thee but it is writen faire in plaine tables for hauing chosen thee I afterwards gaue thee my law that thou shouldest not wander hither and thither but mightest keepe thy selfe loiall vnto mee that so I might performe my promise concerning thy saluation As touching that which followes and not cast thee away it seemes both superfluous and that it comes in out of place were it not that it is an vsuall thing so to doe with the Hebrewes which also hath great weight in it For thereby hee expresseth the stedfastnesse of their election as if he should say I haue not left or forsaken thee though thou hast giuen me many occasions for the ingratitude of the Iewes was so great that hee had iust cause to haue cast them off but that hee meant to shew himselfe to bee that God who changeth not Now that which is said of them belongs also to vs for this sentence of the Apostle is perpetuall Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Howsoeuer then hee casts off the greater part of the world in regard of their incredulitie yet he alwaies reserues to himselfe some seede of adoption that so the calling may remaine in some sprigs neither indeed can Gods election be altered by the peruersitie of men And therefore let vs remember that God hath chosen vs on this condition that wee should still remaine in his house and familie God hath chosen vs but vpon condition that we continue in his familie albeit by good right we deserue to bee driuen out of it Vers 10. Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not afraid for I am thy God * Or yet or certainly I will c. I will strengthen thee and helpe thee and I will sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice BEcause the former doctrine was to settle the peoples hearts touching their quiet resting vpon Gods prouidence the Prophet thence concludes that they ought not to feare hauing so many benefits set before their eies in which they might euidently discerne the loue which God bare vnto them The reason which he addes for I am vvith the is diligently to be obserued For this is the sure foundation of our confidence to wit which being once fixed in our hearts we shall stand fast and inuincible against all manner of temptations as on the contrarie when wee thinke God is absent or doubt whether he wil assist vs or not feare surprizeth vs and carries vs floting vp and down through many waues of distrust But if wee rest vnmoueable vpon this foundation there is no calamities nor tempests whatsoeuer that can ouerwhelme vs. And yet the Prophets meaning is not that the faithfull can be so confident Faith is neuer so firme that it should not be assailed with wauerings yet at last it gets the victory that feare should no more assaile thē but notwithstanding they haue wauerings in their hearts and be often solicited to distrust vpon diuers occasions yet they resist the same with such constancie that faith at the last gets the victorie For it is incident to vs by nature to feare and to lie full of doubtings but such a vice is to bee corrected by this meditation God is vvith me to helpe and takes care for my saluation Some reade it in the preterperfect tence I haue helped thee but I reade it in the future I vvill helpe the. I also expound the Hebrew particle Ak Yet it being often vsed in this sense in other places It may also be taken for Certainly but I leaue the choice to the readers discretion If wee take it in the preterperfect this particle will be as much as Yea or Likewise Vnder the word iustice the Scripture not onely comprehends equitie but also the Lords fidelitie in preseruing his Church For he shewes his iustice when hee defends his children against the conspiracies and sundry plots of their aduersaries He calles the right hand of his iustice then that whereby he manifests his fidelitie and iustice Whence we are to gather a singular consolation to wit that we ought not to feare seeing the Lord is determined to protect and defend his seruants for it is not possible he should either put off or renounce his iustice Vers 11. Behold all that prouoke thee shall bee ashamed and confounded they shall bee as nothing and they that striue with thee shall perish THe Prophet promiseth the Iewes assured helpe against their aduersaries for if hee had giuen them hope of their deliuerance and had made no mention of their enemies their minds might haue been forestalled with many such perplexed thoughts as these It is true indeed that God promiseth much touching our deliuerance out of all perils but yet we see our aduersaries the stronger who deale cruelly and vnciuilly with vs. Where is then that saluation so oft and so largely promised See heere therefore a circumstance added to the generall promise As if he should reply I grant your enemies florish and yet at the last they shall be ashamed and confounded Deliuerance is promised but it is vpon condition that you abide the brunt of your enemies and buckle hand to hand diuers waies with them For we must not promise to our selues any worldly rest or tranquillitie heere because wee must alwaies bee ready armed to fight Vers 12. Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them to wit the men * Or that plead with thee of thy strife for they shall be as nothing and the men that war against thee as a thing of nought THou shalt seeke That is to say if thou seekest them For we vse not to seeke out enemies after they are put to flight Therefore I thinke it should be construed thus if thou seekest them thou shalt not find them because they shall be cut off and brought to nothing Wee must note here that there are two sorts of enemies Two sorts of enemies the first sort assailes vs by open violence the second by words that is to say they rent vs with slanders cursings and reuilings Not onely so but they summon vs to their courts as if their cause were iust and good nay they bring vs before the iudgement seates and often accuse vs of those crimes whereof themselues are the authors But such are the crafts of Satan Satans policies whose seruants seeing these are what maruell is it if they tread in the steps of their lord and master First then the Prophet speakes of pleaders and next of the armed enemies which dealt roughly with the Church What wonder is it then if we be exercised with false accusations Nay wee must not thinke it strange if many companions fell themselues to Antichrist as his vassals to reuile and slander vs Antichrists hirelings seeing the same hath befallen the Prophets and other seruants of God Vers 13. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying vnto thee Feare not I will helpe thee THe Prophet shewed vs
void of feare as that we should thereby grow carelesse or idle but when we heare that he is neere and that he will assist vs faith must then ouercome all difficulties in the middest of eminent dangers I vvill bring thy seed from the East This place is drawne as we know out of Deut. 30.3.4 For the Prophets are the expositors of Moses and doe gather their doctrine out of his writings See his preface as we haue shewed you from the beginning Thus the Prophet applies this place of Moses then to the circumstance of the time present vnto which in this Sermon he hath a speciall respect Moses had thus foretold The Lord thy God shall cause thy captiues to returns and commands the vanquished to hold their peace Yet in that he bids them heare it is to shew that the only let that keepes men from the knowledge of the truth is The only let that keepes men from the knowledge of the truth that their minds being forestalled with error they scorne to giue eare vnto God For this contempt hinders them from comming to repentance but rather stand proudly to defend the inuention of their owne braine But the Lord was readie to haue taught them if they had had but a patient eare For where could they haue foūd a better Master But their pride and rebellion blinds them so as they can not see the truth and shuts vp their eare from hearkning to the voice of God Are they not iustly left without excuse then seeing they obstinately reiect him and will not lend their eare to his doctrine who offers himselfe in such milde sort to instruct them For if they were in any measure teachable Those that are willing to learne shall soone perceiue that the truth is grounded vpon infallible arguments Isaiah well affirmes that they should be constrained to subscribe to their owne condemnation for in truth all such as shew themselues teachable shall easily vnderstand that the truth of God is grounded vpon infallible arguments and not vpō vncertain opinions which haue their foundation in the ayre Vers 10. You are my witnesses saith the Lord and my seruant whom I haue chosen therefore ye shall know and beleeue me and ye shall vnderstand that I am before me there was no God neither shall there be after me THe Lord hauing prouoked the Gentils to disputation and hauing shewed that all that which they esteemed touching the excellencie of their Idols was meere vanitie and lies now he leaues their assemblie and brings forth his witnesses that men may know that his case is not like that of the false gods He rightly boasts then that the true witnesses take his part for the Iewes had bin taught by reuelations from heauen so farre forth as sufficed to giue them vndoubted assurance of their saluation And yet he priuily taxeth their ingratitude if so be they did not publikely and vnfeinedly protest that they had learned all things requisit for the defence of Gods glorie The truth of the prophesies must neuer be forgotten and thus indeed he also summons them to vow neuer to forget nor conceale the truth of these prophesies by meanes whereof they might be able to shew the certentie of the true religion for it had bin treacherie in them to haue defrauded so good a cause of any defence which they were able to bring vnto it Gods cause must not be left destitute of our defence By the name seruant some vnderstand Isaiah but I had rather vnderstand it of all the Prophets because there is here a change of the number This name then is giuen particularly to the Prophets whom the Lord chose to maintaine his truth and yet I doubt not but in vsing the singular number he had a speciall and chiefe respect vnto Christ Christ the end and accomplishment of all the prophesies who is the end and accomplishment of all the prophesies and it is also very sure that he is the speciall witnes that shall conuince the whole world But yet we must haue regard to the Prophets intention which is to call the Iewes indeed to be the Lords witnesses and to accuse them of ingratitude if they did not franckly professe what they had heard and seene For hauing had so many good lessons taught them from time to time they could not without grosse disloyaltie either doubt or call into question the power and goodnes of God The Church must beare witnes to Gods truth Thus then he shewes that the Church is picked out to beare vvitnes to the truth of God in which sense S. Paul calles her the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 It is her office then to publish and maintaine it so as it may be receiued of the posteritie frō age to age Not that the Lord stands in need of such an aid but because it is his good pleasure neither to approue nor establish the same among men by any other meanes Isaiah therefore vnder this one word comprehends all the seruants of God who stand bound to defend their Masters quarrell but chiefly the Ministers who ought to be as the Standard-bearers and by their example to shew the way vnto others It is therefore speciallie spoken to them here though in generall he is to be held no faithfull seruant of God who so smothers the knowledge of the truth within him that he dares not auouch it before men Therefore you shall know That the Lord might not seeme to procure to himselfe witnesses of things vnknowne he addes you shall know you shall beleeue you shall vnderstand thus shewing by the order of the words Faith goes before confession that faith precedes or goes before confession If this confession then haue no deeper foundation then in the tip of the tongue and is not laid in the heart it shall be held but vaine and friuolous for the Lord neither allowes nor approues of it And yet there is some difficultie in the order of the words To know To beleeue and To vnderstand Many haue knowledge that are destitute of faith for faith is not alwaies ioined with knowledge for a man will not say that such beleeue because they know faith is often absent where knowledge is present Besides it is doubtfull in what sense vnderstanding which is here added after beliefe is to be taken as if it should differ from knowledge But our Prophet in this place shewes that there is a certaine preparation vnto faith by which God first giues authoritie vnto his word as oft as he sees a necessarie vse of that meanes I grant that faith begins at humilitie which captiues all our reason vnder Gods lore but because we imbrace not the doctrine that is offred with such an assurance as we ought therefore God confirmes it vnto vs by sundrie testimonies and by our owne experience the better to settle vs firmely in this faith In this sense the Euangelist S. Iohn shewes that himselfe and S. Peter
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.
God did not so chuse his dwelling place there as if being tied to that he would therefore allow a bastard and newfound seruice but would be sought and serued there according to the rule of his word And therefore Isaiah taking the God which dwelled in Mount Zion on his side taxeth and sharpely galleth the hypocrits who foolishly and proudly bragged as oft as they cried The Temple of the Lord Ier. 7.4 because it was rather an idoll wherein they gloried contrary to Gods word Now although they snatched the promises to themselues yet they falsly alleadged them against the true seruants of God as the Papists at this day doe against vs. The Prophet then adorneth God with this title to the end hee may vnmaske those hypocrits which made no conscience vainely to oppose the name of the Temple against the expresse word of God And in this regard Isaiah now saith Take vs for monsters as it pleaseth you yet notwithstanding God will approue of his owne you cannot abhor them but you also therewithall reiect the God of Abraham and Dauid whose seruants we are Vers 19. And when they shall say vnto you Enquire at them that haue a Spirit of diuination and at the Soothsayers which whisper and murmur should not a people enquire of their God from the liuing to the dead BVt if they say The Prophet goes on with his speech to wit that all the faithfull being armed with the authoritie of God should not onely as with a buckler but as with a wall of brasse constantly resist all impietie He admonisheth them then to continue stedfast and not to be shaken if any should offer to solicite them to superstition and idolatrie Hee vseth the plurall number to shew that it was a vice common among all estates which had ouerflowed euery where as if he should say I see very well what will come to passe you shall be in great danger for those which remaine amongst you will indeuour to turne you aside from the true God because themselues being wicked will also desire to haue you become like them There withall he sheweth how wickedly they were reuolted from the law and couenant of God in that they were not ashamed to solicite others to seeke vnto Sorcerers and Enchanters whose verie names ought to haue been abominable and accursed vnto them A people Some reade this altogether in the person of the wicked as if vnder pretence hereof they would deceiue the simple to wit that there is no nation whatsoeuet without oracles reuelations but euery one asketh counsell at his gods or at least of the Magicians and Soothsayers Yet notwithstanding mee thinks the opinion of others is more sound who thinke that Isaiah teacheth his disciples how they should answere if so be any should solicite them to idolatrie And yet this doth not sufficiently open the meaning of this place for commonly it is expounded as if it were a comparison from the lesse to the greater What doe the Gentiles aske counsell at their gods which notwithstanding are falsly so called and shall wee not make more account of him whom wee know to be the true God especially seeing he hath manifested himselfe so to be vnto vs and that by so infinite testimonies Is it not a foule shame that the heathen should make more reckoning of their gods then we doe of our God But I rather expound this of the Iewes themselues who are called People by way of excellencie because they were adopted of God Neither is it materiall that the Prophet vseth the word Elohim Gods in the plural number for the same word is taken in the like sense in the singular This text is a buckler wherewith we ought to beate backe all those superstitions which glide so smoothly thorowout the world And if others doubt and stand in a mammering whether they should aske counsell at dead Idols or at Saints departed yet let vs alwaies haue this answere readie at hand That wee ought to aske counsell of God onely Now the Prophet alludes to the place in Deuteronomie where the the Lord forbids that they should goe to Enchanters or Sorcerers Deut. 18.10 And lest they should alleadge the examples of the heathen who had their Soothsayers and expounders of dreames and obserued the flying of the fowles hee addes in 15. verse that they should not want a Prophet neither should they be left destitute of necessarie doctrine It was the will and pleasure of God then that they should wholly depend vpon his word and onely learne from thence whatsoeuer was expedient for them to know and so to yeeld him loyal obedience As touching that which followes from the liuing to the dead some expound it otherwise and interpret for in stead of from and then the sense is this Will yee aske counsell at the dead for the matters of the liuing But in regard this sense is constrained it should bee more proper it may bee to expound it thus The Lord will be our master and for this end hath ordained his Prophets that wee should learne his will of them for the Prophet is the mouth of the Lord. It is not lawfull then to goe vnto the dead to whom this office was not giuen and adde hereunto also that the Lord mindes not to vse the seruice of the dead to teach vs. But yet when I haue well considered the text somewhat more narrowly I had rather translate the Hebrew word Bead From to wit frō the liuing to the dead as if he should say that one onely God ought to suffice vs as well for the liuing as for the dead Whether thou considerest the heauen the earth or the lowest parts thereof thou shalt finde that one God onely sufficeth vs. Me thinks this sense is most proper and easie The Prophet then armes the faithfull against the deuises and plots of the wicked which otherwise might haue caused them to reuolt to the end they might content themselues to haue God onely for their Master and that they should not doe him that iniurie as in forsaking his doctrine to giue themselues to other teachers but rather casting off all other things they should onely depend vpon the truth the which hee repeates and confirmes immediately Vers 20. To the Law and to the Testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them THis place is diuersly expounded For some take it to be a forme of an oath as if the Prophet should Sweare by the law that those were apostataes which drew others to the like apostasie with them But I take it otherwise namely that we are rather brought to the Law and to the Testimonie because the particle Lamed shewes that this is the true sense The Testimony is conioyned with the Law not as if they were diuers things but for the plainer vnderstanding As if hee should say To the Law which containes the Testimonie of Gods will toward you Lastly we must take the word Testimony for an
we Art thou become like vs BEhold what taunts the dead shall vtter against this tyrant whē he shall be in their companie as if they asked a reason of him why he also is dead as well as others And therefore the Prophet being astonished with the noueltie of such a thing brings in the dead enquiring thereof with admiration as of a thing vtterlie incredible For tyrants are so blinded with their greatnes that they thinke themselues no mortall creatures but make themselues halfe gods and worship themselues For this cause it is well inough perceiued after their death that their condition differed in nothing from other men howsoeuer they thought themselues exempted out of their ranke According to this sense the dead reproch him with a wonderfull nipping derision in saying that he is made like vnto them because death onely giues vs to know as the satyrike Poet speakes how weake a thing the bodie of man is Dauid also speaking of Princes See Chap. 5. vers 9. sect 2. and of their dignitie saith thus I haue said you are Gods yet must you die like men and fall like one of the people Psal 82.6 7. For the bodies of Princes must needes bee eaten and consumed with wormes at the last although sumptuous and glorious sepulchres be prepared for such kind of persons Vers 11. Thy pompe is brought downe to the graue and the sound of thy viols the worme is spread vnder thee and the wormes couer thee HE mentions the royall pompe to the end one might more diligently note this mutation when they should compare the former things with the latter and thus shewes that nothing could let this tyrant from being brought into a like estate with others Vnder the instruments of musicke hee comprehends all pleasures and voluptuousnesse wherein Kings are wont to take delight because by the sweete harmonie thereof they not onely forget death but also by these mixed sounds all cares are driuen away so as their mindes are somewhat intoxicate therewith In the second part of the verse the dead doe pleasantly say vnto him Thou hast a bed fit for thee For in stead of tapestrie or a soft pillow thou hast mothes and for a sumptuous couerlet thou hast wormes To be short we haue heere a liuely image of mens foolish confidence who being besotted with the present prosperitie and peaceable estate of their affaires reioyce and cheere vp themselues This doctrine ought to be diligently obserued for howsoeuer men know well enough what their condition is and haue death still before their eyes yet are they so dulled with ambition and tickled with pleasures yea bewitched with vaine glory that they vtterly forget themselues Vers 12. How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer sonne of the morning and cut downe to the ground * Or which weaknedst men which didst cast lots vpon the nations ISaiah continues the matter which hee began before in the person of the dead and concludes that this tyrant differs in nothing from others although by all his flatteries he indeuoured to perswade himselfe that he was some god He vseth an elegant similitude in comparing him to the starre of the morning calling him the sonne of the twilight and that because of his excellencie and glorie which made him shine far aboue all others Whereas some haue expounded this place of Satan they haue done it ignorantly for the scope of the text doth sufficiently shew that it should be vnderstood of the King of Babylon But when men snatch vp places of Scripture at randome and consider not the coherence of the text we neede not meruaile if wee often meete with so many errours And yet was it a more absurd blockishnesse when they made Lucifer the prince of diuels making folkes beleeue that the Prophet gaue him this name But for as much as such inuentions haue no colour at all let vs leaue them for fables as we found them The expositours haue been deceiued in the second member of the verse in translating the Hebrew particle in the passiue signification saying Thou art weakened seeing it is in the actiue signification Notwithstanding because the verbe whence it is deriued signifies to cast the lot and that the particle Sur is ioyned therewith this sense agrees well that this tyrant diuided all regions by lot as the Lord and Master of them and drew them to himselfe as if they had appertained to his succession And yet I reiect not the other exposition namely that he weakened the people Vers 13. Yet thou saidst in thine heart I will ascend into heauen and exalt my throne aboue besides the starres of God I will sit also vpon the mount of the * Or couenant Congregation of God * Or in the sides of the north This phrase To say expounded THis must bee ioyned to that which went before To say in this place is taken to resolue in himselfe according to the Hebrew phrase For he derides the pride of the Babylonian who resting vpon his greatnesse durst be so bold as to promise himselfe continuall happinesse euen as if it had been in his power to bring the euents of things to passe at his pleasure Wherein wee haue a faire looking glasse to behold the foolish pride wherewithall the wicked are puffed vp which also sometimes they are not ashamed to vomit forth Neither must we heere consider the person of one tyrant onely but the damnable furie of all the wicked which make their conclusions in secret no otherwise then if they were able to dispose of all things according to their owne fantasie Whose plots S. Iames describes in liuely colours We will goe into such a Citie say they wee will buy and sell and get gaine and yet in the meane while they know not what shall come to passe to morrow Iam. 4.13 They neuer thinke they are vnder Gods hand but haue this sottish conceit that they will doe all things by their own strength I grant that this brag I will ascend into heauen and that which followes also is so absurd as it seemes impossible how it could come out of the mouth of a mortall man but in regard it was not the Prophets meaning to set downe the speeches of Nebuchadnezzar word for word let it suffice vs to consider the thing it selfe For to speake the truth whosoeuer he be that attributes more vnto himselfe then the condition of men can beare hee exalts himselfe against God as the Giants did of whom the prouerb speakes whence it followes that all their deuises shall come to confusion But especially hee who passing beyond the bounds of his calling prouokes the Lord against him by his boldnesse And therefore let euery one of vs content himselfe with his estate and not desire to be mounting vp aloft but let vs rather continue in that degree wherein God hath placed vs. Indeed if God reach out his hand vnto any and lift him higher he may go further but he ought to vsurpe nothing to
we must oppose against them to wit if these Ceremonies of theirs be of God then ought we to receiue them if not then is it lawfull for vs to reiect them nay we can in no wise approue of them but we therein offer wrong vnto God because mortall men doe then vsurp that authoritie which vnto him belongeth Besides God imposeth not When God imposeth any Ceremonie he addes his word vnto it nor sets signes before vs without the word for what Sacrament would it be if wee should only behold the bare signe It is the doctrine only which makes the Sacrament Let vs know then that there is nothing but plaine deceit when the word goes not before The Papists do therefore fondlie impose the name of Sacrament to their vaine Ceremonies when they are not able to confirme them by the pure Scriptures Well the Lord hath so ioined these things together that none can separate theÌ„ but withall they offer violence to the order which he hath instituted Now in that Isaiah is commanded to loose the sackcloth the most of the interpreters gather that the Prophet was at that time clothed with a mourning weede in regard that he bewailed the calamitie of Israel for sackcloth was a mourning garment as appeares by that which is said in Ioel Chap. 1.13 They say then that this was done that in bearing vpon him the garments of the guiltie or condemned he might aske pardon of God or that it could not be that his apparell and countenance should testifie gladnes because his heart was in heauines And indeed it was vnpossible but he must needs be sore afflicted in beholding so great and horrible calamities Some thinke it was his ordinarie apparell in regard that the Prophets vsed to weare a mantle as testifieth Zachariah 13.4 But this is too weake a coniecture neither hath it any shew of reason It is more likelie that he was clothed with sackcloth to expresse his sorrow For those of Iudeah were become so senselesse that they cared not a whit neither thought they that this miserie should euer be able to come neere them no nor then when their poore brethren were miserablie afflicted and scattered before their eyes nay they rather thought themselues out of all danger and made a mocke at the words of the Prophets who threatned and foretold their ruine This was the cause why Micha also complained Mich. 1.11 that none bewailed the calamitie of Israel Some also aske whether this was a thing done indeed or rather whether it were not a bare and naked vâ—sion which hee was to set forth to the people Whether the Prophet stripped himselfe naked or not The most receiued opinion is that the Prophet neuer stripped himselfe naked but that it was shewed him by way of vision onely and that but once Their reason is because he was not able to indure to goe naked the space of three whole yeeres Vers 3. both in regard of the heate and cold and of other incumbrances occasioned by the time But what hurt is it if wee should say that the Prophet couered himselfe in his house and abroad also onely that he shewed this spectacle of nakednes to the people when he was to performe his propheticall office For I am not much moued with that reason that hee could not indure the heate nor cold because God who had inioyned him to doe it When God inioynes vs any seruice he therewithall furnisheth vs with abilitie to performe the same was also able to arme and preserue him when hee did it But they bring an other reason to wit that nakednesse had been vnbeseeming a Prophet I answere that this nakednesse was no more dishonest then circumcision which spectacle in the opinion of prophane men was the most ridiculous thing that could be imagined seeing the priuie members were then discouered I doe not thinke neither would I any should that the Prophet stripped himselfe so naked but that he coueuered those vncomely parts which would haue giuen but a foule and deformed spectacle to the beholders It was sufficient that the people were taught what the Lord meant heereby and that they might be moued with it as a thing extraordinarie That also which moues mee to be of this iudgement is that which is said here By the hand or in giuing commission for albeit this maner of speech be often found elsewhere yet wee neuer meete with it in any place but it imports some hidden vehemencie by which the effect it selfe is noted out The Prophet then sets himselfe before God and in the middest of the Citizens as the herauld of the calamitie that was to come and that not by word onely but euen by a visible signe also It is to be obserued in like manner that it is not noted in the text in vaine that Isaiah did so Master Caluins iudgement touching the Prophets going naked Thus haue you mine opinion to wit that the Prophet went naked as oft as hee preached onely shewing those parts of his body which might be seene without blushing As touching the sackcloth although priuate men were wont to confesse their sinnes in time of trouble in that maner yet it is probable that Isaiah vsed this signe both by reason of his office as also to confirme his doctrine and the better to rouse the people out of their securitie If at any time it fall out that the Lord chastiseth either our selues or our brethren hee commands vs not to change our raiment neither is it needfull but we are altogether cruell and inhumane if the afflictions of our brethren the subuersion of the Church moue vs not And if it be our parts to mourne wee ought also to stirre vp others to doe the like and by our example Heb. 13. Rom. 12.15 16. to prouoke them to feele the calamitie of the Church that they may be touched with some compassion Vers 3. And the Lord said Like as my seruant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoote three yeeres as a signe and wonder vpon Egypt and Ethiopia 4. So shall the King of Ashur take away the captiuitie of Egypt and the captiuitie of Ethiopia both young men and old men naked and barefoote with their buttockes vncouered to the shame of Egypt THree yeeres Quest Why puts hee this space of time Ans Because it was granted to the Egyptians and Ethiopians of the Lord as a time of truce to the end they might come to repentance also that hee might thereby proue the faithfulnesse of his people that without delay they might pull themselues backe from seeking all vnlawfull succours thirdly to the end the Egyptians and Ethiopians might know that their ruine was not far off howsoeuer they seemed to bee in a well setled estate Moreouer the Lord meant heereby to discouer the rebellion of the wicked for doubtlesse many shewed their impietie in scoffing at the Prophets nakednesse as on the contrarie that the faithfull being moued with such a spectacle might learne
while the Prophet shewes that neither his force nor fraude shall be able to let the Lord from destroying both him and his kingdome Furthermore it is not to be doubted but as he here speakes of Satan himselfe so likewise of all his imps Satans imps and instruments by whom he gouerns his kingdome and molests the Church of God Let it be granted that this kingdome be furnished with infinite policies and also with an inuincible power yet shall the Lord easily bring them all to nought Which that we may the better conceiue the Prophet opposeth against them the mightie and sharp sword of the Lord by which it will be no masterie for him to slay his enemie how strong or subtile soeuer he be We are to make account then that we shall euer haue to deale against Satan The Church assailed on euery side with mightie and subtile enemies who like a roaring Lion seekes about whom he may deuoure and the world on the other side being like a Sea in which we are floting vp and downe wherein euery moment diuers monsters assaile vs indeuouring to sinke our ship and to cast vs away neither is there any force left vs by which we may resist them vnlesse the Lord be our helpe And therefore by this description the Prophet meant to set before vs the dangerous estate in which we stand seeing we haue on euery side so many strong and furious enemies being also full of fraud In regard whereof wee should be put to our shifts and vtterly vndone if God preuented them not by opposing his inuincible power against them for our defence Nothing but Gods sword is able to subdue Satans kingdome For this wretched Kingdome of Satan can neuer bee destroied but by the sword of the Lord. But wee are to obserue what he saith in the beginning of the verse to wit In that day For thereby he meanes that God permits Satan to vphold and continue his Kingdome for a time but so that it shall downe in the end as Saint Paul saith Rom 16.20 The Lord will shortly tread downe Satan vnder your feete And thus by this promise wee see Our warfare is not yet accomplished that the time of our warfare is not yet accomplished but that we must fight valiantly till this enemie be wholly subdued who yet will neuer cease to assaile vs as long as we liue albeit he hath bin put to the worst an hundred times Let vs arme our selues then to wage battell with him continually and to beare off the violent blowes wherewith hee will try whether our armour be of proofe or no but that we may not be discouraged let vs alwaies cast the eye of our faith to this day in which all his forces shall be dasht in peeces The epithites wherewith he sets out this Leuiathan in part notes his cunning and subtile policies also in part his open crueltie and thus he lets vs see that his strength is vnable to be matched or ouercome For the word Beriach signifies a bolt or stake of yron vnder which the Prophet by a figure meant to note out a piercing power either in regard of the venomous biting or the violence of Satan The second is drawne from the verbe Akal which signifies to ouerthrow and is to be referred to his ouerthwart and crooked bowings and turnings Vers 2. In that day sing of the vineyard of * Or to the red vine red wine NOw he shewes that all this shall be done for the saluation of the Church Why so Because the Lord prouides for the safetie of all such as he hath once vouchsafed to receiue vnder his protection That the Church then may inioy a sure estate Satan with all his retinue shall be brought to nought And hitherunto tend all the administrations of Gods vengeance vpon his enemies namely to shew that hee hath care of his Church Now albeit the Prophet expresseth not the word Church in this place yet it is euident enough that it is she to whose heart the Lord speakes on this gracious manner Nay this figuratiue manner of speech hath greater emphasis in it then if he had in plaine words called them the people of Israel for in as much as the excellencie of a vine This word Vine hath great emphasis in this place consists chiefly in the placing and planting of it and also depends vpon the continuall dressing of it if the Church be Gods vine we thence gather that she cannot florish but by the continuall course of his daily fauour and blessing vpon her By this similitude hee also expresseth what singular loue and affection the Lord beares vnto her as we haue more fully declared in the fifth Chapter Now he calles it a red vine that is to say very excellent For red wine in the Scriptures signifies excellencie if wee consider other places thereof well Now he saith that this song shall be sung in that day in regard that for a time the Church should bee miserably wasted so as it should become like vnto a desert or a place vntilled But therewithall hee foretels that after this waste she shall be restored and filled with such plentie of excellent fruit that she shall haue ample occasion to sing for ioy Vers 3. * Or I am the Lord that keepes it I the Lord doe keepe it I will water it euerie moment lest anie assaile I will keepe it night and day IN this verse the Lord shewes what care he hath for this vine and what diligence hee vseth in dressing and keeping of it As if he should say I omit no care nor paines that belongs to a good master of a familie who prouidently prouides all things fit for his houshold in due season Now hee not onely shewes what hee will doe when the time of ioy and gladnesse shall come but he also tels what benefits the Iewes had receiued from his hands before that so they might be put in the better hope for the time to come But in the mean while we must supply a close opposition here of the time which is betweene these two for God seemed vtterly to neglect his Church and that in such wise as it became like a desert And hence it was that the vineyard of the Lord was so spoiled and wasted to wit because the Lord left it for a time and gaue it vp as a pray into his enemies hands Whence we gather Our welfare soone decaies if God doe but a little withdraw his hand that our welfare will soone decay if the Lord doe neuer so little withdraw himselfe from vs as on the contrarie that all shall goe well with vs as long as he assists vs. Now he mentions two points wherein the Lord will shew his diligence to wit hee will water his vine continually and will also inclose and watch it that it be not ouerrunne by theeues or wild beasts but may be preserued from all discommodities These two things are chiefly to bee looked
what practises Rabshakeh indeuoured to discourage the hearts of this people And first hee telles vs that he spake in the Iewes language Verse 11. notwithstanding that the Ambassadors had besought him to speake in the Aramites Now it must needs be a great corasiue to the hearts of the faithfull to heare this holy tongue which was dedicated to the mysteries of heauenly wisdome to be thus prophaned and prostituted to such horrible blasphemies neither could it be auoided but this tentation shrewdlie shaked the vnfirme and weake No enemies worse then those that speake out owne language But hence we may note that there are no enemies more noisome then those that speake in our owne tongue Of which we haue experience now in very many who learne our tongue that is to say our manner of speech that they may the better insinuate themselues into the eares of the simple and ignorant to turne them away from the truth Thirtie yeeres agoe the Papists had a barbarous language Note vtterly estranged from the stile of the holy Ghost there was scarcely to be heard amonsts them one word that sauored any thing at all of Christianitie but now they haue learned to varnish ouer their blasphemies with the language of Canaan that so we might take them for honest men And thus wee see the diuell hath filed and furbushed their tongues for he is their father and instructer as hee was in times past vnto Rabshekeh When it is said he stood vp it is to set forth the pride and insolencie of this varlet for his outward gestures manifests sufficiently how arrogantly he behaued himselfe No doubt he stood before but now hee raiseth vp himselfe to be the better seene and feared of the Iewes And hauing yet once againe told them the greatnesse of his King Satans policie he addes vnto it the message with which he was sent For it is one of Satans policies with high wordes to set forth the power of our aduersaries and to make the dangers seeme greater then they be indeed to bring vs out of heart for wee faint by and by as soone as our eies are but a little dazeled with the glory of earthly things Against it therefore we are to oppose the power of God which will be sufficient to arme vs with strength against all the powers of darknesse The enemies cease not to brag proudly euen with open mouth of their greatnesse and power and scorne our feeblenesse and weaknesse but if the Lord be with vs what should astonish vs Vers 14. Thus saith the King Let not Hezekiah deceiue you for he shall not be able to deliuer you IN giuing to his Master the title of a King he speakes of Hezekias as if hee were but some common person and giues him no title at all Also not content to continue his slanders against this good man he now disgorgeth his venome euen against God himselfe calling the trust confidence which Hezekias had in his fauor whereunto he also exhorts all his nothing but impostures and deceipts Slanders of the Papists Wee at this day are assailed with the like slanders of the Papists when they say we do nothing else but seduce and leade men into perdition by teaching thē to trust perfectlie in one only God But we neede not maruell much if they cast those reproches vpon vs which were cast vpon this good King seeing they proceed from the same author and father of lies euen the Deuill Where he saith Ezekias is vnable to deliuer his people it was very true in deed vnlesse God did also put to his hand Neither did Hezekias attribute this vnto himselfe to rob God of his honor but freelie protested that his owne safetie and the safetie of his people depended vpon God only But it was needful that this aduersarie should disguise his words as the wicked doe at this day whē they meane to defame our doctrine for they forge faire and goodlie pretexts to make our words hereticall in shew so as they easily deceiue the hearers vnlesse they haue their eies in their heads to consider of all things wisely Vers 15. Neither let Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord saying The Lord will surely deliuer vs this Citie shall not be giuen ouer into the hand of the King of Ashur NOw Rabshekeh recites Hezekias his exhortation by which he encoraged the people and addes his refutation as if it had been but a vaine speech euen the inuentions of his owne braine whence it appeares that the wicked make none account at all of the power of God although they can speake of it to serue their owne turne For albeit he denies not plainly that God is able to help his people if he would but makes them beleeue he is angrie with them and therefore is their enemie yet in ouerthrowing their faith as much as in him lies he abolisheth the power of God because his meaning was so to smite the hearts of this poore people with terror that they should be constreined through despaire to subiect themselues to the lawes of this victorious Tyrant Moreouer by another subtletie he also indeuors to wring frō them their trust in Gods help in that he allures them as we shall see in the next verse with promises of inioying plētie and ease For what is able to worke in vs a desire to reuolt from God sooner then whē we are drawne thereunto with the shew of profit and pleasure If the world begins once to smile a little vpō vs and to glad our hearts then behold the hope of eternall life begins forthwith to vanish for our senses alwaies dote vpon present things Rabshekeh hauing armed himselfe with this engin giues them this admonition Depend not vpon vncertaine hopes rather take that which is certaine This maner of speech hath great efficacie in it to allure vs to a reuolt For men are apt to nothing more then to be possessed of that which may bring them profit and it is exceeding irksome and tedious vnto them to be deferred or to hang in suspence so as to preferre the good which is yet farre off before the commodities which are before their eies See Rabshekehs argument then Wee must walke by faith and not by fight 2. Cor. 5.7 Hezekias promiseth you help from God but you see no such matter he therefore seekes to captiue your wits in the expectation of things vncertaine but the King my Master will not only promise but wil performe in giuing you those things which you see This might seeme to be a very strong argument But let vs finde out the fallacie for Satan is often wont by such sleights to turne vs from depending vpon Gods prouidence The Lord calles vs to the hope of eternall life which as yet is hidden from vs Rom. 8.25 for we hope for the things which wee see not Hee promiseth that he will be our Sauiour in the meane while he suffers vs to languish and faint many
temptation also in that he keeps himselfe close to the meanes ordained of God and desires to heare his voice by the mouth of his Prophet Isaiah For albeit he rested vpon none but God only yet he reiects not the testimonie of a mortall man like himselfe and this is the cause why the title of the Prophet is here expreslie mentioned because he sent to Isaiah to be confirmed by some new prophesie And thus he names him not as a priuat man but as the seruant of the Lord whose office it was to comfort the King by some word of consolation There are two notable remedies then by which we are succoured in affliction Two soueraigne remedies by which we may receiue comfort in affliction First we must call vpon God for his deliuerance Secondly we must send for the Prophets of God if they be to be found that they may giue vs some word of consolation for it is their charge to comfort and refresh the afflicted by setting the pretious promises of life before them But if Prophets be wanting yet we shall haue sufficient and full consolation in the word it selfe For we must aske counsell of these Prophets which God hath sent not only during the terme of their liues but for euer afterwards and of those that succeed them for although themselues be dead 2. Pet. 1.19 yet we haue their bookes still with vs their doctrine liues and shall remaine for euer but the summe is we must alwaies aske counsell of God Some may demand Quest whether Hezekias was not sufficiently instructed and furnished with the promises was it not a signe of infidelitie in him then to seeke for new promises of the Prophet I answere Ans It is not to be imputed to him for infidelitie or distrust that he seekes a new promise because being best acquainted with his owne infirmitie he was not ashamed to seeke new confirmations of his faith The flesh alwaies solicits vs to distrust The flesh euermore solicits vs to distrust therefore we ought neuer to despise new succors therefore we ought not at any time to despise new supplies nay rather it stands vs in hand to vse all the best meanes we can to beate back the multitudes of temptations which dayly presse vs. For Satan inuirons vs so close on euery side that if we be not well furnished indeed it is not possible for vs to wind out of his snares and intanglings Although we be well instructed in Gods word then and haue learned that he will surely help vs in the day of trouble yet when some extraordinarie surge or waue ariseth it is all the need then to get vs to the mouth of the Lord againe and againe Although our faith be well confirmed in theâ— promises yet vpon new assaults we ought once yea twice to get new confirmatioÌ„s from the mouth of the Lord. and still to seeke out new confirmations to comfort quicken and strengthen our faith We haue no particular prophesies now but we ought to applie the generals to our particular vses because they were written for our learning Rom. 15. In that Hezekias sent Ambassadors to Isaiah and went not himselfe it was because he praid in the Temple for it appeares the mourning was generall in regard that both the elders and counsellers were clothed in sackcloth it is also very probable that the King had proclaimed a publike fast Let vs also note that Isaiah liued not in the Kings house to giue himselfe to iollitie there but in his absence God meant to proue the faith of this good King Vers 4. If so bee the Lord thy God hath heard the words of Rabshekeh whoÌ„ the King of Ashur his master hath sent to raile on the liuing God and to reproch him with words which the Lord thy God hath heard then lift thou vp thy praier for the remnant that are left Obiect IT seemes that Hezekias doubts whether the Lord would heare or no for the particle Vlai is translated if peraduenture and it is taken in this sense almost throrowout the whole Scripture Ans But we must note that the faithfull are accustomed to speake thus though they bee most assured that God will succor them They are indeed somewhat perplexed but it is onely in regard of the difficultie of the temptation wherewith they are pressed Hezekias might well doubt if we looke vpon the estate as it then presently stood but hauing turned his eies towards the word of God hee became more certaine of Gods will and then ceased to tremble any more Now because it cannot be auoided but the flesh will alwaies fight against the spirit in the faithfull and so ouercharge them that they are faine still to drag the wing or to traile the leg after them they sometimes fit their words according to the difficultie which presents it selfe before them And in other places we may obserue that Gods seruants haue spoken on this manner though the matter were out of doubt For when Saint Peter exhorted Simon the Magician to repentance Acts 8.22 he addes If paraduenture the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee but hee therein counsels him not to tremble or to pray in vnbeliefe because such a praier had been in vaine but he sets before him the greatnesse of his sinne that hee might quicken him vp with the greater feruencie to awaken at the last that hee might proue a true conuert indeed This word if then is not put here in a doubtfull sense but signâ—fies that which wee vsually speake it may be when we dare hope or promise something to our selues Neither doth Hezechias speake thus as if God vnderstand not what the wicked say or as if he were vtterly ignorant of it but because this principle was fixed in his heart to wit that the Lord is neer vnto all such as call vpon him in truth he now therefore armes himselfe with praiers and is fully resolued to withstand all distrust And for as much as he could not attaine the goale without great strife he saith peraduenture or it may be Note also that he addes heere two sorts of hearing which in part resolues this question True it is that at the first there seemes to be some repugnancie in these words It may be hee will heare the words which he hath heard but it is a very apt kind of speech for Hezekias is certainly perswaded that nothing is hidden from God He onely disputes in himselfe whether God would examin this miscreants blasphemies For in regard that he often defers his punishments for a time and seemes to winke at mens impieties it seemed that hee now also tooke no knowledge of these blasphemies Lastly he takes it for granted that all things are manifest naked before Gods eies onely he askes in some perplexitie whether the Lord indeed will shew himselfe displeased with Rabshekehs railing by some outward signe or no that is not to let him escape any longer vnpunished To be short he desires to
neerer Iohn Baptist spake with more efficacie for he pointed out Christ with his finger Iohn 1.29 But because the besotted Iewes were nothing touched for the most part with the true feeling of their scattering therefore Iohn the Baptist sought out a solitarie and desart place that by the beholding of him he might awaken the drouziest of them to the hope of the promised deliuerance Iohn 1.21 In that he said he was no Prophet it was in regard of the end of his calling and of the summe of his doctrine for he was not sent to exercise any particular function for any set time but to prepare mens hearts to receiue his Lord and Master He also referres that properlie to all men which is said here touching the remouing of the impediments out of the way namely because the peruersitie of our nature the ouerthwart turnings of our vnderstandings and the rebellion of our hearts doe shut out the Lords passage and causeth vs that we can not so denie our selues as to yeeld him the obedience which we owe him Vers 4. Euery valley shall be exalted and euery mountaine and hill shal be made low and the crooked shall be streight and the rough places plaine HE both confirmes and expounds the former sentence The former sentence confirmed and expounded for he shewes that the Lord will suffer no impediment stand in his way to hinder him from redeeming and restoring of his Church wheÌ„ it seemes good vnto him These words may well be translated in the imperatiue so as the Lord should make the whole verse a charge giuen to the Prophets to prepare and make plaine the way but the difference is not very materiall let it suffice vs to haue his meaning which is that Gods hand shall preuailâ— though many difficulties and loâ—◠〈◊〉 come in the way to hinder this deliuerance Thus we may see that many hindrances present themselues as often as God once begins to worke for the saluation and succour of the afflicted God no sooner begins to worke for the saluation of the afflicted but many impediments comes in the way wherein notwithstanding his glorie shines so much the more neither is it any way hurtfull for vs. For his admirable power is manifested before our eies seeing all the forces enterprises and imaginatione of mans braine can neuer so hinder but that his decree must of necessitie come to passe for he will bring his seruants as easily ouer mountaines and through rough waies as if they passed through euen and smooth waies It is certaine that by mountaines and hils the Prophet vnder a figure meanes all sorts of obstacles for Satan neuer ceaseth plotting how to hinder our saluatioÌ„ For wheÌ„ the matter coÌ„cerne our spiritual deliuerance no doubt but these words comprehend in them all inward and outward impediments ImpedimeÌ„ts hindring vs in our spirituall course as carnall lusts and crooked affections ambition vaine confidence impatiencie c. all which do wonderfullie withstand our passage A singuler consolation but the Lord wil remoue them all for wheÌ„ he stretcheth forth his hand nothing shall be able to turne or hold vs back Vers 5. And the glorie of the Lord shall be reuealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it HIs meaning is that this worke of redemption shall be so glorious that the Lord will make it knowne to all that himselfe is the author of it and will cause his power and maiestie to shine therein It is true that they may bee perceiued in all places and in all things but he promiseth especially to reueale his glory in the protection and deliuerance of his Church and not without cause for the redemption thereof euen from the beginning vntil Christs coÌ„ming was as an incredible renuing or second creation of the world This promise therefore came in due season when Gods power which he was wont to manifest was now almost so extinct that there scarsly shined any sparkles thereof as it is said Psal 74. We see not our signes c. I say it was to good purpose that the Prophet promised theÌ„ a signe so vnwonted and memorable by which they might euidently perceiue that God had infinite meanes in his hands to helpe his Church although hee seemed to defer it for a time Hee amplifies this miracle afterwards by another circumstance that is it shall not onelie be glorious among the Iewes but also in strange Countries far remote from them for by these words all flesh shall see hee meanes that all nations vnder the Sun should know that the returne of the Iewes out of captiuitie was a worke wrought from heauen and that God spake not to them by his Prophet in vaine Wherein hee taxeth the incredulitie of men who rest not vpon Gods promises but hold all that the Prophets speake in his name for fables till they see the performance thereof with their eies By this place we are also taught what is the true means to correct our vnbeleefe The right way to correct our vnbeleefe euen to exercise our selues daily in the meditation of Gods promises that so our faith may be confirmed by all the testimonies of his loue which hee sets before vs. For thus we must ioine practise to the proâ—ises The bare view of Gods works doe proâ—â—â—â— little and therefore he sends his word to open our vnderstandings and in the second place he seales vp the truth thereof by the effect it selfe Vers 6. A voice said Crie And he said What shall I crie All flesh is grasse and all the grace thereof is as the flower of the field HE speakes heere of another voice then that which he mentioned vers 3. For hitherunto he hath spoken of the voice of the Prophets now comes in the voice of God The voice of the Prophets the voice of God yet it is necessarie to distinguish them who commands the Prophet to cry I denie not but the voice of the Prophets is also the voice of God whose instruments they are for they speake not of themselues yet this distinction is necessarie to the end wee may know when the Lord commands and when it is that the Prophets and Ministers doe execute his commandements There is a fit comparison betweene the two voices then that we might learne to receiue the message which the Prophets bring in the name of the Lord with as much reuerence as if himselfe spake vnto vs from heauen for they speake as from his mouth and as his Ambassadors vtter nothing but that which his Spirit suggests vnto them Moreouer by this preface Why the Prophet vseth this preface we are admonished that the Prophet meanes to speake of some great matter for howsoeuer he alwaies protests faithfully to deliuer that to others which himselfe receiued from the Lord yet here to stir vp the more attention hee telles vs that the words which hee pronounceth were put into his mouth by the
abomination Others reade it The abomination in the nominatiue and vnderstand it that such are abominable as erect and set vp idols but I thinke it is otherwise to be vnderstood I take the verbe chosen indefinitiuely as the Grammarians speake it is often so taken in the Scriptures For when the Prophet speakes of the common people and recounts some ordinarie and vsuall thing they expresse not the noune substantiue Thus I vnderstand it then Men cannot forge idols but therewithall they also forge an abomination And surely this is a worthy text This place teacheth vs to abhor the idol and the idol maker teaching vs both to abhor idols and the boldnes of those that set them vp for this cannot be done without offering great violence to the Lord himselfe Many esteeme it but a sport but the Prophet not onely thinkes otherwise but he calles it such an abomination as God neither can nor will suffer vnpunished The word To chuse points out as with the finger The originall of idols from what fountaine idolatry springs For true religion should neuer be polluted with so many corruptions if men had not presumed to make them idols of their owne deuising Whence wee may note that all deuised and inuented worships of God are heere opposed to true pietie Vers 25. I haue raised vp from the north and hee shall come from the east Sunne shall hee call vpon my name and shall come vpon Princes as vpon clay and as the potter treadeth mire vnder foote NOw hee turnes againe to the argument which hee touched before concerning Gods prescience and power and shewes that the name of diuinitie appertaines to him onely in whom these things are to be found Touching his raising from the north some expound it of Cyrus others of Christ but I think the Prophet notes out two things here so as by north we are to vnderstand the Caldeans and by the east the Medes and Persians as if hee should say There vvill come two changes vvorthy of memorie for I vvill raise vp the Caldeans Caldeans and exalt their kingdome afterward the Persians Persians shall come vvhich shall bee their Lords and Masters Now although these things were to fall out long time after yet the Lord shewes that they were already manifest in his sight yea that hee ordained them in his secret counsell to the end the euent thereof might be a certaine token of his diuinitie Yet in the first member of the verse he denounceth iudgement to feare the Iewes in the second he sets forth mercy in testifying that the captiuitie and deliuerance of the people was his worke that all might perceiue that the prescience and power of God were things which did indeed belong vnto him The prophane nations diuide certaine offices amongst their gods Apollo Apollos Iupiter he foretels things to come Iupiter he puts them in execution another hee dispatches a businesse contrarie to that but Gods office Gods office is not only to foretell and signifie things to come but to dispose of things also according to his good pleasure For in whatsoeuer thing it be that any diuinitie shines it ought to bee ascribed to God onely and not to any other This is the cause why hee appropriates to himselfe both prescience Prescience and the execution thereof ought to be appropriated to God inseparably and the execution of the same inseparably In that hee saith he will raise vp from the north hee prophecieth as I touched before of the captiuitie to come of which there was no feare at that time because the Iewes and Caldeans were in league together in the next place hee prophecieth of the restauration of the people who had leaue of Cyrus to returne into to their Country Now who would haue imagined that things being in so good plight as then they were that such a change had been possible especially in regard the euent was to fall out long time after namely About some two hundred yeeres betweene the time of Isaiahs prophecies and the accomplishmēt thereof about 200. yeeres after the prophecies of Isaiah And yet the Lord testifies that he is the author thereof that so all might know that the Caldeans came not by chance but were raised vp of God who vsed them as his rods to correct the Iewes withall The Medes and Persians also subdued not the Caldeans by their owne power further forth then as they were led and directed by the same hand of the Lord. In this place therfore hee sets forth the greatnesse of Gods power and that so plainly that hee proues Kings and Princes to be but dung and dirt in comparison of him And thus we may yet better perceiue that the Prophet not onely respected those of his owne time but those also which should come after him for they which then liued could hardly discerne what this meant but their successors which saw it and had experience of it vnderstood it much better The end was that all might know how there was but one God before whose eies all things are naked and manifest and who gouernes all things according to his good pleasure You may perceiue then what an excellent text this is in that it shewes the perfection and certentie of Gods oracles The perfection and certentie of Gods oracles For the Iewes forged not these prophecies whilest they were prisoners in Babylon but their fathers hauing heard and receiued thē long time before their successors at last acknowledged Gods iust iudgement whereof they had been forewarned before and in the second place they also imbraced the mercy offered in that they saw God would in due time send thē deliuerance who as he is the preseruer of his Church so they felt him faithfull in his promises by good triall and experience Isaiah spake as hee was moued by the holie Ghost From this place therefore we may safely conclude that Isaiah spake not by his owne motion but that God vsed his tongue as the organ of the holie Ghost who put these wordes into his mouth The certaintie of prophecies In that he saith he shall come it signifies that whatsoeuer was foretold by Gods commandement should without all peraduenture come to passe For hee speakes of a thing to come Gods prescience and power which sets out as in liuely tables the prescience of God Secondly in adding that he is the author of these things that is to bee applied to his power To call vpon the name of God signifies nothing else in this place but to perform somewhat at Gods commandement It is true that Cyrus little thought he was imploied in the seruice of the God of Israel neither meant he to obey him but the euent shewed that the Lord marched before him by his secret power and prouidence to bring him to Babylon by continuall and incredible victories In comparing him to a Potter which treads his clay it is added because euery one thoght the strength and
lippes ye know were to preserue knowledge and at their mouth men were to seeke it Mal. 2.7 The Prophet therefore complaines that those who should bee lights and guides to others were themselues as blinde as the rest Some refer the word seruant to Isaiah others to Christ and thinke that both were condemned of blindnesse But this comes nothing neere the Prophets drift for his meaning is by way of comparison to amplifie the former complaint made touching the blindnesse of the Iewes Their fault was much greater then that of other nations but the Priests were yet in the greatest fault of all who were their leaders and guides Let vs know then that by how much the more wee come neere vnto God and the higher hee shall haue aduanced vs in dignitie aboue others the lesse shall our excuse be To the same purpose he calles them perfect which indeede should haue been so for hee puts them in minde by this reproch of that perfection from whence they were fallen by so vnworthy a reuolt and thereby had shamefully prophaned that holy and glorious name of their God For seeing he gaue them a perfect rule of righteousnesse to direct them both in life and doctrine it should haue been their parts not to haue swarued an haires bredth from it Vers 20. Seeing many things but thou keepest them not opening the eares but he heareth not NOw himselfe expounds what this blinding is which he mentioned before and he shewes it to be twofold Thus we may perceiue well enough that he speaks only of the Iewes who wilfully and maliciously had choked the heauenly light The fault will bee double then when they shall appeare before Gods iudgement seat if wee shut our eies before the cleere light and stop our eares whilest he vouchsafes to teach vs by his word I grant the prophane nations are iustly left without excuse but the Iewes and others to whom the Lord so many waies manifested himselfe shall bee worthy of a double condemnation in that they would neither see nor heare God Let vs feare this iudgement then What vse we are to make of the former doctrin who haue so many worthy lights and examples shining before our eies for there is a blinding espied at this day in many and as great an hardening as was among the Iewes but the one shall bee no more excused then the other Vers 12. The Lord is willing for his righteousnesse sake that he may magnifie the Law and exalt it THat he might amplifie the offence of the Iewes hee now shewes that it was not Gods fault that they were depriued of good daies Hee said before that the miseries and calamities which they indured were the punishments of their wilfull obstinate blindnesse Now to fill vp the measure of their iniquitie he addes that by their obstinacie they had reiected all reliefe This place is diuersly expounded Some reade This verse diuersly expounded See more in the sequell The Lord would haue it so others He is gracious But I haue translated The Lord is vvilling that is to say is inclined to deliuer his people to magnifie his law and to exalt his iustice And thus God yeeldes the reason why he is ready to succour the vnworthy to wit because he is willing that his glory may be aduanced in their saluation that his iustice by this meanes may also appeare and that his law might florish in her perfect strength Now in that the Iewes were in such a distressed estate it was because they wittingly loued darknesse rather then light and to heape sorrowes vpon their owne heads rather then to obey God for had not this come betweene it was his onely desire to haue inriched them and to haue aduanced them Some expound it thus The Lord is as willing to magnifie his law and to shew his iustice in chastising the Iewes as hee was to threaten them by it and thus they refer the word righteousnesse to the punishments and plagues wherewith this people were visited of God Others translate For my righteousnesse sake and so refer it to Christ but they deceiue themselues in the word Tsidko for doubtlesse the Prophet speakes of righteousnesse minding to shew that the Lord was willing to exalt the truth of his promises and the signes of his righteousnesse in the conseruation of the Iewes if they had not shewed themselues vnworthy of so great a benefit by their owne vnthankfulnesse others thinke that the Lord is heere excused in regard it seemed hee suffered his truth to faile when his chosen people were exposed to so manie calamities and that the Prophet meant to preuent this slander by telling them that they were not thus scattered made a pray because the Lord tooke any delight therein but because he respected his iustice aboue all things The sense according to Master Caluins iudgement But for my part I expound it simply in this sense that the Lord to exalt his Law vvas readie to doe his people good that his glory and iustice might shine therein but that the people depriued themselues of such a blessing and thus made their case desperate by their owne obstinacie The cause why the Lord adornes his Church with so many fauors From hence also wee may gather for what cause the Lord adornes his Church with so many of his fauours euen that hee might magnifie his law and bring men to the seruice of his Maiestie that so his truth might shine more and more When the Prophet saith that the Lord is vvilling it is euident that he findes no cause out of himselfe but yet he expresseth it further in adding for his righteousnesse sake for he excludes all that men bring of their owne neither can hee be moued to doe good but because he is iust Adde also that no dignitie or worthinesse is to be found in any man but there was a speciall reason of this in respect of the Iewes whom hee had vouchsafed to adopt among the rest Vers 22. But this people is robbed and spoiled and shall be all snared in dungeons and they shall be hid in prison houses they shall be for a pray and none shall deliuer a spoile and none shall say Restore NOw Isaiah shewes that the people are miserable and appointed to destruction by their owne folly because they reiected God who otherwise was readie to haue succoured them but they like desperate persons reiected all remedies and sought their owne ouerthrow He so excuseth the Lord then that he vehemently reproues the people who vnkindly did cast off the Lord and turned his grace into wantonnes And yet as I haue said alreadie this is not said so much to iustifie God as bitterlie to complaine of this nation who had sworne to procure their owne ruine seeing they wilfully threw themselues into sundrie calamities If we see the Church scattered and deformed at this day let vs blame our sinnes The cause of the Churches deformitie for we thereby would not suffer
euen in wilde beasts who yet are gentle and louing in this behalfe howsoeuer otherwise they be of cruell and fierce natures Now in regard women sometimes proue more vnnaturall then wilde beasts yea and ouercome them in crueltie by neglecting the fruit of their bodies the Lord addes that if this should fall out that yet he will neuer forget his people For the firme and vnmoueable affection he beares vs farre surmounts the vehement loue and amitie of all fathers and mothers in the world Let vs then call to minde what Christ saith Math. 7.11 If you which are euill can giue good things to your children how much more will your heauenly father Is it possible that he should emptie himselfe of this fatherly affection No verily Men which are of peruerse natures and loue thēselues yet will not neglect their children and will the Lord the fountaine of mercie who needs nothing but giues to all men liberallie and hath not the lesse neglect his Church Wherefore howsoeuer it falles out sometimes that mothers reiect and forsake their children which yet is prodigious yet notwithstanding God who loues his children with a stable constant and perpetuall loue will neuer reiect them To conclude then Chap. 27.23 Hebr. 13.5 our Prophet heere sets out the inestimable care of God who watcheth night and day for our saluation to assure vs that he will neuer leaue nor forsake vs though we be tossed to and fro with many and great calamities Vers 16. Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of mine hands thy walles are euer in my sight Gods loue to his Church set forth by another similitude BY another similitude he sets forth this inestimable care that God hath ouer vs. We vse to say in our common prouerb That one hath that vpon his fingers ends which is seriouslie imprinted in his memorie And when Moses commands a dayly meditation in Gods law he saith Thou shalt bind them vpon thine hands Deuter. 6.8 that so they might alwaies haue Gods commandements before their eies Heere our Prophet vseth the same similitude as if he should say I can no sooner looke vpō my hands but I behold thee there I beare thee so ingrauen vpon my heart that nothing is able to blot out the remembrance of thee In a word I can not forget thee but I should also forget my selfe True it is that GOD hath neither hands nor any bodily shape but thus it pleaseth the holy Ghost to stoupe downe to our slender and weake capacities that he might the better set forth the infinite loue which he beares vs. And because the Church is in many places called the Temple or Citie of God whence also comes that similitude of building so much frequented in the scriptures Psal 102.16 Ier. 24.6 Math. 16.18 therefore the Prophet brings in the similitude of vvalles by which hee notes out the quiet and peaceable estate of the Church as if he should say I will alwaies see that Ierusalem shall florish and be in good plight Whence also we obserue that heere is set forth vnto vs a right order of gouernment and discipline A right order of discipline described whereof the Lord will be the perpetuall protector and defender as himselfe heere protests Let vs also remember that this prophesie tooke place in that wofull desolation when the walles of Ierusalem which were the liuely image of the Church Ierusalems walls a liuely image of the Church were throwne downe the Temple raced good gouernment abolished and in a word when all things were out of ioint and almost brought to vtter confusion for he promiseth that all the Churches priuiledges shall forthwith be restored to their first perfection Vers 17. Thy builders make haste thy destroyers and they that haue made thee waste are departed from thee HE amplifies that which he touched in briefe in the former verse An amplification of the former verse for his speech might haue bin esteemed ridiculous vaine concerning this continuall care that God hath ouer the Church and her walles which he now suffered to be raced to the very foundations For this cause I say he addes an exposition to wit that it is ruinated indeed but ere long it shall be reedified anew From this word builders wee may gather wherin the right way of repayring the church consists The right way to repaire the Churches ruines namely if the Lord bee pleased to send forth master Carpenters and Masons to frame it anew Secondly in driuing out the destroiers which build not but breake downe For albeit God can build vp his church without the helpe of men yet is he pleased to vse their labours and howsoeuer he finisheth the whole building himselfe alone by the secret worke of his holy Spirit yet hee blesseth the indeuors of his seruants that the same should not become altogether vnfruitfull To him we must pray and from him alone wee must expect workemen for hee is able to fit them with gifts and graces and to appoint out to euery one his taske as Saint Paul saith 2. Cor. 3.5 Thus wee are then not onely to pray that God would send forth labourers into his haruest but also that he would furnish them with power and efficacie Mat. 9.38 that they may not bestow their paines in vaine Is the doctrine of the Gospell then preached with some fruit It comes to passe by the singular goodnesse of God But this were not enough vnlesse he therwithall should driue farre off the destroiers for Satan inuades and assaults the Church by infinit waies neither wants hee his supposts and catchpoles who imploy all their forces either to slake hinder or ouerthrow the Lords building and therefore we ought continually to pray that God would still defeate all their enterprises But if that good be not done which we desire let vs accuse our selues and our owne ingratitude for the Lord is readie to bestow his benefits vpon vs in great abundance Vers 18. Lift vp thine eies round about and behold all these gather themselues together and come to thee As I liue saith the Lord thou shalt surely put them all vpon thee as a garment and gird thy selfe with them like a bride HE awakens the Church by setting her deliuerance before her eies The Church is exhorted to behold her glory in the middest of her greatest ruines to the end she might view this so glorious a worke might behold the troopes of men which should flow in vnto her on euery side Now as this gathering together serued to sustaine the mindes of the faithfull in captiuitie so was it their duties who saw it accomplished indeede to render thanks vnto God Whence it appeares that this prophecie was of good vse in both the times as well whilest their deliuerance was yet hidden vnder hope as when it was ratified by the effects And albeit also he speakes to the Church in generall yet this speech belongs to euery one in particular that
vnto them will I giue in mine house and within my walles a place and a name better then of the sonnes and of the daughters I will giue them an euerlasting name that shall not be put out HEere wee may euidently see that the doore is set open for all persons to enter into Gods kingdome how vnworthy soeuer they be The Prophet alludes to Ierusalem and to the Temple wherein the Lord had put the memoriall of his name Now none but the Iewes had any place there for they would haue thought the Temple prophaned if any Gentiles had come within it And this as you know was the cause that so great a multitude arose against Saint Paul who had brought some vncircumcised ones into it Act. 21.28 But heere the Lord receiues all those without exception whom before he had reiected and hath abolished that difference by bringing vs who were strangers into the Temple that is into the Church For it is not now shut vp within the bounds of Iudea as once it was but it extends it selfe farre and neere thorowout the whole world as in Marke 16.15 The word lad is taken heere as in many other texts for place It may also be taken for power or authoritie in regard they are aduanced to such dignitie as to be held for the children of God Where hee addes a better name it may be demanded whether the Lord compares the Iewes which were then in the Church with the faithfull which afterwards he will call into their roome or the estate of the people to come with that it was then For it is certaine that the name of the Gentiles is more honourable now then the name of Iewes who for their infidelitie were cut off and we haue succeeded them who being wilde Oliues were grafted into the naturall stocke as S. Paul speakes Rom. 11.24 We may expound it then that the Eunuches and strangers shall haue a better name then the children and those of the houshold who were vnto God as his heritage But I had rather take it in another sense namely that the dignitie of the faithfull shall be greater vnder Christ then it was vnder the law The Patriarks had an excellent name in respect that they called vpon God as their Father and were knit vnto him by a perpetuall couenant but at Christs comming Gods grace was more abundantly shâ—d abroad and therefore we at this day haue obtained a better and much more excellent name then they He calles it an euerlasting name because it is vvritten in the heauens where it shall not wither but shall florish for euer The wicked wil haue their names to be remembred in this world and vse all the meanes they can that their renowne may continue perpetually but it is perishable and therefore lasts not long But this is another kind of name for wee are so made heires of the heauenly kingdome that wee are accounted for Gods children in the presence of his Angels The word Mibbanim may also be interpreted for the name which a man gets by meanes of his children for men make their names aftâ—r a sort perpetuall by their of-spring Now the Prophet promiseth that this name shall be much more excellent But I had rather follow the first exposition Vers 6. Also the strangers that cleaue vnto the Lord to serue him and loue the name of the Lord and to bee his seruants euery one that keepeth the Sabbath and polluteth it not and imbraceth my couenant A repetition Vers 5. HEe repeates that he said before namely that God will so open the gates of his Temple to all without exception that there shall be no more distinction betweene Iew and Gentile but such as the Lord shall call by his word Act. 2.39 which is the band of our adoption shall be ioined vnto him And therefore these are those espousals in compassion and faithfulnesse whereof Hosea speakes Chap. 2.19 20. Now he not onely allots them an outward court to worship the Lord in as the people in old time did Luk. 1.10 but he attributes vnto them a more honourable order to wit that God will auow them for Priests and Leuites which were prophane before But the end of their vocation which immediatly followes is to be noted namely that the Prophet saith they shall be Ministers of the Lord on condition that they loue the name of the Lord. Hypocrites reiected And thus al hypocrites are heere reiected because the expresse tenor of our vocation runnes thus that we serue the Lord with a free and ready affection of the heart for wee cannot serue him vnlesse wee yeeld him a franke and voluntary obedience That therefore which is said of almes-giuing oght to be applied to all the parts of our life namely God loues a cheerfull giuer 2. Cor. 9.7 that thus vnto our Lord and Master wee may render such a seruice as proceedes from loue In adding vvhosoeuer shall keepe hee againe mentions the Sabbath vnder which as wee haue said before the whole worship of God is comprehended But the people neglected that which they should principally haue obserued vpon this day for in contenting themselues with the outward ceremonie they omitted the truth that is to say amendement of life The Lord on the other side meant they should so rest that yet in the meane while they should keepe their hands vers 2. and their soules pure from all vncleannes and iniquitie Vnder the particle and shall imbrace he expresseth the zeale and constancie of such as subiect themselues vnto God and cleaue fast vnto his word If therefore wee be ioined to the Lord by couenant wee must keepe it stedfastly and be fast glued as it were to the pure doctrine that nothing whatsoeuer may turne vs backe or diuide vs from him Vers 7. Them will I bring also to mine holy mountaine and make them ioyfull in mine house of praier their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted vpon mine Altar for mine house shall be called an house of praier for all people BY these phrases of speech hee expresseth that which he said before to wit The difference betweene the circumcised and vncircumcised taken away that the strangers which were shut out of GODS Church are called now vnto it so as the difference betweene the circumcised and the vncircumcised shall bee abolished for euer For these words cannot bee referred to the proselytes that is the strangers conuerted to the Iewish religion who were taken into the body of Gods people by circumcision for then the Prophet had spoken of no new or vnwonted thing But hee testifies that Gods grace shall bee spread ouer the whole world which could not be done but the Gentiles must needes bee vnited with the Iewes to make one body with theÌ„ which came to passe wheÌ„ the difference touching vncircumcision and circumcisioÌ„ was taken away There is nothing now therefore that can hinder the Gentiles from seruing of God seeing they are called into the Temple that is