would be the more apparant For it was an horrible spectacle to see the rich and chiefe men in whom consisted the credit of the whole nation to wander vp and downe dying for hunger And yet God passed not measure in executing so rigorous a iudgement vpon them because wee must alwaies haue an eie to the roote of their ignorance to wit that the Iewes were become wholly desperate so as they obstinately reiected the light of the heauenly doctrine Yea they stopped their eares against the Lord when he was readie to performe the office of a good master in teaching them From hence wee gather a very profitable doctrine namely that the fountaine from whence all plagues doe flow is because we cannot endure to bee taught by the word of God And that is the principall thing which the Prophet would haue vs to marke But some may aske whether ignorance be the cause of all euils Obiect For we see that many offend not so much of ignorance as of rebellion and although they see what is right yet notwithstanding they will not follow it Whence it followes that they sinne wittinglie and not onely of ouersight Ans I answere that ignorance is sometime neere and sometime further of that is This man wants the meanes and the other hath the meanes as they say Ignorance is said to bee neere when men deceiue themselues vnder some pretence A simple ignorance and affected ignorance and do wittingly blindfold themselues That which is farre off is when men reiect the principles whereby they ought to take direction for the rule of their life For they ought to looke directly vnto God and his will But when they despise it they are rebellious and obstinate yet notwithstanding such are ignorant because they will not learne but reuolt from the foundation And yet that ignorance excuseth them not which they willingly imbrace in reiecting such a teacher Wherefore this sentence remaines sure that the people are diuers waies afflicted because they knew not God neither would suffer themselues to bee taught by him Vers 14. Therefore hell hath inlarged * Or his soule it selfe and hath opened his mouth without measure and their glorie and their multitude and their pompe and hee that reioyceth among them shall descend into it BY this verse the Prophet ment to presse those with feare which were growne too secure and were nothing mooued with any threatning whatsoeuer For although the captiuitie was an horrible thing and the famine also yet was the stubbernnes and blockishnes of this people so great that they laid not these fearefull signes of God his anger nigh their hearts in good earnest as they ought to haue done And therefore Isaiah threatens some thing yet more fearefull to wit that hell had opened his throate to deuour them all I said erewhile that this which is here said of the time present ought partly to be referred to the time to come The Prophet also speakes not rashly as of things cleere and manifest And he would present the thing as it were before the sight of the people to the end they might behold that with their eies which they could not bee brought to beleeue Moreouer as in comparing hel or the graue to an insatiable beast so by the soule he meanes the belly whereinto the meate descends The summe is that the graue is as a large and deepe gulfe which by the commandement of God opens her throate to deuoure men adiugded to death You see then that this prosopopei or faining of persons hath much greater vehemencie in it then if he had said that all were iudged to die The multitude He ioyneth the base and noble together to the end none should flatter himselfe with hope of escape as if he should say death shall consume you with all that you haue namely pleasures riches and pompe together with all things else wherein you place your confidence This then is a confirmation of yâ— former sentence And this particle Therfore Or for this cause is alwaies to be obserued For the people imputed the cause of their calamities to fortune or rather howsoeuer it were they were hardned vnder the corrections of the Lord.
and such as haue done the like if they will giue any true testimonie of their sound conuersion I grant repentance hath his seat in the heart and hath God for a witnesse of it but wee can discerne it no way but by the fruits And here vnder one kind Isaiah comprehends all For in generall hee toucheth one note of true repentance to wit when men make it appeare that they count all things coÌ„trary vnto Gods true worship abominable When he saith that the idols are prophaned That cannot be esteemed holy which is set vp to dishonour God withall his meaning is not that euer they were holy For how can that be esteemed holy which is erected to Gods dishonour which also pollutes men with the filthinesse of it But in regard that men being besotted with a false opinion attribute some holinesse vnto them therefore he saith they are polluted and that they ought to bee reiected and cast away as filthy things of no worth Also in calling them images of gold and siluer he therein shewes that the faithfull cease not to abhor idolatry what losse or disaduantage so euer come vnto them thereby For many are loth to abandon idolles because they thinke thereby they shall lose gold siluer or some such like thing and therefore had rather retaine them then to sustaine the least incommoditie Couetousnes so holds hampers them that they thinke it safer wittingly to offend God and to defile themselus with such abominations then to lose the paring of this or that trifle But we ought â—o prefer Gods pure worship and seruice Gods pure worshippe must bee deerer to vs â—hen the most pretious thing the world can afford vs. before the most pretious things in the world Let vs despise gold let vs cast pearles froÌ„ vs abhor whatsoeuer is deere vnto vs rather theÌ„ to suffer our selues to bee polluted with such vile trash In a word there is not the thing to be named for price excellencie which we ought not to esteeme base vile when wee are to ouerturne the Kingdome of Satan and to set vp the Kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ Note which consists in his pure worship How wee manifest that the loue of the truth is truely setled in our hearts For thus shall wee indeed make it manifest to all the world whether the loue of true religion hath takeÌ„ any place in our hearts yea or no namely when hauing indeed shewed our detestation against our owne peruerse ignorance we be also prouoked to put far away from vs all pollutions and defilings Vers 23. Then shall hee giue raine vnto thy seede when thou shalt sow thy ground and bread of the increase of the earth and it shal be fat and as oyle in that day shall thy cattell bee fed in large pastures 24. The oxen also and the young asses that till the ground shall eate cleane prouender which is winnowed with the shouell and with the fan AGaine he shewes by the effects how desirable a thing it is to be conuerted vnto God seeing this is the fruit of true repentance that God will receiue into his fauour the repentant and will so blesse them that nothing shall be wanting nay rather they shall be satisfied to the full with all sorts of blessings For as miseries and calamities proceed from the wrath of God Our sinnes the matter that sets Gods wrath on fire which we set on fire by our sinnes so when he is at one againe with vs all things fall out well wee are inriched euery way as wee may plainly see in the Law Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. He spake before of the raine which should make the earth fruitfull but because he obserued no order in beginning with earthlie and temporall benefits therefore he now ads to that doctrine which concerned the spirituall life those things which appertaine to the vse of our naturall and corruptible life For albeit godlines hath the promise both of this life and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 Mat. 6.33 yet in the first place it first aspires to the kingdome of God Our prosperous succâ—sses in all things depend whollie vpon Gods blessing Hence let vs learne that men do but lose their labour in tilling the earth vnlesse the Lord send his raine from heauen It is he that must water the labours of our hands and adde increase thereto or otherwise we shall but tire and vexe our selues in vaine From his blessing only must our raine come and to it must wee ascribe the abundance of the fruites of the earth which from time to time we receiue Let vs further note that nothing shall be wanting vnto vs Nothing shall be waÌ„ting to the conuerted but we shal reape the fruite of our labors in most ample maner if we conuert vnto God Let vs also know that our sinnes make vs often suffer want because we by our owne rebellion repell and beate back Gods blessing Let vs no more then attribute the cause of famin and the barrennes to any thing else but to our owne vnthankfulnes The earth would neuer be wanting to vs in bringâ—ng forth her fâ—uits but that we close vp her womb by our misbehauiours For the multitudes of people can not be so great but the earth will be able to nourish and feed them but we shut vp her womb by our misdemeanours which without them would be opened to giue vs all fruits in abundance so as we should liue both peaceablie and happilie That which he addes of the Cattell serues much to set forth the goodnes of God for he sheds forth the same vpon the very brute beasts How much more thinke we wiâ—l he do it vpon men whom he hath created after his owne image Now we neede not maruaile that beasts ordeined for the vse of man do indure famin as well as their masters When God is angrie with men the poore dumb creatures fare the worse but being reconciled with man they all fare the better by it Deut. 28.11 and that on the contrarie they fare well when God is fauorable to men being reconciled vnto them which the Prophet repeates and likewise confirmes in the words following in promising that oxen and asses shall eate cleane prouender For this sentence is taken out of the Law and the Prophets vsuallie do so that in the euill plight death of Cattell we might behold Gods wrath and froÌ„ the sight thereof might be stirred vp so much the more earnestlie and speedilie to be at one with him that our houses might be filled with his liberalitie Vers 25. And vpon euery high mountaine and vpon euery high hill shall there be riuers and streames of waters in the day of the great slaughter wheÌ„ the towres shall fall WHen the Prophets describe the kingdome of Christ they are wont to borrow similitudes from things appertaining to the life of man The prophets in describing Christes kingdome are wont to borrow
and those that trust in Idols was not in vaine Moreouer it is very certaine that by the two marks which he here expresseth Two marks to discerne Idolaters by all Idolaters are meant who fix their hope in any thing but in God For albeit they bow not before their Idols yet in attributing vnto them I know not what diuinitie they take that glorie from the only true God which to him belongs for the principall part of Gods seruice stands in faith and prayer both which the Prophet expresseth in this place But it may be demanded Quest whether they were so blockish as to say to a block Thou art my God For the most superstitious haue confessed that God was in heauen neither haue they bin so grosse as to attribute a diuine nature directly to wood or stone it seemes therefore that Isaiah makes them more sottish then they are Ans I answere that all Idolaters attribute that power to their Images which belongs to God All Idolaters attribute that to Idols which belongs to God albeit they acknowledge him to be in heauen for when they trot so fast after their puppets and Idols to whom they make and pay their vowes doe we not euidentlie perceiue that they giue that to them which only appertaines to God It is in vaine then that they labour to colour and cloake brutishnes for they make gods of wood and stone and in thus doing offer extreame violence to the Lord. The Prophet therefore hath not ouershot himselfe neither hath he framed a false accusation against Idolaters because their owne vvords doe sufficientlie testifie the same to their faces when they call their Idols and Images gods Yea let it be granted that they be not heard to pronounce any such words yet their madnes may easily be discerned in that they thinke God can neither heare nor help them vnlesse they prostrate themselues before a senselesse stock and mumble vp a certaine stint of prayers before it Now these things are thus vttered to let all know that none can be saued but he which shall trust in God only Vers 18. Heare yee deafe and yee blinde regard that yee may see HE takes blinde and deafe here in a contrarie sense to that in the sixteenth verse where by this similitude he noted out those who were so destitute of counsell and ouerwhelmed with the weight of afflictions that it depriued them of all sight For by blind Blind in this place he meanes such as did shut their eies against the cleare light and would take no knowledge of Gods works By deafe Deafe those that vvould not heare but rather delighted to lie snorting in the filthines of their ignorance He condemnes here therefore the blindnes of the Iewes or rather of all men as I take it A generall blindnes and deafnes gone ouer all men For although it be true that he reprocheth the Iewes to be blind euen in seeing and deafe whilest they heard yet this also doth in part belong to the Gentiles to whom he manifested himselfe by the creatures ingraued in their minds and consciences the knowledge of himselfe and to whom also he had and should make knowne his admirable works In that he calles for audience then he giues them to vnderstand that the only cause which hinders them from comprehending Gods truth and power is their owne deafnes and blindnes mixed with a malicious vnthankfulnes For he is not wanting in giuing them sufficient testimonies of his power neither is he negligent in teaching them familiarly enough but the fault is in themselues in that they applied not their hearts to instruction nor to meditate in his word no nor yet to behold his wonderfull works so as euery one wittingly shut their eies and therfore the Prophet shewes that all the fault rested in themselues if they saw not Gods power Vers 19. Who is blind but my seruant or deafe as my messenger that I sent who is blinde as the perfect and blinde as the Lords seruant ALl expositors almost doe expound this verse as if Isaiah mentioned the outrages which the wicked are wont to belch out against the Prophets For they cast the seruants of the Lord in the teeth with the things which they haue reproued and condemned which such companions as they can not indure As if they should say Who are they I pray thee whom thou accusest of blindnes The misinterpretation of this place and and who are they thou callest deafe Take it hardly to thy selfe We know none so blinde as thou art They thinke then that it is as much as if the Lord complained thus of the Iewes I see very well that you esteeme my Prophets for no better then blinde and deafe But we shall by and by see that this interpretation sutes nothing at all with the scope of the text for the Prophet shewes afterwards why he calles them blind to wit because they saw many things but kept them not Now this can not any way agree to the Prophets let vs therfore follow the pure and natiue sense Isaiah before condemned all men of blindnes but the Iewes especiallie because they inioyed those meanes whereby they might haue a clearer sight then any others The right interpretation for they had not only that glimmering which was cōmon to all nations but had also the word sounding in their eares by which the Lord fully manifested himselfe vnto them Though the whole world besides then was blind yet these should haue had eies to see and know the Lord in regard they had the doctrine as a burning lampe to giue light vnto them Besides hee speakes to these afterwards in the sixtie Chapter Rise vp Ierusalem and bee bright for the darknes shall couer the whole earth but the Lord shall giue thee light Because the Iewes then were blind in so cleere light therefore he taxeth them by this particular reprehension As if hee should say I striue but in vaine against those which are far off from mee neither doe I much maruell at their blindnesse but this is strange that such a thing should befall my seruants who haue the cleere light shining before their eies I am as one astonished to see them deafe who haue the word continually sounding in their eares The things I teach them are so plaine and euident that the very blind and deafe may in a manner vnderstand them but alas I speake to them in vaine for I thinke there is not a more brutish and sottish people to bee found To be short whereas they should haue had the quickest sense of hearing and seeing they were the worst of all Whom I sent Isaiah descends by degrees from all men in generall to the Iewes in particular then to the Priests which were the lights of the world as it were for it was their office to interpret the Law The Priests to walke before others in a good example of life and to shew vnto them the high way to heauen Their
the member following where by way of exposition he addes that his saluation is gone forth for the righteousnes of God appeared in the saluation of the people The captiuitie of the Iewes in Babylon was vnto them as a kind of death and this is the cause why he calles this deliuerance saluation Mine armes shall iudge By armes he signifies the manifestation of his power for it is a figuratiue maner of speech much vsed in the Scripture Now because Gods soueraigntie and power seemes to be limited within very narrow bounds yea sometimes appeeres not at all therefore he mentions his armes thereby signifying that his kingdome shal be spread farre and neere Vers 6. Lift vp your eies to the heauens and looke vpon the earth beneath for the heauē shal vanish away like smoke and the earth shall wax old as a garment and they that dwell therein shall perish in like maner but my saluation shall be for euer and my righteousnes shall not be abolished WHilest wee see so many changes fall out in the world and that the Church as we often thinke shall be violently swallowed vp therein The stabilitie of the Church it is very needfull that our minds should be gathered vp farre aboue the whole order of nature otherwise the saluation of the Church shall seeme to hang in a net and to flote vp and downe in the middest of these tempests wee may easily discerne vvith vvhat vvisdome God gouernes all things both in heauen aboue and in the earth below secondly with what a fatherly care he vpholds and preserues his work and the whole frame of the world thirdly with what equitie he disposeth and prouides for all his creatures therein but his care and prouidence ouer his Church is surpassing great which indeed he hath separated from the rest of the world The Prophet hath here comprehended both these points for he commands the faithfull to turne their eies on euery side of them to consider Gods admirable prouidence as well in the heauens as in the earth by which he hath constantlie continued from the creation that goodly order by him then established Hee addes that although these things seeme to fall to decay yet it is vnpossible that the Church which hath her sure foundatiō in God should euer be shaken As if he should say Heauen and earth shall perish an hundreth times rather then the promise vpon which the saluation of the Church is grounded should be abolished He therefore puts saluation in the first place and then he addes righteousnes which is the solid foundation wherewith this saluation is vpheld when dangers threaten vs on all sides then let vs learne to flee to this citie of refuge Vnto this sentence also belongs that which is in Psal 102. The heauens shall wax old as doth a garment but thou Lord art the same and thy yeeres shall not faile and therefore thy children shall dwell c. Both places do admonish vs that the fauor which God shews in the conseruation of his Church farre surpasseth all the rest of his works in excellencie for the whole matter and substance of the heauens and earth is but perishable and transitorie but the saluation whereby God preserues his Church neither is nor can be liable to such changes and alterations because it is eternall Vers 7. Hearken vnto me yee that know righteousnes the people in whose heart is my law Feare not ye the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their rebukes A third exhortation to attention see vers 1. and 4. BEcause the wicked hauing all things at their wish deride and scorne our hopes and make themselues sport with our miseries calamities the Prophet exhorts the faithfull to suffer with patience and not to feare their rebukes neither to be discouraged for their outrages because the felicitie which they inioy Verse 8. shall be but of short continuance For notwithstanding their meriments stuffed so full of derisions and proud disdainings they are alreadie ordeined to be meate for mothes and vvormes as on the contrarie that God holds the saluation of the faithfull which for a time he seemes to neglect safe in his owne hand But we are againe to note the repetition of this verb To hearken Vers 1. 4. for this is the third time the Lord hath required audience in this Chapter for when we be in perplexities and tremble in regard of our miseries we haue much ado to apprehend or imbrace the promises There is great need then that we should often be rouzed and wakened vp to attention vntill we haue wound our selues out of all entanglings But he directs not his speech heere to the hypocrites but to such as know righteousnes The faithfull againe distinguished from hypocrites See verse 1. For howsoeuer the faithfull do not of set purpose reiect the word of God yet they often shut the dores against this righteousnes and so hinder the same from hauing any entrance because in aduersitie they stop their eares and nourish discomfortable thoughts within them To the end then that they might giue the promises entrance and suffer themselues to be comforted the Prophet awakens them againe and bids them giue eare The order of his words is also to be noted for first he shewes who they be of whom the Lord would haue audience namely of such as know righteousnes secondly expounding what this knowledge is he addes the people in vvhose heart my law is written and planted for there is no righteousnes without Gods word Let men make neuer so many lawes and that in the best forme they can deuise yet they can not bring vs to true righteousnes they may well bring vs to some shadowes of it but they shall neuer attaine so farre as to expresse it to the life He also therewithall shewes the way how to profit in the law of the Lord for the law hath not his seate in the braine Note but in the heart that so being leauened with this heauenly doctrine Math. 13.33 we may be whollie transformed into it 2. Cor. 3.18 Vers 8. For the moth shall eate them vp like a garment and the worme shall eate them like wooll but my righteousnes shall be for euer and my saluation from generation to generation BEcause the faithfull seruants of God were to indure many iniuries wrongs which the enemies of the world would load them with A preuention of an obiection therefore the Prophet exhorts them againe to beare these things patiently for the disgraces and checks which we often receiue from the wicked wound vs more to the heart then their fires or swords But we must hold it our glory and crowne of reioicing that wee be contemned of them and accounted as the of-scouring of all things Thence ariseth that fortitude though the world reiects vs as the scumme of the vvorld for God holds vs precious in his sight in regard our cause is his owne Let vs then with Moses esteeme the rebuke
are therefore called vnprofitable costs For by siluer he vnderstands all industrie studie and paines of men not that God esteemes a rush of all that which wee offer him in vaine to serue him but in regard the sense of the flesh esteemes those labours very precious which we haue foolishly taken vp By the word bread hee vnderstands that which he said before touching vvaters and by labour that which he called siluer As if he should say Men wearie themselues much for nothing For when they follow their inuentions they must looke for no reward though they vex and martyr themselues neuer so much Therefore the Prophet saith that those who labour inconsiderately shall neuer be satisfied For if they forsake God to seeke out new meanes of saluation they shall neuer be filled because as Hosea saith they are fed with wind Chap. 12.1 They may well seeme to be full whilest a vaine conceit blinfolds them but they shall be like those who being swollen vvith vvind feele not their hunger And yet it were much better for them to bee so pinched with hunger and thirst that they might thereby be prouoked to cry earnestlie vnto the Lord to be filled according to that in Psalme 63.2 My soule thirsteth for thee like the dry ground But bread or water alone would not suffice to fill vs neither can our life bee sustained with one of them That is the reason then why the Prophet hath vsed diuers vvords to shew that God furnisheth vs with all things abundantly that are necessary to preserue life lest we should vse any vnlawfull shifts to succour our selues elsewhere But because euery one rusheth himselfe into error by his owne counsels and all hauing forsaken God doe vanish away in their owne peruerse imaginations the Prophet heere addes a remedy namely that we whollie depend vpon the mouth of God For whosoeuer submits himselfe vnto his word needes neuer feare that hee hath mispent his time And heere we see a wonderfull goodnesse of God in that he offers his grace though men be vnthankfull and vnworthy of it Yet notwithstanding he addes a condition for the entrance into life cannot bee made vnlesse wee giue eare vnto him And as the cause of our ruine is that we stop our eares against Gods word so the way to heauen is open vnto vs if wee hearken vnto him diligently He repeates the same admonition againe the better to moue our affections and redoubles the word Heare in hearkening And that hee might the better win vs with sweete allurements he protests the fault to be our owne if we be not fully satisfied with all sorts of good things Vers 3. Incline your eares and come to mee heare and your soule shall liue and I will make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid BY this heape of words wee may the better conceiue of that which I haue said before namely The ground of Gods couenant that God omits no meanes to awaken and correct our dulnesse and yet heere is a reprehension For it must needs be granted that such are too drowzie headed who being so louingly called doe not forthwith yeelde their obedience An excellent place which shewes that our happinesse consists in that odedience which wee ought to yeeld vnto the word Now when he speakes thus his meaning is to bring vs to saluation and therefore the fault rests wholly in our selues for wee contemne this sauing quickening word Moreouer if God should onely command vs to doe that he hath inioined vs hee should therein shew vs the way indeede how to obtaine life but yet without any profit to vs. For the law as it comes forth of Gods mouth is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3 7. but when he calles vs to himselfe and adopts vs for his children when he promiseth remission of sinnes and sanctification this causeth them which heare to receiue life of him We are thē to consider what kinde of doctrine it is that hath life in it that we may therein seeke our saluation From this place also we gather that there is no hope of saluation vnlesse we be obedient to God and his word and by this all men are conuinced so as they can pretend no cause of ignorance for he that vouchsafes not to heare shall neuer be able to alleage one sound reason for his owne defence But as I haue said these repetitions set forth the patience of God in calling vs. For he summons vs not for once only but if he perceiue that we be slow he admonisheth vs the second yea the third time that he might ouercome our stubbornnes He reiects not those then at the first which disdaine him but after he hath many times allured them Furthermore heere is expressed the nature of faith The nature of faith when he commands vs to come vnto him for wee must so heare the Lord that the fruit thereof may also follow Those also who receiue the word of God in faith do cast away their lusts and reiect the world wherewith they were fast bound that they may willingly draw neere vnto God and that with much ioy and gladnes of heart Yet faith can not be conceiued without hearing Rom. 10.17 that is to say without vnderstanding of the word and therefore he commands vs to encline our eare before we come When mention shall be made of faith then Gods word the ground of faith let vs remember that it must be ioined to the word in which it hath her foundation Where he addes and I vvill make a couenant some demaund Quest whether God had not made a perpetual couenant with the Iewes before for he seemes to promise a new and vnaccustomed thing heere I answere Ans he promiseth no new thing but that which God had before contracted with the people and therefore it is but a renuing and a confirmation of the couenant to the end the Iewes should not thinke that Gods promise was abolished though they saw thēselues so long banished For whilst they were driuen out of that countrie which was promised and giuen them being without the Temple and without the sacrifices and had no marks at all left but the couenant of Circumcision who would not haue thought but that God had vtterly shaken them off Isaiah then hath fitted this phrase of speech as you see to the capacitie of the people that they might know how the couenant of God made with their fathers was firme stable and eternall and neither mutable nor temporarie He signifies the same thing by the mercies of Dauid but by this clause he shewes that the couenant is free because it hath its foundation laid in nothing but in the meere goodnes of God As oft then as wee meere with this word Couenant in the Scriptures Couenant and mercie must alwaies be matched together wee must therewithall call to minde the word mercie or grace Now he pronounceth he will be faithfull therein and forthwith he signifies that
and execrable impieties That we then may escape this horrible iudgement of God let euery one search and try his owne waies and a far off let vs espie the wrath of God lest being ouertaken at vnawares wee be suddenly ouerwhelmed therewith THE LVII CHAPTER Vers 1. The righteous perisheth and no man considereth in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come The Prophet continues on his aâ—gument still ISaiah prosecutes his argument still For hauing shewed how securely hypocrits repose themselues in their pleasures and with what impudencie they despise Gods word he further complaines that they consider not the workes of the Lord for we are placed in this world as vpon a spacious Theatre to behold the acts of our God Neither is there any of his works how meane soeuer they appeare in our eies that we should lightly esteeme but ought rather diligently and attentiuely to obserue and consider them Now among other testimonies of his prouidence the Lord sets before vs the death of the faithfull and of approued men whom hee takes out of this vvorld when he is purposed seuerely to chastise and correct his people But no man laies it to heart neither imagines that such matters should be forerunners of imminent destruction namely that the good are gathered to God and laid vp in safetie that they may not be wrapped vp with others in so many common miseries The summe is that the wicked greatly deceiue themselues in thinking that the prolonging of their liues should bee the onely happinesse that can befall them and that for this cause they should take themselues to be in better case then the faithfull who die sooner then they For as they are glued to the world so vnder this pretence doe they harden their owne hearts that as they suppose God fauours them exceedingly in suffering them to bee safe and sound whilest others die If by men of mercy you vnderstand the charitable and pitifull then this epithete must be diligently noted for thereby the Prophet shewes what the true righteousnesse of Gods children is whereas hypocrites place their righteousnesse in things of no value Now there is no vertue more pleasing vnto God then liberalitie whereby wee manifest our righteousnesse and discouer vnto all an heart void of guile But mercifull men may as well be taken in the passiue signification namely for such to whom the Lord shewes mercie for this maner of speech is common enough among the Hebrewes Neither is it from the purpose to say that the grace of God should be priuily opposed to the peruerse and sinister iudgements of men who are wont to condemne such as die 〈◊〉 the flower of their youth And yet seeing the Prophet in many places adornes the children of God with this title of being mercifull and liberall I see no inconuenience if as I haue said we make it a true definition of righteousnesse By this it appeares that then the Lord gathered a great number of good men out of the world vnto himself whose death prognosticated some horrible calamitie yet that the Iewes regarded not such forewarnings Nay which is worst of all they tooke occasion thereby to ouerflow with the greater freedome in all licentiousnesse thinking all should goe well with them when they suruiued the best men Now this doctrine is very fitting for all ages times For for the most part it comes to passe that God takes the good out of this world when hee is purposed sharply to punish the sinnes of the wicked Why so Surely as hee hath a tender care ouer those that be his so he puls them often times as brands out of the fire hauing compassion on them to the end that such as shall suruiue them may therein perceiue a token of Gods wrath And yet this is not a perpetuall law seeing the elect are often wrapped vp in the temporall iudgements with the wicked Notwithstanding the taking of them away first is a thing so ordinary that it seldome falles out otherwise whereof in our time we haue a famous example in the death of Martin Luther Martin Luthers death who was taken out of this world a little before Germany was pitifully wasted with that furious warre which many yeeres before he had foretold whilest hee thundered against the contempt of the Gospell against the villanies and foule enormities which then ouerflowed in euery place Often he entreated the Lord to take him out of this life before he should see those horrible iudgements which he had threatned the apprehension whereof made him to quake for feare and this request he obtained of the Lord. Soone after his death a sudden and vnexpected war began to inuade and miserablie to afflict Germanie euen then when they suspected nothing lesse And examples hereof also we haue dailie And doubtlesse if men did well consider of them they would not flatter themselues so much in their iniquities as they doe But I haue thought it good to recite this in particular not onely because it hath happened within these few yeeres but also that it might be the more apparant in regard it fell out according to that which so excellent a Preacher of the Gospell and a Prophet of God had foretold We therefore ought diligently to obserue the worke of the Lord as well in the liues as in the death of the iust but most of all in their death Whereby the Lord calles them to the enioying of a better life that so they may bee deliuered from those miseries into which the wicked must at length be plunged Vers 2. Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euerie one that walketh before him The state of the faithfull after their death THe Prophet here describes what the state of the faithful is after death For the wicked who thinke there is no life after this do iudge that good men are perished because they can apprehend nothing in death but ruine and perdition Jsaiah therefore saith that such a peace shall come as is more desireable then a thousand liues that are replenished with troubles As if hee compared the good to crased souldiers who are permitted quietly to take their ease Simile He addes the similitude of sleepe to shew that they shall bee set free and deliuered from all disquietnesse and care as if they safely and sweetly slept in their beds Whereas he addes euery one that walkes I referre not whosoeuer to the word peace as some expound it Namelie that peace shall goe before the faithfull as if it led them the way But I think he therein notes out the faithfull As if hee should say Whosoeuer walkes before God he shall haue peace And therefore when the righteous doe die they after the enduring of many troubles are called to peace and rest as hauing finished their course Now they rest in their beds in regard they doe not yet inioy full and perfect glorie and
to forget their deliuerance but in regard that the one compared with the other Simile did darken it as the Sunne doth the brightnesse of the starres Let vs remember then that these things are fulfilled in vs as oft as we be regenerated but we are regenerated onely in part Our regeneration onely in part and therefore as yet we cannot attaine the sight of this new heauen and new earth What meruaile is it then if wee sigh and mourne seeing wee haue not yet vtterly put off the old man but many remainders of sinne doe still sticke fast in vs This renument must begin at vs who hold the first ranke for the creatures in regard of our offences grone and are subiect to vanitie as Saint Paul speakes Rom. 8.20 But after vve shall bee perfectly renued heauen and earth shall be renued also and shall recouer their first estate Hence we may gather that which wee haue often mentioned namely that the Prophet hath an eye to the vvhole kingdome of Christ euen vnto the end thereof which for this effects sake is called the day of restauration and refreshing Act. 3.19.21 Vers 18. But bee you glad and reioice for euer in the thing that I shall create for behold I will create Ierusalem as a reioicing and her people as a ioy An exhortatation to reioice added by way of amplificatioÌ„ HEe exhorts the faithfull to reioice with condigne ioy for so excellent a benefit of God And this was added for amplifications sake because men neuer esteeme of the graces of God according to their worth amongst the which this heere mentioned is the chiefe and most excellent for they prize them at a very low rate It is needfull therefore that the faithfull should be rouzed and quickened vp by such exhortations as these to the end they should shew theÌ„selues neither vnthankfull nor forgetfull as also that they should not lightly passe ouer this benefit namely that being redeemed by the hand of Christ they might beare the remembrance thereof in their hearts as the earnest pennie of eternall life This is the cause why Isaiah teacheth that the deliuerance is not acknowledged with such thankfulnesse as is meete vnlesse the faithfull continue on their ioy the whole course of their liues exercising themselues in singing the praises of God Whereas Ierusalem is called gladnesse and the people thereof reioicing it may seeme somewhat harsh at the first blush yet we may thence gather a good exposition namely that in the deliuerance of the Church there shall be such cause of ioy that it shall abolish all matter of sorrow And surely when our miseries themselues doe tend to our saluation wee haue therein no small occasion giuen vs of reioicing Vers 19. And I will reioice in Ierusalem and ioy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice of crying THe Prophet expresseth somewhat more then in the former verse A liuely descâ—iption of that gâ—eat loue which â—od beares vs. For in this his meaning is to say that the Lord will not onely giue matter of reioicing but also that himselfe shall bee partaker with them in this ioy For so great is his loue to vs that he takes no lesse pleasure in our prosperitie then if he himselfe inioied the same with vs. By which our faith ought to be much confirmed namely when wee heare that God beares vs such an ardent loue Are we afflicted or scattered He saith that this grieues troubles him Contrariwise doe we florish and prosper He professeth that he takes great pleasure therein According as wee haue seene in Chap. 63.10 that the Spirit of God was vexed when that order which he requires and approues is ouerthrowne and confounded As also in Chap. 62.5 he takes vnto him the person of a bridegroome who findes no other contentment then in his wife Vers 20. There shall bee no more there a childe of yeeres nor an old man that hath not filled his daies for hee that shall bee an hundred yeeres old shall die as a young man but the sinner being an hundred yeeres olde shall bee accursed SOme thinke the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell is heere noted out What blessings belong to them â—hat are in the kingdome of Christ in his and in the rest of the verses following because the Law is as a schoolemaster who held his schollers vnder the first rudiments but the Gospell brings vs to a perfect age Others vnderstand it that there should bee no more any difference of age for wheâ—e eternall life is there needes no dispute about youth or age But thus I expound the Prophets words Be they young or old they shaâ—l come to a perfect age so as they shall euermore be strong euen as in the flower of youth yea they shall bee alwaies lustie and strong for wee wax old and feeble by reason of our sinnes VVhen thou art angry saith Moses Psal 90.9 10. all our daies are gone as a tale that is told The time of our life is threescore yeeres and ten and if they bee of more strength fourscore yeeres yet is their strength but labour and sorrow for it passeth away suddenly Our life passeth like the shadow but in Christ we haue stabilitie and vvee flee away But Christ is come to strengthen vs and to vphold vs in a perfect estate Yet we must distinguish betweene the two members For after he hath said that the Citizens of the Church shall liue long so as none of them shall be taken out of the vvorld till they be full of daies nor till they haue finished their perfect course he therewithall addes they shall be strong euen in age it selfe Now howsoeuer the greater part of the faithfull are hardly able to indure in respect of their weakenesse and that others of them grow feeble before the time yet is this no vaine promise For if Christ did truly and fully raigne in vs it is certaine that his strength would flourish in vs and would fortifie both our bodies and soules Let vs then thanke our owne corruptions that wee are subiect to so many sicknesses The cause of languishing sicknesse and vntimely death in our selues sorrowes to age and other incumbrances Why so Because we will not suffer Christ quietly to raigne in vs. As also for that we haue not so fructified in newnesse of life as vtterly to haue put off the old man From this place also let vs note that corporall and spirituall blessings are onely to bee found in the kingdome of Christ Corporall and spirituall blessings onlie found in Christs Church that is to say in the Church For out of it there is nothing but accursednesse Nothing but accursednesse out of the Church Whence it followes that all such as are out of this kingdome are most miserable And albeit they seeme lustie and strong yet are they nothing in Gods account but rotten and lothsome carions Vers 21.
6. 10. 29. 10 11. and 42. 19. 21 Blood taken for inhumanitie 59. 3 Bloods for murther 35. 15 Bloods of the earth what 26. 21 Booke taken for the Law it selfe 34. 16 How the books of the Prophets were gathered 30. 8 Booke of life what 4. 3 Reprobates not written in it 4. 3 To render into their bosome what 65. 6 Brags of the wicked 59. 4 Proud bragging of the Iewes 57. 4. 65. 15 Brags of Papists 1. 30. and 29. 14. and 36. 19. and 45. 20. and 49. 21. and 62. 5 Branch put for the strongest 9. 14 Bread and wine taken for ordinary food 33. 16 Not bread but Gods blessing that nourisheth 3. 1 Gentiles become brethren of the Iewes 66. 20 Brethren falsly so called 66. 5 The hurt that comes by taking bribes 1. 23. 5. 23 Burden what is signifies 13. 1. and 14. 28 Buriall a signe of the last resurrection 14. 18 The care of buriall not to be condemned 22. 17 Whether the depriuation of buriall is to bee esteemed a curse of God 14. 8. See more of this in 14. 20. and 22. 17. C CAines repentance 26. 11 Why Isaiah laments the calamity of the church 15. 4. and 16. 9. and 21. 3 Why we are called into the Church 56. 7 Calling of Christ what 49. 1 Calling of God cannot be disanulled 63. 19 What efficacie is in Gods calling 11. 12 Calling of the Gentiles foretold 2. 3 4. and 11. 10. and 12. 5. and 14. 1 2. and 19. 22 23. and 25. 7. and 26. 15. and 42. 4. 6. 11. and 45. 22 23 25. and 49. 6. 12. 21. and 52. 8. 15. and 54. 5. and 55. 4 5. and 56. 3. 7. and 60. 9. and 65. 2. and 66. 19 20. The certaintie of our calling 65. 2 The end of our calling 43. 21. and 55. 5. and 56. 6. and 60. 21. and 61. 3. and 63. 8. The calling of the Gentiles admirable to the Apostles 56. 3 Isaiahs calling confirmed the second time 6. 1 No man ought to take vpon him the office of teaching vnlesse he be called 61. 1 God hath neuer been called vpon as a Father in the Church otherwise then by Christ 63. 16. and 65. 24. To call what it signifies 44. 5 To be called of God 43. 1 Canaan a pledge of adoption to Abrahams posteritie 14. 1 Captiuitie in Babylon a kind of diuorce 50. 1. 54. 5 Why compared to a deluge 54. 9 Why to darknesse and death 9. 2 Carmel a fruitfull soile 10. 18. 33. 15. The cause from whence all Gods benefits proceed 63. 9 Ceremonies must not bee separate from the word 1. 11 Not simply required in respect of themselues 1. 11 Why ceremonies were instituted 1. 13 Why reiected 1. 11 Why necessary 1. 11 Of themselues considered apart vaine and friuolous 66. 2 Vse of ceremonies 1. 11 Abolishing of ceremonies 2. 3 Vaine ceremonies established in the Papacie in stead of sacraments 20. 2 Ceremonies of the Law obolished and how 66. 23 Chapters ill diuided 4. 1. 14. and 10. 33. and 14. 28. and 24. 17. and 46. 1. and 53. 1. and 58. 1. and 64. 1. Chaldea signified by the word Desert and why 21. 1 Chaldeans seuere cruell compared to the Egyptians 5. 29. 52. 4 Chamos an Idoll of the Moabites 15. 2 No change in God 14. 17 Change of kingdomes comes of God 19. 1. and 22. 21. 41. 4. 51. 6. Change of the number vsed among the Hebrewes 23. 6 A change of the person 42. 24 Charra a citie 37. 12 Chariots had a double vse of old 22. 6 Why the chastisement of the wicked is deferred 10. 13. 13 6. 18. 5. 26. 1. 28. 24. 25. 63. 4. 65. 6. 56. 66. 18. Vnto vs a child is borne 9. 6 In what sense the Church is said to bring forth a man child 66. 7 In what sense the word child is taken 3. 4 A child vnthankfull to his father a double monster 1. 2 All the children of the Church taught of God 54. 13 Why God giues children 38 9 Children not punished for their fathers offences 14. 21. 43. 27. 65. 7 Christ God eternall 2. 4. 6. 1. 10. 8. 14. 9. 7. 25. 9. True man 7. 15. 11. 2. 42. 1. 53. 11. Wonderfull 9. 6 Why worshipped in the Church 60. 14 Altar of the faithfull 56. 7 Soule of the Law 29. 11 Author of peace 57. 19 Onely author of righteousnesse 53. 11 Head of the Church 54. 1 Head of the faithfull 25. 9 Counseller 9. 6 Why called Dauid and the sonne of Dauid 37. 35. and 45. 1. Why called Immanuel 7. 14. 8. 10 Iudge of the whole world 32. 6 Light of the faithfull 42. 6 Mediator betweene God and man 8. 10. 19. 20. 37. 35. 49. 8. 53. 12. 63. 17. 65. 24. Physitian of soules 53. 4 Why sent of God 42. 7 Exposed to the wickeds reproches 53. 9 Father of eternitie and why 9. 6 Cornen stone 28. 16 A tried stone ibid. A stone to stumble at and why 8. 14. 15. 28. 16 The first borne of euery creature 37. 28 Prince of peace 9. 6 Promised to all the world 11. 1. 2. 4. 42. 6. and 55. 5 Promised to be borne of the virgin Mary 7. 14 Where to be sought 16. 5 Onely redeemer 35. 10 Onely and most sure refuge of the faithfull in trouble 32. 2 King of Gods people 52. 13 King eternall 9. 7 Hee onely raignes where his Gospell is preached 11. 4 The end of all the Prophets and promises 29. 11. 42. 1 The Sauiour of his Church 62. 11 Gods seruant and how 42. 1. 43. 10. 53. 11. 55. 5 Sonne of righteousnesse 25. 7. 60. 3 Spouse of the Church 62. 5 The protector of the poore 11. 4. 16. 5 The way the truth and life and how 49. 6 He ouercame in the midst of death 53. 8. 12 Iustified as he is man 53. 1 Brought in speaking 49. 1 Alwaies the gouernor of his Church 63. 16 Wherein his dominion consists 92. 2 He raignes not for himselfe but for his 11. 6 Why silent before Pilat 53. 3 His comming foretold 9. 6 7 He came in a contemptible estate 42. 2 The Papists brag of his name falsly 55. 4 We are none of Christs vnlesse we be giuen to vprightnesse 7. 8 The nature of Christs kingdome 11. 4 All things subiected vnder him 14. 2. 45. 23. All haue need of him 53 The name Christ attributed to Israel 49 3 Difference betweene Christ and other men 9. 6. and 11. 3 Difference betweene Christ and the Kings of the earth 42 2. 49. 2 Christ must be the matter and end of our ioy 9. 6 Called Sonne by way of excellencie ibid. His two natures in one person noted 7. 14 Christ had no father on earth ibid. Whence it is that we are called Christians 11. 2 A note to discerne true
of mountaines 65. 9 Why called Ile 20. 6 Iudgements of God true 1. 15. and 59. 12 Why compared to fire 66. 15 Gods iudgements against the wicked terrible 9. 17 How they ought to be pondered 19. 13. and 28. 13 Alwaies most iust 14. 21. and 16. 3. and 21. 2. and 30. 31. and 33. 1. and 39. 5. and 41. 15. and 65. 7. Their vse 26. 9 To iudge put to rule 2. 4. 16. 5 Iudges ought to be eies eares hands and mouth for the widowes and fatherlesse 1. 23 Iudges put for all sorts of gouernours 3. 2 Iudgement put for right 40. 27 Taken for moderation in afflictions 30. 18. and 64. 8 Put for forme of gouernment 51. 4 For right 1. 17 21. and 4. 4. and 32. 16. and 61. 8 For protection 16. 5. 59. 9 Iustice taken for equitie 33. 15 For succour 46. 13 For protection and faithfulnesse 16. 5. and 45. 13. and 51. 5. and 54. 14. and 59. 9 For integritie of heart 48. 1 For right 54. 17. and 62. 1 For a State well gouerned 48. 18 For testimony of iustice 58. 8 For truth 63. 1 What true iustice is 57. 1 It must be sought in God onely 45. 25 Iustice hath two parts 58. 7 Iust taken for tried 41. 26 K KEyes of the kingdome of heauen what 22. 22 Keyes a signe of possession ibid Key of the house of Dauid ibid The key that opens vnto vs the doore of Christs kingdome 65. 2 King of Iudah figure of Christ 14. 30 King of Babylon why compared to the morning starre 14. 12 Crueltie of the King of Babylon 14. 17 His pride 14. 13 A King ought to be a father of the Country 22. 21 See Princes Duties of Kings 49. 23. and 60. 16 In what sense called nursing fathers of the Church 49. 23. See more in 60. 11. and 62. 2 No true rest out of Christs kingdome 65. 21 Kingdome of Christ eternall 6. 7. and 16. 5 Established in despight of all his enemies 29. 22 Why called the end of daies 2. 2 Contemptible in appearance 53. 2 Kingdome of Christ and Dauid in what they differ 2. 4 Kingdome of Christ not yet compleat 60. 18 Prophecied of 2. 2 Peaceable 2 4 Spirituall 11. 2 4 14. and 16. 5. and 42. 1. and 56. 7. and 60. 2. and 61. 6. and 62. 6 Beginning of Christs kingdome 53. 2 Kingdome of Iudah a figure of Christs kingdome 33. 17 Why the kingdome of Israel is called anointing 10. 27 Wherein the defence of kingdomes consisteth 19. 3 To bow the knee before Christ what it signifies 45. 23 The knowledge of Gods name consists in three things 52. 6 Knowledge of God ingrauen in the mindes of all men 33. 15 The foundation of all true religion 19. 21 Men cannot attaine the perfection of it in this life 6. 2 Men may come to the knowledge of God by bestolding the heauens 40. 26 Knowledge of God certaine in the gospell 25. 9 How necessary the knowledge of God is 11. 9. and 26. 8. and 54. 13 L FEw whilest they labor fix their eies vpon Gods blessing 65. 23 Land of the liuing 38. 11 Law and the Gospell wherein they differ 66. 21 27 Law called Oppia 3. 17 Law taken for gospell and doctrine 42. 4 For the word of God 2. 3 The praise of the Law 8. 20 The principall end and vse of the law 45. 18. 19. 51. 4 The excellencie of the Law 8. 20 How needfull the publishing of it is 42. 21 The seat of the Law in the heart 51. 7 The difference betweene the law and the gospell 66. 21 23. 61. 1 Leprosie a ciuill death 6. 1. 58. 4 Lenten fast 58. 4 Leuiathan what 27. 1 Lycurgus made no law against the ingratefull 1. 2 Liberality of God towards his 12. 3. and 65. 10 True liberalitie what 32. 8 Our life but a vaine imagination till Gods presence hath awakened vs 6. 5 Life how it ought to be ruled 33. 19 Life of man limited 38. 5 Shortnes of mans life 38. 12 The end of mans life 38. 11. 18. 22 Fragilitie of mans life 40. 6 We must labor after integritie of life 26. 2. and 43. 23. and 52. 11. and 56. 1 How far lawfull to desire long life 38. 10. 22 Light taken for prosperitie 58. 8 10. and 59. 9 No light where the doctrine of the Prophets is wanting 60. 3 Libna a Citie what 37. 9 Lip put for tongue 19. 18 To looke put for hope 20. 3. and 31. 1 To looke to God what 17. 7 No loue comparable to Gods loue 63. 9 Infinit loue of God towards his 40. 3. and 42. 14. 43. 4. and 46 3. and 49. 11 15. and 50. 10. and 59. 18. and 65. 19. and 66. 14 Selfe loue the welspring of all euils in men naturally 11. 9 A notable description of Gods loue 65. 19 Lucifer held for king of diuels absurdly 14. 2 Iudgement day terrible 10. 3 Luther a Prophet of God and of his death 57. 1 M MAdian 10. 16 Madianites subdued by Gedeon 9. 4 Magike condemned 19. 3 Magistracie and ministerie what 56. 10 Magistrates called of God 22. 20 A singular blessing of God to haue a good Magistrate 1. 26 Euill Magistrates sent of God in his wrath 22. 21 Authoritie of Magistrates 3. 13 Their dutie 3. 4. 22. 21 24. and 20. 22 Consolation for them 22. 23 Their office an office of labour 22. 4 They ought to be the fathers of the Country 3. 5 Gods maiestie opposed to the pride of Magistrates 3. 15 In what sense God is said to be our maker 17. 7. 37. 26. and 51. 13. See creation new The word Many taken for All 53. 12 Whether marchandising be lawfull 23. 15 17 Oft times replenished with deceits 2. 16 Marchants of Venice 23. 8 Sacrifice of the Masse impudently maintained by Papists 19. 19 Meeknes in Pastors required 42. 4 Meeknes commended 11. 4 6. and 53. 7. and 57. 15. and 61. 1 No true meekenesse without the Spirit of Christ 11. 6 Meeknes of Christ 42. 3 All the promises grounded vpon the Mediator 9. 6 The benefit of meditation 26. 8 We must meditate in Gods workes of old 51. 9 What ought to be our meditation in the day of affliction 63. 7 The Medes authors of Babels ruine 13. 17 Their crueltie 13. 18 In what sense called vessels of wrath 13. 5 How said to be sanctified 13. 3 Men miserable by their owne fault 59. 11 Why compared to grashoppers 40. 22 They doe in vaine promise vnto themselues any certaine abiding heere 34. 17 To trust in men vaine 29. 5 Their felicitie consists in obedience 1. 19 Their glory vaine 19. 11 Their blockishnes 55. 2 Their hearts are in Gods hands 13. 3. 14. and 19. 2 Their condition out of Christ 49. 8. 9 Their nature before their conuersion 65. 25 Mens daies limitted 38. 5 That which is attributed to them is taken from God 31.3 Their power not to be feared 7. 4