also reprocheth them that they sinned not so much of ignorance or infirmitie as the weak often do but that they followed on and continued in their rebellion of set purpose As if he should haue said They are giuen vp to all iniustice and haue wholly sold ouer themselues to commit euill Where he addes Seede of the wicked it is as much as mischieuous seede Some expounding it more wittily say that they declared themselues vnworthie to hold any place among the children ef Abraham because they were become bastards and degenerate As in other places they are called a seede of Canaan yea they are reproched with the name of vncircumcised euen as though they had bin begottten of prophane or a strange people But it is an vsuall manner of speech among the Hebrews which the Greekes also obserued in their speech when they say sonnes of the good for good children Corrupt children It is word for word corrupting and therefore the expositors supplie Themselues or their waies But me thinks bastard or degenerate agrees better For his meaning is that they are so depraued that they resemble their fathers nothing at all Moreouer hee adornes his nation here with foure titles which are not very seemely And Such indeed as were farre remote from the good conceit which they had of themselues But thus must hypocrites bee dealt withall to awaken them and the more they sooth vp themselues in casting off the feare of God so much the more must they bee thundred against For a milder and a more gentle doctrine would not haue preuailed with such a kind of people any thing at all neither would a slight manner of reprofe haue mooued them The false perswasion therefore of their righteousnes and wisedome was to be plucked away from them for therewith they masked and disguised themselues and often made their bragges thereof in vaine For they haue forsaken the Lord. Now hee addes the reason why hee hath so sharpely and bitterly reprooued them namely lest they should complaine as they were wont to doe that they were too seuerely dealt withall First then he vpbraids them with that which is the fountaine of all euils to wit they had forsoken the Lord. For euen as it is the chiefe perfection of righteousnesse to cleaue vnto God as Moses teacheth What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but that thou cleaue vnto him Deut. 10.12 so is it the greatest miserie wee can plunge our selues into when wee haue forsaken him Now the Prophets meaning is to let the Iewes see that they were not onely guiltie of one fault but to shew them that they were become Apostats altogether No doubt but that which followes serues for an amplification whether we reade To prouoke or to dispose yet I rather rest in the latter For it was too grosse an ingratitude to make light account of him who had adopted them for his owne from the rest of all nations And for this cause he calles himselfe the holy one of Israel because in giuing himselfe vnto them he had thereby adorned them with his holines For this name is so attributed vnto him euery where in regard of the effect From how barbarous a pride then did the despising of so great an honour proceed If any had rather retaine the word prouoke the sense will be that they had reiected the Lord euen as if they meant to prouoke him to anger of set purpose Whence we may see how detestable their Apostasie was They are gone backward The sense is that when the Lord did set a certaine way and forme before them how hee would haue them to carrie themselues they on the contrarie were carried away with their lusts and yet he confirmes the former sentence to wit that they had giuen the bridle so farre to their shamelesse malepertnes that they were altogether reuolted from God yea and that wittingly and willingly by erring from that marke vnto which they ought to haue bent their course all their life long Vers 5. Wherefore should ye be smitten any more for you fall away more and more the whole head is sicke and the whole heart is heauie WHerefore should c. Some do turne it vpon what or in what part And they take it as if the Lord should say There are no more plagues left to strike you withal For hee had tried so many waies to bring them into the right way that there was no chastisement left But I had rather interpret it Wherefore or to what purpose As also the Hebrew word importes so much and withall I take it that the sense seemes to agree best thereto For so we are wont to say wherefore to what purpose c. His meaning is then that the Iewes are growne to such a pitch of wickednes and vngodlines that it is impossible to make them become any whit better We know by experience that after desperate men haue once hardned their hearts then they will rather be broken all to peeces then receiue any correction Now he complaines that there was such an obstinacie in them euen as if the Physitian hauing assaied all good remedies to cure his diseased patient should begin to say at the last All the skill I haue will doe no good And withall hee accuseth them of extreame malice for when the wicked are come to that passe that chastisements will not humble them then are they come to the very top of all wickednes So then it is as much as if the Lord had said I see very well that though I should correct you neuer so much yet I shall do you no good For questionlesse things are then become wholly desperate when the chastisements and calamities which God vseth as remedies to heale our vices will profit vs nothing And yet for all that the Lord is so farre off from ceasing to punish such stil that which more is it stirres vp and inflames his wrath so much the more against vs For there is nothing more burthensome to him then such an obstinacie Notwithstanding it is rightly said that he loseth his labour when he cannot thereby draw vs to repentance and that all the remedies hee applies to a people so vtterly past cure are in vaine So then he is so farre off from sparing such that hee not onely doubles his blowes and afflictions vpon them trying all meanes possible but he is constrained neuer to giue ouer till he hath vtterly consumed them But then indeede he plaies not the part of a Physitian but rather of the Surgion which is the cause why he so laments here that his chastisements shall now become vnprofitable to the people You fall away This is a confirmation of the former sentence so that I distinguish this member from the former which others notwithstanding doe conioyne together As if he should say You wil be so far off from ceasing to erre that which worse is you augment your wickednesses more and more for I see you are so carried away to doe euill
her Therefore in seeing the Church so many waies and with such diuers calamities afflicted at this day and an infinit number of soules to perish whom Iesus Christ hath redeemed with his pretious blood must we not needs be cruell and barbarous if we be moued with no sorrow at all Especiallie the Ministers of the word ought to be thorowlie touched with the feeling of this sorrow for as they are held for the watchmen and therefore can see further off so also ought they to sigh when they perceiue the signes of a scattering of the sheepe to be at hand Now the Prophets publike teares serued as we haue said to breake the hearts of the people for he had to doe with men of such obstinacie as could not easilie be brought to lament There is a place almost like vnto this in Ieremiah where he bewailes the destruction and scattering of the people saying that his soule fainted with sorrow Iere. 4.31 And in another place Who will graunt that my head might be filled with waters and that mine eies might be a fountaine of teares to weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people Iere. 9.1 Iere. 9.1 When the Prophets perceiued they labored in vaine to breake the hard hearts of this people surely they could not chuse but be ouerwhelmed with griefe and sorrow and therefore they indeuored by all meanes to mollifie y◠hearts of the obstinate that if it were possible they might be bowed and brought back againe into the right way Vers 5. For it is a day of trouble and of ruin and of perplexitie by the Lord of hosts in the valley of vision breaking downe the Citie and a crying vnto the mountaines HE againe signifies that the Lord is the Author of this fearefull iudgement Though it be often told vs that God is the author of our afflictiōs yet we forget it when we should put this knowledge in practise and to the end the Iewes might not gaze heere and there wondring that the enemies should get the vpper hand he tels them plainely that they fight against God himselfe Now albeit we often meete with this doctrine in the holie Scriptures yet notwithstanding it is no way superfluous neither can it be so often repeated but we forget it when we are to practise it thence it is that we humble not our selues before our Iudge but cast our eyes rather vpon men and externall meanes then vpon God who would easilie remedie our euils By day he meanes a time prefixed according to the vsuall prase of the Scripture because it seemes that God yeelds ouer his right for a time when he winkes at mens wickednesse but he forthwith recouers it againe in that season that himselfe hath appointed Now it is not for nought that he names the valley of vision againe for the Iewes thought themselues secured from all dangers because it pleased God to inlighten them by his word But because they did vnthankfully reiect the doctrine thereof it was but a vaine confidence to thinke the bare inioying of it should any way profit them for the Lord not onely punisheth the infidelitie of those that are out of the Church but that also of the Church it selfe Nay rather he begins to manifest his anger against it first for he will not indure to haue his graces abused nor that men should boast of his titles in vaine That which is added touching The cry of the mountaine it may be referred to God to the Caldeans and to those also which fled because the vanquishers raised vp a cry to augment the terrour but the vanquished either cried for mercie and fidelitie or else testified their sorrow by teares weepings The singular number may also be takē for the plurall or else it is meant of that side of the Citie in which the Temple was built Both expositions agree to the text and there is no great difference whether we say That the enemies cried from the mountaine of Zion to incourage one another or that their cry was heard of the neighbour mountaines when they pilled and destroyed the Citie or that the citizens themselues made their lamentations sound to the mountaines which inuironed the plaine of Iordan Vers 6. And Elam bare the quiuer in a mans chariot with horsemen and Kir vncouered the shield THe expositours are of opinion that this is a continued speech that the Prophet denounceth the same iudgement against the Iewes that he had done before But when I consider all things aduisedly I am enforced to bee of the contrarie opinion for I thinke the Prophet vpbraides the Iewes with their obstinacie and rebellion See the exposition of the eleuenth verse for that giues light to this for that they repented not albeit the Lord had chastised them and thus he repeates the historie of the time past to put them in remembrance that God his chastisements had done them no good Thus should these things bee distinguished from the former In the other verses he foretold what should happen to the Iewes but now he shewes that they are iustly punished and that they haue deserued these violent blowes wherewithall the Lord smites them For hee had called them to repentance not onely by his word but also by most wofull effects yet had they shewed none amendement at all notwithstanding that their wealth was wasted and the Kingdome weakened but proudly persisted in their rebellion There remained nothing thē but that the Lord should bring heauie iudgements vpon them seeing they thus persisted in their obstinacy and rebellion Now I haue translated this Hebrew coniunction Vau by way of opposition it being often taken in this sense Those who thinke the Prophet threatens in the time to come retaine the proper sense as if the Prophet hauing made mention of God should by and by adde the executioners of his vengeance But I haue already shewed what exposition I haue approued and it shall appeare hereafter by the course of the text that mine opinion is not without good reason In that hee names the Elamits and the Kirenians it agrees better as I take it to the Assyrians then to the Babylonians For although these nations did neuer make war vpon the Iewes by their owne instinct yet is it very likely that they were in wages with the King of Assyria and occupied a place in his host when he besieged Ierusalem Now we haue said alreadie that by the Elamits are meant the Esterne people and vnder the name of Kir it is certaine that the Prophet comprehends the Kirenians And because they bare shields he saith they discouered them because they drew them forth of their cases when they entred into the battell Whereas some translate In the chariot of horsemen I reiect it not yet had I rather render the words of the Prophet word for word for I thinke he meanes a chariot of warre They vsed then two sorts of chariots one serued to beare the baggage and the other to
great alreadie for the fault is much more blame-worthie and to be condemned when by vnlawfull shifts we labor to flee from vnder the hand of God A third reason But we are here to obserue one thing more speciall as touching the Iewes who by the help of the Egyptians would put the Assyrians to flight and yet themselues had called the Assyrians to help them against the Israelites and Syrians 2. King 16.7 2. King 17.4 2. King 18.21 Asshur pressed the Iewes very sore and doubtlesse it was a iust punishment of God vpon them for their incredulitie who sought for help of men rather then of God And this we see hath been the practise of many others also who haue not stuck to seeke help euen from the Turke Well the Iewes were so farre off from repenting themselues of their sinne or acknowledging God to be iust in the punishment thereof that they added sinne to sinne as if the committing of one offence had made amends for the committing of another These are the causes then why our Prophet deales so roughlie with them for those that goe on so in their wickednes and do violētlie rush against God himselfe and will not suffer themselues to be brought into the right way neither by admonitions nor corrections are worthie to be punished with the greater seueritie rigor Vers 2. Which walke forth to goe downe into Egypt and haue not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselues with the strength of Pharoh and trust in the shadow of Egypt VVE haue told you before why the Prophet blames this descent or going downe But because so grosse a rebellion did much amplifie their sinne he once againe repeates it that they did this without consulting with his mouth nay expresly against his inhibition He also brings them to the fountaine of this euill when he tels them that they did it to strengthen themselues because they relied vpon the strength of the Egyptians From hence then sprung that peruerse desire of theirs to make a league with them in which they sufficientlie shewed that they made slight account of Gods power not much caring whether they trusted in him or not and thus made their impietie manifest to all the world Obiect But some might obiect that men are Gods seruants Ans and that euery man may lawfullie vse their help when he needs the same It is lawfull to vse the help of man prouided that wee whollie depend vpon God for a blessing Deut. 17.16 Exod. 13.17 I answere mans help must be vsed yet so that in the meane while we rest and depend vpon the alone help of God But there was a speciall cause to blame the Iewes in regard they knew well that God had forbidden them to seeke for any help of the Egyptians and therfore in this their fact they tooke so much from God as they attributed to Pharaoh and his host It is not without cause therfore that our Prophet doth here make a flat opposition betweene Pharoah and God How God and the creatures are said to fight one against another for the creatures are set as opposite against him in battell either when they exalt themselues against him or when men abuse them and trust in them or desire them more then is permitted vnto them Vers 3. But the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion NOw he shewes what the end of the wicked shall be that despised God and his word and followed such counsels as themselues liked to wit that all their enterprises whatsoeuer should turne to their ouerthrow He also threatens them that they shall not not only be left frustrate of their hope but that they shall also goe to seeke that with great losse and confusion which should bring them nothing in the end but shame and sorrow This must be alwaies the lot of the wicked for howsoeuer for a time they seeme to be whollie at their ease and that all things fall out according to their desire yet in the end the same things shall turne to their ruine This is the iust reward of their presumption when they dare to passe the bounds of Gods word for things attained by vnlawful means shall neuer bring profit to the possessors Things attained by vnlawfull meanes shall neuer bring profi◠to the possessors He speakes of the strength of Pharaoh by way of yeelding or granting as if hee should say You verily thinke Pharaohs strength is your safetie but be better aduised for it shall bring you nothing but shame and dishonour The shadow of Egypt vnder which you hope to shrowd your selues shall cause you to be cast downe with confusion of face These two words of confusion and ignominie are to be taken both in one sense but the latter is added by way of amplification because it carries greater weight with it then the former Vers 4. For his Princes were at Zoan and his Ambassadours came vnto Hanes VVEe may see by the Prophets words that the Iewes not onely desired the aide of the Egyptians calling them to aide and succour them but he expresseth somewhat more to wit that they obtained not the same without great cost and labour For it could not be auoided but they must needes make long iournies take much paines and be at extraordinarie charges to goe loden with their presents to the furthest Cities of Egypt which he here names For they sent no common persons on these ambassages but Lords and great Princes The reprehension therefore is the sharper because they had basely sought succour of the Egyptians trotting vp and down like poore suters We are also to note the antithesis here which we spake of before to wit that God was ready at hand and neere to be found so as they needed not to trauell far nor to be at any great expences to call vpon his name for he tied himselfe vnto them by this promise This is my rest Psal 132.14 and had told them that in that place hee would be found of them But these poore wretches in despising God did rather choose to vex themselues by running to the vttermost parts of the world then to inioy that present helpe which was offred them within the walles of their owne Citie Vers 5. They shall be ashamed of the people that cannot profit them nor helpe nor doe them good but shall be a shame and also a reproch HE confirmes the former sentence for it was a wonderfull hard matter to perswade the obstinate sort amongst the Iewes that all things which they tooke in hand without the expresse warrant of Gods word should turne to their ouerthrow Men may sometimes prosper in bad and euill courses but it is to make their downfall the greater in the end Now to the end they might be the more seuerely punished God suffered them sometimes to prosper in their wicked courses that so being more and more seduced they might in the end breaks their
because there was no such thing to be seene in outward appearance he brings vs to the soueraigne King who should set all things in their perfect estate and bids them to wait for him Now the oppositions which the Prophet heere vseth are diligentlie to be marked for he opposeth the highnes of this King whom the Lord would exalt to the poore and miserable condition of this people who were almost brought into despaire And he promiseth that this King shall be the head of the people who shall florish vnder so worthie a leader though now they be afflicted and brought to the gates of destruction Why so Because all things shall prosper that their King takes in hand He calles Christ a seruant in respect of the office which God had imposed vpon him For Christ is not to bee considered of heere as bearing the person of a priuate man but with that office which the Father had committed vnto him namely that he might be this leader and conducter of the Church and might restore all things And let vs for our part know that the things heere spoken of Christ doe also belong vnto vs. Chap. 9.6 Christ is giuen vs of God and therefore haue wee interest in his office For the Prophet might haue said in a word that he should be exalted and be verie high but in attributing to him the name of a seruant it is as much as if he had said Hee is thus exalted for your sakes Vers 14. As many were astonied at thee his visage was so deformed of men and his * Or beautie forme of the sonnes of men A preuention in this and the next verse HEe vseth this preuention in regard this maiestie and dignitie of Christ appeared not at the first blush for which cause they might take occasion to reiect him Therefore the Prophet shewes that Christ must first be humbled and made low And thus he preuents the doubts which might haue caused them to stagger in beholding his abiect and deformed estate As if he should say You must not despise this his basenesse and deformitie for it brings with it forthwith eternall felicitie By men I vnderstand not this by way of comparison as many expound it to wit More then men or Aboue that which falles out among men But I willingly accept of the plainest sense namely that Christ was deformed amongst men or that his beautie was defaced in regard of the peruerse iudgements of men All vvere astonished Some take this astonishment for that admiration which men were in when they saw the miracles which Christ did and yet being brought to the Crosse they straightway reiected him But they come nothing neere the Prophets meaning for hee saith that Christ shall be so deformed that all shall be astonied at him his basenesse of birth was such as all despised him his glory was hid vnder the infirmitie of flesh And howsoeuer a maiestie worthy of the onely begotten Sonne of God shined in him yet men discerned it not but they rather gazed vpon that his abasement which eclipsed and darkened his glory See heere the true cause of this astonishment then namely because he conuersed among men Luke 9.58 without any outward pompe For the Iewes expected not a Messias of so meane an estate Now at his crucifying this astonishment was augmented much more Saint Paul speakes of this abasement of Christ and then of his exaltation when hee saith He being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall vvith God â—hil 2.6 and â—he verses â—ollowing but he humbled or emptied himselfe by taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen vnto the death of the Crosse Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth and that euery tongue should confesse that Iesus is the Lord vnto the glory of God the Father Christ humbled before he was exalted It was needfull theÌ„ that Christ should first be humbled and shamefully intreated and that this glory into which hee was exalted should not appeare at the first But after his humiliation vpon the Crosse came a glorious resurrection with a soueraigne degree of honour Vers 15. So shall hee sprinkle manie nations the Kings shall shut their mouthes at him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand OThers expound He shall distill so vnder a figure taking it To speake But seeing the verbe Nasa signifies to sprinkle and being so taken in the holy Scriptures I had rather follow this interpretation His meaning is that the Lord shall spread his word among many nations In the next place he addes the effect of this doctrine in saying that Kings shall shut their mouthes in signe of astonishment but yet diuers from that which he mentioned before for men shut their mouthes and stand astonished when the matter is of such consequence that they are vnable to expresse it because they can finde no wordes wherewith to vtter the same They shall see that vvhich vvas not told them The Prophet shewes that this astonishment shall not proceede from the bare sight of Christs person but rather from the preaching of the Gospell for though he rose againe yet all esteemed him dead if the glory of his resurrection had not been published The preaching of the gospel therfore manifested those things which neither the eye had seene nor the eare heard of before 1. Cor. 2.9 as also in regard the publishing of this doctrine came to Kings and nations farre off euen to the ends of the world Saint Paul alleadgeth this text and shewes that it was fulfilled in his ministerie reioicing that hee had preached the Gospell to those who had neuer heard of it Rom. 15.21 For this is the office of an Apostle The Apostles office and not of euery Minister now Thus then our Prophet shewes that the kingdome of Christ shall not be shut vp in so narrow bounds as within the â—and of Iudeah but should spread it selfe furlther off The Iewes vnderstood somewhat by the Law and the Prophets but the Gentiles knew nothing at all This therefore by consequence belongs vnto them Faith consists in certaintie of knowledge Shall vnderstand By this hee shewes that faith consists in certentie in assured knowledge for where this wants No faith without certaintie of knowledge there faith questionlesse is not Whence we may discerne how ridiculous the opinion of the Papists is touching their implicite faith in beleeuing as the Church beleeues which indeede is nothing else but an absurd ignorance or to say better a meere circle and blinde imagination THE LIII CHAPTER Vers 1. Who will beleeue
them which the Prophet foresaw by the Spirit as if hee should say Wonder not to see the mount of Zion laid wast and spoiled for so many sins of the people Yet is it not made such a lamentable spectacle that any should bee brought to despaire but that all those in whom there is any hope of health being touched with true repentance might conuert vnto God before such a thunderclap come vpon them For the Prophets were as Heraulds to publish the iudgement and vengeance of God to the wicked that so by all meanes they might endeuour to bring all that they possiblie could to repentance And the seruants of God must neuer put off this affection namely euen to study how they may profit the verie reprobate if by any meanes it could bee brought to passe This place therefore may bring a merueilous consolation to all faithfull Pastors for when it seemes to vs that we speake to deafe cares we stagger and begin to forsake all What shall I doe I doe nothing but beate the aire And yet notwithstanding the Prophet ceaseth not to exhort those in whom hee saw no hope of amendment An howsoeuer he be as a man astonished at their ruine yet doth hee not cease for all that to admonish them stil Let vs note also that although the wicked bee obstinate yet the iudgements of God must be denounced against them let them recoyie and gnaw the bit as much as they will yet must they stil be summoned before the iudgement seate of God to the end they may be left without excuse I take the Hebrew word Ci for surely for this signification agrees best because it breakes off the exhortation which he had begun and now speakes to God Also when he againe calles them the house of Iacob it is added for the greater vehemencie of speech which men in a matter of great importance are wont to doe as if he should say This holie nation which God hath chosen is now left and forsaken For they are filled Because the word Kedem signifies sometime the East and sometime antiquitie we may interpret it that they were filled with the manners of the ancient because they had brought the superstitions in vse wherewithall the land of Canaan was in times past infected For wee know that the Prophets did often reproch the children of Israel that they were liker to the Cananites then to Abraham and the other holy Patriarkes And questionlesse it was a double vnthankfulnes not to change their peruerse manners seeing the old inhabitants being driuen out they were brought in to possesse this land to the end it being purged from all their filthines it might afterwards be dedicated to holines Yet because the other sense is more receiued I had rather hold that although the expositors themselues doe not here agree For some take the letter Mem comparatiuely as if the Prophet should say Before or Rather then them of the East others take it more simple and better also in mine opinion in saying that they were full of the East that is to say of the vices which they had drawne from thence imitation being a merueilous contagion so as nothing is more vsual then to see corruptions glide from one land to another a farre off That which by and by followeth opens it yet more cleerely when he saith of the sorceries of the Philistins For vnder diuinations by a figure which they call Senecdoche hee comprehends the deceits of Satan to which the prophane nations were giuen The Prophet then meanes that they differ in nothing from the Philistins from whom God notwithstanding had separated them by the priueledge of his adoption And this was sufficient to condemne them vtterly in that hauing forgotten their vocation they defiled themselues in the corrupt and wicked waies of the Gentiles Whence it appeares that to sinne by the example of another doth serue nothing at all to make the fault the lesse The latter part of the verse is diuersly expounded for some draw strange children by a similitude to the lawes and customes others referre it to mariages Because that in taking of strange wiues without discretion they had so mingled their seede that there were manie children bastards The exposition of S. Ierome is more grosse who thinks that they defiled themselues in wicked lusts contrarie to nature For mine owne part I doubt not but by strange children he meanes strange nations and not by a figure the lawes The Prophet then accuseth them that in desiring to please the Gentiles they wrapped themselues together with them in their wickednesses and thus had not only mortall men but wicked men also in greater account then God himselfe Now he saith that they tooke their delight because the affection and delectation of a wicked imitation had raced the true loue of God and of his holesome doctrine out of their hearts Vers 7. Their land also was ful of siluer and gold and there was none end of their treasure and their land was full of horses and their chariots were infinite WE must take good heede to the order which the Prophet keepes here For he now shewes the causes wherfore the Lord reiected his people In the former verse hee began with diuinations and strange manners now hee descends to the gold and siluer and afterward he will speake of their horses and chariots No doubt then but hauing first of all condemned their idolatrie he here in the second place reprooues their auarice and in the third that wicked confidence which men haue when by forging vaine succours vnto themselues they depart farre off from God It is not a thing to bee condemned as vnlawfull in it selfe to haue abundance of gold and siluer but because this people burned with an insatiable couetousnes and trusted in horses and in Chariots therefore they are iustly reprooued Some take the Hebrew particle by way of opposition as if the sense were thus And yet they abounded in siluer thereby to make the ingratitude of this people the greater because hauing abundance of all things yet they ran after their idols and enchantments as if al things had been in a desperate estate Which is much lesse excusable then if they had gone after them in aduersitie whereas they shooke off the yoke of God from their necks being fed with good things in all abundance Thus by this sense then he should amplifie the wickednes of this people running voluntarily and for no cause to idols whilest they ouerflowed in their delights but yet I receiue not this interpretation because I thinke it too much constrained For hee rather reckons vp with one breath as it were the vices wherewith the people had spotted themselues that is to say couetousnesse false confidence and idolatrie And howsoeuer their opinion be true which expound it by way of opposition yet notwithstanding it agrees not with the sense of this place A little after Isaiah confirmes the same also more clearely For howsoeuer it bee not wicked nor a
of his excellent greatnes amongst them then if he were in the midst of many Vers 3. Then he that shall be left in Zion and he that shall remaine in Ierusalem shal be called holy and euery one shall be written * Or to life in Ierusalem among the liuing in Ierusalem HE holds on his former speech still shewing that when all the filth of the people shal be purged out then that which remaines shall be called holy Whereas some thinke that those are called holy which shall be found written in the booke of life it seemes to me an ouerstrict sense We should rather reade these two members a part All those which shal be sound in Zion shal be holy and all those which shall remaine in Ierusalem shall be written in the booke of life And this repetition is very frequent and much vsed among the Hebrues namely Ioel 2.32 when the Prophet sets forth one benefit of God by many titles as when it is said There shal be saluation in Ierusalem and remission of sinnes in Zion both which are to be referred to one end yet neuerthelesse the grace of God is the better manifested when the cause of saluation is placed in the free pardon There is the like reason in this place for he saith that the Church being washed from her filthinesse shall be cleane and that all those who haue place in her shall be truly the elect of God But yet it is certaine that this appertains not to all the visible Church in the which there are oftentimes many mingled which only cary the name of the faithfull and yet haue not any true marke of their profession yea these surmount the little flock in number for the most part euen as the chaffe doth the good corne And howsoeuer the Lord had clensed them from the chaffe in their exile in Babylon as if he had taken the fanne in his hand yet wee know that the Church was very far off frō her right hewe notwithstanding But in regard that the image of this puritie did then shine in some part which truly appeared after the sheepe were separate from the goats Isaiah according to his accustomed maner in speaking of these beginnings comprehends the continuall course of time euen to the end whē God should fully accomplish that which he had then begun We see the very same thing effected euery day for although the Church be not wholly purged from her spots by being exercised vnder the rod and correction yet notwithstanding she recouers part of her puritie when the spots are taken away So then she susteines no losse by her afflictions The Church sustaines no losse by her afflictions because that as she is diminished one way so she is much more comforted another way by casting out from her many hypocrites For example the health of a sick body can not be recouered vnlesse you first purge the rotten and corrupt humors away which is in it From hence we gather a very fruitfull consolation for wee are wont to desire a multitude and would by that iudge of the good estate of the Church Note but we should rather desire to be a small number that so the glory of God rather then of a multitude might shine in the midst of vs. But because our owne glorie carries vs away from thence it comes to passe that wee more regard the number of men then the vertues of some few Wee must also gather what the true glorie of the Church is for it then truly florisheth The true glory of the Church defined when the Saincts haue place in her and although they be few and despised of the world yet they neuerthelesse make the estate thereof florishing and desireable But because it will neuer be in this world that the Saincts should occupie the place alone in the Church Note we must patiently beare the mingling and in the meane while hold it for a singular benefit as oft as it approcheth any thing nie to this puritie We haue sayd alreadie that by those which are written in the booke of life we must vnderstand the elect of God as if he should say The prophane multitude shal be cut off who only haue their names written in the earth Now the Prophet alludes to the place in Moses in the 32. of Exod. where he desires rather to be blotted out of the booke of life then that all the people should perish But although God haue none other booke but his eternall Counsell by which he hath predestinated vs to saluation in adopting vs for his children yet this similitude agrees very well to our weaknes because our vnderstanding can not otherwise comprehend how God should know his flock in such wise as none of the elect should euer be depriued of eternall life Seeing then that God hath his chosen written the decree of adoption by meanes wherof eternall felicitie is assured vnto them is called the booke of life As touching the reprobate although for a time it seemes they be equall to the children of God yet notwithstanding they are not enrolled in this Catalogue as we see how they are driuen away when he gathers together and puts his owne apart Now the accomplishment thereof shall not be till the last day notwithstanding vnto Gods children because they are assured of their election when they perseuere constantly while the reprobate fall to reuolting it is a great comfort in calamities when being shaken with temptations we continue stedfast in our vocation Vers 4. When the Lord shall wash the filthinesse of the daughters of Zion and purge the blood of Ierusalem out of the midst thereof by the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning HE still goes on with the same doctrine for in as much as we commonly thinke that the Church receiues great hurt through the afflictions by which she is diminished the Prophet insists more and more vpō the contrary sentence And now to beate back this error he reasoneth by the contrary to wit that God rather washeth and purgeth out all the corruptions from his Church by meanes of afflictions By blood I vnderstand not only murthers and such other notorious crimes but all maner of filthinesse and vncleannesse whatsoeuer Now there is a redoubling in this similitude by which he repeates one and the same thing twice because that which before he called filthinesse in generall now he calles it blood in particular as the fluxe of blood or some such like thing In summe he shewes the fruites which these corrections bring to wit that by them our filthinesse is cleansed For whilest vngodlinesse spreades it selfe hither and thither without punishment then we grow as corrupt as others for which cause it is necessarie that the Lord should awaken vs by admonitions yea as a good Physition that he purge launce and sometimes that he seare and burne He takes iudgement for puritie to wit for the effect of iudgement when the things which were declining are
the Temple but that which I haue set downe is more probable Vers 5. Then I sayd woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips for mine eyes haue seene the King and Lord of hostes NOw the Prophet telles in what manner he was effectuallie touched with this vision to wit that hee was so terrified with the feare of Gods presence that he thought himselfe vndone And hee addes the reason wherefore he thought thus of himselfe Because saith he I am of polluted lips I wonder why S. Ierome hath turned it Because I held my peace seeing there is no ambiguitie in the word It is true that the verb Damah signifies to hold ones peace but in this place there is a certaine note of the verb passiue which is added It may also be translated thus Wo vnto me for I am brought into silence because silence is often taken for death in the scripture and it is sayd that those which are buried are in silence But seeing it is all one as touching the sense I will not contend much about the translation His meaning is then that he was so terrified with the sight of God that he became as a dead man And indeede there is no cause why we should wonder at this for man must be wholly brought to nothing in regard of his flesh to the end he may be renued according to God Whence is it that men liue that is that they thinke they liue being puffed vp with the knowledge of their owne reason and power but because they are ignorant of God And so before he reueale himselfe to vs we thinke we are gods rather then men but when the Lord appeeres then we begin to feele and perceiue what wee are Frō thence comes that true humilitie which consists in this that men attribute nothing to themselues but depend wholly vpon God Wherefore this and such like places vpō this argument ought to be diligentlie obserued Now it was an ordinarie thing with the holy fathers to crie Iudg. 13.22 I shall die I am vndone as oft as they saw God Wherfore before our minds be well awakened by approching to God in good earnest our life is nothing else but a vaine imagination we are in darknes wherein it is very hard to discerne truth from error but when we are come into the light it is easie to discerne the one from the other So when God comes to vs he brings the light with him to the end we may see that we are nothing which yet wee can not perceiue whilest we are puffed vp with a vaine opinion of our selues before Obiect Yet mine eyes haue seene Is it the sight of God which brings death to men For it seemes strange that the looke or presence of God should take away the life whereof he is the fountaine I answere Ans that this falles out by accident and in respect of our owne default and not from the nature of the Lord. Death is in our selues and we perceiue it not but when it is compared with the life of God And without all question this is it that the Prophet here meanes For he saith not simplie I am dead but he addes the reason namely because he is of polluted lips Quest But why restraines he pollution to the lips Was hee pure in his vnderstanding in his thoughts and in the other parts of his body I answere Ans The Prophet toucheth that which was the principall and most precious thing in him to wit his tongue which was dedicate and consecrated to God by whom he was instituted a Prophet And although otherwise he was a sinner yet notwithstanding in regard of the holy office which he exercised he was specially consecrated in this part And yet in as much as he answered not to the holines of God he confesseth he is polluted yea euen in that part which is the most holy in him And this I take to be the simple and natiue sense of this place although the expositors haue sayd nothing touching it hitherto In the mids This is added by way of exposition For here he puts himselfe among the people no otherwise then as one who felt himselfe guiltie of the pollution of the whole body and forgets the puritie he had receiued of God because he was vnable to stand before him Hence it appeeres how such erre as thinke the Prophet feigned as the common people are wont to doe who forge diuers inuentions of God For as I haue said the presence of God is the confounding of the flesh because it shewes vs that we are nothing in our selues He which seeth God and is guiltie of his owne miserie what can he feele but his owne perdition because God is the Iudge from whom nothing can be hidden or vnknowne in whose presence all our puritie becoms impuritie And if this befell the Prophet what may wee thinke of our selues for what are wee in comparison of him Although God hath begun to purge vs yet must wee alwayes acknowledge our vncleanenes the reliques whereof we shall alwayes feele in our flesh From this place also we are to gather a generall doctrine to wit that mens mouthes are polluted and impure if they be not purged of God All doctrines of men smell of impuritie Whence it followes that all humane doctrines do alwayes smell of their impuritie for there is nothing pure but that which proceeds frō the Lord. Vers 6. Then flew one of the Seraphims vnto me with an hote coale in his hand which he had taken from the altar with the tongs THe Prophet shewes what remedie was giuen him after he had been thus terrified and as he thought to death and this confirmes that which I haue said alreadie to wit that the puritie of the lips comes from God only for men can bring nothing of their owne which is not vaine and impure If any obiect it is absurd that the Lord should purge him now as if his toong had been impure and prophane before which notwithstanding was the organ of the holy Ghost I haue heretofore sufficientlie answered this obiection True it is that the Lord had purged him before but according to his measure The purgation which is now added is greater because it hath his degrees and increasings which no man can whollie obtaine at the first Wherefore we must not gather that the Prophets lips were impure before because they are now purged but wee are to regard to what end this was done namely because the Lord would augment and increase his graces in him and rayse him vp higher in dignitie to the end he might haue greater authoritie among the people and this was requisite by reason of the times and of the mutation which was then in the state The fire is taken from the altar as diuine and heauenly because the law forbad to take any strange fire from thence the reason is in regard that
looke for the ruine of their enemies This place also teacheth that the Prophets were faithfull assisters one of another to the end they might serue God with one heart and affection Vers 9. * Or In the meane while For the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is Remaliahs sonne If ye beleeue not surely ye shall not be established BEcause this is a repetition by which hee would confirme that which hee said before namely that God hath limited the boundes of the kingdome of Israel for a certaine time therefore I haue translated In the meane time for otherwise it would bee absurd that the chiefe citie should remaine in hir perfection after the kingdome as hee erewhile foretold should bee brought to nought The sense then is whilest the threescore and fiue yeeres are running on and comming to their end Israel hath some respite His chiefe citie shal be Samaria let him content himselfe with his boundes and aspire no higher for such shall his estate be till he be wholly cut off and be no more reputed a people Except yee beleeue it The particle Ci is put in the middest of the sentence as yeelding the reason of it And therefore some translate thus If you beleeue not that is to say because you are not beleeuers And so restraine the first member to the prophesie of Isaiah but the second to the whole word of God as if he should say If you giue no credit to my words then your infidelitie shall bee knowne to all But thus there should be no difference betweene the verbe Thaaminu and the other verbe Theamenu which are of diuers coniugations But the Prophet hath not changed the termination without cause and it appeares by many testimonies of the holy Scriptures that the verbe Amâ—n in the coniugation of Niphal is taken for to stand or continue fast in his degree I thinke then that this is as much as if he had said Beholde your onely stay waite quietly without being vexed in your selues for that which the Lord hath promised to wit deliuerance if you waite not for it what remaines but that you perish The particle Ci signifies as much it being also vsually so taken in many other places as surely He affirmes then that they cannot stand vnlesse they beleeue this promise yea his words sound somewhat more bitingly namely that although they refused to giue credit vnto it and should endeuour to the vttermost to ouerthrow the stedfastnesse thereof yet would God for his part continue still to bee firme and sure as also that themselues could not stand vnlesse they rested vpon the promise here offered them Whence we haue to gather a generall doctrine to wit that our destruction then approcheth when we shall depart froÌ„ the word of God howsoeuer we imagine our selues to be well and sufficieÌ„tly grounded For our saluation is inclosed in the word of God and when that is reiected God iustly auengeth the wrong that is done to him therein for hee was neere to haue sustained men by his power if they had not voluntarily plunged themselues headlong into destruction we must rest confidently then vpon the promises of God or else it is in vaine to looke for saluation Vers 10. And the Lord spake againe vnto Ahaz saying BEcause the Lord knew very well that King Ahaz was so wicked as he would not rest vpon his promise he therefore sent Isaiah to confirme him by adding a signe For when God sees that his promises suffice vs not hee addes fit and conuenient signes according to our weakenesse to the end wee should not onely heare him speake but that also in seeing his hand reached forth vnto vs we might be further confirmed by euident testimonies Whereupon we ought diligently to note the vse of signes namely to what end God shewes miracles to wit that wee might bee confirmed by them in the certaintie of the word For when we see his power if we make scruple to beleeue his word hee corrects our doubting by making vs see euen the thing it selfe and miracles being added to the word doe become seales thereof Vers 11. Aske a signe for thee of the Lord thy God aske it either in the depth beneath or in the height aboue I Vnderstand these words hie or low simplie He puts it to his choyce to choose a miracle whether he aske it in heauen or in earth It may be this word in the depth hath some greater vehemencie in this place as if he should say Take thy choice God will shew thee by and by that his dominion is farre aboue all the world yea that it reacheth euen to the bottome of all depths so as at his will and pleasure he can raise the dead out of their graues See here then a singular goodnes of God towards the King and towards the people that not only patientlie beares with their distrust for a time but thus graciouslie submits himselfe so far as to be readie to giue them euen such a signe as they themselues would desire for a pledge of his power Indeed he had not so much regard herein to the wicked alone as rather to prouide for the weake which had some seed of godlines in them to the end they might be the more assured that Isaiah spake not at aduenture seeing he could so readily shew a signe of the power of God for a confirmation of his speech The same goodnes of God is now displayed towards such as he beares so much withall although he haue iust occasion to be angrie with them For how great iniurie do they to him when they doubt of his truth What is left to God I pray you when he is dispoiled of that Now although wee doubt yet he is not only contented to pardon it but also to vnderprop our distrust not with words only but which is more with miracles and presents them not only to the faithfull but euen to the vnfaithfull likewise of which wee may take a view in this king Now if he be so gentle to strangers what shall we thinke he will be to his owne houshold seruants which wait vpon him Vers 12. But Ahaz said I will not aske neither will I tempt the Lord. HE vnder a faire pretence refuseth the signe which the Lord offred him saying that he would not tempt him for he seemes as if he beleeued the words of the Prophet demanding nothing else but the word And truely as impietie is detestable before God so doubtlesse he greatly priseth faith Wherefore it should seeme that he who rests vpon the only word of God despising all things else is worthie of great praise because there is no greater perfection then to submit our selues to God Obiect But wil some say Do we tempt God when we receiue that which he offreth Certainely no. Ans Ahaz lied then when he refused the signe which was offred him vnder pretence of not tempting God for there is nothing better or more excellent then to obey God It
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
spoile THis place is somewhat obscure as well in regard of it selfe as also because of the diuersities of interpretations for it seemes absurd to say that the ioy was not increased seeing he by and by addes They reioiced For this cause the Iewes say that the particle Lo is not negatiue here as if one letter were put in stead of another to wit Alâ—ph for Vau as also that this is found in the scripture Exod. 21.8 albeit very seldome and this they publish because they can not make the text hang together as they would 2. King 19.35 Some referre this to Sennacherib because his so great an armie brought him no matter of ioy but rather of sorow Others not amisse expound it of the Church but they giue no reason for it for they thinke the Prophet speakes this because the faithfull are subiect to many miseries and troubles thorowe out their whole life Others drawe out a sense further from the purpose to wit that the Gentiles which should increase the Church should not bring any ioy to the Iewes nor to the auncient Synagogue But I cannot approue any one of these interpretations And therefore I expound it thus that euen as in the beginning of the Chapter the Prophet said the benefit of this redemption should be greater then all the rest although it seemed not so in regard of the small number of those which should returne home into their countrie so now also he repeates the same comparison againe or at the least another euery way like vnto it namely that the grace of God should shine much more then it did when he multiplied the people For if we compare the estate of the kingdome of Iudah before the captiuitie of Babylon with that which followed after the returne wee shall well perceiue that it gained at that time more than it lost before There returned but a small handfull of people indeede in comparison of the great multitude which had been led captiue thither Moreouer they inhabited not freely in their owne countrey but by way of lone and they were to pay tribute to the Persians so as they held not any appearance in a manner of their first dignitie Who would not then haue preferred the flourishing estate which was in the house of Dauid before this Yet notwithstanding the Prophet affirmes that this last estate howsoeuer it appeared much lesse and more miserable is yet neuerthelesse to bee preferred before the first flourishing estate and glorie of it Hee shewes also that there shall bee greater ioy then than when there was abundance of all sorts of riches and good things which Agge likewise witnessed Hagga 2 1â— to wit that the beautie of the last Temple should be greater than the first although to outward view it should seeme farre otherwise It is as much then as if Isaiah should haue said There was neuer greater ioy no not when the multitude of people was much more for howsoeuer we be few and a small number yet notwithstanding thou hast so reuiued vs by the light wherewith thou hast shined vnto vs that there was no ioy in the former â—state comparable to this For this deliuerance was as an entrance of the true and perfect saluation which was at the last brought and offered by Christ Before thee His meaning is that the ioy shall not be light nor momentanie For men often reioyce but it is with a vaine and a false ioy which brings nothing in the end but sorrow and teares Now he declares that the roote of this ioy shall be so stedfast as it shall neuer perish nor be mooued And hereunto appertaines the particle before thee because there is nothing that glads the hearts of the faithfull more then when God causeth the light of his countenance sweetely to shine vpon them The faithfull are not caried away with a blind ioy as the children of this world are They are not caried hither and thither with a franticke and blinde ioy after the manner of the children of this world but their full and perfect ioy is to repose themselues in the louing fauour of God It may be also that the Prophet alludes to that sentence whâ—ch is so often found in the bookes of Moseâ— Leuit. 23.40 Thou shalt reioyce before the Lord thy God Deut. 12.12 For although hee there speakes of the Tabernacle yet may this manner of speech be fitly applied to the present purpose namely that the ioy of the godly shall not bee prophane but shall arise from hence that they know God and by faith beholde him to bee the author of their saluation Others expound it somewhat more strictly as if the faithfull should reioyce before God in their consciences because in the world they finde nothing but sorrow and continuall cause of griefe Now although this be true yet notwithstanding wee may gather a lesse constrained sense from the circumstance of the place to wit that the faithfull which should be miraculously deliuered should reioyce with true gladnesse because they were assured by this deliuerance that God was their father and therefore might boldly reioyce as being for euer exempt from all euill when they shall be receiued into his protection This sets forth a perpetually ioy then as I said ere while The similitudes which he addes of the haruest and spoyles whereby he amplifies the greatnesse of this ioye are cleare enougn of themselues To conclude it appeares by this place what profit Christ brings vnto vs to wit Ioh. 16.20 What maner of ioy it is which Christ brings vs. a stedfast perfect ioy which can by no meanes whatsoeuer bee plucked away from vs no not although we be assailed with waues and stormes yea and pressed with all manner of anguishes For howsoeuer we be weake and feeble yet must we reioyce and be of good courage for our ioy consists not in multitudes neither in riches nor outward appearances but in a spirituall felicitie which wee obtaine by the preaching of the Gospell Vers 4. For the yoke of their burthen and the staffe of their shoulder and the rod of their oppression hast thou broken as in the day of Midian HE shewes the cause of this ioy to wit that the faithfull being deliuered from an horrible and cruell tyrannie should esteeme of this benefit euen as much as if they had been drawne out of the iawes of death Now to the end this fauour might bee the better illustrated Isaiah sets forth the vile and insupportable slauery wherewith the Iewes were oppressed and hereunto belongs this heaping vp of wordes heauie yoke rod of the shoulder staffe of the oppressor or exactor For although wee bee ouertender and delicate when afflictions presse vs yet notwithstanding as soone as the bitternesse is past we by and by forget them To the end then that this redeemed people might keepe the singular benefit of God in remembrance and in a reuerend regard the Prophet would haue them to consider how hard and
lamentable this seruitude was wherein they groned and bowed vnderneath heauy burthens when as the staffe neuer moued from off their shoulders being pressed by a Tyrant which insulted ouer them for which cause they might well reioyce and bee glad of their deliuerance And hee yet extolles the excellency of this fauour by another circumstance in regard that God did openly display his arme and power in their deliuerance euen as it were from heauen it selfe And therefore he brings in an antient and memorable example that as God had in times past discomforted the host of the Midianites Iudg. 7.22 by a wonderfull and incredible meanes without the strength and succours of men so now also he would display euen the very same power to wit that he will deliuer his people from vnder that tyrannie which shall oppresse them without the helpe of any man euen then when none of the poore Iewes shall dare to lift vp their finger as they say We must also obserue that God so succours his that sometimes hee serues himselfe of ordinary meanes Why God deferres sometimes to succour vs by meanes but when hee sees that these meanes will bee hurtfull vnto men and hinder them from looking to the hand of their deliuerer he then works alone and by miracles lest any thing should ouer shadow or hinder men from the manifest beholding and knowledge of his power Iudg. 7.16.19.21 Thus the arme of the Lord appeared from heauen in this victorie of Gedeon where the enemies were cut off without any helpe of mans hand at all For what had Gedeon but a noise of broken pitchers with which hee should very hardly haue scarred a sort of poore mise hee had a little handful of meÌ„ against a great host and in stead of all sorts of weapons they had vaine and ridiculous scarcrowes For this cause he compares the future deliuerance of the people to this other deliuerance and sheweth that the manifest power and vertue of God shall bee knowne vnto all in this last as well as in the victorie of Gedeon Some expound this place simply of the Law which may well be called a heauie yoke a staffe burthening the shoulder But this exposition agrees not with the text for so it might seeme that the Prophet spake from the purpose which were as much as to oâ—fer violence as it were to this place Let vs hold the meane then whereof I haue spoken before to wit that God hauing brought his people out of Babylon coÌ„tinued on this benefit stil euen vnto the comming of Christ This is the sense then Thou hast taken off these burthens vnder which thy people was vniustly and cruelly oppressed Others apply this to the destruction of Ierusalem which was vnder Vespasian But they haue no ground for it Almost all the Iewes referre this to Hezechias 2. Kin. 19.35 when the Lord deliuered the Citie from the siege of Senacherib and did cut off his host But this interpretation cannot agree Chap. 38.36 because Hezechias raigned not tyrannically ouer the Iewes Moreouer the Lord deliuered his people then out of the danger and from the feare wherein they were and not out of any seruitude Whence it appeares that the Prophet looked further off and that our exposition is both true and sutes best with the text Vers 5. * Or Although Surely euery battell of the warriour is with noise and with tumbling of garments in blood * Yet but this shall bee with burning and deuouring with fire ALmost all the expositours agree in this that Isaiah meant to oppose all other victories to that which God should giue vnto his people For other conquerours obtaine victorie in ouerthrowing their enemies but here the Lord shall ouercome by his immediate hand He expounds this speech then Verse 4. As in the day of Madian more fully The Lord saith hee shall not vse many mens helpe in this worke but shall winne the victory from heauen Now when God workes thus himselfe alone hauing reiected all impediments wee can cleerely discerne that he is the author of our life and saluation Seeing also there is an opposition which shewes the difference betweene the common manner of warfare and the miracle of deliuerance the coniunction vau which is in the midst of the verse should be resolued into a particle aduersatiue as if he should say Enemies are wont to bee put to flight by a furious fight but God will worke otherwise because hee will cut off the enemies of his Church as if he shot forth his lightnings and should send downe fire from heauen vpon them Wee may well receiue their opinion who expound it With a breath namely that all warriours shal be astonished and In burning of fire But the first sense agrees best and is confirmed euen by the Prophets owne words It appeares also that the Prophet speakes not here onely of that deliuerance which the people receiued vnder Cyrus who gaue them libertie to returne into their Country but wee must apply these things also to the kingdome of Christ Vers 6. For vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and â—â—â—â—ncy Oâ— his name shall be callâ—d hee shall call his name Wonderfull Counsellâ—r The mighty God The * Or of the world euerlasting father The Prince of peace ISaiah shewes now the finall cause wherefore this deliuerance was to bee preferred before all other benefits of God because hee will not onely bring his people out of captiuitie but will also establish Christ in his royall throne vnder whose Kingdome there shall be seene a soueraigne and an eternall felicitie And thus he shewes that this deliuerance shall be no temporary or perishable benefit seeing hee comprehends the whole time wherein the Church should be preserued vntill the comming of Christ Neither is it any meruaile if the Prophet passeth forthwith from the returne of the antient people to the full whole restauration of the Church which notwithstanding should not come to passe many ages after For we haue said heretofore in the seuenth Chapter 2. Cor. 1.20 All the promises of saluation grounded vpon the Mediator verse 14. that all the promises of saluation are grounded vpon the Mediator for whose sake onely God is mercifull vnto vs and therefore the Prophets were often wont to propound this pledge and earnest penny as oft as they would encourage the faithfull and raise them vp to a comfortable expectation of deliuerance And thus it came to passe that the returne from the captiuity of Babylon was a beginning of that restauratioÌ„ of the Church which in conclusion happened in the perfection thereof to wit when Christ appeared in regard whereof there is no absurditie in this so continuall a progresse of time And therefore Isaiah teacheth that they were not to stay their mindes in the beholding of the present benefit but to consider the end and thereunto to referre all
he vtters a vehement speech in turning himselfe to the Patriarke and God in speaking to him that was dead testifies to the liuing that that which he had long ago promised to wit that the posteritie of Abraham which should be innumerable as the sand of the sea Gen. 13.16 22.17.28.14 should not stretch it selfe to a confused multitude who had cast off all true godlines but that there should be an inteâ—ruption in this degenerate people till that a little while after they should be renued He addes also another consolation to wit that this little handfull shall abound in iustice For we are in danger to be out of heart and to doubt of the mercie of God when we see the Church of God oppressed with such grieuous calamities so as it seemes it must fall into ruin Those who are touched with true repentance know by experience that this is the heauiest temptation of al others It was needfull therefore that the hearts of the faithfull should be fortified against it that by considering the fruit which should come vnto them from this discomfiture they might feele their griefe asswaged which fruit was this that thereby the whole earth should be ouerspred with Iustice euen as a riuer that ouerfloweth He touched this point before when he said that this remnant should rest vpon the Lord their God in truth Vers 20. The word Iustice is diuersly expounded Some referre it to the preaching of the Gospell because the righteousnes of God is reuealed froÌ„ faith to faith by it as S. Paul saith Rom. 1.17 Now the Gospell was published throughout the whole world by the ministrie of the Apostles who were as a small remnant of the Iewes Others had rather to take it thus as if this Consumption were a testimonie or witnes of the iustice of God who did so grieuouslie chastise his people But I had rather expound it more generallie thus This Consumption shall suffice to fill the whole earth with Iustice Those which shall remaine be they neuer so few shal yet suffice notwithstanding to cause the riuers to run with iustice in such wise that the whole world shall be couered therewith Vers 23. For the Lord God of hostes will make a Consumption and shall place the bounds in the midst of the earth THis repetition doth againe pluck away the meanes from these proud contemners of God wherein they flattered themselues For it was a thing almost incredible that the Iewes should perish as it were in a moment Gen. 17.7 who had so many promises made them and with whom God had contracted a perpetuall couenant it also seemed to be repugnant to the nature of God which is immutable The Prophet threatneth then that the Lord is the author of this Consumption to the end he might beate downe the pride of the wicked who trusting in their present felicitie thought themselues out of all danger and being puffed vp with this vaine confidence laughed at all admonitions and warnings God saith he shall bring your land to a desert so as in the most florishing part thereof shall be seene a consumption most like vnto a wildernes For he takes the midst of the earth for the heart of it that is to say for the places most strong and best fortified Many thinke the word Consumption should be an adiectiue but I had rather affirme that it is a substantiue according to which sense it is taken in Daniel Dan. 9.24.27 Rom. 9.28 and in other places Saint Paul alledgeth this text but it is somewhat different in words from these of the Prophet in this place to wit according to the vulgar exposition which was then most receiued Now although the Apostle spake properlie faithfullie and according to the Prophets meaning yet the words which he reciteth being drawne from the Greeke interpretation haue occasioned many to erre from the true sense of the Prophet For in regard that the Greeke translator had turned it Logos that is to say The word many haue descanted vpon the Gospel and thereupon haue affirmed that the abolishing of the law is here signified because the Gospel puts an end to the figures and ceremonies and coÌ„sequeÌ„tlie that it is a word abbreuiated compendious wherby we are discharged of the yoke of the law vnder which the people sighed But this comes nothing neere the Prophets intention for he calles consumption heere a decreasing by meanes whereof the people shall be almost brought to ruin and thereunto tend both senses namely that of S. Paul and of the Greeke interpretation also For by Word they vnderstood that which the Hebrews expresse by the word Dauar And although the Prophet hath not the word Dauar yet notwithstanding that which he hath in the text signifies a thing determined that is to say a Consumption and both of them haue one and the same meaning To conclude the Apostle repeates that in this place which Isaiah said now touching the future consumption of the people and teacheth that this prophesie was chieflie accomplished in his time when as the Iewes for their vnthankfulnes were cut off from the kingdome of God some small remnant only reserued Vers 24. Therefore the Lord God of hostes saith My people which dwellest in mount Zion feare not Ashur Hee shall smite thee with the rod and shall lift vp his staffe vpon thee after the * Or example maner of Egypt HEe goes on with the former consolation which onely appertained to the faithfull who in very deed were then a small number For many gloried in the name of God and would be taken for his people but very few there were who shewed that by their practise which they professed in word He speakes not to all then indifferently but to those onely which stood in neede of consolation For seeing they were in danger to lose all their hope when they compared their condition with others and that the kingdome also was destroyed for this cause I say it was very expedient they should bee comforted And this distinction is to be noted for otherwise it had been absurd to haue directed speeches so diuers vnto persons of one condition He addes the reason of the consolation to wit that this discomfiture shall bee nothing else but as the lifting vp of the rod which shall be onely to chastise them and not to destroy them The letter Beth is a particle of similitude The word Derec signifies example I expound it then After the example of Egypt as if hee should say Although the Assyrian be cruell and by all meanes will seeke thy ruine yet he shall not kill but shall onely smite thee Hee alledgeth the example of Egypt then Exod. 1.14 12.31 the bondage whereof was very hard and yet not deadly For in the midst of perplexities and confusions the Prophets are wont to bring the people backe to the contemplation of this redemption whereby God deliuered his chosen people miraculously from the hand of this cruell tyrant
we may humble our selues vnder Gods scourges and learne to be wise by other mens costs and crie vnto the Lord for comfort in our afflictions Vers 1. The burden As touching this word bâ—â—â—en What is vnderstood by this word burden which we shall meete so often withall I will brieflie shew how we are to vnderstand it When the Prophets meane to denounce any aduersitie they vsuallie vse this word burden that the people might know how no aduersitie should happen which the Lord himselfe should not lay vpon them euen as a burden or faâ—dle is laid vpon mens shoulders Now in regard that the wickednes and inflexiblenes of the people constreined the Prophets to speake incessantlie of Gods scourges thence it came to passe by a common stout or deriding maner of speech that the Iewes gaue this name of burden to all the prophesies as it appeareth in the 23. of Ier. vers 36. where the Lord sharplie rebukes them because by this flouting kind of speech they not only disfamed his word but also made it odious and contemptible Moreouer this word shewes that God sends all calamities and afflictions to the end euery one may beare the punishment of his owne sinne He expresly shewes that that which he was to threaten was reuealed vnto him by a heaueÌ„ly vision to the end this authoritie might put all discourses of fleshlie wisdome to silence It was a thing no doubt hard to be beleeued that a Monarchie so beautifull and abounding with so great riches could be ouerthrowne by any meanes In regard therefore that so great a power might not dazell their eyes the Prophet brings them to the truth of the heauenly oracle to the end they might by faith vnderstand that iudgement of God which they were not able to comprehend by sense Vers 2. Lift vp a standard vpon the hie mountaine lift vp the voice vnto them that wag the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles THere is a similitude in the word mountaine because it is spoken to Babylon which as we know was seated vpon a plaine but he sets it as it were vpon an hie place like a fortresse mounted vp aboue all peoples and that in regard of the Monarchie Vnlesse any had rather take this word indefinitly as if he should say that wheÌ„ the standard shall be lifted vp they shall runne thither from farre countries because it will draw people vnto it from all parts by the sight of it I take this latter sense to be the most probable but I thought it not amisse to set downe that first which was commonly receiued Notwithstanding this might seeme ridiculous that the Prophet should heere lay a commandement vpon the creatures as vpon his subiects were it not that he was taught to doe so of God and was furnished as it were with his authoritie For a priuate man heere commands the Medes and Persians hee calles armies he bids them display the banner sound the trumpet to prepare vnto battel In this place then wee haue to consider the Maiestie of God in whose name he speakes Doctrine and also the vertue and efficacie which is alwaies ioyned to his word Wee often meete with these kindes of speech in the Prophets to the end we might know that God threatens nothing by his seruants the execution whereof is not at hand Isaiah might haue spoken more simply and in plainer tearmes might haue told them that the Medes and Persians shall come and breake open the gates of Babylon how strong and inuincible soeuer they seemed to be But these exclamations haue much greater vehemencie in them when hee not onely threatens war as taking to himselfe the person of an Herald but with soueraigne authoritie commands the Medes and Persians to come as if they were souldiers vnder his pay Besides he not onely teacheth that they shall bee readie when God shall onely make a signe vnto them because they shall be pricked forward by his secret instinct but being sent of God to denounce the ruine of Babylon he attributes the effect of so incredible a thing to his owne voice The summe is that when God hath once spoken we neede make no doubt but that his word shall be accomplished This is also worthy our obseruation that he speakes to the Medes and Persians and yet names theÌ„ not and this hath much greater vehemency in pointing them forth with the finger as when we say This man and that man This manner of speech serues to confirme the prophecie when he shewes things which were far off as being present When he saith Shake the hand and they shall enter his meaning is that the Medes and Persians shall no sooner set forward at Gods commandement but they shall haue an open and easie way to march without any impediment Now although the Hebrewes call Princes gracious Lords and bountifull as our Lord Iesus Christ also giues them this title in the Gospell notwithstanding it rather seemes that the Prophet speakes of the excellent power whereof the Babylonians boasted Luke 22.25 For they were furnished with multitudes of people and all preparations for war aboue any others so as it was a thing incredible vnto them that they should euer be ouercome But the Prophet declares that nothing shall bee able to let that God should not prepare the way and giue passage to the enemies Vers 3. I haue commanded them that I haue sanctified and I haue called the mightie to my wrath and them that reioyce in my glory HEere the Prophet brings in the Lord speaking and declaring his Commandements He calles the Medes and Persians his sanctified that is to say those which hee had prepared For the verbe To sanctifie is diuersly taken sometimes it is referred to the spirit of regeneration which is peculiarly giuen to the elect of God Sometimes also it signifies to set apart or prepare which signification is the most fitting to this place Now all those whom the Lord creates hee also appoints to some certaine vse and scatters not men here and there vpon the earth at randome to range whithersoeuer they think good but he gouernes them by his secret counsell orders and moderates the violences of the reprobates so as hee moues them at his pleasure this way or that way and then represseth and pulles them in short when hee listeth And therefore he calles them sanctified whom hee hath set apart and prepared for his seruice howsoeuer they bee no whit aware of it Whence wee are taught to attribute and referre all the changes in this world to the secret counsell of God In this place also wee haue a meruailous consolation to wit that the wicked shall be able to doe nothing but that which is decreed of God let them enterprise what they will Where hee immediately addes that he hath called them it is much more then to command which hee puts in the first place For his meaning is that the enemies shall not onely rouze vp themselues at the
reason of that lawlesnesse which is in them For as much as the Iewes then had proudly giuen vp themselues to all dissolutenesse of life he sets Gods iust iudgement before them for ioy is then iustly cut off from vs When ioy is iustly cut off from vs. when we know not how to entertaine the benefits of God with thankfulnesse nor know not how to reioyce in him Hee is inforced then to take our delights and pleasures from vs and then to compell vs to mourne and sigh Vers 12. In the citie is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction BY an elegant manner of speech hee describeth the destruction of Ierusalē or of many other Cities together The beautie and perfection of Cities The beautie of Cities consists in the multitude of inhabitants they are therefore called deserts when none are left to dwell in them Now the Prophet tauntingly saith that destruction shall dwell in the Citie True it is that some translate the word Shammah Desolation but both the words come all to one sense He makes mention of the gates because a man might perceiue by them whether the Citie were full of people or no for thither they all came and there iustice was administred First then he speakes of the whole Citie in generall and then notes one particular for amplifications sake for albeit Cities be destitute of inhabitants yet some may bee seene at the gates but if they be emptie the desolation must needes be great thorowout the Citie Vers 13 Surely thus shall it bee in the middest of the earth among the people as the shaking of an Oliue tree Chap. 17.6 and as the grapes when the vintage is ended IN as much as this sentence comes in betweene the threathings and the consolation it seemes hee should onely speake to the elect and not to all the people indifferently vnlesse we will say that he describes that scattering whereby the Iewes were diuided as it were into many nations But because this should be too strict and harsh I expound it simplie that some hope is left to the other forelorne nations God in wrath remembers mercie And trulie this prophesie doth indeede properlie belong to Christ through whom it is no maruel if the Gentiles haue some part of the promise of saluation The Prophet hath alreadie vsed this similitude Chapter 17.6 but there he only mentioned the church of the Iewes telling them that a small remnant should still remaine of the holy seed lest the faithfull might thinke the Church vtterlie rooted out For as when an oliue tree is shaken there will alwaies be some left heere and there and likewise grapes vpon the vine so should there remaine an after gathering as it were of the faithfull in that great destruction wherewith the Church should be oppressed But in this place he extends this promise vnto other parts of the world according as they should partake in the same grace by the meanes of Christ Yet he therewithall addes a menace or threatning as if he should say the earth shall be left bare of her Inhabitants euen as trees and vines are of their fruit Vers 14. They shall lift vp their voice they shall shout for the magnificence of the Lord they shall reioyce from the sea HE now goes on and amplifies the consolation which he touched before for as he said in the tenth Chapter vers 22. that of this great multitude there should remaine a little handfull which should couer the whole earth so now he shewes that this small number of the faithfull which shall be left of this great vintage shall reioyce notwithstanding and sound the same so loude that it should be heard vnto the furthest regions This is done by the preaching of the Gospell for as touching the estate of Iudea it seemed to be ouerthrowne in regard that the politique gouernment was abolished warres without and seditions within had so wasted it that it was vnpossible euer to be recouered The rest of the world also was no lesse dumb in vttring these praises of God then deafe in hearing the sound thereof Now because the Iewes were the first fruits of the beleeuers I willingly grant that they be placed in the first rank A Consolation fitting the times of the Churches desolation Hence we gather a singular Consolation to wit that the Lord in a moment can restore his Church vnto a most florishing estate yea and create it of nothing for out of death he drawes life euen as often as it pleaseth him But is it not a wonder and aboue the order of nature that so small a remnant in lifting vp their voyce See vers 16. should be heard so farre off for where few are there is silence and great noise is wont to be where great multitudes are gathered together This then is the worke of God which farre surmounts nature and whatsoeuer facultie else is in man otherwise it seemes the Prophet should contradict himselfe to wit that all Iudea should be wasted and all the world brought to nothing and yet that their crie should be heard euery where This in it selfe is incredible or rather ridiculous if we measure the thing by carnall sense it is therefore as we haue said to be ascribed whollie to the admirable power and worke of God By their crie he not only meanes the voyce of gladnes which is expressed by mirth and reioycing Faith the ground of true ioy but he also comprehends vnder it trust and confidence because they shall freelie boldlie and with a loud voyce publish the praises of the Lord. Now herewithall he admonisheth the faithfull that it is their dutie to cause Gods graces in them to be magnified and not their owne By the Sea Gods mercies must not be concealed it is well enough knowne that the Iewes meane the regions farre off which lie beyond the same Vers 15. Wherefore prayse ye the Lord in the valleys euen the name of the Lord God of Israel in the yles of the sea GOds benefits ought to prouoke vs to giue him thanks which we then testifie when we vtter forth his prayses What thanks shall I render vnto the Lord saith Dauid Psal 116. for all the benefits he hath bestowed vpon me I will euen take the cup of thanksgiuing for his saluation and call vpon his name This order the Prophet keeps in this place for hauing spoken of the restauration of the Church he forthwith exhorts vs to offer the sacrifice of prayse By the valleys he meanes those Countries that are scattered and diuided as it were from the rest for those which are inuironed with mountaines are distinct and seuerall naturallie Thence it is that the inhabitants of the valleys are rude and barbarous because they seldome conuerse with others It is then as if the Prophet should haue said There is no corner of the world be it neuer so obscure and intangled but the praises of God shall be heard there He
that which hee hath foretold alone but also what end the Lord aimed at in this execution that is to say why he afflicted so many nations with such diuersities of punishments namely that he might bring vnder those which were before vnrulie and ouerflowed in a brutish sensualitie who as they had no feare of God before their eyes so had they no sense of religion or godlinesse at all Thou art my God Being perplexed and confounded in himselfe he suddenly turnes his thoughts vnto God as we haue said Whence we may gather a very profitable doctrine to wit that when our mindes are tossed to and fro with diuers cogitations What ought to be our refuge in time of deep distresses in regard of the many miseries and calamities which daily happen that we by and by flee vnto God resting our selues vpon his onely prouidence for we shall be at our wits end euen for the wagging of a straw if wee haue not this doctrine for our refuge by sustaining our hearts therewith But the better to see the Prophets meaning wee may well adde a particle aduersatiue here in this sense Although I be now oppressed with many temptations on euery side yet will I still acknowledge thee to be my God The assuraÌ„ce of Gods sauour giues vs ample matter of ioy and reioicing euen in the greatest troubles And thus he voweth to giue vnto God that praise which vnto him appertaineth which none of vs can doe vnlesse an assured perswasion of Gods grace doe raigne and beare sway in our hearts from whence springs that ioy which affords vs exceeding ample matter of praises when being certaine of our saluation we are assured that the Lord is our God For all those that are not caried with an affection to magnifie Gods goodnes in the middest of their sorrowes know not what faith is The faithfull may bee daunted for a time but faith gets the victorie neither yet did they euer taste the sweetnesse of his mercy for if wee haue a sure confidence in God we must of necessitie extoll his name with ioy and gladnesse of heart A wonderfull thing The singular number is put for the plurall Now the Prophet rests not in the contemplation of present things but rather lookes to the end of them for you shall haue euen profane men that will be affected at the wonderfull euents of things which fall out in the gouernement of the world and will stand amazed thereat as no doubt the Tyrians Sidonians Babylonians and Moabites did Who they are that profit by the view of Gods works But none could benefit themselues by this sight but such as therewithall had a taste and feeling of Gods wisdome and goodnesse for without that men doe rather scorne and despise such workes then apprehend the excellencie of them because they looke not to the end that God aimeth at to wit 2. Cor. 4.6 that by drawing light out of darknesse he is wont after a wonderfull manner How God is wont to deale with his Church to raise vp and reuiue his Church in the middest of death orders and disposeth rightly and to good vse those things which the wit of man conceiues to be exceedingly confused But the better to set forth the commendation of Gods prouidence he addes The counsels ordained of old as if he should say Nothing falles out suddenly or at randome in respect of God And indeede albeit to vs it often seemes he doth things vtterlie at vnawares yet is it most certaine that he hath foreseene and appointed all of theÌ„ so to come to passe before the creation of the world By these words then the Prophet meant to say that all the wonders which happen beyond the expectation of men flow from the order of this moderation which God keeps in the gouernment and disposition of all things from the beginning vnto the end Now because we are not able to attaine to his secret counsels and that our wits can not mount so high we must be brought to the manifestation of that which for the present is hidden from vs and is aboue our reach till such time as the Lord discouer the same vnto vs by his word by which he applies himselfe to our weakenes because his secret counsell is incomprehensible Isaiah therefore descends by and by from these hidden ordinances of God to the doctrine of the word and the promises therein coÌ„tained Isaiâ—h descends fâ—om Gâ—ds secret will to his reuealed will which doubtlesse he comprehends vnder the word Truth For this repetition should be to little purpose vnlesse he had had some relation in this word for after God hath by it reuealed his counsell vnto vs then he properlie appeares to be true if we beleeue and credit his sayings Thus then the Prophet commends the stablenes and certentie of the word when he calles it a stable truth as if he should say All things which God pronounceth and proceed from him is stable and immoueable Vers 2. For thou hast made of a Citie an heape of a strong Citie a ruine euen the palace of strangers of a Citie it shall neuer be built SOme referre this to Ierusalem but I rather thinke it to be a change of the number only which is a thing very vsuall among the Prophets for Isaiah speakes not of one Citie alone but of many which he foretels should be laid vpon heapes Whereas others take it that Ierusalem serued for a palace to the Romanes they come nothing nigh the Prophets meaning which will plainely appeere if we call to mind what hath been said before to wit that the Prophet busies not himselfe in thinking of the scourges wherwith God hath afflicted diuers nations but rather aimes at the end and issue of them For by them the Lord purposed to subdue and tame the pride and rebellion of men whom he could neuer haue subdued vnto himselfe vnlesse they had been smitten with diuers calamities Moreouer Isaiah saith not only that strangers shall inhabit the surprized Cities out of which they were driuen that dwelt in them for so that which he by and by addes would not agree to wit that the palace shall be no more a Citie but his meaning is that vagabonds who should haue no place of abode at all shall find sufficient roome there because the inhabitants shal betake them to their heeles Now because Armon signifies goodly houses he saith by way of derision that theeues shall dwell there as in Palaces in regard of the great space which should lie waste like vnto a desert Vers 3. Therefore shall the mightie people giue glorie vnto thee the Citie of the strong nations shall feare thee SEe heere the end whereof I haue spoken in the first verse for if the Lord should destroy the world no fruit would come of it such a desolation could ingender nothing but horror neither would it euer bring vs neerer vnto God to praise him nay contrariwise we must needs remaine as blocks wheÌ„
we only feele his wrath for praises proceed from the feeling of his fauor and goodnes It is all one then as if he had said Lord thou wilt not only smite and afflict but wilt also effect that the wounds which thou makest shall not be without fruit For by them thou wilt beate downe the pride of men to the end that those which in times past were strangers frō thee may now stoope vnder thine obedience Hence we learne how necessarie chastisements be The necessitie of afflictions for by them we are taught to glorifie God whereas prosperitie puffs vs vp in such wise that we dishonor him and thinke we may doe what we list we also runne out and range ouer all the fields whē God deales louinglie with vs. The Prophet addes the word feare to shew that this praise consists neither in words nor outward gestures We must reioyce in trembling Psal 2.11 5.7 but in the sound and sincere affection of the heart Whence wee gather that he heere speakes of the whole worship of God Now because many thinke themselues well discharged when they haue made confession with their lips only Isaiah the better to expound his owne meaning addes The nation shall feare thee Now in calling them strong and mightie by such epithites he meanes the pride and loftines of those who are puffed vp with their prosperitie for they exalt themselues against God so as they cannot possiblie be humbled and brought downe vnlesse they be quite stripped of all things You see now whether our thoughts are to retire in the calamities which we see to fall out dayly mens pride must needs be repressed and abated that they may be prepared to imbrace holy doctrine and to walke in sound obedience Whilest they are besotted with their riches and vaine hopes they feare not to contemne the iudgements of God and hold him out at the staues end as they say Vers 4. For thou hast been a strength to the poore euen a strength to the needie in his trouble a refuge against the tempest a shadow against the heate for the blast of the mightie is like a storme against the wall BEhold here the fruit of conuersion How The Lord raiseth vs from death deliuers vs from the graue by stretching out his hand from heauen to pluck vs out of the iawes of hell Our first entrance vnto God This is the first entrance he giues vs for hee findes nothing but our miserie for his mercy to worke vpon Wee must therefore feele our selues poore and helplesse before we can see what neede we haue of his power yea it is necessary that we be stripped of all confidence and selfe trust before he will reueale his strength in vs. For this cause he fits and frames vs by rods and chastisements as by instrustions to come to the feeling of his fauour and assistance It is not without good cause then that Isaiah deckes this description with so many similitudes for hee thereby meetes with many and great temptations vnder which weake man would neuer be able to stand were he not fortified and sustained with such props And therefore hee saith that God will bee strength to the poore a refuge against the tempest and a shadow against the heate for what dangers soeuer be fall vs the Lord wil defend his owne against them and will arme vs with all kinds of armour to resist them Gen. 8.1 Exod. 15.10 1. Kin. 19.11 2. King 7. The Spirit in this place as in many others signifies winde and it is taken for a violent storme wherewith the wicked are carried to rush against the children of God for they not onely threaten and terrifie but also spit out fire it selfe as to consume them all Hereunto appertaines that which is added of the tempest or ouerflowing against the wall by which figure his meaning is that the wicked runne with such force when they haue libertie to doe euill that they ouerthrow whatsoeuer stands in their way for it is a greater matter to breake downe and ouerthrow walles then if water should onely spread it selfe ouer the earth Vers 5. Thou shalt bring downe the noise of the strangers as the heate in a dry place he will bring downe the song of the mightie as the heate in the shadow in a cloud IF the Lord were not on our side when violent men set themselues against vs wee should be vtterly swallowed vp for wee see how great the rage of the wicked is Alas if they be able to ouerturne stone walles how can a poore man bee able to stand against them This is added then to set forth the godnesse of almightie God that we might know in what an ill case wee should be in if God did not succour vs. The expositours take the similitude two waies some thinke that as the vehemēt heat burnes vp the fields which of themselues are dry and barren so the wrath of God shall consume and burne vp the wicked others translate As the heat and then the sense is Howsoeuer the wicked relie vpon their power and therefore are thus boisterous the Lord notwithstanding will bring them downe in a moment as if they were surprised with heat in a dry place But I take th◠sense to be otherwise for hauing shewed how great the rage of the wicked is against the faithfull he addes Lord thou wilt humble them But how He alludes vnto the deluge which similitude he vsed before Chap. 24.18 Thou wilt bring downe their heat saith hee which otherwise must needes consume vs euen as the raine falling from heauen cooles the heate which would burne vp the fields for want of moisture And thus the text hangs well together whereas the other exposition is constrained and offers violence to the very letter as they say The latter part of the verse is expounded diuers waies some translate the word Zemir Seede others a Roote as if the Prophet had said The Lord will not onely cut off the wicked but will plucke them vp by the verie rootes This were probable if the similitude of heat would beare it and therefore those who turne it song cry or waste in my iudgement doe come neerest the Prophets meaning albeit they touch it not fully Well he confirmes the former sentence to wit that the violence or cry of the wicked who proudly exalt themselues shall suddenly fall euen as the heat of the Sunne when anie raine followes which is signified by the shadow of the cloud Vers 6. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of hostes make vnto all the people a feast of fat things euen a feast of fined wines and of fat things full of marowe of wines fined and purified THey also diuersly interpret this place for some thinke the Prophet threatens the Iewes and that in such sort as if he called diuers nations to the feast which phrase of speech is often found in other places because it is said that the Lord feedes the wicked far against the day
interpretations yet I see no inconuenience if we say that he had respect to the fruitfulnesse of the land in which this Citie stood And in reading it so I haue not feared to follow the common consent Vers 11. And hee shall stretch out his hand in the middest of them as hee that swimmeth stretcheth them out to swimme and with the strength of his handes shall hee bring downe their pride NOw the Prophet both expounds and confirmes the former sentence yet it is by way of another similitude whereby hee giues them to vnderstand that the Lord will stretch out his hand into the verie middest of Moabs Country and will not lightly touch some corners or out places thereof Some expound this similitude thus Euen as men stretch forth their armes in swimming so the Lord will chastise the Moabites on this side and on that Others thinke he speakes of inflicting manifold punishments vpon them as if hee should say The Lord will not correct the Moabites once onely but will bee reuenged on them the second yea the third time for the crueltie which they exercised vpon his children But we may expound this similitude another way They that swimme we know vse not to cast themselues in violently but they goe gently to worke and spread out their armes very softly and yet in the meane while they cut and passe thorow the water So the Lord will not often vse his greatest forces to confound the wicked but wil easilie without weapōs or great tumults bring thē to destruction how valiant or well furnished soeuer they seemed to be This exposition of the similitude pleaseth me best because it doth in nothing depraue the former sense giues vs to vnderstand that God oftentimes brings the wicked to nothing by his power although he doe not euer and anon thunder from heauen in the sight of all the world Whereas he saith he will doe this in the middest of it he shewes that there is no corner so close into which this vengeance of God shall not pierce Vers 12. The defence also of the height of thy walles shall he bring downe and lay low and cast them to the ground euen to the dust NOw hee directs his speech against the Country of Moab Moab was well fortified and swelled with pride in regard of their walles and bulwarkes therefore he saith that the high towers and other strong and impregnable places should serue them to no purpose They of old vsed another kinde of fortification then we doe now at this day as is well knowne It is not without cause that he here vseth three words for the better expressing of his owne meaning to wit I will bring downe lay low and cast to the ground for it was needfull that this pride of the Moabites wherewith they were puffed vp should bee beaten downe because they were become intollerable as we haue seene in the 15. Chapter vers 6. The Prophet then derides them as if he should say Oh it seemes the Lord cannot bring downe this height of yours in which you so much glory The particle To the dust is as much as if he had said He will not onely race to the ground but will bring it to dust that there shall not remaine so much as any mention of the old ruines This place containes in it therefore an excellent and verie apt consolation A consolatiō for our enemies at this day are so bold that they despise not men alone but euen God himselfe they are so proud and so puffed vp in regard of their power that they thinke themselues inuincible But it is our parts to oppose this sentence of the Prophet against them and all their forces and munitions to wit the Lord will easilie bring all these things to nought Let Patience haue her perfect worke In the meane while wee must patiently beare the hurt that comes vnto vs by reason of their power and strength vntill the certaine and prefixed time of their ruine approcheth THE XXVI CHAPTER Vers 1. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Iudah Wee haue a strong Citie saluation shall God set for the walles and bulwarks THe Prophet begins againe in this place to shew that God will hold the people in his protection after their returne out of captiuitie and that Ierusalē shal be insafetie vnder his custodie no lesse then if it were cōpassed about with fortresses tamparts ditches double wals so as the enemies should enter no waies to hurt it But the time is to be noted when this song was published The Prophet had foretold what calamities should fall vpon the Church which as yet were nothing neere but came to passe after his death Doubtlesse the people might haue despaired in their captiuitie if these promises had not vpheld them To the end the Iewes then might haue some assurance of their deliuerance and in the middest of death might espie life approching the Prophet composed this song before the troubles happened why that they might learne betimes to beare their miseries patiently and to hope for better things For it was not penned onely as I thinke for a thanksgiuing which the Iewes should sing after their deliuerance but also that in their captiuity it selfe they might confirme their hearts with confidence of future comfort and might teach their children to hope for it leauing these promises as it were from hand to hand to their posteritie although for the present they seemed but dead men We haue told you in the 5. Chapter why the Prophet composed these and the like songs in verse to wit that euery one might the better remember them by daily recording of them Although they wept then in Babylon and were almost ouerwhelmed with sorrow as these words shew How shall wee sing the Lords song in a strange land Psal 137.4 yet they were to hope that after their returne into Iudea they should giue thanks to the Lord and sing forth his praises The Prophet therefore shewes them their deliuerance a farre off that they might cheerefully wait for it A strong Citie By these words the Prophet promiseth an ample and full restauration of Ierusalem and of the people How so God will not onely redeeme the captiues and gather together the dispersed but he will also keepe them safe and sound after hee hath brought them home But the faithfull notwithstanding forthwith saw the destruction both of the Citie and Temple 2. Kin. 25.9 2. Chr. 36.19 Chap. 22. and being come home they could perceiue nothing but those fearefull ruines which Isaiah had foretold It was needfull then that they should behold this restauration of Ierusalem by the eye of faith as from an high beacon or turret Now after these things the Prophet shewes what the strength of this Citie shall bee namely The protection of God shall be in stead of walles towers ditches and forts as if hee should say Let other Cities trust in their defences God onely shall be the
hath been said but because they thought or spake thus in their hearts as their boldnes and vaine confidence witnessed for they were so plunged in iniquities that they reiected all admonitions euen as if they should neuer haue had any thing to do before Gods Iudgemēt seate The prophet then we see had to deale against such wicked ones who albeit in outward shew they seemed to haue some knowledge of God yet they denied him by their works and persecuted the pure doctrine with all extremitie Now thus to speake what is it else but to affirme that God is not the Iudge of the world and so to pluck him downe from his throne of Iudgement for he can not be knowne but by his word which being once suppressed or reiected it can not be but himselfe who is the author of it must also therewithall be forsaken and reiected Vers 16. Your turning of deuices shall it not be esteemed as the potters clay for shall the worke of him that made it say he made me not or the thing formed say of him that fashioned it he had none vnderstanding THis verse is diuerslie expounded and there is also some difficultie in regard of two Hebrew particles Im and Ci. Im is often taken for an interrogation sometimes for an affirmation which is the cause that some take it for Truely Moreouer they take the word Haphac for Subuersion as if he should say Your subuersion shal be esteemed as the clay Others for Thought that is to say for the counsels which are working in the braine But the exposition most receiued is to take this word for Subuersion or destruction as if he should say It will be no more mastrie for me to roote you out then for a potter to turne his clay in his hand for you are like vnto it in regard that I haue formed you yet because the Prophet seemes to oppose the two foresaid particles one to the other I encline to another opinion but so that I reiect not the former exposition which in it selfe conteines a very profitable doctrine Thus I vnderstand it then Your turning or remouing that is to say the counsels and deuices which runne to and fro in your minds shall they not be esteemed as the potters clay for is it not as if the vessell should say to him that made it Hast thou formed me See Chap. 55 9. Your pride is strange therefore for you do as if your selues were your owne Creators and as if you had all things at your beck But it is my proper office to appoint what I thinke good and if you dare vsurpe my right and authoritie be it knowne vnto you that you haue forgotten your condition no lesse then if you thought your selues goddes rather then men This diuersitie of expositions alters the Prophets meaning nothing at all whose purpose was to confirme the doctrine of the former verse for hee againe reproues these proud ones who attributed so much power vnto themselues that they would by no meanes be brought vnder Gods yoke being in such wise bewitched with a false opinion of their owne wisdome that they contemned all good admonitions as if they had beene somes pettie goddes Thus you see how it is said that they denied God that formed them for whatsoeuer it bee that men attribute vnto themselues therein they rob God and take away that honour which belongs vnto him The exposition should be a little differing in the first member onely those which take the particle Im affirmatiuely draw this sense Certainely I will breake you as if a potter should breake the pot which he hath made But because the Prophet had to deale against great ones who sought couerts to hide themselues from the Lord I rather take it by way of an interrogation as if he should say Are you such subtile headed fellowes indeed that by the turnings and discourses which you plot in your minds you thinke you can bring this and that to passe as the Potter doth his clay who by turning it vpon his wheele makes it receiue what shape it pleaseth him But let euerie man chuse which sense he likes best for mine owne part I haue followed that which I thinke to be most probable Vers 17. Is it not yet but a little while and Lebanon shall bee turned into Carmel And Carmel shall be counted as a forrest NOw the Lord shewes that hee will let these wicked ones see what they are as if he should say You rocke your selues asleep in your pride but I will wake you ere it bee long For men are wont to take libertie to themselues to doe euill till they feele the heauie hand of God for which cause the Prophet threatens that his iudgementts are readie to seise vpon so brutish a boldnesse Vnder the names of Lebanon and Carmel he meant to expresse a renuing of the world as it were and a change of things therein But the doubt is to what end in which regard the expositors disagree much one from another for mount Libanus being replenished with trees and forrests and Carmel being a fat and fruitfull soile many thinke that the Iewes are compared to Carmel because they should become barren and the Christians to Lebanon because they should bring forth great plentie of fruit This opinion hath a goodly shew Men much delighted with vnapt expositions and men are vsually very much tickled and delighted with the like deuices but we find a like place to this in the end of 32. Chapter verse 5. which will make it manifest that the Prophet doth here by way of comparison set forth the greatnesse of Gods fauour for when he shall begin to blesse his people the abundance of all benefits shall be such that Mount Carmel shall lose the report that it had for fruitfulnesse He saith then that he will make Lebanon to be like Carmel that is to say of a woodland it should bee made pasturage to sow corne in so as they should gather as much fruit of plowed land as if their present estate being compared with that which it should be afterwards it might well be esteemed barren and desert But this manner of speech shall be more fully expounded when we come to the 32. Chapter Others take Carmel for a noune appellatiue but I had rather take it for a proper noune for his meaning is that these so fruitfull fields might well be counted barren and desert in comparison of this new and extraordinarie fruitfulnesse Others expound it allegorically and take Lebanon for the proud and Carmel for those of meane estate which is too far fetched and for mine owne part I affect alwaies to follow the most naturall sense and that is it which I haue touched before Moreouer to the end the faithfull might not be discouraged he descends from threatnings to mercy assuring them that after they shall haue shewed their obedience of faith in bearing the Crosse which for a time was to bee imposed vpon them they should behold a
his people Where I haue translated He wil be exalted that he may be mercifull others turne it When he shall be mercifull But I thinke the first translation sutes best It seemes to vs sometimes that the Lord either sits idle in heauen or sleeps when he permits the wicked to offer violence to his people and the ordinarie phrase of the Scripture is that he sits still or is farre off when he defends not his Church When therfore he had let loose the raines to the Chaldeans to oppresse the Iewes they might haue thought he had beene asleepe Wherefore the Prophet saith that the Lord will exalt or raise himselfe againe and wil goe vp into his Iudgement seate What to doe That he may shew you mercie Where he saith Blessed are all those that wait for him this flowes from the former part of the sentence wherein he called the Lord the God of Iudgement When the Prophet speakes thus graciously of him it is that he might perswade and exhort the Iewes to hope and patience Hope and patience for the people were full of diffidence and were tossed to and fro with a maruellous vnquietnes and vexation of spirit Why so Their infidelitie pestered them so miserablie that they were not able with quiet minds to wait vpon God Well to remedie this vice A definition of hope he exhorts them to wait that is to hope Now hope is nothing else but the perseuerance of faith If they be blessed that wait for God those must needs be accursed that flee from him Without hope no happines nor saluation when we peaceablie wait for the accomplishment of Gods promises Where he saith Those shall be blessed that wait for him on the coÌ„trarie he signifies that such as suffer themselues to be ouerswayed with impatiencie and haue their refuge to wicked shifts shall be accursed and in the end shall perish for without hope in God there is neither saluation nor happines Vers 19. Surely a people shall dwell in Zion and in Ierusalem thou shalt weepe no more he will certainlie haue mercie vpon thee at the voice of thy crie when he heareth thee he will answer thee HE confirmes the former sentence to wit that the people shall indeed be afflicted but yet that in the end they shall returne vnto Zion But this was a matter very incredible especiallie after the ruin of Ierusalem and the whole land for then it seemed that all the people were coÌ„sumed yet the Prophet giues them a promise that the Church shall continue safe We must dwell in Zion and in Ierusalem if we will haue our requests heard and granted He begins at Mount Zion where the Temple was erected and saith that the Lord shall yet be there called vpon then he addes that it shall be also in Ierusalem thereby vnderstanding the spreading and increasing of the Church together with the restauration of such things as before were ruinated In the meane while he aduertiseth them that Ierusalem shall be repeopled because God had his dwelling there When he addes thou shalt weepe no more it is to shew that their lamentations should not last alwaies The Church that is all the faithfull should be in great heauinesse whilest they remained in so miserable and in so wofull an estate but Isaiah tels them that this their sorrow shall haue an end and in this sense is it said in Psal 126.9 that those which sow in teares shall reape in ioy The Lord often suffers vs to be pressed with wonderfull anguishes but in the end he will relieue vs and giue vs matter of gladnes to wit when he turnes the captiuitie of Zion The returning of ZioÌ„s captiuitie the matter of our true ioy for this is the true ioy of the faithfull Moreouer in as much as it is a thing very difficult to reioyce whilst the tokens of Gods iudgements present themselues to our view on euery side the Prophet sets the cause of ioy before vs in his mercie Our ioy flowes from Gods shewing of mercie for we may assure our selues that all ioy and reioycing shal returne and abound as soone as Gods anger shall be appeased towards vs according as we haue before alledged that famous saying of the Prophet Abacuck that in the middes of wrath the Lord remembers mercie Though God be most readie to shew mercie yet will he be sought vnto Ezek. 36 37. and neuer so farre afflicts his Church but he limits moderates and measures his blowes by iudgement Our Prophet likewise shewes by what meanes we may obtaine this grace in saying it shall be when God shall heare the voice of thy cry For in these words hee incites and prouokes the faithful to praiers and ardent sighes and groanes To demand pardon of God without sense of sin is the next way to depriue vs of this mercy here promised for if wee aske pardon of God and be not touched with repentance and remorse for our sinnes whence indeed this cry ought to proceed we are vtterly vnworthy to haue any mercy shewed vs. Would wee then haue the Church deliuered from death and restored vnto a prosperous estate no lesse theÌ„ if she were raised vp out of her graue Oh let vs cry vnto the Lord that hee may heare the voice of our cries No looking for succour without the affection of prayer sighes and groanes For alas if wee be void of the affection of praier how can wee looke for any succour of him To answere here signifies nothing else but that God wil cause vs to feele by experience both his helpe and fauour for the Lord answers vs not by voice but by the effects And yet let vs not thinke he will forthwith answer our crieâ— Why so Many times there is much weaknesse of ours mingled with them so as they be disordered by reason of our vnbridled passions he will assist vs when it shall be expedient for vs so as wee shall proue by experience that hee hath respected our saluation Vers 20. And when the Lord hath giuen you the bread of aduersitie and water of affliction thy raine shall be no more kept backe but thine eyes shall see thy raine HEe continues on his former speech confirming the hearts of the faithfull lest they should faint Patience begets hope of a good issue for patience alwaies begets hope of a better issue He therefore instructs them pâ—tiently to beare the chastisement to come because they should onely feele Gods wrath theâ—ein for a time but soone after the storme shâ—ll be blowne ouer hee promiseth them that ioy and deliuerance shall bee at hand See Hos 14 5 because God will turne his anger away from them I expound the latter Vau After that as if hee should say After you haue been thus afflicted Psal 30.5 then the Lord will blesse you for hee will change your mourning into ioy Whereas some take the word Raine for Instructer it agrees not with the text for albeit the
will bind vp our wounds which may otherwise seeme mortall and deadly Quest Now if any aske why the Lord deales thus seuerely with his children I answer Ans wee seldome profit in his feare when he vseth vs mildely for our vices are so rooted in vs and cling so fast to our bones that they cannot bee cut off vnlesse God whet his razor verie sharpe and keene Vers 27. Behold the name of the Lord commeth from farre his face is burning and the burthen thereof is heauie his lips are full of indignation and his tongue is as a deuouring fire HEe foretels the destruction of the Assyrians which were then the principall enemies of the Church I grant the Iewes had almost no neighbours that were borderers but they were against them notwithstanding in respect the Assyrians were the richest and mightiest of all others the Prophet scarcely mentions any but them and the Babylonians who had bin Monarks ouer nations although sometimes by a figure called synecdoche the Caldeans are signified vnder the name of the Assyrians By the name of God he meanes God himselfe but he vseth this circumlocution in regard the Assyrians and the rest of the nations serued goddes of gold and siluer For they mocked the Iews as if they had worshipped a God in name onely Why so Because they represented him not forth by some shape or image as we read of a certaine prophane Poet A prophane Poet. who vsed to say of them in scorne that they worshipped the clouds and a diuinitie that was shut vp in heauen See how infidels and prophane persons iudge of God according to their outward senses but our Prophet brings the faithfull to this name of God As if he should say This God which hath manifested himselfe vnto you by his name The God whom wee neither feele nor see with outward senses is sufficient to auenge the wrongs done to his church this God whom you neither touch nor see shall come and shall auenge the wrongs done vnto you From farre He addes this by way of yeelding or granting so much as it were vnto the idolaters For as long as the wicked feele not the hand of God they thinke him far off and in the meane while deride the faithfull as if they trusted in vanitie The prophet therefore speaking according to the opinion of the vnbeleeuers shewes that that same God whom they esteeme so far off shall come or rather that hee is already come and is hard at hand This he signifies by the particle Behold which he opposeth to the word farre off and therein admonishing the faithfull also to passe ouer all impediments that they may come to the hope of this promised redemption Now to shew that Gods name is not worshipped in vaine nor without fruit in Iudeah the Prophet sets before them his fearefull power His face is burning which he will manifest for the ouerthrow of the enemies of his Church For when he speakes to the faithfull he sets him forth gentle louing patient slow to anger and pitifull to put life as it were into them but to the vnbeleeuers he proposeth nothing but horrors and terrors So that where the wicked tremble at the very naming of God the faithfull being allured by the sense of his bountie goodnes do sweetlie repose themselues vnder the shadow of his wings and are not oppressed with such feares Hence we are taught alwaies to keepe our hearts in a reuerent awe of God lest we finde him such a one to vs as the Prophet here describes him to the wicked Where he saith the burthen of the Lord is heauie to beare his meaning is that God will bring such heauie calamities with him when he comes that the wicked shall sinke vnder them for by this weight he vnderstands the strokes which they shall receiue He also expresseth the same thing in mentioning the lips and tongue Quest But wherefore did he rather name them then his hands Ans Surely the wicked mock at all the threatnings which are published vnto thē out of Gods word and esteeme whatsoeuer the Prophets say no better then fables But they shall feele one day to their cost that this sound which proceeds out of Gods sacred mouth is no vaine word neither yet a thunder which only strikes the eares but they shall in the end feele the force of this word which they haue despised Vers 28. And his spirit is as a riuer that ouerfloweth vp to the neck it deuideth asunder to fanne the nations with the fanne of vanitie and there shall be a bridle to cause them to erre in the charets of the people HE goes on with the denunciation which he began in the 27. verse as if he should say The Church in deed must passe vnder the rod yet so as the Assyrians in the end shall vtterlie come to nought For he saith that they shall be swallowed vp of the Spirit of the Lord which he compares to a deepe riuer First similitude of a deepe Riuer Others take the word Spirit for Breath so as it should be an allusion to the whirlewind or to some boisterous tempest In the next place he vseth the similitude of a fanne Second similitude of ◠Fanne which is very frequent in the scriptures and saith that he wil fanne the Assyrians to shake them out and to scatter them For this cause also he addes the word vanitie that is to say an vnprofitable Fanne which cannot retaine or keepe any thing but loseth whatsoeuer is put within it For we know God is wont sometimes to sift and fanne his owne deere children but it is to gather thē into his floore as good wheate The third similitude is taken from a bridle The third of a Bridle whereby the Lord vseth sometimes to tame the pride and fiercenes of the wicked in a word to shew that he is their Iudge I denie not but he also bridles and curbs his seruants and children but it is to bring them to tracktablenes for the wicked he raines them vp so hard that he tumbles them into perdition and that is the meaning of this clause where he saith it is a bridle to cause them to erre For fierce horses are tugged this way and that way by their riders and the more they wince the more they spurre them God likewise keepes the wicked short and handles them so roughlie that they erre at euery blow hee giues them as Dauid well describes it Psal 32.10 The end why the Prophet vseth these similitudes Now the end of these similitudes is to teach vs that there is no dallying with God For albeit he forbeares vs for a time yet at the last we shall prooue the Prophets words true to wit that his spirit or breath shall be enough to swallow vp the wicked and suddenlie to consume them no lesse then if a flood had passed ouer their heads To conclude seeing he shewes that the nations were to be fanned in the fanne of
that so they might cease to accuse God of crueltie in bringing destruction vpon them seeing the whole cause thereof was in themselues They make many turnings to escape Gods iudgement but the Prophet affirmes that hee is alwaies good to those which honour him And albeit Moses in this sense calles him a consuming fire Deut. 9.3 lest his maiestie and power should bee contemned yet whosoeuer hee be that shall draw neere vnto him with a true desire to please him he shall feele by the effects that there is nothing more sweete and amiable then his presence Though God titles himself a consuming fire lest his maiestie should be contemned yet whosoeuer drawes neere him with a desire to please him shall feel nothing so sweet as his presence At such time then as God causeth the light of his countenance to shine vpon the faithfull they haue peace with him in a good conscience whence it followes that hee is not terrible of his owne nature but we we by our peruersitie prouoke him to be such a one vnto vs. Now this is specially directed to the hypocrits who couer their villanies and secret mischiefes vnder the cloke of holinesse and thus abuse the name of the Lord to sin the more freely But our Prophet setting downe a definition of iustice by examples doth thereby more cleerly and plainly rebuke their vngodlinesse And mentions some principall actions touching the conuersation of men whereby we may easily take triall of our godlinesse For he sets before vs the duties of the second Table as he hath done often alreadie which is the best way to discouer who indeed is a religious man For as gold is tried by the fire so by a mans ordinarie cariage of himselfe may you find how he is affected in the seruice empt from all troubles but rather to be prepared to vndergo all sorts of greeuances and vexations And yet that they should know also that God cared for the kingdome of Iudah and in his good time would deliuer them out of the hands of those tyrants which held them tributaries and besieged them The estate which the Prophet heere describes is very miserable for is it not a pitifull thing to see a people of a free condition so pressed vnder such a barbarous tyrannie that all their goods must come to be praised their houses possessiōs families seruants registred Many of our times which haue not bin acquainted with these things haue yet some little taste how irkesome this seruitude is when their goods are praised to the vttermost mite and not onely their yeerely rents which are certaine but also the hope of future gaine and not mony and possessions alone but their names also are taken Such deuices there are to impose new tributes not vpon viands onely but euen vpon the smallest things Note so that tyrants rake to themselues a great part of that which the poore people can hardly beare yet all these and infinite other calamities will nothing abate the pride excesse and rebellion of men What will they be thinke you being freed from these taxes will they not easilie forget all the euils past and the fauour of God also and bee worse then euer they were before in running into all leaud and wicked behauiour It is not without cause then that the Prophet laies these things thus before his people lest after their deliuerance they should range after their lusts As if hee should say What a shame were that nay rather acknowledge the goodnesse of God who hath dealt so mercifully with you and cleaue vnto him with your whole hearts Some haue falslie imagined that Saint Paul alledgeth this place in 1. Cor. 1.20 But so he should mistake the Prophets meaning and should apply these words to a wrong sense The cause of the error grew from the word Scribe which is not taken here for a teacher For Isaiah calles him a Scribe in this place What is meant by Scribe in this place who tooke the names of men and their families and inuentories of their possessions and houses To be short hee which kept the register of all the taxes and tributes By the poiser he meanes him which receiued the imposts for hee weighed the monies which were paied in such as are our receiuers and treasurers at this day He addes yet a third sort which was the most intollerable of all to wit hee that counted the towers or chiefe houses for they made search and viewed euery house to know which were the richest that they might get the more pence out of it Tyrants haue such at command who like blood-hounds Bloodhoūds in Common wealths haue skill to hunt and smell out fat purses that so besides the ordinary taxes they may raise an extraordinary impost No doubt but the sight of such exactors was greeuous to the poore people and not without cause for they neuer left them till they had suckt their blood to the verie marow If any by this word had rather vnderstand the officers of the King himselfe who had the charge to pull downe the houses adioyning to the walles I hinder him not for following his opinion I rather think it likely that the Prophet speaks of the exactors which the conquerours set ouer them whom they had vanquished that they might the more securely hold their own as they say Vers 19. Thou shalt not see a fierce people a people of a darke speech that thou canst not perceiue and of a stammering tongue that thou canst not vnderstand SOme translate the word Noan Strong others Impudently but I verily thinke he meant to set forth the crueltie of the Assyrians which he presently declares saying There is no communication to be had with them for they speake a strange language which thou canst not perceiue For there is nothing that moues men more to mercy then an interchangeable speech by which one may take knowledge of anothers misery But if this be wanting what is left to cause an hard heart to relent Alas they know not what thou saiest and therfore thou canst looke for no more compassion from them by thy intreaties then if thou hadst to deale with wilde and sauage beasts Thus the Prophet further aggrauates the wofull estate of this people that by contraries he might let them perceiue how exceeding bountiful God was towards them when he deliuered them out of so great a feare As in another place the holy Ghost magnifies the grace of God in that hee preserued his people in Egypt albeit they vnderstood not their language Psal 81.5 Vers 20. Looke vpon Zion the Citie of our solemne feasts thine eies shall shall see Ierusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that cannot be remoued and the stakes thereof can neuer be taken away neither shall any of the cordes thereof be broken MAny read it in the vocatiue case Looke O Zion but it is better to reade it as I haue translated it Looke vpon Zion The Prophet propounds a promise touching the
teacheth vs to mount by little and little vnto heauen by the light of the promises which doe shine clearely before vs yet so that in seeking succour we imagin not that God should be absent from vs seeing he hath chosen his dwelling place in the mids of vs. For in regard that his Maiestie much surmounts heauen and earth it is not lawfull for vs to bound him within the narrow scantling of our vnderstanding yet we may comprehend him according to the small measure thereof because he hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs by his word not that we must needs pull him downe from his heauenlie throne therefore but that our minds which are of themselues weake and dull might by degrees approach neerer and neerer vnto him for we haue good reason to presse with boldnes towards his highnes in regard he calles vs vnto him by his word and Sacraments And if we conceiue of these things aright the spirituall knowledge of God shall alwaies beare sway amongst vs so as wee shall not need to tye the Lord any more to stones nor stocks If the spirituall knowledge of God beares sway in our hearts we shall not need to tye his presence to stocks or stones No we shall imagin nothing of him that is earthlie or carnall for the neerer we shall draw towards him the more will we endeuour our selues to vse all lawfull meanes which he sets before vs that our spirits may not rest vpon earthlie things for he applies himselfe to our shallownes only to the end that his Sacraments might serue vs as ladders to climb vp vnto him by but this superstition hath peruerted and turned it to a cleane contrarie vse Vers 17. Incline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see heare all the words of Sennacherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God HEnce we gather in how great perplexitie Hezekias was for the vehemencie of his prayer discouers vnto vs a wonderfull measure of griefe so as a man may see that he indured great combates which he ouercame not without much adoe For albeit the affection and zeale of his prayer shewes the strength and power of his faith yet he therein represents vnto vs as in a glasse his passions that boiled within him As soone then as we are to indure any such assaults let vs learne from the example of this good King to oppose against the passions wherewith we are tossed that which may best serue for the confirming of our faith that by the tempest it selfe we may be brought to a safe and quiet hauen Let not the sense of our weakenes any whit astonish vs then no not when feare and dread shall presse vs aboue measure as it were For the Lord will haue vs wrestle valiantlie euen till we sweate and tremble God will haue vs wrestle till we tremble and sweate because we must not thinke to goe to heauen in a fetherbed or at ease as we vse to speake but after many combates God hath promised an happie issue to them that fight as they ought to doe which in the end he will vndoubtedlie bestow vpon vs. But why doth Hezekiah desire God to heare Thinks he that he sleepes or vnderstands not No such matter But wee are wont to speake thus in some desperat cases either when wee thinke God absent or when hee seemes to make light account of our afflictions Wee see he was so perplexed then that God as he thought had forgotten him that is to say according to the sense of the flesh for had he not beheld him present by the eies of faith he had vtterlie quailed It is as much then as if Hezekias had desired the Lord euen effectuallie and openlie to shew some worke for his saluation which he had long hoped for before in the secret of his heart But why doth he pray that God would open his eies and see It is as much as if he had said Lord let it appeare that thou hast care of these matters Now he sufficientlie shewes where his paine held him most namely he longed to see some vengeance shewed vpon these blasphemers which offred such outrage against Gods Maiestie for albeit this good King tooke great thought for the preseruation of his kingdome and people yet had he respect vnto Gods glorie aboue all other commodities whatsoeuer Hezekias respected Gods glorie aboue all things whatsoeuer And truly the aduancement thereof should touch vs neerer and moue vs more then any thing else especiallie when we know that his glorie and our saluation are things that can not be separated Thus Hezekias hauing brought forth this Tyrant vpon the stage as a blasphemous and hatefull enemie of God because Ierusalem gloried in this title The God of Iacob and in his protection he thereupon concludes that God can by no meanes cast off the Citie which he hath taken into his owne custodie vnlesse therewithall he should renounce his owne name also Seeing the Lord then of his infinit bountie is pleased to ioine his glorie with our saluation let vs hold fast these promises and let vs fortifie our selues with them namely that although the wicked goe on in a vaine hope thinking to scape scotfree whilest they blaspheme God and cast vp that poison out of their hearts which lurked before in them yet there is not a sillable thereof which he vnderstands not and he will in his due time bring them to an account for the same Vers 18. Truth it is O Lord that the Kings of Asshur haue destroyed all lands and their countrie 19. And haue cast their gods in the fire for they were no Gods but the worke of mans hands euen wood or stone therefore they destroyed them HEzekias begins here to put a difference betweene the true God and the false which we also had need diligentlie to do for the wicked that are not enlightened haue many confused thoughts of some diuinitie which by and by vanisheth away so as either they thinke there is no God at all or if there be yet they regard him not But God would not haue vs lightlie touched with some idle or vading conceit of him What knowledge of God is required to be in Christians but that we should acknowledge him to be the true God who by the brightnes of his power scatters abroad all the darknes of ignorāce It is not enough then you see to acknowledge a diuinitie of I can not tell what as prophane ones do but God ought to be so knowne and receiued that he be discerned from all Idols and the truth separated from lyes And questionlesse when he hath once cleared our iudgements all opinion of false religions which possessed our minds before will immediatlie fall to the ground And so much the rather are we to hold fast this doctrine by how much the more many please themselues in fond speculations thinking it sufficient for them if they acknowledge a God at randon Whether they ought to worship the god
Cedars thereof the firre trees therof and I will goe vp to the heights of his toppe and to the forrest of his fruitfull places SEe how the indignitie and spightfulnesse of this outrage is further amplified for the iniurie that is offered by a seruant is not so easilie put vp as when it is done by the master because the basenesse of the person makes the wrong euermore intollerable And therefore the proud ones of the world when they will threaten in the most despightfull sort they will brag that their wils shall be executed by their seruants and horsekeepers that they may make it knowne how basely they esteeme of those whom they purpose to mischiefe By this circumstance then the Prophet meant to shew how execrable this blasphemie was when Sennacherib was not content to vomit it out of his owne mouth but had set on his seruant Rabshekeh to make him rent the sacred name of God in peeces As touching that which is recited afterward in the person of Sennacherib some take it generally for the former victories which hee had wonne and by this meanes had subdued many nations as we haue said before but I had rather take it more particularly in referring it to this last siege For when he saw the whole land in a maner vnder his obeisance and the mountaines which inuironed all the Coūtry possessed by his souldiers he brags as if he had gotten all and threatens that hee will inioy the castels mount Libanon with his Cedars fir-trees and other commodities as if he should say Nothing shall let me to be master of all the forts of Iudah and to deale with the Country as I thinke good See how Tyrants glory that the good successes of their warres are in their owne hands although often constreined to acknowledge the fight to be dangerous Vers 25. I haue digged and drunke the waters and with the plant of my feete haue I dried all the riuers * Or of the siege closed in THis Tyrant proceeds here glorying still in his forces and threatens to bring so mightie an armie that the multitudes of his souldiers shall be able to drinke the fountaines and riuers of Iewrie drie By the riuers of the siege some vnderstand the riuer Shilo and the Cisterns which the besieged Iewes could not lose but they must forthwith perish for thirst Yet in the first member he seemes to affirme that he feares no want of water though the whole countrie were destitute of it because he hath men enow to digge pits In the second place he saith he is furnished with meanes sufficient to drie vp all the waters of the Citie thinking thus to terrifie the Iewes His meaning in a word is that Ierusalem will not be able to indure the siege nor be able to stand out long against him but must forthwith be constreined to yeeld Now when the wicked make their vants on this maner God sits in heauen whence at the last he will denounce his iust sentence against them The prophets drift in this narration For the Prophets discourse tends to informe vs of Gods iust and wonderfull iudgement against this Tyrant Vers 26. Hast thou not heard how I haue of old time made it and haue formed it long agoe And should I now bring it that it should be destroyed and laid on ruinous heapes as Cities defenced THe expositors for the most part expound this verse as if the Lord should say That this Tyrant neither hath done nor shall doe any thing but that he hath foretold by the mouth of his Prophet and thus affirmes that himselfe is the author of these things But I expound it otherwise to wit that Ierusalem shall be deliuered by Gods assistance because he is the protector of it and that his speech might haue the more weight he names not the Citie but vseth the pronoun demonstrait as if all other Cities were nothing in Gods account in comparison of this Others referre these words I haue made it to the deliuerance which depended vpon the secret counsell of God but whosoeuer shall diligentlie weigh the scope of the Prophets words will confesse that it is here spoken of Ierusalem God complained as we haue seene that he was so despightfullie blasphemed and yet in reciting the words of Senacherib he only mentioned Libanon and the quarters adioining now to shew that vnder the name of Libanus warre was proclaimed against himselfe he affirmes as in many other places that Ierusalem was founded with his hand and built at his command whence it followes that Senacherib could not ouerthrow it vnlesse he first plucked God downe from his throne This doctrine is often met withall in the Scriptures and wonderfull comfort is conteined in it vpon which the faithfull may at all times boldlie leane in all their trials and afflictions be they neuer so hard and difficult to be borne to wit that they shall euer be preserued vnder Gods protection because he hath elected them Gods argument in this place For thus stands the argument I haue made and formed the Church the saluation of it shall stand for euer Phil. 1.6 because I will not leaue the worke that I haue begun vnfinished but will bring it vnto perfection In a word the Lord testifies that he will goe on with his worke and will preserue it because it concernes his owne honor and our saluation Moreouer he is called the former of his Church in another sense then that in which he is said to be the Creator of heauen and earth for we are his peculiar workmanship saith S. Paul being reformed by his Spirit Ephes 1.10 of which point we haue spoken heretofore in other places This worke therefore of all others is the most excellent yea aboue the creation of the whole world Be it farre from any man therefore to affirme that he was incorporated into the Church by his owne power or industrie for it is not without cause that we are called his workemanship Ephe. 2.10 But it may be demanded why the Lord saith he formed Ierusalem long agoe Quest for there were many Cities more ancient then it I answere Ans that this ought not to be referred to the outward forme or building but to the eternall decree of God according to which he had chosen this Citie for his dwelling place For albeit it was then only said when the Arke was made This is my rest here will I dwell Psal 132.14 And by Moses I will come vnto thee into the place wherein I shall put the remembrance of my name and I will blesse thee Exod. 20.24 yet had God long before ordeined it For we were chosen before the foundations of the world were laid as S. Paul teacheth Ephes 1.4 And S. Iames saith That we were begotten by the word of truth that we might be the first fruites of his creatures Iam. 1.18 He will then conserue vs aboue all his creatures and will neuer suffer vs to perish Now as Christ is
called the first borne of euery creature Colos 1.13 so the Church also which is his bodie obteines in this world the preheminence of dignitie and honour I leaue the Rabbins to their rauings Rauings of the Rabbins when they say that God created the Messiah and Ierusalem with a throne of glorie before he formed heauen or earth But we must hold this principle that he will be the faithfull gardian of his Church seeing he hath vouchsafed to preferre it before all the world besides As touching that which followes in the end of the verse And should I now bring it to this point Some draw it to a sense altogether wrested I denie not but the Prophets words are in the preterperfectence Now I haue brought it and put it but because the change of the tence is very familiar and vsuall in the Hebrue tongue it is certaine that the Prophet hauing affirmed that God is in such wise the former of his Church that it is the chiefest of all his works he now thence concludes that it can not be ruinated as other common things are It must be read by an Interrogation then Shall I bring it now or should I suffer it to be brought As if he should say Should I suffer it to be raced as other Cities which are quite ouerthrowne and laid on heapes For he compares Ierusalem with other Cities which were destroyed and subdued by the Assyrian that so they might know that this Tyrant should not so easily obtaine that which he desired because the difference is great betweene it and other Cities which haue beene raced to the foundation It must not be compared then with other Cities how well fortified soeuer they be because they with the earthlie matter of which they consist shall easily fall but albeit the Church be but weake and feeble in outward shew yet hath shee such a stable and firme foundation laid in Gods secret election that it can neuer be ouerturned by any tempests whatsoeuer The glory of the Roman Empire gone We see strange changes haue befallen the world Commonwealths haue been turned topsie turuie Empires abolished mightie nations subdued and their renowne and glorie extinguished What is now become of the glory of the Roman Empire What is become of the Nobles of this people who were the Lords of all the earth If any reliques thereof remaine which is very small is it not brought vnder the miserable slauerie of that cursed monster That Antichrist of Rome an exec able monster I meane Antichrist who exerciseth his tyranny ouer al the earth Where is now the liberty which Rome once inioied Where is that goodly forme of a Common-wealth which was once to be seene there Rome may now well be called the shop of all mischiefe and impietie Rome may now be called the shop of al imipâ—ty and a cage of euery vncleane bird But in the midst of all these horrible confusions the Lord shewes that he wil preserue Ierusalem that is to say his Church and albeit among these changes she be tossed vp and downe and diuersly afflicted yet she shall stand fast notwithstanding At least the shakings and persecutions which she suffers shall not hinder her so that by many resurrections as it were she should not still be renued and multiplied from age to age Now although the members of the Church are not alwaies of one ranke in this world yet it is one and the same body knit by ioints and bands to one head Iesus Christ Thus then The Lord will keepe and defend the Citie and will cause the children of his seruants to continue that their seede may be established for euer Psal 102.28 Vers 27. * Or For the. Whose inhabitants * Ebr. are short in haÌ„d haue small power and are afraid and confounded They are like the grasse of the field and greene hearb or grasse on the house toppes or corne blasted before it be growne THe Prophet now better expresseth that which hee touched in briefe before to wit that the estate of the Church is not to be iudged according to that which she is in this world for though the strongest Cities be taken that the most valiant doe faile in heart and fall into their enemies hands yet the Church shall remaine and florish because she rests not vpon her owne strength neither hath she her foundation from earth but from heauen For there is a close opposition here betweene strong Cities which the inhabitants cannot keepe because they are frighted and troubled and the Church of God which being vpheld by his onely grace sustaines all assaults and is neuer vanquished for she referres all things to God onely who giues her beginning and being continues her strength indues her with constancie and all sorts of benefits in a word with all the parts of her saluation Hence we are taught that all the fortresses in the world are nothing vnlesse God be the watchman All the forces of men are but as shiuering reeds vnlesse they be sustained by his power castels ramparts and weapons bee they neuer so many and inuincible without him shall serue their turnes nothing at all This is yet better expressed by the similitudes which are added For it was necessarie that the faithfull should bee well informed touching the loue and singular affection which the Lord bare towards them lest they should be offended at the prosperitie of the prophane and wicked Albeit humane forces then be neuer so glorious in outward appearance and make all the goodly shewes that can be deuised yet the Prophet affirmes that it is but like the grasse and flowers of the field The first Simile which are greene and florish for a time and suddenly are gone He abaseth them more by the other similitude which hee ads touching the grasse vpon the house tops The second Simile whose stalkes are high and easie to be seene of all but if they grow vpon any high place then are they neerest their withering being neuer fit for any vse as the Psalmist saith for the reaper filles not his hand nor the gleaner his lap and therefore the passers by say not so much as God speed you Psal 129.6 7. So albeit the enemies of the Church be like the tall Cedars whose toppes touch the heauens as it were and florish by inioying the world at will yet shall they in a moment wither and come to nothing As the corne then which growes on the ground serues to much better vse then the vnfruitfull grasse which growes on the house top so the Lord shewes that the base and abiect condition of his seruants is much more excellent then theirs who by reason of their power exalt themselues so farre as to iustle against the Lord of heauen and earth Some thinke that that which is added touching the corne blasted should be the fourth similitude but as I thinke the Prophet would haue it serue as an exposition of the former similitude as if he should say
he maketh it an Idoll and boweth vnto it 16. Hee burneth the halfe thereof in the fire and vpon the halfe thereof hee eateth flesh hee rosteth the rost and is satisfied also hee warmeth himselfe and saith Aha I am warme I haue been at the fire 17. And of the residue thereof he maketh a god hee boweth vnto it and worshippeth praieth vnto it and saith Deliuer me for thou art my god HEe worthily taxeth their sottishnes Experience which is the Mistris of fooles cannot make these fooles wise in heart that manifest experience it selfe cannot lead them to conclude it for a thing vnpossible that a truncke of vvood should become a god He also taxeth their vnthankfulnesse in defrauding God of his honour seeing his power may easily be discerned euen in the growth of themselues For when a man puts wood to diuers vses the bountie of God forthwith presents it selfe before his eies be it in vvarming himselfe by it or in baking bread in the ouen in rosting or heating his meate with it In a word as oft as we warme vs and inioy these benefits by our fires shall wee not be conuinced of inexcusable ingratitude if we therein consider not of Gods goodnesse who hath so prouided as to destitute vs of nothing that is needfull for vs Hereunto appertaines these words Aha I am vvarme for this speech expresseth the ioy of such as being freed from incommodities and wants begin to blesse their owne good estate But can there be a more vnworthie or vnreasonable thing committed then for men in such comfortable maner to haue the vse of Gods blessings that their hearts are therewith filled with gladnes and yet neuer to be thankfull to the author from whom they proceed nay to abuse his great riches to violate his honor No doubt in the meate that is in their kitchins and in other commodities they see that the wood is their seruant and made for their vse why then should they bow before a trunck of wood that shall resemble the shape of a man Is not God robbed of his right by such a course And when they pray to their Images rob they not the Lord of that sacrifice which he principallie requires The very prophane writers haue sometimes derided the follie of these Idolaters which durst after their owne inuention frame a god of a corruptible substance wherof they made no reckoning before Thence came this flout of the Poet Horace Horace who brings in an Idoll speaking thus I vvas the flock of a figge-tree seruing to no purpose vvhilest the Carpenter not knowing vvhether it vvere best to make me a seate to sit vpon chose rather to make me such a god as you now here see mee But such folke notwithstanding could not see the fountaine from whence this impietie sprang because they gaue not themselues to consider of that goodnes and power of the only true God which shines in all his creatures Now when the Prophets dealt thus bitterlie against Idolaters in laying forth their furie and sottishnes no doubt but they complained as if he had offred them great iniurie neither wanted they their tricks but to the vtmost coloured ouer their errors with goodly pretences to wit they confessed that the gods were in heauen as may be seene euen in their owne writings neither would they in expresse termes affirme the stone or wood was a God indeed And this shift also the Papists A shift of the Papists haue foūd out at this day against vs because they would not be condemned of so grosse a blindnes But we haue told you that the Prophet stands not so much here to debate about the simple essence of God who also were no better then an Idoll if nothing but that were giuen vnto him but the question here is touching his proprieties to wit his prescience power prouidence iustice saluation and such like which our Prophet would haue ascribed vnto him fullie and whollie And when Idolaters erect Images and runne vnto them for aid and succor supposing that God heares them also when they speake to their puppets which they set before them tie they not their saluation to the things themselues But this brutishnes proceeds frō the ignorance of the nature of God in that they imagin him to be carnall like themselues who is a pure and spirituall substance and thus they manifest the base opinion they haue conceiued of God whose glorie they reiect and prophane in likening him to corruptible and earthly things for what is more dissonant from his Maiestie then Images Nothing iarres more with Gods Maiestie then Images and yet those that worship them indeuor to inclose God in heauen and to make him stoup to their lusts The Prophet is iustly displeased then with such corruptions and therefore gaules the furious desires of these superstitious ones seeing a man can not thinke of nor vtter a thing more detestable Vers 18. They haue not knowne nor vnderstand for * Or he God hath shut their eyes that they can not see and their hearts that they can not vnderstand HIs conclusion is The conclusion that it were impossible for men indued with common reason to be thus reasonlesse if God had not shut vp both their eies and hearts For had they but a dram of wit in their heads they must of necessitie be drawne to consider how absurd a thing it is to worship a fragment of that wood which themselues had burned and with their owne eies saw it consumed to ashes before them But in as much as they neither know nor vnderstand any thing nor will bee brought to beleeue their owne senses They are become brutish that will not beleeue their owne senses a man may well conclude that they are become beasts for this ignorance wherewith Isaiah reprocheth them is as much as if hee had said They are beasts in the forme of men And howsoeuer euer many among them were otherwise sharpe witted enough yet in this behalfe they were more then sufficiently conuinced of their brutish senslesnesse The reason added in the latter member of the verse is not to lessen their fault but to shew how odious and hatefull their sinne is for men would neuer become so senselesse vnlesse God in his iust iudgement had giuen them vp into a reprobate sense Some supplie God heere others the false Prophets affirming that the people were blinded because they were seduced by their impostures otherwise they had neuer bin plunged into such grosse errors for false doctrines blind the eies False doctrines blinds the eies There are others who take it in another sense and they refer it to Satan But because the first exposition is most vsed in the Scriptures I rather allow of that to wit that God blinded them iustly Vnlesse any had rather referre it to the Idolaters themselues who wittingly are wont to put out the eies of their owne reason and in this sense there must bee a change of the number to wit
angry Iudge if they looked towards the earth they saw nothing but tokens of his wrath to present themselues about them on euery side so as they could hope for nothing that was good Isaiah therefore confirmes their faith and commands heauen and earth which promised nothing but threats and terrors to bring forth iustice and saluation which kind of speech hath greater weight in it then if God himselfe had promised that this should haue come to passe For the elements who are ready prest at Gods commandement are in this sense said to receiue and vnderstand the charge inioined them of God Thus then the sentence runnes all with a breath which would be but abrupt if this verse were to be vnderstood of praier Now this phrase of speech is vsuall in the holy Scripture as in the Psalmes The mountaines shall bring peace to the people by Iustice Psal 72.3 Truth shall bud out of the earth and righteousnesse hath looked downe from heauen Psal 85.11 Also mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other In thse places Dauid describes the kingdome of Christ and the felicitie thereof shewing that righteousnesse and peace mercy and truth shall raigne therein together And the very same thing the Prophet toucheth in this place Now he alludes to those meanes that serue for our ordinarie food for our naturall life is sustained and maintained by bread and the fruits of the earth in regard we stand in need of such helpes But the earth will not be sit to bring forth these fruits vnlesse the heauens doe refresh the same by often raining downe vpon it out of the cloudes that afterwards it may become fertile and bring forth fit nourishment both for man and beast By the word iustice Iustice he meanes nothing else but the faithfulnesse of the Lord whereby he defends and conserues his Church in as much as he causeth iustice to distill from the heauens that is to say a right order of gouernment the fruit whereof is saluation Saluation a fruit of Iustice For he speakes heere of the deliuerance of the people out of Babylon in which deliuerance the Lord shewed himselfe to be the protector of his Church Now hauing attained the naturall meaning of the words we must thence descend to Christs kingdome The Kingdome of Christ whereunto these words ought indeed to be referred for God hath not limitted these promises within the compasse of a few yeeres but continued on his benefits euen to the very comming of Christ in whom all these things were absolutely fulfilled no doubt then but the eternall iustice and saluation brought by Christ is heere set before vs but wee must first restraine this exposition to the returne of the people out of captiuitie Vers 9. Woe bee to him that striueth with his maker * Or let the pot contend against the pots the potshard with the potshardes of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it What makest thou or thy worke it hath none hands 10. Woe vnto him that saith to his father What hast thou begotten or to his mother What hast thou brought forth THis place is diuersly expounded The first exposition of this place for some vnderstand it of Balthazar who as we see in Daniel lifted vp himselfe proudly against God in prophaning the holie vessels of the Temple but this is too constrained an exposition The second â—he second exposition may seeme more probable to wit that the Lord giues and grants more to his chosen then a father will doe to his children or a workman to his worke for those who expound the words thus thinke that the Prophet speakes heere by way of comparison in this sense If a sonne should rise vp against his father and contend with him should he get any audience No for a father will keepe and retaine his owne authoritie and in this behalfe would iustly reiect his sonne The like would also fall out if the clay should rise vp against the Potter Yet God permits vs to contend with him and offers himselfe freely to satisfie any of our demands and thus they ioine the tenth and eleuenth verse together thinking that the patience of God appeares in that he deales thus fauourably with vs and humbles himselfe more then mortall men are commonly wont to doe towards their children I grant that this exposition hath more colour then the former but both of them are farre wide from the Prophets intention The third and most naturall exposition The simple and plaine meaning of the Prophet therefore as I thinke is this that Isaiah here represseth mens complaints who murmure and pleade against God in the time of aduersitie This admonition therefore came in due place to teach the Iewes willinglie to receiue the consolation offred that they might be fitted to beare the crosse patientlie and with a setled mind for as oft as God holds vs in suspence Murmurings aâ—ising from flesh and blood the flesh solicits vs to grudge on this maner Wherefore doth he not rather that which we would haue him to do What meanes he to vex vs thus in deferring his help so long Now that the Lord might beate back such a presumption he saith Shall the pot contend with the potter Shall a sonne pleade with his father And shall not I then much more deale with you as it pleaseth me What remaines then but to beare his stripes patientlie For it is our duties to let him freely execute his office and by no meanes to withstand his soueraigne power and authoritie As touching the word Wo I take it for a particle of expressing him that rebukes and corrects Let the pot striue vvith the pots That is to say let euery one striue with his equall as we vse to say in our common prouerb Let the pot cleaue the pots of the earth For in sending men to their like he taxeth their boldnes and presumption for not considering that in contending vvith God Pâ—ouerb they sought nothing else but how to plunge themselues into their owne ruin As if he should say Doe yee know with whom yee haue to doe Let them know that God will euer be stronger then man and they shall be constrained in the end to giue place But if they so farre forget their owne brittlenes that like Giants they dare scale the heauens then shall they proue by experience it may be when it is too late that they medled with their match and that they haue contended with their Maker who can easily dash his vessels in pieces one against another yea and beate them to pouder as the potter doth the vessels which he hath formed Some expound the word Kerasim workemen or potters and vnderstand it thus Shall the pot rise vp against the potter But they take one letter for another to wit shin for sin which they might easily doe I had rather therefore follow the common reading and content my selfe with this sense
vse and end that men might be nourished and susteined vvith the fruites it bringeth forth no doubt but he hath giuē it to his childrē in the first place Gods children haue or ought to haue the first place in the earth Our minds must be vpheld by hope by which we may manfully resist temptations and that in a soueraigne degree of honor aboue others I grant wee see not this come alwaies thus to passe and therefore our minds must be framed to be vpheld by hope that so wee may stand firme and inuincible against all sorts of temptations In a word the Church of God shall stand as long as the foundations of the earth remaine for it shall be established before God as the Sunne and Moone in the firmament Psal 89.36.37 In Chap. 54.9 he will vse an argument of greater force to wit If the couenant which was made with Noah touching the constant estate of the world be firme Gen. 9.9 much more shall his promise made to his Church be sure and permanent for the world is corruptible and perishable but the Church which is Christs kingdome shall remaine for euer The Church remaines for euer The promises therefore which are made concerning her must needes be more firme and stable then any thing besides Now because the earths principall ornament stands in her being inhabited the Prophet addes that it was not created to be vvaste but for men to conuerse in If any shall obiect Obiect on the contrary that the earth was without forme and void euen after it was created as it appeares in Genes 1.2 where Moses vseth the same word Tohu that the Prophet heere doth which signifies without forme Ans and emptie the solution is easie for the Prophet speakes not of th◠beginning of the creatiō but of Gods purpose by which hee ordained the earth for mens vse and abode The Prophet then contradicts not Moses at all seeing he hath respect to the vse and end As touching that which followes to be inhabited it extends it selfe to all mankind in generall to wit the earth is ordained for all men to dwell vpon For whence comes it to passe that the Lord nourisheth vs prouides all necessaries for vs yea and sustaines the very wicked The reason why God continues sinfull man vpon the earth Is it not that his decree might continue stedfast because hee hath appointed men to haue their dwelling in it Otherwise it were impossible that hee should indure so many vices wickednesses to raigne and not vtterly to destroy man from off the same but hee respects his owne holy ordinance and not our deserts Heere is the reason then why states and kingdomes continue so long in the middest of Barbarians and Infidels The Lord vvill haue the earth inhabited And howsoeuer for the sinnes of men the Lord oftentimes brings some Countries into desolation and sowes it as it were with salt in regard they become barren and are notable to sustaine their inhabitants yet he euer so mitigates his stroke that the earth is inhabited by some because God will haue his decree to stand inuiolable But we must remember what I said before to wit whilest there is a world to bee inhabited of men that God will haue a remnant reserued which shall call vpon his name God will alwaies haue a remnant to call vpon his name From hence then may all the faithfull gather great consolation for albeit the world contemnes them and that they be few in number and on the contrary that the wicked surpasse them in multitude riches power and authoritie yet how little account soeuer bee made of them and that they be esteemed no better then abiects and the of-scouring of al things yet are they precious in the eies of the Lord because he acknowledgeth them for his children and therefore will neuer suffer them to perish In that he repeates it againe I am the Lord it is not onely to iustifie his eternall essence but to put a difference betweene his Maiestie and Idols that he might still retaine the Iewes within the bounds of his pure worshippe and seruice The superstitious sort will confesse indeed that there is one God but they forge that one God in their owne braine we must therefore know and acknowledge that God which manifested himselfe to the Patriarks and Prophets Neither speakes he heere of Gods eternall essence onely as many thinke but likewise of all the offices which peculiarlie belong vnto him to the end none may dare to transfer that which is onely proper vnto him and not vnto creatures Vers 19. I haue not spoken in secret neither in a place of darknesse in the earth I said not in vaine vnto the seede of Iakob Seeke you mee I the Lord doe speake in righteousnesse and declare righteous things NOw he brings the people to the doctrine of the Law because God cannot be comprehended by the sense of flesh and blood Howsoeuer then he be hid from carnall reason yet he fully manifests himselfe and giues a remedy in his word which supplies our want to the end we should seeke no further then it were it not so we should be left as men without any hope at all and should vtterly quaile He therefore protests that hee called vs not vnto him in vaine albeit his helpe be deferred because that which hee hath promised is most sure As hee hath shewed vs cleerly then whither we ought to flee and vpon what to rest so will he let it be seene by the effects that the hope of such as haue staied vpon his word shall not be fruitlesse Hence wee may see how abominable their speeches are who affirme that a man can gather no particular assurance of his saluation An horrible blasphemie to affirme that a man can gather no particular assurance to himselfe of his owne saluation out of the Scriptures from the word of God they also make it no better then a nose of wax that they might discourage Gods people from medling with it For these mastiues barke thus in regard they see it discouers their errors and that the whole foundation of their rotten building is ouerthrowne by the doctrine contained in that little volume But with Dauid we answere Thy vvord O Lord is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my paths Psal 119.105 With Isaiah and the rest of the holy Prophets we answer that the Lord hath deliuered nothing that is obscure doubtfull or deceiuing and with Saint Peter we confesse that the vvord of the Prophets is most stable and sure to vvhich as he saith vve do vvell in giuing heede as to a light that shines in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in our hearts 2. Pet. 1.19 And if this were said of the Law and of the Prophets vvhat shall vve say of the Gospell by which this light is openly reuealed vnto vs Shall we not affirme with Saint Paul If the Gospell be yet hid
but Abraham Gen. 17.5 Vers 3. Surely the Lord shall comfort Zion hee shall comfort all her desolations and hee shall make her desert like * Or a place of pleasure Eden and her wildernesse like the garden of the Lord ioy and gladnesse shall be found therein praise and the voice of singing THe Prophet shewes that the example propounded in Abrahams person After darknesse light agrees to all ages For as the Lord created so great a stocke out of one man in a moment so will hee replenish his Church by extraordinarie and vnknowne meanes not for once onely but as oft as in the worlds account she is become a widow and barren And thus after S. Paul hath spoken of Abrahams faith and commended the excellencie of it he applies the same doctrine to euery one of vs in particular Rom. 4.24 Where he addes and shall comfort all her ruines it may be thus expounded The Church must be very low b oughâ— before she is fit to receiue comfort The Lord will comfort his Church not onely whilest shee florisheth but euen when she shal be brought to desolation and solitarinesse And it was necessary indeed that she should be wasled and deformed euen to the vtmost before shee could rightly taste the helpe whereof hee heere speakes Whereas it followes that her desert shall be as a place of pleasure the Prophet hath respect to that place of Moses where he shewes how man at the beginning was put into the garden of Eden Gen. 2.15 The Garden of Eden a place of pleasâ—re Gen. 3.23 that is to say into a place of pleasure whence by his owne fault he was banished Now we which are depriued of this benefit and blessing which God bestowed vpon our first father are also scattered vpon the face of the earth and depriued of these pleasures Wherefore when many desolations befall vs and that wee see the order of nature ouerturned and nothing to bee perceiued but miserable wastes and scatterings let vs acknowledge that this is the iust punishment of our infidelitie and of the rest of our horrible iniquities Let vs also remember the sentence pronounced against our father Adam A good meditation for vs in the Churches desolation or rather against his whole posteritie which as we are to do in the whole course of our liues so then principallie when wee see the desolations and wracks of the Church For the earth which otherwise of it selfe vvould abound vvith all sorts of pleasures is now brought into a vvildernes by our fault and the Church which euery where florished is destroyed and laid waste Now in the next place the Prophet addes ioy and gladnes wherby he signifies that there shal be such a wonderfull change that the Church shall mourne nor lament no more for whilest she was oppressed vnder so heauie a bondage there was nothing heard but sighs and grones but being restored she shall reioyce and sing praises vnto God Heere then we are admonished to praise and blesse the name of God after we haue tasted of his liberalitie Psal 14.7 Vers 4. Hearken ye vnto me my people and giue eare vnto me my people for a law shall proceed from me and I will bring forth my iudgement for the light of * Or peoples the people Our slow attention causes God to dâ—uble his exhortation See verse 1. IT is not without cause that the Lord so often calles for audience for wee haue too wofull experience how dull wee are of hearing and chiefly in aduersitie When wee stand in greatest need of consolation then by our impatiencie and faint-heartednes we put it farre from vs. Wherefore it stands euery one of vs in hand to pluck vp our spirits especiallie when aduersities do pinch vs to the quick that by this meanes wee may rouze vp and awaken our spirits and banish all slothfulnes to receiue coÌ„sort Such an attention theÌ„ is heere required as may confirme our hearts in patience till the time of grace be come And thus the Lords meaning is that he will reigne againe and restore his Church to her first estate in which he will haue his name called vpon Albeit the word Law signifies as much as the Edict which the Lord will publish when he is determined to gather together his scattered Church How God wil raigne in his Church yet therewithall he shewes by what meanes he will reigne to wit by his law and by the doctrine thereof And thus we see that where the doctrine of the law is reiected there God reignes not that is to say there men acknowledge him not By Iudgement he meanes the rule of a well ordered gouernment by which he will restore his kingdome He saith that this Iudgement shall be for the light of peoples because miserable men by nature are drawne out of darknes when God begins to raigne and are then enlightened by the doctrine of the word The verb J vvill bring forth is diuerslie translated by the Interpreters because the Hebrue word Raga hath diuers significations for sometimes it signifies to cut and to open sometimes to rest Some then expound I will cause to rest that is to say I will make firme and this sense agrees not ill Many among the Iewes vnderstand it otherwise but I will not trouble the reader with their harsh and intricate expositions I rather willinglie receiue this translation I will bring forth or cause to come forth that is to say I will manifest my iudgement for this I thinke sutes best with the former member Now we know that the Hebrues are wont to vse many repetitions And therefore albeit the Lord repeates one thing twice yet the sense is but one and the same For where he said that a law should proceed from him now he promiseth to bring forth or to manifest his iudgement Vers 5. My righteousnes is neere my saluation goeth forth and mine armes shal iudge the people the Iles shall wait for me and shall trust vnto mine arme HEE confirmes the former doctrine A confirmation of the former doctrine The righteousnes of the Lord hath relation vnto men who haue experience that he is iust When the people were oppressed vnder so sore a bondage they had good cause to think they were iustlie chastised for their sinnes But they might wonder they were thus left and forsaken that Gods worship was dissolued and his holy name blasphemed by the prophane vngodly who committed many outrages against him without punishment That he might giue them some consolation then Isaiah promiseth that God will shortly assist them that so his truth and righteousnes may be published throughout the whole world But by the word Iustice he meanes not that recompence which he giues to euery one but that faithfulnes of the Lord who protects his Saints and bestowes many graces vpon them and keeps his promise touching their deliuerance in not suffring them to be ouerwhelmed This appeares yet better to be so by
mouth God speakes for wee ought to reiect all such as broach their owne inuentions albeit they shrowd themselues neuer so much with the title of Gods name But let vs a little see into the Prophets meaning For hauing shewed that mens consciences alwaies wauer till the Lord haue secured them it teacheth vs to hold this principle that it is God who speakes by his Prophets Acts 28.25 Heb. 1.1 for otherwise our consciences would remaine in doubtings and perplexities still There is also great weight in these words in that he recites the commandement of God for by the authoritie heereof he was hartened on to performe his office And haue kept thee in the shadow of mine hand Though this was said in Chap. 49.2 yet was it no needlesse repetition God will alwaies protect his Ministers For hence wee learne that God will vndoubtedly defend his Ministers at all times that so being vpheld by his succour he may fit them to passe thorow the pikes Now that we may be couered vvith this shadow two things are required First that wee be well assured that we publish nothing to the people but Gods word secondly that we doe this at Gods command for such as rashly intrude themselues may well crake of the title of teachers but to no purpose for they shall turne their backes when it comes to the triall indeed But if we haue the testimonie of a good conscience to witnesse with vs that we are called of God then may we resolue our selues assuredly of Gods aid and protection and that in the end we shall haue the victory The end of the ambassage is added that J may plant the heauens saith he that is to say that I may bring all things into their right order I grant this is diuersly expounded but the most natiue sense as I thinke is that heauen and earth are renewed by the doctrine of saluation because in Christ as Paul speakes all things both in heauen and earth are gathered together in one Eph. 1.10 For in regard that since the fall of the first man The world renued as it were by the the Gospell preached we see nothing heere but such horrible confusions as burthen the very insensible creatures and make them as it were to beare the punishment of our sinne Rom. 8.22 this disorder can no way be repaired but in Christ Seeing then that the whole face of the earth is disfigured by this wofull desolation it is not said without cause that the faithfull teachers doe renue the world euen as if God did cast heauen and earth into a new mould againe by their hand By this let vs take a taste of the grieuousnesse of sinne seeing such an horrible downefall hath succeeded in the nature of things It is said then that the heauens are planted and the earth set vpon her foundations when the Lord establisheth his Church by the ministerie of his word This he doth by the hands of the Ministers whom hee directs by his holy Spirit and defends them against all the furie and plots of their enemies that they may effectuallie accomplish the worke imposed vpon them Lastly he shewes that this ministerie tends to an higher end then to the visible forme of this world which suddenly vanisheth away to wit that hee will raise vp and nourish in the hearts of the faithfull the hope of the blessed life For the true restauration of the Church and of the world consists in this that the elect may be gathered into the vnitie of faith and that they all with one accord may aspire vnto God Verse 15. and in this verse Thou art my people seeing he so louingly allures them by these words I am thy God By this we may see what account God makes of his Church and the saluation thereof in that he not onelie preferres it aboue the whole world but shewes that the stabilitie of the world depends vpon it We are also to obserue what word it is which God will haue preached for in it we haue the rule of a godly life prescribed and besides it testifies vnto vs our adoption wherein especially consists our saluation Vers 17. Awake awake and stand vp O Ierusalem which hast drunke at the Lords hand the cup of his wrath thou hast drunke the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out IN regard the Church was to sustaine and indure many afflictions the Prophet furnisheth her with consolation and meetes with a difficultie that might come betweene namely the enemies tyrannizing ouer the poore Iews when as in the meane while they felt no fruit of these promises His meaning is then that the Church should be restored and shall recouer her full strength though now she be afflicted and tossed vp and downe with diuers tempests And by the word awake then he raiseth her from death and as it were out of her graue As if he should say No ruin can be so wofull nor any desolations so horrible that can let God from effecting of this restauration Such a consolation doubtlesse was of singular vse for when sorrow hath seazed vpon our hearts wee by and by thinke that the promises belong nothing at all vnto vs. It is very needfull then that wee be often put in mind of this and may also haue it euer in our sight namely that it is God who speaks and thus calles not such as are in a florishing estate but those that are brought low yea and dead for these hee can awaken notwithstanding and raise vp by his word for this doctrine of saluation is not ordained for those that are in good plight but for the dead which haue lost all hope Which hast drunke c. The cup of vvrath is taken two waies for sometimes it is said that the Lord giues vs a cuppe of vvrath to drinke when hee smites vs with giddinesse and depriues vs of sense and this wee see often befalles men in their affliction Sometimes also it is taken simply for the bitter and smart blowes wherewith hee corrects his children in wrath in which sense this word ought to be taken in this place as it appeares because the relatiue His is thereunto added Neither doth this crosse that which is said to wit that the Church was amazed and drunke for this happened in regard the Lord chastised her so seuerely Now this is a similitude much vsed in the Scriptures by which the Lord calles his rod wherewith he corrects his children a drinke or potion diuided to euery one Notwithstanding when it speaks of the elect this word cup serues to set forth the measure which God keepes in his iudgements for he fauours his blow though hee chastiseth his people sharpelie See Chap. 27.8 Ier. 30.11 I take the word Taraela for anguish or trembling wherewith men are seazed when they feele themselues oppressed with grieuous afflictions Wee may also say they be drunke in regard they haue swallowed al that was in the cup so as their calamitie and
him that bringeth forth an instrument for his worke and haue created the destroier to destroy THe Lord sheweth how easie it is for him to deliuer his Church from the wicked enterprises of his enemies God knowes how to work well by euill instruments for they can accomplish no more then that which hee permits them to doe yea he vseth them as his instruments to chastise his children withall Now this may as fitly bee referred to the Chaldeans as to the rest of their enemies which afterward molested the chosen people of God If wee receiue the first sense God plainly shewes that in a moment hee can chase them away whom he hath brought together and bring them downe whom hee hath exalted And if we referre it to Antiochus and his like the sense will not be much different to wit that euen those shall not hurt as they would for they shall not so much as remooue their least finger without Gods leaue Obiect But doth not the Prophet seeme to contradict himselfe For in the former verse hee said that the wicked should assaile the church vvithout the Lord and heere hee shewes that they fight as it were vnder his colours and that vnder his conduct and authoritie they waste and destroy the Church I answere Ans we must consider the opposition namely that the Lord had raised vp the Babylonians to scatter the Church for wee are to note the similitude of the deluge mentioned in the ninth verse whereby he signified an vtter destruction so as the Church was then in a maner cleane wasted by the Babylonians whom he vsed for that seruice But he there protests to moderate his indignation so as he will neuer suffer the enemy to abolish his Church againe though for a time he giue the same ouer to be chastised by their hand Indeed that is the enemies drift for they imploy the vtmost of their power and force to bring the Church to confusion and vtter ruine but the Lord represseth their rage in regard they doe it without him vers 15. that is to say VVithout his commandement Some expound that the Smith is created for his worke that is to say to practise his owne death and the destroier to destroy himselfe But I thinke the first sense is more simple where the Lord saith that hee createth the destroier it is not onely referred to their nature as they are borne men but to the act of destroying and yet wee must not lay the blame vpon God as if he were the author of the vniust crueltie which remaines in men for God consents not with their wicked will but disposeth of their indeuors by his secret prouidence and vseth them as the instruments of his wrath But we haue handled this matter in another place Vers 17. But all the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against thee in iudgement thou shalt condemne This is the heritage of the Lords seruants and their righteousnesse is of mee saith the Lord. HE againe repeates that which was noted before namely that the wicked shall lose their labours let them plot as much as they will for their violent determinations are conducted and held short by the secret counsell of God Now he vseth the particle All signifying that the wicked should haue meanes of all sorts and in great number to worke the Churches ouerthrow but all should vanish like smoke because the Lord would represse them God indeede permits them to worke their wils for the triall of the faithfull but after patience hath had her perfect worke in them he strippeth the wicked of all the force and power in which they trusted Now hauing spoken in generall of the vveapons and instruments of warre wherewith the vngodly inuade the Church The tongue a pestilent enemie hee names the tongue expresly which is the most pestilent and deadly weapon of all Iames 3.8 For the wicked content not themselues to rent and teare the seruants of God by outrages and slanders but they also labour as much as in them is to extinguish the truth of God and to alienate mens mindes from the loue of it and this ought more to pierce and wound our hearts then if we were to lose our liues an hundred times Adde also that good men are more deeply wounded with false imputations then with the deepest gash that can be giuen them with a sharpe sword and therefore we must not ouerpasse this mortall and deadly weapon of the tongue Afterwards when hee addes that these tongues rise vp in iudgement it is to shew that the wicked shall be so bold and insolent that they shall maliciously prouoke and molest the children of God yea they shall doe it in iudgement for they couer themselues vnder goodly pretences that they may make the world beleeue their cause is exceeding good As when the Papists call vs dogs heretikes and schismatikes they plead against vs in iudgement as you would say and will be esteemed the defenders of the Catholike faith though they onely be the vpholders of idolatry and lies And yet their accusations are painted ouer with such colours that so they may make vs the more odious among them who are ignorant of our iust cause But admit they assaile vs with open violence by the smitings of the tongue Ier. 18.18 or with any other weapon yet let vs not doubt but we shall be more then conquerours as this prophecie witnesseth for the victorie is heere promised vs. Seeing therefore we may be bold to relie vpon the truth of it let vs buckle our selues to the combat with a stout and inuincible courage This is the heritage Hee shewes that the Lord hath giuen this to his seruants as it were by the right of their inheritāce whereof they shall not be defrauded for as there is no title so sure as that of an inheritance so he also shewes that the seruants of the Lord ought to assure themselues of this priuiledge aboue any thing in the world besides namely of his protection and perpetuall safegard by which he defends and keepes all his from all dangers whatsoeuer Righteousnesse is heere taken for that which we commonly call Their right To conclude his meaning is Leur droit that the Lord will shew himselfe the protector of his Church that he may maintaine their innocency As oft then as men offer vs any violence let vs learne to run straightway to God for in regard we seeke to other helpes it comes to passe that wee are destituted of his defence and protection THE LV. CHAPTER Vers 1. Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money A generall summons THE Prophet here greatly magnifies and extols Gods goodnes which should be spread abroad largely and in greater abundance then was wont vpon the Church vnder the kingdome of Christ vnto whose
which God beares vs To the commendation of Gods mercifull nature he addes a promise that our faith might be the more surely setled he again placeth promises in the middle that so being grounded vpon them we might be assured to passe safe and sound through all dangers For it would serue to little purpose that one should describe vnto 〈◊〉 the nature of God or informe vs of his secret counsell if therewithall wee were not brought to the word wherein the same is manifested but God speakes plainely and familiarly vnto vs so as we haue no neede to enquire further We must therefore come to the word which plainely opens his will vnto vs if so be we wil containe all our senses within the bounds of it for otherwise we shall alwaies remain◠in suspence and doubt what shall become of vs though the Lord should tell vs an hundred times that he resembles men nothing at all And yet men if they would confesse the truth do desire to be certaine of their saluation and to know what should befall them afterward We are therefore to obserue this order well which the Prophet heere keepes And thus Moses brought the people to the knowledge of the word saying Aske not who shall ascend vp into heauen or who shall descend into the deepe for the word is neere thee in thy mouth and in thine heart Deut. 30.12 and this is the word of faith saith Paul Rom. 10.10 which we preach Now the Prophet borrowes a similitude here from a thing ordinarie amongst vs and it is exceeding fit for his purpose for if wee see so great efficacie in the raine which waters and fattens the earth much more will the Lord manifest his power in his word for the raine vanisheth and is subiect to corrupiton but the word is immortall immutable and incorruptible and cannot consume away as the raine doth But that we may the better vnderstand the Prophets words wee are to search out his drift Men doubt whether God will accomplish that which hee hath promised in his word for wee thinke his word hangs in the ayre without any effect but by the very order of nature hee shewes how detestable this opinion is For it is too absurd a thing to attribute lesse to the word then to an insensible creature and therefore hee teacheth that the vvord is neuer vvithout his effect Some vnderstand it as if the preaching of the Gospell were neuer in vaine but that it alwaies brings forth some fruit Which I grant to be a truth for the Lord workes by his Spirit giues increase 1. Cor. 3.7 that the labour of his Ministers may not be in vaine But the Prophet meant another matter namely that God casts not the seede of his word vpon the ground without effect neither scatters hee his promises in the ayre but we shall gather the fruit thereof if so be wee resist him not by our owne incredulitie Now hee mentions two effects of the raine which makes the earth fruitfull by falling vpon it First that men may thereby haue plentie of food to sustaine them secondly seed to sow the benefit whereof is to be reaped the yeere following If then Gods power bee so great in things transitorie how much more effectuall may wee thinke his word is Vers 11. So shall my word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it God speakes to vs by men THe vvord goes so out of Gods mouth that it also goes forth of the mouthes of men for God speakes not from heauen but vseth men as his instruments to declare his will by their ministrie But the authoritie of the promises is better confirmed vnto vs when we◠heare that they proceede out of the sacred mouth of God Although then that hee vse witnesses on earth yet hee testifies that whatsoeuer they shall promise in his name shall bee ratified and confirmed afterwards before him And that he might the better ingraue in mens mindes the power and efficacie of preaching he aduertiseth vs that hee scattereth not this precious seede at randon but hath ordained it to a certaine end in regard whereof no man is to doubt of the effect For there is nothing whereunto men are more inclined then to iudge of God according to their owne fantasies that so they may reiect his word It was needfull therefore tha◠this doctrine should bee often repeated and beaten into our heads that wee might know how God will surely performe that which he hath once said As oft then as wee heare of Gods promises let vs consider what his meaning is in them as when hee promiseth free remission of sinnes We must haue an eye to Gods intention in his promises let vs assure our selues of reconciliation through Christ But as the word of God is powerfull to saue the faithfull so hath it also his efficacie to condemne the wicked which Iesus Christ himselfe affirmes Iohn 12.48 The word which I haue spoken that shall iudge in the last day Vers 12. Therefore shall yee goe out with ioy and bee led forth with peace the mountaines and the hilles shall breake forth before you into ioy and all the trees of the field shall clappe their hands NOw the Prophet concludes the argument of this Chapter The conclusion in this and the verse following for that which he hath spoken touching Gods mercy tended to assure the Iews that God would deliuer them Now he applies his discourse touching Gods infinite goodnesse to his purpose and shews that his thoughts are nothing like to the thoughts of men Take a paterne heere then of a right order of teaching namely A right form of teaching when we apply generall doctrines to the present vse Lastly Isaiah speakes of the peoples restitution which depended vpon the free mercy of God By mountaines and hilles he signifies that all stumbling blocks which should lie in the way should notwithstāding serue to aid those that should returne vnto Ierusalem These are similitudes then whereby hee shewes that all creatures are at Gods becke and are ready to imploy themselues to set forward his worke yea and reioice to doe it He alludes to the deliuerance out of Egypt All creatures at Gods becke according to the custome of the Prophets for so it is written in Psal 114. The mountaines leaped like Rammes and the hils as lambes What ailed thee O sea that thou fleddest backe O Iordan why wast thou turned backe For in regard that the restauration of the church is as it were a renuing of the whole world it is said that heauen and earth are changed as if they had quite altered their ordinarie course All this depended vpon the former prophecies by which they had a promise touching their returne Vers 13. For thornes there shall grow firre trees for nettles shall grow the mirrhe tree and it shall bee
blessednesse but wait for the last day which shall be the time of their resurrection wherein all things shall be fully restored And mee thinkes Isaiah meant to say so But may some say Quest Doe not the iust inioy peace in this present life For the fruite of faith is that wee possesse our soules in patience Luk. 21.19 Rom. 5.1 I answere Ans that albeit faith begets peace in our hearts yet notwithstanding wee are tossed to an fro with many waues and are neuer so secure and quiet in this life as when the Lord drawes vs home to himselfe The death of the iust then you see brings them to a sweete rest and peace because the same is precious in Gods sight Psalm 116.15 But the death of the wicked is ful of horror From this place also we may gather that our soules are immortall for were they without any sense as some brainelesse ones haue dreamed then could they not bee said to enioy any peace They are in peace and rest then because they liue in Christ Vers 3. But you witches children come hither the seed of the adulterer and of the whore HAuing spoken of the happie and peaceable death of the faithfull The cursed life and death of the wicked opposed to the blessed life and end of the godly he inueighs with exceeding vehemencie against the wicked who for all this ceased not to leade a leaud and lasciuious life without taking the death of the righteous to heart For as he hath affirmed that the faithfull are in peace so contrariwise he denounceth an vnreconciliable warre against the other Nay which more is he hath shewed that death to Gods seruants is an hiding place which defends them from the whirlewinds haile and other tempests that afterwards the obstinate contemners may bee laid open to all sorts of calamities For we must note here the opposition betweene the faithfull which walke before God and the wicked who cease not obstinately to resist him The former after death shall haue peace the latter shall bee vexed whilest they liue and after death shall feele horrible torments He summons them before Gods iudgement seate because they thought to escape by their sophistications But he shewes that they shall gaine nothing thereby because they shal be drawne before the same whether they will or no. For as they had made their hearts ouer hard so was it needfull that they should be pricked with the sharper launcers doubtlesse the Prophet could not vse too much seueritie as well to awaken their drowsinesse as to beate downe their pride Who knowes not with how great ouerweening the Iewes insult in regard of their race The Prophets therefore are vsually wont to crush this their arrogancie and hie mindednes by affirming that they were none of Abrahams children in respect they behaued themselues as bastards and such as were degenerate This is the cause why our Prophet termes them the seed of the adulterer and of the whore With which also Ezechiel reprocheth them in Chap. 16.3 saying Thy father was an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite And the like phrases of speech are vsed in many other places Hosea 1.2 Thus then hee brings their intollerable pride downe to the ground and in despite of their teeth drawes them foorth into the light that they should not thinke they could escape the tribunall seate of God Vers 4. On whom haue yee iested vpon whom haue ye gaped and thrust out your tongues Are not yee rebellious children and a false seede Hypocrites vnmasked in this and the verses following THe Prophet shewes that the Iewes haue no occasion at all to glorie so much vnder pretence of their linage or stocke seeing they derided the Prophets of God Now they thought it was but with men with whom they had to deale when they reiected the word And so at this day wee see how impudently the wicked despise the doctrine of their saluation and scorne the Ministers of it and yet in the meane while couer themselues vnder a vaine shew of religion This is the reason then wherefore the Prophet presseth them so neere and reprooues them so sharply As if he should say When you thrust out your tongues on this manner against God and scorne his word doe ye thinke you haue to deale with a mortal man For these words on vvhom signifies that they sought out euasions and pretences to cloake their impietie withall For the vngodly will not acknowledge that they rebell against God no they thinke foule scorne any man should so iudge of them but yet they must bee brought out into the light and conuinced of their wickednesse And seeing there is a God they must be told that they make open warre vpon him in resisting or in reiecting his word and in esteeming no better thereof then of a fable To open the mouth and to thrust out the tongue is heere taken in one signification vnlesse that vnder these two phrases the Prophet meant the better to discouer their impudencie namely in that they thought it not enough only to reiect the Lord but they must also deride him For the inward contempt of the heart caused them to vtter forth such manifest scoffes and blasphemies so as they were not touched at all with any feare of dishonoring themselues Lastly he concludes that they are rebellious children a lying seed and therefore hath iust cause to esteeme them the sonnes of an vvhere for such a contempt could not be found in the children of Ahraham By this we learne how the wicked ought to be handled and with what seueritie they are to be reproued that they may haue no cause left them whereby to flatter themselues and the more they despise whatsoeuer is propounded vnto them in the name of God the more ought we to discouer and to manifest in all mens sight their impieties so full of sacriledge Vers 5. Inflamed with Idols vnder euery greene tree and sacrificing the children in the valleyes vnder the tops of the rocks OThers translate Who take pleasure in consolation But our Prophet takes a similitude vsed in many places of the Scriptures and very fitting to the circumstance of this place For the Lord is wont to compare lust wherewith poore and miserable Idolaters are furiously transported and inflamed to the loue of brothels for they keepe no measure at all neither will they suffer any to restraine them from their follie Now Idolatrie in Gods sight is a most hatefull kind of whoredome As touching the Hebrue word Elim some translate it Gods others okes we may take it in whether sense we will for there will be no great difference and all the expositors agree that the Prophet condemnes Idolatrie I contend not then about the words though it be very likely that one thing is repeâ—ted twice according to the custome of the Hebrues and yet it may be vnder an ambiguous word he alludes to their gods Sacrificing children Heere he presseth the Iewes neerer and shewes that they are none
deale cruellie with our neighbours or to offer them any outrage The vvord of vanity is the third kind of wrong by which wee hurt our neighbour in deceiuing them with sweet and sugred words For all iniquitie is composed either of secret fraud and malice or of open violence Vers 10. If thou powre out thy soule to the hungrie and refresh the troubled soule then shall thy light spring out of darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the noone day POwre out thy soule He continues to recommend vnto them the duties of charitie For the whole summe of his exhortation is to shew that men worship God in vaine if they onely offer vnto him some cold and naked ceremonies seeing Gods true and pure worship consists not in such childish things but rather commands and chargeth vs to liue in innocencie and vprightnesse with our neighbours doing them good to our powers and being readie to helpe them when need is readilie and cheerefully The two parts of this dutie are to be marked which Isaiah also hath expresly distinguished For in the first place he commends vnto vs the affection of pitie and compassion in the next place he exhorts vs to manifest the same by the effects For it is not sufficient to doe good to men vnlesse it proceede from a franke and willing mind If I distribute all my goods to the poore saith S. Paul and haue not loue I am nothing 1. Cor. 13.3 Thus then to powre out the soule signifies nothing else but to pitie our brethrens miseries to be as much affected with their wants as if we our selues were afflicted with them Heb. 13.3 As contrariwise all such as are strait laced being giuen to their priuate commodities shutting vp their bowels and are void of affection 1. Iohn 3.17 are called men of an hard heart Whereas others translate If thou presentest thy soule it a agrees not The same promise with that in verse 8. followes and vnder the same similitude or figure For by darkenesse he vnderstands a wofull estate and by light an happie and prosperous condition As if he should say The Lord will cause all thy miseries which now ouerwhelme thee to cease and a sudden felicitie shall succeed the same Hee shewes therefore that they had no cause to complaine of God when afflictions pressed them so the quicke because they should foorthwith escape and enioy an happie estate if they serued and obeyed God Vers 11. And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt bee like a watred garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not THe Lord shall guide thee Now hee more clearely expresseth that which he touched before in briefe and vnder borowed speeches Namely that God will bee their leader so as nothing shall hinder them from enioying all things in abundance It is said that God guides vs when we feele by experience that hee goes before vs as if wee saw him with our eies Next hee addes that this shall not be for a time because God neuer leaues those that bee his in the mid way but with an vnchangeable course continues his benefits alwaies vnto them For this cause the Prophet also promiseth fulnes and sacietie in their extreamest penurie For God hath abundance of blessings alwaies in his hand wherewith to relieue the wants of his children And surely his onelie blessing is more worth then the sweetest dewes that can fall in an whole yeere And yet he doth not promise to the faithfull that they shall haue alwaies a goodly and plentifull increase of fruites and good seasons to end their haruest and vintage well but that God will nourish them albeit the earth should bring foorth no foode at all And thus he commands them to depend vpon Gods helpe and to content themselues therewith notwithstanding that the barrennesse of the earth should put them to their shifts In this sense it is said afterwards Hee vvill make fat thy bones He saith not that they shall be full fed and fat but so leane that their bones shall pierce the very skinne Hee calles them bones then who are pinched with penury and famine In a word such as in whom there is nothing left but skinne and bones vtterlie shrunke vp and withered And thus he signifies that the Iewes should haue to wrestle against famin and leannes vntill God should be pleased to restore them Heereunto appertaines that which hee addes touching a vvatered garden and of the spring of vvaters For Isaiah cannot satisfie himselfe in expressing the largenesse which God would powre out vpon his seruants that so men might seeke the causes of dearth no where but in themselues The summe is that this fountaine of Gods bountifulnesse shall neuer faile nor bee drawne dry if so bee wee stoppe not vp the same by our frowardnesse Vers 12. And they shall be of thee that shall * Or restore the old deserts build the old waste places and thou shalt raise vp the foundations for many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and the restorer of the paths to dwell in BY deserts the Prophet meanes an horrible waste which befell the Iewes at that time An obiection preuented when they were led captiues for the Land became like a desert the cities were ruinated the Temple was razed the people made bondslaues and scattered into all quarters Hee calles them deserts and old because they could not be so soone reedified neither was there any hope left that the people should be restored to their first estate If any Citie be wasted or laid on heapes yet as long as the inhabitants remaine there it may in short time be restored but if the inhabitants which dwelt therein be dead or haue bin carried away into a farre Country and shall be long absent what hope is left that such a Citie should be new built againe Wil it not seeme strange if a long while after the ruine thereof one should say The people vvhich seemed forlorne shall build and repaire it againe Seeing this promise then was incredible the Prophet meant to meete with this doubt For they might obiect If the Lord meant to raise vs to our former estate why suffers he vs to languish so long a time He answers that the length of time shall not let God to raise vp the things againe that were fallen to the earth for many yeeres together Now this must not be restrained to the building of the Temple begun by Zerobabel and continued by Nehemias Ezra 3.8 but it comprehendâ— the restauration of the Church which was effected some ages after Of thee signifies that out of this people almost dead should come foorth such as should repaire these wofull ruines And thus they should be the Carpenters and Masons to reedifie Ierusalem A little after he seemes to attribute to all the people that which he now restraines to some particulars but the sense notwithstanding
his fauour But here ariseth a difficultie Obiect in regard that Saint Paul alleageth this place in the Epistle to the Rom. 3.17 to condemne all flesh as vicious corrupt and vtterlie void of any thing that is good But contrariwise it seemes the Prophet applies it in particular to the men of his time But the answere Ans is easie For when he directs his speech to the Iewes who were reputed as pettie Saints in respect of others of necessitie the Gentiles must all come within this rancke If any obiect Obiect that the Gentiles in liuing iustly were a law vnto themselues and that their vncircumcision is counted to them for vncircumcision Rom. 2.26 I answer Ans that the Prophet brings God in complaining of all such as were not regenerated by his holy spirit And thus none can be exempt if he be considered of in his owne nature And yet the Prophet exempts himselfe out of this number in regard he was regenerated and gouerned by the Spirit of God S. Paul therefore hath alleaged this sentence to very good purpose when he minded to shew what men are being forsaken of God and are led by the light of their owne nature I grant that the peruersitie of men breakes not alwaies foorth into open sinnes Well our Prophets meaning is to reproue the corruptions of those times wherein iniquities were growne to such an height that one might well discerne as in a glasse how lothsome a sinke and bottomlesse gulph of all abominations mans nature is In the meane while there is no doubt but this Sermon stung the Iewes to the very quick in regard they were puffed vp with a vaine conceit of their race forsooth but in as much as the spirit of God spared not them the rest of the nations who were no lesse corrupted by nature had no reason at all to wallow themselues in their pleasures Vers 9. Therefore is iudgement farre from vs neither doth iustice come neere vnto vs we wait for light but loe it is darknes for brightnes but we walke in darknes Why is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffers for his sinne Lam. 3.39 HAuing shewed how much the estate of this people was peruerted and corrupted he therewithall teacheth that they are iustly corrected thus seuerely to the end they should take vp no complaints as if they were more hardly dealt withall then there was cause He hath by peecemeale then deciphered out their open and knowne corruptions that they might acknowledge how many waies they were guiltie before God and now he puts them in minde that it was no wonder if God caried a strait hand ouer such obstinate spirits in handling them according to their deserts Now he saith that iudgement vvas farre off in respect that they were the only miserable people in the world and had not God their protector as at other times He takes iudgement iustice for Gods particular care and safegard ouer vs namely when he expresseth so much by the effects By Iustice he meanes Gods protection by Iudgement the vengeance which he executes vpon such as offer any violence against vs. But here he affirmes that God hath no more care ouer his people and that he hath with-held his aid and succor from them because they were vnworthie thereof We are also to note this particle therefore for thence it followes that they were not to murmure against God as if he kept no measure in his corrections seeing they had so often abused his Maiestie Hereunto appertains that which he addes namely that a perpetuall darknes enuironed them who vvaited for light This metaphor â—â—ewes that they were almost consumed in their miseries and were then frustrated of their hopes whilest they promised vnto themselues some release By light is meant a prosperous estate as on the contrarie by darknes a state vnhappie as is well enough knowne in diuers places before His meaning is then that it was in vaine for them to expect better fortunes because he would haue this people learne to impute these calamities to their owne deserts and not to imagin either that they came by chance or that the Lord handled them too sharply for his whole scope and drift is to bring them to the doctrine of repentance Vers 10. Wee grope for the wall like the blinde and wee grope as one without eies wee stumble at the noone day as in the twilight we are in solitarie places as dead men BY varietie of phrases he expresseth one and the same thing One and the same thing expressed vnder diuers maners of speech For in regard many complaints would be heard to passe from this people he would omit nothing that might serue to lay forth their wofull calamities It may be he vtters these things as if he consented with them that they were so indeed as if he meant to say Our matters are brought into wonderfull straits but wee are aboue all things to consider the cause thereof seeing wee haue deserued to be handled with much more seueritie And yet the sense will not sute amisse if we say That the drouzie are here awaked to bethinke them of their miseries for howsoeuer they were but too forward in making their complaints yet Satan benummed their senses lest the signes of Gods wrath should solicite them to repentance Now he alludes to that similitude which he mentioned in the former verse where he said that the people were in darknes and obscuritie without any hope of getting out Here he signifies that they were destitute of counsell and so pressed with anguish that no refuge nor remedie at all appeared vnto theÌ„ When some light affliction befalles vs we looke this way and that way and haue hope of some issue but in great extremities we are able to discerne nothing in regard of despaire which hath surprized vs for this cause the Prophet saith that being intangled in a maze of perplexities they groped We stumble This phrase of speech tends to the same end and hath also greater weight in it namely that if they set but one foote forward so many impediments presented themselues on all sides that they could finde no more release then if the day had bin conuerted into the night By solitarie places I vnderstand deepe gulphes or desert and barren lands For in this place I allow S. Ieroms S. Ierome reading who deriues these words solitarie places from the verb Asham which signifies as much as to be horriblie destroyed and desolated The Rabbins Rabbins who will needs draw it from Shamen which signifies to be fat argue childishly as I thinke neither do they alleage any thing that makes to the purpose For by solitarie places they thinke men are vnderstood because Shemmen signifies anointment and thus iudge that the Gentiles are noted out in these words But the Prophets true meaning is that the Iewes were brought into solitarie places that being banished from the societie of men they might resemble the dead and might bee left without any
Now as often as the Scripture mentions the spirit of God and saith that it dvvels in vs We must not thinke of the spirit without his efficatie 1. Cor. 3.16 let vs consider of his efficacie and power and not imagine it to be some vaine and idle thing in vs without any effect Wherefore after the Prophet hath spoken of the Spirit of the Lord in the second place he addes the anointing thereunto thereby vnderstanding the vertues which proceed from that spirit To which purpose Paul saith 1. Cor. 12.4 that there are diuers gifts but only one spirit from whence they flow No man ought to take vpon him the office of a Teacher vnlesse he be able to manifest that hee is called thereunto of God This place is diligently to be obserued of vs for no man ought to take vnto himself power or authoritie to teach in the Church of God vnlesse he be able to shew that he is called therunto by the vertue of Gods spirit And so testifies S. Paul in 1. Cor. 12.3 namely that no man can say Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost But may some say wee see that euery one bragges of the spirit For the Pope Obiect the Anabaptists and other heretikes and fanaticall spirits haue alwaies the holy Ghost in their mouthes as if hee were their gouernour How or by what meanes then may wee discerne of him that is sent by God and conducted by his spirit from him that is not By the anointing That is to say Ans if he be endued with gifts answerable to this charge If hee then who is sent of God haue the graces and gifts which his office requires then hath he assuredly the holy Ghost But if hee will take vpon him the office of a teacher and in the meane while is destitute both of knowledge and doctrine let him be held for a seducer To preach The Prophet attributes not vnto himselfe the authoritie of a teacher till hee hath made it manifest that he was sent of God His authoritie is founded vpon his anointing namely in being fitted and furnished by the Lord with sufficient gifts It is our duties to giue him audience then not as to a priuate person but as vnto a publike Minister sent from heauen To the afflicted Others translate To the meeke and the word Anauim signifies both the one and the other But I had rather retaine the first signification in respect the Prophet speakes of the prisoners and of those that are bound And yet as I take it he comprehends both For he speakes of such who being vtterly forsaken and reiected are also miserable in themselues Christ is only promised to such as are humbled and brought low by the sense of their miseries who hauing no conceit of their own worth do willingly containe themselues within the bounds of modesty and humility Hence we gather that our Prophet speakes properly of the Gospell For the law was giuen to bring downe all loftie imaginations and such as are swollen with vaine confidence but the Gospell is ordained for the afflicted that is to say for such as confesse thēselues emptie of all good things that by and through it they may be raised vp and comforted For to what end are the Prophets Apostles and other Ministers anointed but to restore and comfort the heauie hearts by the doctrine of grace To binde vp The Prophet vseth diuers phrases of speech that he might the better expresse one and the same thing In the word to binde vp he expresseth somewhat more then in the former member For he shewes that the preaching of the Gospell is no emptie sound vanishing away in the aire but a medicine that is operatiue which works not vpon those that are stubborne and strong Vpon whom the Gospell works but vpon such as haue broken and contrite hearts It is also the end of the Gospell to set the captiues at libertie We are all prisoners and fettered vntill Christ haue set vs free by his grace Iohn 8.36 But let vs beware that we reiect not the benefit which he offers vs whē he is about to smite off our yrons Generally we may note that the benefits here mentioned are distributed vnto vs by the Gospell but none are capable hereof Who are capable of the Gospell except those who feeling their pouertie doe ardentlie desire the help of Christ according as himselfe saith Math. 11.28 Come vnto me all yee that trauell and be heauie loden and I will refresh you Vers 2. To preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourne The time when this grace should be manifested HE here expresseth the very time wherein this so excellent grace should be spread abrode that so he might take away all scruples doubts that might come into their heads For all of vs are subiect to sundrie cares and many incumbrances arise vp in our minds which hold them intangled with infinite discourses whereof we tast by dayly experience Now the Prophet affirmes that he is the Herald of the grace which is to be reuealed the time whereof rests whollie in the disposition of the Almightie for as himselfe was to be the redeemer of his Church by his meere fauor so was it in his owne power and that by good right to make choice of the time himselfe wherein to performe the same It may be the Prophet alluded to the yeere of Iubile The yeere of Iubile Leuit. 25.10 Howsoeuer it be he boldly pronounceth that they were patientlie to wait with meeke and quiet spirits vntill it pleased God to stretch forth his hands S. Paul in his Epistle to the Rom. 16.26 and to the Galath 4.4 calles this yeere the fulnes of time We haue also seene heretofore that the Prophet in Chap. 49.8 said Behold the acceptable time behold the day of saluation which sentence S. Paul in 2. Cor. 6.2 applies to his preaching of the Gospell For when the Lord summons vs thereby then is the gate of heauen set open vnto vs that wee should forthwith enter into the possession of Gods graces Wee must not therefore put it off till to morrow but wee must make vse of the time and take the occasion whilest so large mercies are offered vnto vs. But heere seemes to be a repugnancie betweene these two namely Quest the acceptable yeere and the day of vengeance What is the reason why Isaiah hath ioined things so different together Truely Ans because God can not vvorke the deliuerance of his Church but he must therewithal shew himself a iust Iudge in reuenging himself vpon the wicked The acceptable time then is to be referred vnto the elect and the day of vengeance vnto the wicked who neuer cease persecuting of the Church It is needfull therefore that in the deliuerance thereof they should be chastised According to which Paul saith 2. Thess 1.6 that it is a righteous thing with God to render
dwell there Moreouer Vse these things ought to bee applied to our desolate times For howsoeuer the Lord permits his Church to be raced and to lie long in her ruines without any hope at all of being restored yet let vs confirme and strengthen our hearts with these promises for it is Gods proper and peculiar office to build vp and to renue the things which for a long timc haue beene ruinated and lien rotting in a perpetuall consumption But wee haue handled this matter before in Chap. 58. Vers 5. And the strangers shall stand and feede your sheep and the sonnes of the strangers shall be your plowmen and dressers of your vines HIs meaning is that the strangers shall bee readie to obey them For in respect they were at that time diuided from other nations no man would lend them their hand And therefore hee saith that the strangers doe stand that is to say are readie prest to meete and to succour them Where he addes that they shall feede their sheepe and shall be the plowmen and vinedressers these are borowed kinds of speeches For the Prophet speakes of Christs kingdome which is spirituall and sets foorth the perfect felicitie thereof vnder these figures that we might the better conceiue of those things which are here proposed vnto vs by examples Let vs know therefore that wee shall bee truely happie when Christ shall reigne ouer vs for by meanes thereof many commodities whereof the posteritie of Adam is worthily depriued Who shall be tâ—uly happie when Christ shall reigne ouer vs. shall be restored vnto vs vnawares Vers 6. But yee shall be named the Priests of the Lord and men shall say vnto you The Ministers of our God yee shall eate the riches of the Gentiles and shall be exalted with their glory THis verse giues vs a little better light into the former for in the second part thereof Isaiah foretels that the faithfull shall eate the riches of the Gentiles and shall be exalted with their glorie The Iewes lay hold of these places with great earnestnesse and greedily deuoure al the goods of other nations as if one day they should be masters of all and glorie as if all the pompe of the world should fall to their shares But for our better vnderstanding of these things wee must especially obserue two points First that the Prophets minding to set forth the glorie and felicitie of Christs kingdome Two points must be obserued for the better vnderstanding of the Prophets borrow similitudes from things belonging to men Secondlie in speaking of the Church they so conioyne the head with the members that sometimes they rather respect him then the members Neither must we reape this fruition of other mens goods as if those which should bee conuerted vnto Christ should gripe vnto themselues riches glorie or the dignities of others for this would not stand with the rules of charitie But in respect that all things should be subiected vnder Christs dominion that so he might obtaine the soueraigne rule and authoritie ouer them This is it which I haue alreadie said to wit that the Prophet hath not so much regard of the members as of the head himselfe But when riches are brought vnder Christs power then they are called ours because he hath nothing which belongs not to his spouse the Church It is said in chap. 45.14 in the same sense that the enemies of Christ shall fall downe at his feet and make supplicâ—tion vnto him and yet this is done to the Church in whom they acknowledge Christ submit themselues vnto his doctrine See chap. 60.14 Jsaiah then shewes what the Father will giue to the Sonne who hath lawfull power ouer all the world to whom also all things ought to be subiect In the meane while we must not omit that which I touched erewhile namely that God feedes his elect liberally in this world to the end thy might feele that their estate is better then that of the infidels For howsoeuer they may want many things yet a little contents them for which they giue God heartie thankes so as their wants to them are much better then all the wealth of the world is to the wicked By the word Priests hee shewes that the condition of the common people shall bee much better then it was in times past As if he shuld say Hitherunto the Lord hath chosen you for his heritage onely but hereafther he will indue you with more excellent giftes for hee will make you Priests Now howsoeuer all the people were a kingdome of Priests Exod. 19.6 yet wee know that the Tribe of Leui onelie exercised this office Deut. 33.10 But our Prophet here testifies that afterward it shall be common to all Yet this was not manifested till Christ came I grant that the restauration of the Church began at the returne of the people out of Babylon but in the end at Christs comming the faithfull were adorned with this dignitie Hereunto appertaines that which is written in 1. Pet. 2.9 You are an holy nation a royall Priesthood But withall we ought diligently to note what this kind of Priesthood is for we must no more offer vnto God any brute beasts but reasonable men must now be offered and sacrificed to the obedience of Christ According to which S. Paul saith that hee offered vp the Gentiles by the sword of the Gospell that they might afterwards yeeld their obedience vnto God Rom. 15.19 Hence we see how childishly the Papists trifle in abusing this place to proue their priesthood Childishnes of Papists in proouing their Priesthood for the Pope and his chaplens ordaine Priests to sacrifice to Iesus Christ and not to teach his people both which Moses ioines together in Deut. 33.10 But Christ offered vp himself by an eternall redemption he only once for all hath performed this Priestly office Heb. 9.12 Minding that the fruit of this sacrifice should now be offered vnto vs by the preaching of the Gospell They which vsurp this office are sacrilegious persons namely such as wil reiterate that which Christ hath by himselfe accomplished Euery one ought rather to offer himselfe with all that hee hath vnto God Rom. 12.1 that he may exercise this Priesthood as hee ought to doe Secondly the Ministers who are especially called to teach ought to vse the sword of Gods word to offer vp and to consecrate men vnto God Lastly those are indeede faithfull and true Ministers who enterprise nothing of their owne heads but boldly and vprightly put those commandements in execution which they haue receiued from God Vers 7. For your shame you shall receiue double * Or honour and for confusion they shal reioyce in their portion for in their land they shall possesse the double euerlasting ioy shall be vnto them HE confirmes the former sentence A confirmation of the former sentence where he had said that the faithful which mourned being couered with sackcloth and ashes should be sprinkled vvith the
to such a cleere knowledge of it It is as much then as if he had said The Lord will so deliuer and restore his Church that all shall know his righteousnesse for deliuerance is an excellent testimonie thereof He addes praise in respect that such a benefit ought to be accompanied with thanksgiuings for the end of righteousnesse is Gods glory And therefore he exhorts vs to beware of ingratitude seeing it were too vnworthy a thing to haue our lippes shut vp after the receiuing of so many benefits from God THE LXII CHAPTER Vers 1. For Zions sake I will not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I will not rest vntill the righteousnesse thereof breake forth as the light and the saluation thereof as a burning lampe The causes of these oftē repetitions IN regard that this sorrowfull exile approched neere which should in a maner vtterly extinguish the name of this people it was needefull for the faithfull to bee confirmed and hartened with many words that in sure and stedfast confidence they might bee supported with these promises vnder the heauie burthen of the Crosse In this verse the Prophet discharging that office which was committed vnto him plainely protests that hee vvill no vvay be idle in the performance of his dutie neither vvill he cease to speake till he hath cheered vp the hearts of the faithfull in the hope of their saluation to come that they might know and bee perswaded that God would deliuer his Church For himselfe good man might be discouraged in beholding the peoples incredulitie and might be driuen to forsake all in regard he knew things would grow euerie day worse and worse Adde also that he well foresaw this horrible vengeance to bee at hand But as one vtterly neglecting all these incumbrances hee notwithstanding vowes a constant perseuerance in his course to signifie vnto all that neither the common calamitie nor yet the peoples diffidence should be able to hinder God from the performance of his promises when the appointed time thereof was come Now it was needfull that these things should be often repeated vnto them because the peruersitie of our minde is such that we presently forget Gods promises In that he saith he vvill not hold his peace he therewithall admonisheth others also of their duties that they might be couragious and with assurance of faith to wait for their redemption though it were deferred for a time yea that their hope should not cease to answer Gods voice which sounds continually in their eares We haue daily experience of the necessitie of this dutie when Satan labours with might and maine to turne our feete out of the right way Thus then the Prophet not onely shewes what hee himselfe would doe but by his example teacheth what end all faithfull Ministers should propound vnto themselues to wit What ought to be our principall care wholly to imploy their vtmost indeuors for the benefit of the Church For when he saith for Zions sake it is to shew that our principall care ought to extend it selfe about the procuring of the perpetuall safetie and prosperous estate of the Church as also that such deserue not the titles of good and faithfull Pastors vnlesse they haue taken the care of her welfare so to heart that they refuse no paines whatsoeuer for the bringing thereof to passe Some referre these words to praiers but I had rather referre it to preaching and so the sense agrees best namely that the Prophet will not be discouraged for any incumbrance or iniurie that he should meete withall in the way neither would he suffer his zeale to bee cooled for any impediment whatsoeuer from pursuing his office of publishing that which God had inioined him touching the Churches deliuerance For had he liued vntill this wofull desolation fell out no doubt but hee should haue suffered many outrages by reason of the multitudes infidelitie as well as other Prophets did But what euer came hee protests that he is fortified with such inuincible constancie that he will neuer be ashamed for any disgraces that men shall offer him but will manfully hold on his course By this phrase of speech also he shewes that his prophecies are all true and therefore addes the more authoritie vnto them that after his death they might neuer cease to sound in the eares and hearts of the faithfull Hee takes righteousnesse for the Churches right which during the time of her affliction seemed to be condemned Her righteousnesse brake forth and appeared then when shee was restored vnto her perfection and had recouered her first estate for this righteousnesse was hid as long as they were captiues Saluation is coupled with righteousnesse for whom God iustifies or maintaines their right such recouer their saluation by the same meanes Hence we gather that wee are most miserable and succourlesse whilest God withdrawes his grace in regard of our frowardnesse The Prophet therefore in other places hath attributed that righteousnes vnto God which he now saith belongs vnto the church Wee are vndone then when we are depriued of Gods grace that is to say whilest wee lie snorting in our sinnes and God manifests his iust iudgement in punishing vs for them Moreouer the verbe to breake forth signifies that the righteousnesse of the Church was hidden and buried as it were for a time Truly shee deserued to haue been consumed and brought to nothing before God Nay more then that her great iniquities were come to such an height that there was nothing to be expected but the iust vengeāce of God Verily it was so in respect of men who gaue the Church thus afflicted for lost and by their pride and crueltie deiected her euen almost to the bottome of hell To be short he compares her with the world in respect whereof she is righteous when hauing been purged from her filthinesse God beginnes to take her cause into his owne hands By this then the Prophet aduertiseth vs alwaies to hope well touching the restauration of the Church though for a time she be plunged into an horrible darknes yea euen into death it selfe For howsoeuer for a moment she seemes to be ouerwhelmed and forlorne yet hath she God still for her defence in the heauens who after he hath corrected her in measure as it is in Chap. 27.8 will at last manifest the care he hath ouer her For it must needes be that his righteousnesse should breake forth and be manifested namely in the saluation of such as he hath chosen for his people and heritage Vers 2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousnesse and all Kings thy glorie and thou shalt bee called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name NOw he shewes more fully The reason of the Prophets vehemencie in verse 1. why hee protested before that hee would not hold his tongue euen because the faithfull might bee assured that saluation was not promised them in vaine Glory is heere taken for saluation In this place
the Gentiles denies that God dwels in Temples made with hands Vers 2. For all these things hath mine hand made and all these things haue * Or had a beginning been saith the Lord and to him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth rt my word THe Prophet refutes the false opinion which men conceiued of Gods seruice in regard they thought that sacrifices and externall ceremonies auailed very much of themselues For this is the state of the question namely that God contents not himselfe with bare and naked ceremonies that he holds them vaine and idle disguisings when men thinke to satisfie him with them Where he saith that he hath made all things it must not onely be referred to the Temple but to whatsoeuer was there offered vnto God Now hee speakes expresly of his making of them to teach men that he hath no need of this externall seruice As in Psal 50.10 he protests that all beasts are his creatures and by right belong to him and yet forsooth the Iewes would needs pacifie him by sacrificing of them But see heere the disease which is rooted in the hearts of the superstitious sort namely that they transforme God into what Image they list though himselfe hath ordained an outward worshippe not for his owne profit but for ours God ordains his worship not for his owne profit but for ours that so we might be exercised therein according to the reach of our capacities The word beginning is as much as if he had said You ought not to compare mee vnto those things which heeretofore haue begunne to be seeing I am eternall and without any beginning I haue little need then of your sacrifices saith the Lord who vvas before them What good I pray you then can they do me In a word hee contends that ceremonies are nothing worth in themselues but belong to another end Isaiah also holds it for a thing out of question that God can receiue no increases whence it followes that he only contents himselfe with himselfe seeing from all eternitie hee neuer stood in need of the worlds helpe A true definition of Gods seruice In the next place the definition of the true worship is added For in saying that God regardes the humble I doubt not but the Prophet here priuilie opposeth the humble and contrite in spirit to that pompe brauerie and glistering shew of ceremonies which are wont to dazle mens eies and to rauish them out of themselues The Lord testifies then that hee rather requires humble and broken hearts which tremble at his commandement Vnder which words hee notes out the inward puritie of the heart and a true hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and therewithall also teacheth vs how wee ought to be prepared to become acceptable vnto God Obiect As touching the word trembling it might seeme strange at the first that the Prophet should require this of the faithfull seeing nothing is more sweete and acceptable then the word of the Lord neither any thing more contrarie vnto it then trembling I answere Ans that there are two sorts of trembling Two sorts of trembling With one of them those are smitten who flee and hate the Lord with the other they are touched and made obedient who reuerence and feare him I am not ignorant that some referre this member to the law which threatens terrifies and denounceth the horrible iudgements of God against sinners But I take it more generally in regard that the faithfull themselues tremble at the promises A trembling at the promises when they receiue them in humility Hence let vs gather that true pietie consists Wherein true pietie consists in hauing all our senses framed according to the obedience of God without attributing any thing to our selues through pride or vaine glorie For it is the nature of faith The nature of faith to yeeld obedience to God and to heare him speake attentiuelie and patiently But no sooner doth any vaine opinion of our owne worth puffe vs vp with pride and loftinesse of mind but wee are foorthwith destitute of all godlinesse and feare of God because if we attribute vnto our selues neuer so little so much the more doe we contemne and despise him And it is diligently to be obserued that he saith that tremble at my word for many will brag of their honouring and fearing of God who yet shew themselues contemners of his Maiestie in that they set light by his word All our reuerence which wee professe to owe vnto God must be manifested by trēbling at his word in which hee will bee acknowledged as in his liuely image The sum is that God preferres this sacrifice before all others namely when the faithfull are so humbled in the true deniall of themselues that they think themselues nothing yea and are content to be brought to nothing also in Gods sight In which sense it is said Psal 51.17 That a contrite spirit is an acceptable sacrifice vnto God A broken and a contrite heart O God saith the Prophet thou wilt not despise Now because this modestie of faith brings forth teachablenesse in vs therefore the studie of godlinesse is also added that hauing cast down al our pride and rebellion we may begin to tremble at the word of God From these words we haue to gather a singular consolation A singular consolation namely that albeit wee seeme to be miserable in this our humilitie and low estate yea and that we be thought vnworthie the looking on yet cease we not for all that to be happie because it pleaseth the Lord to behold vs with a gracious aspect When we are solicited then to despaire let vs thinke surely the Lord is wont euen by this meanes to raise vp his children vnto heauen howsoeuet being here for a time brought euen to the gates of hell they seeme to be ouerwhelmed vnder the waight of the burthen Vers 3. Hee that killeth a bullocke is as if he slew a man hee that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an Idoll yea they haue chosen their owne waies and their soule deliteth in their abominations THis present verse containes two members In the first Jsaiah plainelie manifests that God reiects all the sacrifices of his nation yea which more is that he abhorred them In the second he notes out an horrible abuse wherein they had mingled the ceremonies of the Gentiles among the sacrifices of the law and by this meanes had peruerted and corrupted all Many thinke that by these words the sacrifices ordained in the law are abolished But they deceiue themselues because Jsaiah handleth that doctrine now which he touched before in the first and in the fiftie eight chapters But Jsaiah doth not precisely condemne the sacrifices but rather the vices corruptions which were mingled with them God
6. 10. 29. 10 11. and 42. 19. 21 Blood taken for inhumanitie 59. 3 Bloods for murther 35. 15 Bloods of the earth what 26. 21 Booke taken for the Law it selfe 34. 16 How the books of the Prophets were gathered 30. 8 Booke of life what 4. 3 Reprobates not written in it 4. 3 To render into their bosome what 65. 6 Brags of the wicked 59. 4 Proud bragging of the Iewes 57. 4. 65. 15 Brags of Papists 1. 30. and 29. 14. and 36. 19. and 45. 20. and 49. 21. and 62. 5 Branch put for the strongest 9. 14 Bread and wine taken for ordinary food 33. 16 Not bread but Gods blessing that nourisheth 3. 1 Gentiles become brethren of the Iewes 66. 20 Brethren falsly so called 66. 5 The hurt that comes by taking bribes 1. 23. 5. 23 Burden what is signifies 13. 1. and 14. 28 Buriall a signe of the last resurrection 14. 18 The care of buriall not to be condemned 22. 17 Whether the depriuation of buriall is to bee esteemed a curse of God 14. 8. See more of this in 14. 20. and 22. 17. C CAines repentance 26. 11 Why Isaiah laments the calamity of the church 15. 4. and 16. 9. and 21. 3 Why we are called into the Church 56. 7 Calling of Christ what 49. 1 Calling of God cannot be disanulled 63. 19 What efficacie is in Gods calling 11. 12 Calling of the Gentiles foretold 2. 3 4. and 11. 10. and 12. 5. and 14. 1 2. and 19. 22 23. and 25. 7. and 26. 15. and 42. 4. 6. 11. and 45. 22 23 25. and 49. 6. 12. 21. and 52. 8. 15. and 54. 5. and 55. 4 5. and 56. 3. 7. and 60. 9. and 65. 2. and 66. 19 20. The certaintie of our calling 65. 2 The end of our calling 43. 21. and 55. 5. and 56. 6. and 60. 21. and 61. 3. and 63. 8. The calling of the Gentiles admirable to the Apostles 56. 3 Isaiahs calling confirmed the second time 6. 1 No man ought to take vpon him the office of teaching vnlesse he be called 61. 1 God hath neuer been called vpon as a Father in the Church otherwise then by Christ 63. 16. and 65. 24. To call what it signifies 44. 5 To be called of God 43. 1 Canaan a pledge of adoption to Abrahams posteritie 14. 1 Captiuitie in Babylon a kind of diuorce 50. 1. 54. 5 Why compared to a deluge 54. 9 Why to darknesse and death 9. 2 Carmel a fruitfull soile 10. 18. 33. 15. The cause from whence all Gods benefits proceed 63. 9 Ceremonies must not bee separate from the word 1. 11 Not simply required in respect of themselues 1. 11 Why ceremonies were instituted 1. 13 Why reiected 1. 11 Why necessary 1. 11 Of themselues considered apart vaine and friuolous 66. 2 Vse of ceremonies 1. 11 Abolishing of ceremonies 2. 3 Vaine ceremonies established in the Papacie in stead of sacraments 20. 2 Ceremonies of the Law obolished and how 66. 23 Chapters ill diuided 4. 1. 14. and 10. 33. and 14. 28. and 24. 17. and 46. 1. and 53. 1. and 58. 1. and 64. 1. Chaldea signified by the word Desert and why 21. 1 Chaldeans seuere cruell compared to the Egyptians 5. 29. 52. 4 Chamos an Idoll of the Moabites 15. 2 No change in God 14. 17 Change of kingdomes comes of God 19. 1. and 22. 21. 41. 4. 51. 6. Change of the number vsed among the Hebrewes 23. 6 A change of the person 42. 24 Charra a citie 37. 12 Chariots had a double vse of old 22. 6 Why the chastisement of the wicked is deferred 10. 13. 13 6. 18. 5. 26. 1. 28. 24. 25. 63. 4. 65. 6. 56. 66. 18. Vnto vs a child is borne 9. 6 In what sense the Church is said to bring forth a man child 66. 7 In what sense the word child is taken 3. 4 A child vnthankfull to his father a double monster 1. 2 All the children of the Church taught of God 54. 13 Why God giues children 38 9 Children not punished for their fathers offences 14. 21. 43. 27. 65. 7 Christ God eternall 2. 4. 6. 1. 10. 8. 14. 9. 7. 25. 9. True man 7. 15. 11. 2. 42. 1. 53. 11. Wonderfull 9. 6 Why worshipped in the Church 60. 14 Altar of the faithfull 56. 7 Soule of the Law 29. 11 Author of peace 57. 19 Onely author of righteousnesse 53. 11 Head of the Church 54. 1 Head of the faithfull 25. 9 Counseller 9. 6 Why called Dauid and the sonne of Dauid 37. 35. and 45. 1. Why called Immanuel 7. 14. 8. 10 Iudge of the whole world 32. 6 Light of the faithfull 42. 6 Mediator betweene God and man 8. 10. 19. 20. 37. 35. 49. 8. 53. 12. 63. 17. 65. 24. Physitian of soules 53. 4 Why sent of God 42. 7 Exposed to the wickeds reproches 53. 9 Father of eternitie and why 9. 6 Cornen stone 28. 16 A tried stone ibid. A stone to stumble at and why 8. 14. 15. 28. 16 The first borne of euery creature 37. 28 Prince of peace 9. 6 Promised to all the world 11. 1. 2. 4. 42. 6. and 55. 5 Promised to be borne of the virgin Mary 7. 14 Where to be sought 16. 5 Onely redeemer 35. 10 Onely and most sure refuge of the faithfull in trouble 32. 2 King of Gods people 52. 13 King eternall 9. 7 Hee onely raignes where his Gospell is preached 11. 4 The end of all the Prophets and promises 29. 11. 42. 1 The Sauiour of his Church 62. 11 Gods seruant and how 42. 1. 43. 10. 53. 11. 55. 5 Sonne of righteousnesse 25. 7. 60. 3 Spouse of the Church 62. 5 The protector of the poore 11. 4. 16. 5 The way the truth and life and how 49. 6 He ouercame in the midst of death 53. 8. 12 Iustified as he is man 53. 1 Brought in speaking 49. 1 Alwaies the gouernor of his Church 63. 16 Wherein his dominion consists 92. 2 He raignes not for himselfe but for his 11. 6 Why silent before Pilat 53. 3 His comming foretold 9. 6 7 He came in a contemptible estate 42. 2 The Papists brag of his name falsly 55. 4 We are none of Christs vnlesse we be giuen to vprightnesse 7. 8 The nature of Christs kingdome 11. 4 All things subiected vnder him 14. 2. 45. 23. All haue need of him 53 The name Christ attributed to Israel 49 3 Difference betweene Christ and other men 9. 6. and 11. 3 Difference betweene Christ and the Kings of the earth 42 2. 49. 2 Christ must be the matter and end of our ioy 9. 6 Called Sonne by way of excellencie ibid. His two natures in one person noted 7. 14 Christ had no father on earth ibid. Whence it is that we are called Christians 11. 2 A note to discerne true
afterward tends also heereunto Arme you Gird your selues But the Prophet incourageth himselfe with trust and confidence after he had made mention of Immanuel that is to say God who was to assist his people And by the selfesame meanes conceiued a new hope against the enemies who although they might seeme to haue obteined all their desires when they had spoiled the countrie yet should the Lord be conqueror and would maintaine his owne against the crueltie of their aduersaries And thus withdrawing his mind from the contemplation of this calamitie he turnes it to Christ and in beholding of him he so fortifies himselfe that he is bold to triumph ouer his enemies as if he had alreadie ouercome them We are to place the Prophet then as it were in the watch-tower from whence on the one side he beholds the discomfiture of the people and from the other the Assyrians conquering and ouerflowing in all pride Then being comforted by the sight and name of Christ he forgets all his afflictions as if he ailed nothing and being deliuered out of all miserie he turnes himselfe against the enemies which God should destroy soone after And this we ought diligentlie to obserue that hauing now to wrastle against the same temptations in these afflictions which the Church induret◠and with the burthen wherof she is almost ouerwhelmed that we forthwith cast our eies vpon Christ by beholding of whom we may triumph ouer Satan and all sorts of enemies Quest O yee peoples Wherefore makes he mention of peoples seeing the Assyrian only should destroy the land of Iudea Ans I answere that the Armie of the Assyrian was composed of diuers nations for he had subiected the Chaldeans together with many others and therefore this Monarchie comprehended diuers countries notwithstanding he hath also an eye to the Israelites Syrians and Egyptians and to all other enemies whomsoeuer which had set themselues against the Church of God Neither speakes he of one plague wherewith the Church was afflicted only but of the perpetuall combates which the chosen people should susteine from time to time For the better vnderstanding whereof we must ioyne the verse following where in the latter end it is added The ground of comforting our selues in the daies of trial Prou. 21.30 because the Lord is with vs. For behold the foundation of our deliuerance to wit God with vs. Let men conspire let them plot consult and determine all shall be in vaine because there is no counsell against the Lord. Let vs begin then at this foundation if we meane to be strong in deede But we are to examin whether it be lawfull for all to reioyce on this maner the wicked bragge in deed that God is with them neither make they any bones to triumph and glorie in his name and yet is their glorie vaine and to no purpose As touching the fathfull their valiant mind is grounded vpon the word of God and proceeds from a true faith liuely ingrauen in our hearts by meanes whereof we dare boldly triumph ouer all our aduersaries As also S. Paul teacheth who incourageth all the faithfull by this doctrine If God be with vs who shall be against vs Rom. 8.30 Let vs then in the first place looke that we haue the Lord with vs which can not be done but we must imbrace the promises by faith which if we haue then shall not our reioycing be in vaine Whereas he speakes to a nation so farre off to which this voyce could not reach the reason thereof is euident enough to wit that the faithfull might know the efficacie of the word and might vnderstand that the Assyrians with all their preparations should be gouerned by it although they were very farre remote as if he should say It is true that you despise God but he can easily keepe you back a farre off and beate downe all your rage Gird you c. The repetition is not superfluous for it is much more hard to looke for the succor of God againe after we haue once been deliuered then to imbrace the promise of one only deliuerance And further although the first assaults of the enemies do not much astonish vs yet notwithstanding whē we see them obstinate in their malice their hardnes of heart weakens vs of the which we haue dayly experience For if any danger presents it selfe we can looke for succor from God for a brunt but if we fall thereinto the second time we quaile and such is our wofull vnthankfulnes that we can hardlie be brought to beleeue that God will assist vs once more So then we are out of heart if happely we fall into dāger oft times thinking surely that God will be wearie at the last if he do vs good and succor vs euery day We must not content our selues to haue put our confidence in God for once or twice but we must hold out for euer as it is in Chap. 26.4 Isaiah therefore would preuent this weakenes of men that when we haue been assailed once or twice by enemies well prouided and furnished yet notwithstanding to remaine couragious and inuincible still And if it fall out that being once circumuented they yet double their forces neuer ceassing to weary vs yet let vs not therefore wax faint or out of heart because God is able to destroy and cut them off to day and to morrow euen as oft as they imagin our ouerthrow And in this place also we are aduertised of our estate condition to the end we might learne to be alwaies vpon our watch and readie to susteine new assaults and not to thinke we are therefore discharged when we haue resisted once 1. Pet. 5.8 because Satan is neuer idle but is euer busie in his charge not ceassing day nor night to procure our ruin He solicits and stirres vp his souldiers and sets them on fire with new lusts But albeit we must of necessitie enter into the combat often yet let vs be assured to obteine the victorie Let vs fight then with cheerefulnes and keepe our standing firme in the battell Vers 10. Take counsell together yet it shall be brought to nought pronounce a decree yet it shall not stand for God is with vs. * Hebr. Immanuel HAuing spoken of the force of the enemies he comes now to their counsels as if he should say Howsoeuer the enemies are mightie not only in weapons and strength but also in counsell and wisdome yet shall they lose all their labour This aduertisement therefore was very necessarie For it often happens that we contemne our enemies how mightie or well armed soeuer they be because they want counsell and are rather caried with blind furie then led by reason he aduertiseth therefore that all the craft and subtilties whereby the enemies shall indeuor to snare the people of God shall in the end turne all into smoke and therefore that they shall bring nothing to passe although they haue all meanes readie and that nothing be wanting in
their power counsels and policies He addes Pronounce a decree that the sense might be the more cleere I haue translated Appoint or Decree a decre This appertains either to the insolencie of the enemies or else it is the conclusion of their counsell for after a thing is determined the Decree followes He affirmes that all this shall vanish into smoke Thus it appeares what the Prophet meanes and what vse we are to makâ—â—f this place Now this may serue vs as a shield wherewith we may beate back all the darts of the enemies whether they be furnished with weapons riches power credit authoritie or whether they be indued with wisdome counsell policie wit foresight aptnes of inuention or boldnes for if so be we haue God with vs we are then most strong and very well appointed and consequentlie all that and dread of the people to the end they might know that they should receiue a iust and due recompence of their wickednesse and contempt of his Maiestie when they trembled like cowards and were so amazed for the present dangers Now although hee ioyne dread and seare together yet his meaning is not that the Iewes should so tremble as the mention of Gods name God would not haue vs so to feare him that we should flee his presence as to flee from his presence but he placeth these two words together onely because he requires a sonne-like reuerence of his Maiestie as also to note a constant perseuerance therein His meaning is then that they shall be free and dispatched from trouble of minde if so bee his feare bee so liuely engrauen in their hearrs that they neuer depart from it And truely whosoeuer hee be that subiecteth himselfe willingly vnto God setting his feare onely before his eyes to hold himselfe by meanes of this bridle in his dutie such a one shall feele by experience that there is no place of refuge more safe then vnder the shadowe of his wings But in regard that the wicked cease not to prouoke his wrath against them by their outragious libertie hee auengeth himselfe worthily vpon such a carelesse securitie vexing their mindes with a continuall vnquietnesse Vers 14. And hee shall be as a sanctuarie but as a stumbling stone and as a rocke to fall vpon to both the houses of Israel and as a snare and as a net to the inhabitants of Ierusalem HE promiseth a secure and quiet conscience vnto the true seruants of God because the Lord will easily appease all terrors in keeping them vnder the shadow of his wings Now he alludes to the word Sanctifie which hee vsed heretofore for the word which signifies Sanctuarie Tower or fortresse is deriued of that which signifies to sanctifie He meanes to affirme then that God askes nothing whereof he offereth not a like mutuall recompence For whosoeuer they are that doe sanctifie him in their hearts shall also proue by experience that he is a most certaine Sanctuarie and hauen of safetie for them But howsoeuer there bee some correspondencie betweene God and vs in this sanctification yet notwithstanding it is in a diuers respect because wee are said to sanctifie him when wee attribute vnto him all praise and glorie and depend altogether vpon him but he on his part is said to sanctifie vs when hee deliuers and keepes vs in all dangers Now because very few are found who obey him resting themselues wholly vpon his promises the Prophet meant to arme the faithfull against all such temptations For they were in danger to be carried away by such and so wicked examples as by a kinde of whirlewinde Behold now the Prophets meaning as if he should say The Lord will bee a most safe and faithfull gardian vnto you and howsoeuer others spurne against him yet be not you afraid but continue you constant in your places There is also in this place a secret opposition because the Sanctuarie is as a Tower situated in an high place for the defence of the faithfull and for the destruction and ruine of the vnfaithfull in regard they rashed vpon God with a foolehardinesse But wee shall heereafter see more cleerely how this was accomplished partly vnder Hezekias partly also from the time of the captiuitie of Babylon and yet notwithstanding Christ was therewithall prefigured who was to bee a rocke of falling and not a fortresse of defence to the Israelites Isaiah aduertiseth the faithfull of this fall to the end they should conforme themselues to this warning To the two houses The Iewes doe fondly and senselesly rent this sentence instead of diuiding it aright For they say that God shall be partly a sanctification and partly an offence to the Israelites as if by the two houses he should distinguish betweene the faithfull and the vnfaithfull But hee rather commands the faithfull not to bee discouraged although almost all the multitude of both the kingdomes do hinder them from following of God but that in forsaking all impediments they should goe on with cheerefulnesse through the thickest of them The Prophet might haue said in a word hee shall be a stumbling stone to Israel but hee meant to expresse it more fully for hee comprehends the whole people and saith that God shall be their ouerthrowe The people were diuided into two Kingdomes to wit Ephraim and Iudah and therefore hee names both the one and the other I grant that some were excepted out of this number but he speakes heere of the whole body in generall This is an excellent place and cannot bee too oft called to minde especially in this time wherein we now liue wherein wee see the estate of religion almost quite abolished in Christendome Many boast that they are Christians who yet are farre off from God and to whom also Christ is a stone of offence The Papists proudly brag of his name although they prophane his whole seruice by their superstitions and despightfully dishonour him As touching those who haue the pure worship of God established in the midst of them there are very few who imbrace the doctrine of the gospel with a sincere affectioÌ„ On which side then soeuer wee turne our eyes wee can see nothing but wofull temptations euery where And therefore let vs set this most profitable aduertisement before vs to wit that it is no new thing to see the greater part yea almost all those who boast themselues to be the seruants of the Church yet to spurne against God And in the meane while albeit we be but as a little handfull of people in respect of them yet must wee rest our selues constantly notwithstanding vpon the Lord. To the inhabitants of Ierusalem This is the second amplification For hauing made mention of both the kingdomes hee names the principall or head place of them both Now howsoeuer the whole Country was degenerate yet notwithstanding it seemed that the Lord had his chiefe residence there Hee shewes then that God is a stone of offence and a rocke to fall vpon not onely to the common
Pharoah The sense therefore is euen as the Lord was the strongest then Exod. 14.24 and destroyed the Egyptians who practised your destruction so will he now also easilie ouercome the Assyrians Others expound it In the way of Egypt in regard the Assyrians made warre with the Iewes because of the Egyptians But this exposition cannot agree and if wee looke narrowly into the text we shall finde none more fit then that which I haue alleadged as also it is approued of the best expositours For there are heere two members one opposite against another to wit the affliction wherewith the Egyptians had vexed this people and the calamitie wherein they should be wrapped vnder the Assyrians As the punishment which the Egyptians inflicted vpon them was not mortall no more should that of the Assyrians be As if it had been said in these or the like words Thou knowest my force and power against Pharoah so also shalt thou know it against Senacherib Neither would the knitting together of these sentences match well vnlesse we should expound it thus Vers 25. But yet a little while and mine indignation shall bee consumed and my wrath shall be kindled to destroy them HEe meanes not onely the siege which Senacherib planted with a mightie armie before Ierusalem 2. King 18.17 2 Kin. 25.4 but the other discomfitures also whereby this citie was destroyed the Temple rased and the people carried away captiues For it was needfull that the faithfull should be fortified against these greeuous aduersaries with such promises as these Which wee are diligently to obserue because if wee lightly passe this ouer as other expositours doe wee cannot fitly ioyne these things together Thus the captiuitie of the people was as a consumption because Babylon was as their sepulchre and their exile as a kind of death When necessitie then appeared and that Senacherib with his armie beganne to presse neere vpon them so as they were in great distresse being thus besieged this very consolation was exceeding necessarie For it might seeme that Iudea was vtterly consumed and there was little or no hope of succour left touching outward appearance as if he should say Obserue therefore this consolation diligently to wit the Lord will spare thee true it is hee will deferre it for a little while and will hold his succour hidden as it were from thine eyes but in the end hee will deliuer thee and will be reuenged vpon thine enemies whom hee hath determined vtterly to consume If any will take the verbe Calah To consume he saith he will consume his wrath in the same sense as we are commonly wont to say we consume the yeares and our age that is I will giue way to mine indignation till such time as I haue vtterly destroyed the Assyrians But the word to accomplish is more proper as if he should say Till I haue executed mine indignation And this is the destruction wherewithall hee threatens the vncircumcised elsewhere For when the Lord hath taken away all hope of mercy hee then executeth his iudgement against the vnfaithfull Vers 26. And the Lord of hostes shall raise vp a scourge against him as the plague of Madian in the rocke of Oreb and his staffe vpon the sea and shall lift it vp * Or after the manner of Egypt in the way of Egypt ISaiah vseth heere the word scourge and not rod thereby signifying that the Lord would handle the enemies much more roughly and seuerely then they handled the Iewes For he threatens them with an vtter destruction and declares the same more plainely by two examples the first is of the Madianites who were horribly destroyed in the valley of Oreb which was thus nominated because of their king the second is of the Egyptians which were drowned by the Lord in the red sea when they pursued his people conquered all the countrie will threaten Ierusalem as if with his only looke he could take and sack it By he word Zion he comprehends all the citie taking a part for the whole bâ—cause this part was the highest and ouerlooked all the quarters of the Citie From the foolish ouerweening of this tyrant the Prophet shewes that the citie of Ierusalem was not farre off from an vtter downefall for the whole countrie yea the Citie it selfe was so astonished that none durst oppose himsâ—lfe against the enemie Thus the Prophet meant to amplifie the benefit of God by these circumstances to wit that it was to be attributed to the speciall fauor and good wil of God and not to mans help which auailed nothing that Ierusalem was deliuered euen as if a man should haue pulled a sheepe out of the iawes of the wolfe Vers 33. Behold the Lord God of hostes shal out off the bough with feare they of high stature shall be cut off and the hie shall be humbled 34. And he shall cut away the thick places of the sorest with iron and Lebanon shall haue a mightie fall ALmost all the expositours doe expound this place of the Assyrians for they think the Prophet threatens this destructioÌ„ wherewith the Lord will roote them out after they haue besieged Ierusalem as if he should speak on this wise The Assyrian shall be so swolne with pride that he will thinke himselfe sure of Ierusalem as soone as he shall haue once looked vpon it and also that all shall be astonished at his comming so as some shall flee away others shall yeeld themselues voluntarilie therefore he will by and by imagin himselfe Lord ouer all but the Lord will sodainly ouerthrow all his deseignes and will cut downe his high branches Yet when we aduisedlie consider euery thing and especiallie that which is by and by added of Lebanon with the consolation that followeth I am of opinion that this place ought to be referred to the Iewes themselues So then Isaiah as I thinke continues still to threaten the calamities which should happen soone after to the people as if he should say the Assyrian shall not only come to Nob but shall spoile the whole countrie and therefore he shall waste and whollie roote out whatsoeuer is beautifull and good therein euen as if one should cut off the boughs from the trees or as if the tree it selfe should bee plucked vp by the roots The Chapter following confirmes this interpretation The beginning of the Chapter ensuing depends still vpoÌ„ the two last verses of this present Chapter wherein the Prophet giues consolation against this calamitie and that consolation is ioyned to this verse and is added as a fit remedie to asswage the bitternes of so great heauines I do not greatlie allow of the diuision of the Chapter which is often times cleane against the haire and whollie confoundeth the sense of the Prophet I thinke then that that consolation ought to be joyned to this verse as if there were no diuision at all Moreouer this similitude is not easie to be expounded for it sufficientlie appeares that by the high and