they may receiue a sure life that neuer decaies And therefore S. Paul very fitlie shewes that it were to turne the order of things vpside downe if that the faithfull should liue till such time as Christ who is the fountaine of life appeeres Col. 3.3.4 Therefore it is we said before that Isaiah here comprehends the whole kingdome of Christ for albeit we begin to feele the fruits of this consolation when we enter into the Church yet we whollie enioy not the full measure thereof till the day of the resurrection be come wherein all things shall be perfectlie restored The day of resurrection the day of our refreshing Mat. 25.32 in which respect it is also called the day of restauration Act. 3.21 Here then we see the only remedie to mitigate the bitternes of all our griefes to wit euen to turne our eies to the beholding of this day in which God shall separate the good from the bad As death then naturallie deuoures and destroyes all the race of Adam so the miseries to which they are subiect in this world are forerunners of the same death All miseries are forerunners of death Their life therefore is but a kind of death but in regard that by the redemption wrought by Christ the curse of God is taken away both in these beginnings of death as also in death it selfe Christ hath by his death taken away the curse both of these beginnings of death as also of death it selfe therefore it is rightlie said That all those that are grafted into Christes bodie liue whilest they die because all their euils are turned vnto their good Rom. 8.28 Whence it followes that they alwaies come forth as those that are more then conquerors euen out of the very iawes of death and that till they be fullie and whollie knit vnto their head Would wee then be esteemed in the number of those that are dead in Christ of whose life he is the sure gardian We must then lift vp the eies of our faith aboue the whole course of nature But this is yet better expressed by the word body or carcase as if he should say this old rottennes which it seemes hath consumed the bodies of the faithfull shall hinder the Lord nothing at all to make them rise vp in full beautie againe As touching the proprietie of the Hebrue phrase some translate it With my bodie others Which are my bodie Others againe supplie a particle of similitude As my bodie but in regard the sense agrees well enough without adding or deminishing let vs content our selues with that which the words do plainely sound of themselues and so had I rather take it by way of application At the least this word is added of set purpose so as the Prophet thereby ioines himselfe to the whole bodie of the Church and thus he placeth himselfe in the number of those which being dead in the Lord do notwithstanding wait for a resurrection apart And in that he mentions himselfe in particular A commendation of Isaiahs faith in God and loue to the Church it is that he might giue the more authoritie vnto his doctrine For he thereby shewes that he spake from the heart vttering and testifying by this his confession the fruit of his faith according to that sentence I beleeued therefore did I speake Psal 116.10 2. Cor. 4.13 otherwise the wicked and prophane may well discourse in words of Gods mercie and of life eternall and yet in the meane while haue no feeling at all of these things in their heart As did that false Prophet Balaam who knew well enough that that which be spake was true and yet for all that receiued no profit by his prophecies himselfe Num. 23.19 and 24.5 But our Prophet speakes in this place far otherwise for he professeth that he is of their number who belonged to a better life thus shewing that he willingly vnderwent the sorrows and calamities which God laid vpon him for the furtherance of his mortification as one indeed that chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Now thus he makes it cleere to all the world that he speakes not here of things whic hee knew not or of that which he felt not but of those things which he learned by experience Yea hee shewes hereby that his confidence was so great that he willingly ranged himselfe among a company of dead bodies which yet should as he beleeued be restored to life chusing rather to bee accounted a rotten carcase knowing himselfe to bee a member of the Church then to be in his full strength out of the same And this doubtlesse caused his doctrine to be so much the more effectuall for he opposeth it to the former sentence verse 14. in which hee said that the wicked should not liue because all hope of a ioyfull resurrection was taken away from them If any obiect Obiect that the resurrection shall be common as well to good as to bad it is easilie answered Ans for Isaiah speakes not here onely of the resurrection but of that felicitie which the faithfull shal inioy I grant the wicked shall rise but it is to eternall perdition their resurrection therefore shall be to their ruine and death whereas it shall bring happinesse and glory to the iust He calles the inhabitants of the dust the faithfull who are humbled vnder crosses and afflictions who in life haue death continually before their eyes Yet I deny not but they also inioy the benefits of God euen in this life but by this similitude the Prophet sets out their miserable condition as those that beare in their bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus 2. Cor. 4.10 For it is needfull that their outward man should be beaten downe and mortified till at the last it be brought to nothing that so the inward man may be renued daily 2. Cor. 4.16 If we meane then to haue any part or portion in this consolation let vs willingly content our selues to lie downe in the dust For this cause hee commands the dead to arise and sing which may seeme to be very vnfitting for men in their case there being nothing among them but a sorrowfull silence In this therefore the Prophet shewes an apparent difference betweene the elect of God An apparent difference betweene the elect and the reprobate who arise by an heauenly power albeit they be as good as rotten in their graues and lie buried in the dust and the reprobates for they being separated from God and Christ the fountaine of life wither away whilest they liue that so death may vtterly deuoure them Now in that he promiseth to giue them the deaw of the meddow hee thereby inricheth his doctrine with a verie elegant and fit similitude for we all know that the flowers do fade and die in winter but especially in meddowes for they seeme to be altogether dead neither can a man be perswaded to the contrarie
that Christ hath suffered for vs that now we might inioy the fruit of his death He makes expresse mention of the trespassers to aduertise vs that it is our duties to runne with boldnesse to the crosse of Christ when the dread and horror of sinne affrights vs. For for such is he an aduocate and intercessor without which our transgressions would hinder vs from approching neâ—re to the maiestie of God THE LIV. CHAPTER Vers 1. Reioice O barren that didst not beare breake forth into ioy and reioice thou that didst not trauel with child for the * Or widow desolate hath mo children then the married wife HAuing handled the doctrine of Christs passion From the doctrine of Christs passion deâ—th the Prophet turnes his speech to the Church that she might seâ—k the fruit and efficacie thereof hee now fitly turnes his speech to the Church to the end we might feele in our selues the efficacie of his death For we cannot perceiue it in Christ if we consider him by himselfe and therefore wee must come presently vnto his Church which is his body because hee suffered for it not for himselfe This order wee know is obserued in the articles of our Creed For hauing confessed that vve beleeue in Iesus Christ vvâ—o suffered and vvas crucified for vs we adde J beleeue the Church which hath issued as it were out of his side Gen. 2.1 22 23. And therefore after Isaiah hath deliuered the doctrine of Christs sufferings of his resurrection and triumph he descends now in due season to mention the Church which can neuer be separated from her head to teach all the faithfull from theiâ— oâ—ne experience that Christ hath not suffered in vaine If he had omitted this doctrine the faithfuâ—l could not so well haue confirmed their hearts in the hope of the restauration of the Church Now this exhortation to reioicing plainely shewes that after Chirst by his death shall haue got the conquest ouer death sinne and hell that hee shall not liue so much for himselfe but that he therewithall will inspire life into the members of his body He calles his Church barren Barren because shee seemed to haue none issue whilest this wofull seruitude lasted And indeed if a man had onely looked vpon her outward estate hee would surely haue iudged her neere to destruction Moreouer besides the misery that appeared externally there was nothing sound within all were corrupted and defiled with superstitions They had also prophaned themselues with the idolatries of the heathen Neither contents hee himselfe to call her barren A widow but he also termes her a vvidow although one of them had been sufficient enough to haue taken from her all hope of posteritie But when both are ioined together what was to bee expected but an horrible desolation Notwithstanding he exhorts the people to bee of good courage in the midst of so many miseries for she that is desolate Desolate shall haue more children then the maried vvife This place may bee expounded two waies either that the Church is compared to the Gentiles which florished like a woman that had an husband or to the estate she was in before her captiuitie both senses wil agree well But I had rather follow one lesse constrained for I doe not thinke the Prophet makes a comparison heere betweene two estates But it is rather a forme of speech vsuall with him to signifie the extraordinarie fruitfulnesse of the Church that so we should not iudge of her according to the order of nature Why so Because God will worke in his behalfe wonderfully and miraculously And yet I confesse that shee was then in widowhood for long time before God had put her away by his Prophets and sued out a diuorce betweene him and his people which was then effected when he banished them out of their country But the Prophet pronounceth that this iudegemnt shall bee temporarie as wee shall more fully perceiue heereafter Vers 2. Inlarge the place of thy tents and let them spread out the curtaines of thine inhabitation spare not stretch out thy cords and make fast thy stakes 3. For thou shalt increase on the right hand and on the left and thy seede shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate Cities HEe prosecutes his argument vnder other figures A prosecution of the former doctrine vnder other figures and promiseth that the Lord will not onely restore his Church but will also dignifie her with a more excellent estate Those who thinke that there is a comparison heere betweene the Church and the Synagogue are deceiued as I thinke Neither doe they ought else heereby then confirme the Iewes in their obstinacie who perceiue well enough that violence is offered to the sense of this text by such an exposition For mine owne part I doe indeede confesse that these things appertaine to the kingdome of Christ and that they were then onely fulfilled from the publishing of the Gospell But it doth not therefore follow that the Prophet should not also respect that time which went before Christs comming for the accomplishment of this prophecie beganne vnder Cyâ—us who gaue the Gospell leaue to returne then it extended it selfe to the comming of Christ in whom it receiued the full accomplishment The Church then conceiued when the people returned home for at that time the body of the people was gathered of whom Christ should be borne that so the pure worship of God and his true religion might againe be planted amongst them I grant this fruitfulnes did not then appeare for the conception was hid as it were within the mothers wombe which outwardly could not be any whit discerned But after the people multiplied and after the birth they were at the first like a child then they grew to mans estate euen till the publishing of the Gospel The infancie of the Church Which time indeed was the true infancie of the Church Afterwards she grew to womans estate and shall so continue euen till Christs last comming The perfect estate of the Church when all things shall be set in their perfect estate Wee must therefore comprehend all these things together if we wil attaine to the true meaning of the Prophets words And in this sense it is that Zacharie Malachi and Haggai doe incourage the people touching the hope of their estate to come whilest they thought they lost so much time in reedifying the Temple Zach. 2.5 Hag. 2.7 Mal. 4.2 For they promised that the glory of the second Temple should bee more glorious then the first but yet this was not perceiued And therefore they extended these promises to Christ for it was needfull they should be sustained with the expectation of him and with the assurance of his comming in the building of the Temple This consolation then was common both to the Iewes that liued vnder the Law and to vs who now see this restauration of the Church in Christ more euidently Of thy tents This is
this or that Iam. 4.13 Prou. 16.1 like those rash heads who think themselues able to accomplish all their lusts for if we haue not so much power as to moue our tongues to giue an answere much lesse can we of our selues bring greater enterprises to passe It is in vaine for men then to purpose determine and to dispose of their waies vnlesse God guide them by his hand But this his hand he reacheth forth to the iust and of them he hath a speciall care To whom God reacheth his directing hand For if so be the prouidēce of God extends it selfe generallie ouer all creatures and that he prouides for the necessities of the yong Rauens Sparrowes and the least worme that creepes vpon the ground much more hath he a fatherlie care of the faithfull to deliuer them out of the dangers and streits into which they are plunged Vers 8. Also we O Lord haue waited for thee in the way of thy iudgements the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee THis verse conteines a most excellent doctrine without which the former things might seeme to haue been spoken in vaine for the Prophet hauing said that God will be our leader all our liues long so as we shall neuer erre nor stumble and yet in the meane while we see our selues brought into so many extremities that in our iudgements all these promises are meerely vaine when I say he thus exerciseth our patience it stands vs vpon to wrastle manfullie and yet to hope in him notwithstanding Of this the Prophet here giues vs warning namely that although we alwaies see not this smooth and goodly plaine and that the way is not made so euen vnder our feete but that we must presse thorow many streits yet must wee still giue place vnto hope and patience Though Gods promised assistance comes not when we would yet must we still giue way vnto hope and patience By the way of the iudgements he meanes aduersities for so this word is often taken in the Scriptures This is the marke then whereby true Christians are discerned from the false A note to discerne true Christians from hypocrits for whilest hypocrits inioy all things at their desire they blesse God and highly extoll him but in aduersitie they murmure and blaspheme him thereby plainely shewing that they neuer trusted in him at all and therefore they serue God no longer then he serues their turnes in al things Contrariwise when the faithfull are exercised vnder diuers crosses and calamities they are prouoked thereby to draw neere vnto God and to trust in his helpe The particle Also therefore hath great weight in it for it is as much as if the Prophet had said The faithfull serue God cheerfully not onely when hee vseth them gently but euen then also when hee deales roughly with them neither faint they vtterly because they are sustained by hope Wherein cōsists the true triall of sound godlines then Truely in this that we trust in God not onely when hee filles vs abundantly with his benefits A triall of a sound heart but then also when hee withdrawes the light of his countenance yea when he afflicts vs and shewes vs nothing but the signes of his wrath and heauie displeasure Let vs learne therefore to apply this doctrine to our vse as often as the calamities of this present life doe presse vs and let vs not cease to hope in him although all things seeme vtterly desperate If he should kill me saith Iob yet would I trust in him Iob 13.17 And Dauid protests that hee will not feare though he should walke thorow the valley of the shadow of death Why so because hee knew that God was with him Psal 23.4 In thy name In these words the Prophet meant to shew from whence this magnanimitie of minde in the faithfull proceedes which suffers them neither to faint nor to fall vnder the greatest assaults surely it is in respect that being loosed from those profane desires wherein the wicked are intangled they euen in their greatest distresses wherewith they are compassed about haue freedome and libertie of spirit to send forth their grones and cries boldly into the presence of God Naturally I confesse our desires are disordered and the cares of this life doe as it were glew vs to the earth our thoughts float vp and downe or else are so besotted that they cannot freely aspire vnto God The essence of God in like manner is hidden from vs whereby wee wax the more slow and dull in seeking of him For these respects therefore the Prophet brings vs backe from this hidden incomprehensible essence of God to his name As if he should say Content your selues with that manifestation of him which you find in his word for there he sets before vs as much as is expedient to wit his iustice wisdome and goodnesse yea and his very selfe also It is not without cause also that he addes this word remembrance for thereby he shewes that the first apprehension or thought of Gods name sufficeth not but that wee ought to meditate thereon continually because without this helpe all light of doctrine Meditation a speciall helpe to maintaine would by and by vanish For the trueth is the light of true doctrin the right and sound knowledge of God must needes inflame our hearts with a desire after him yea more then that it prouokes vs to an insatiable thirst after profiting Knowledg meditation must goe together euen as oft as we remember him The knowledge of God then goes before and in the second place we ought to exercise our selues much in the meditation of it for it is not enough once to haue had some little taste thereof vnlesse therewithall a loue and desire after the same bee increased by a continuall meditation Hence wee may learne then that the knowldge of God is no idle nor dead imagination Vers 9. With my soule haue I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within mee will I seeke thee in the morning for seeing thy iudgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world shall learne righteousnesse SEe yet a more ample exposition of the former sentence for before speaking in the person of all the faithfull he said that the desire of their soules was to the name of God but now he brings in himselfe speaking My soule hath desired thee saith hee As if hee should say All the powers of my soule are busied in seeking of thee and thy name The word Nephesh is often taken for the vitall spirit but because the Prophet vseth two sundry words here I so distinguish them How soule and spirit is taken here The vnderstanding and will two principall parts of mans soule as that the soule shall signifie the desire and the will and the spirit the intellectiue part For we know that the vnderstanding will are the two principall parts of mans soule and God
seriouslie therein consider Gods iust reuenging hand Vers 16. Seeke in the booke of the Lord and reade none of these shall faile none shall want her make for his mouth hath commanded and his very spirit hath gathered them BY the booke of the Lord some vnderstand this prophecie as if he stirred them vp to reade it diligently and so it is as if he should say not one title of it shall faile when the time is expired as he addes by by after Others expound it more subtillie of Gods eternall decree thus Search whether he hath not so ordained it but this exposition is too farre fetched The word Law expounded I expound it of the law it selfe therefore which by way of excellencie is called the booke of the Lord because out of it the Prophets drew all their doctrine as we haue often told you heretofore That the noueltie of such a fact then should not make them reiect this prophecie Isaiah saith that they were aduertised of it long before and thus hee priuily taxeth their incredulitie for remaining so grosse conceited as to esteeme this thing altogether new and vnheard of Now he hath good reason to bring them to the law wherein God so often declares that he will haue care of his people and will punish the wicked sort Seeing Moses therefore spake of it so long agoe the Prophet saith that none ought to be so incredulous touching the truth of his prophecie seeing he telles them of no strange matters but onely confirmes that which Moses hath long since testified and taught This I take to be the natiue sense of our Prophet who by these words meant to fortifie the Iewes to the end they should wait with patience for the promise of the Lord as being assured that the euent would manifest the truth of those things which were alreadie foretold to fall vpon the Idumeans and other enemies of the Church Why so Because Moses had testified without cause of blame that God would alwaies protect and defend his people Againe it was needfull they should be aduertised hereof that when the Idumeans should be thus dealt withall indeed they might not thinke it fell out by chance but might acknowledge God the author of this iudgement For such is the peruersitie of mans nature that he beleeues not though he be forewarned till the very pinch and besides hee is giuen to attribute that vnto fortune which proceedes from the iust iudgement of God Isaiah therefore preuents these inconueniences in willing them to aske of Moses touching the truth hereof because hee was reuerenced of all in respect of his authoritie None of them to wit of the beasts for the Hebrewes vse these two wordes Isch and Ishah not only when they speake of men and women but also of males and females of all kinds For his mouth He confirmes that which he said before for albeit Gods works be manifest inough yet he makes vs comprehend them better by his mouth that is to say by his word that thereby wee may haue a clearer sight of them and this is the right viewing of the works of God to wit when with a quick eie we behold them in the cleere glasse of his word For we are too bold and presumptuous and giue our selues the raines too much vnlesse we be guided by this heauenlie doctrine as it were by torch-light The pride and ouerweening of men therefore is here to be repressed Men erre because they seaâ—ch not the Scriptures Mar. 12 who will call into question and censure the iudgements of God and all his workes without being ruled by his word for if they would seeke in his booke and aske at his mouth wee should see greater pietie and religion in them then there is Now the Prophet in speaking of the mouth of the Lord meant to confirme that which was said before touching this iudgement the reason is because nothing can faile of that which issues out of his sacred mouth Isaiah affirmes it to be a thing impossible then that that which is once decreed of God which he also hath coÌ„manded him to publish in his name should euer be called backe by any meanes And thus with this buckler hee repulseth all the difficulties which easilie ariseth as oft as the promises of God doe surmount our reach I grant he sometimes threatens with condition as he threatned Abimelec Gen. 12.17 and Pharaoh Gen. 20.3 and the Niniuites Ionah 1.2 whom afterwards hee pardoned because they repented but if he haue once determined to punish men indeed hee will shew by the effects that hee is both true of his word and able to performe it as well as hee is able to deliuer his in the time of neede This the Prophet expresseth againe when he maketh the mouth and spirit or breath to consent together for albeit the spirit of the mouth and the word doe often signifie one and the same thing and that the Hebrewes are wont to repeate one thing twice yet here he makes an elegant allusion vnto the breath from which the words proceed and of which they be formed as if he should say this prophecie shall not want his efficacie because God who by his voice hath commanded the brute heasts to possesse Idumea wil also draw them thither with his onely breath Now hee speakes of a secret inspiration What maruell is it then if all beasts assemble themselues together at Gods first becke as we see it came to passe in the deluge yea euen in the creation of the world when Moses testifies that at Gods commandement all beasts came by and by vnto man to subiect themselues vnder his gouernment Gen. 2.19 7.15 The bruit beasts would haue been subiect to man if man himselfe had been subiect to God And would they not thinke you haue been subiect and obedient to him still if he himselfe had not been depriued of this authoritie by his owne rebellion But being now reuolted from God the beasts forthwith began to band themselues against him and to offer violence vnto him Vers 16. And hee hath cast the lots for them and his hand hath diuided it vnto them by line they shall smite the eares in speaking and should not therewithall cause the same to sinke into our hearts all would be to no purpose In that he attributes this efficacie vnto the word then let vs also therein know that it is himselfe from whom that power proceeds that so it might not be spoken fruitleslie but might worke inwardlie vpon the conscience The Lord works not vpon all nor at all times inwardly vpon mens consciences not at all times nor vpon all but then when it pleaseth him thus to worke by the secret power of his holy spirit Hence we gather that by the same word we be brought into the right way of Gods seruice for without it we should remaine ignorant all our reason would faile and not only stagger but our infidelitie would make vs become whollie brutish It
his free mercie but he did likewise put a forme of praier into their mouthes and a shield of defence vpon the armes of the faithfull wherewith they might repulse all the fierie darts of the diuell Vers 12. Heare mee O Iakob and Israel my called I am I am the first and * Or yet I am the last WE haue told you heeretofore why the Lord speakes of his eternitie Chap 41.4 44.6 God changeth not and therefore we are not consumed as it is in Mal. 3.6 namely to teach vs that he is alwaies like himselfe and that wee should not measure his power by the narrow scantling of our owne ell He heere calles for audience because the onelie thing that deceiues vs and makes vs wander after so many false opinions is that wee haue no eares to heare Where he saith Israel is his called he opposeth it secretly against that reprobation whereof hee spake in the beginning of the Chapter For hee there shewed that the Iewes wrongfully vsurped this title and falsly gloried therein because they shewed not themselues to bee true Israelites in deed But heere he declares that Israel is his owne called Simile as if a father in rebuking his sonne should in anger call him bastard and yet being appeased should afterward terme him his sonne Thus the Lord shewes that the Iewes were growne so degenerate that hee had iust cause to reiect them and yet albeit their vnworthinesse of that great honour he shewed them he still respects his owne calling of them which they could not abolish nor make vnfruitfull by their malice or vnthankfulnesse The particle yet in this place signifies a continuance for the Prophet meanes nothing else but that God is alwaies like himselfe that is to say he repents not nor changeth not his mind as men are wont to doe and therefore he saith that he is the first and the last Now we haue also in these words to note that Isaiah speakes not heere of God his eternall essence but applies this doctrine to our vse signifying that he will be such a one to vs as he hath euer been in times past as also that wee should remember to separate him from Idols lest our mindes being distracted by new inuentions should erre from his true feare Vers 13. Surely mine hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and my right hand hath spanned the heauens when I shall call them they stand vp together As God is vnchangeable so is he almightie THe Prophet shewes heere more plainly what his meaning was in the former vers For hauing said that God is alwaies one and neither changeth his affection nor will towards vs hee now magnifies and extolles his power in regard of his visible workes which wee daily behold And thus the Lord comming forth of his Sanctuarie doth after a sort manifest himselfe familiarly vnto vs in them Whether wee turne the wordes my right hand hath measured or hath sustained the sense will be alwaies alike neither is it needfull that we should stand much about the interpretation of the word Tipak For the word To measure notes out the admirable wisdome of God Note in that hee hath so aptly proportioned all the parts of this faire curtaine of the heauens that it should neither bee higher nor lower from the earth then it is but that they constantly keep the order prescribed them of God so as in this round and ample vastnesse wee can behold nothing deformed or misplaced If any had rather retaine the word To vphold it is also a commendation of Gods singular wisdome and power who beares vp this infinit weight and great masse of the heauens in their continuall motion and yet keepes it from tottering or reeling from one side to another But the last member where hee saith that all things stand vp together when he cals them hath some more difficultie in it For it is either to be referred to the first creation of the world or to the perpetuall gouernement thereof If we refer it to the first creation the present tence of the verb To appeare should be taken for the future tence thus As soone as the Lord commanded them to appeare they forthwith obeied according to that in the 33. Psalme vers 9. He spake the vvord and it was done But if wee accept of this exposition the word together which is added seemes not to sute well with the historie of the creation mentioned by Moses Obiect For the heauens and the earth were not created and adorned in an instant Gen. 1.2 Things were first intermingled and confused then the Lord separated them and placed them in order Ans But the solution is easie for the Prophets meaning is nothing but this that the Lord created all things by his onely will and so formed heauen and earth that they forthwith obeied his commandement And yet for mine owne part I willingly extend this sentence to the perpetuall gouernment of the world As if he should say Heauen and earth obeied Gods voice and yeelded to his absolute power so as these creatures so farre remote one from another Simile willingly consented and agreed together with an incredible harmonie neither more nor lesse then if they were turned about with one wheele And howsoeuer the space bee wondrous great betweene earth and heauen aboue yet the Lords voice was distinctly heard in euery part of them There was no need of messengers then to teach or publish his will but himselfe in an instant executes the same at his pleasure Simile Shall a man finde any Prince that can haue all his seruants by and by about him at his call No Gods power then is infinit it is dispersed far and neere and extends it selfe to all parts of the world as the Scriptures doe manifest Psa 47.1 2. and faith by experience makes vs feele Vers 14. All you assemble your selues and heare which among theÌ„ hath declared these things The Lord hath loued him he will doe his will in Babell and his * Or his worke arme shall be against the Chaldeans God permits the Iâ—wes to bring in their allegations NO doubt but the Lord directs his speech to the Iewes though hee vtters nothing heere which ought not to be knowne of all But because the heathen prophane people had no eares therefore hee summons not them to heare Wee know that the Iewes had this priuiledge aboue other nations that God manifested himselfe to them as it is said in the Psalme God is knowne in Iudah his name is great in Israel Psal 76.1 and 147.19 20. And thus their senslesnesse was the lesse excusable in that they reiected their owne happinesse For whence sprang this lightnesse and inclination to apostasie but from the little or no regard they had of this inestimable treasure of the heauenly doctrine They well deserued then to bee thus sharpely chidden and that he should thus closely tax them for their malicious and manifest conspiracies
the Iewes reiected this light to kindle one of their owne and in conclusion affirmes that they shall be consumed as with a fire by their owne light In this sort Christ reprocheth the Iewes for reioicing in Iohn Baptists light Iohn 5.33 Because they abused his person to darken nay rather to quench the glory of Christ For in opposing Iohns person against Christs to darken his glory what did they else but put out the light of God shining in a mortall man to kindle themselues another Which yet directed them not to walke in the right way but made them wander in by-paths wherein they had small cause to reioice In saying that they were compassed aboue with the sparks he taxeth their froward imaginations which harried them to and fro and therewithall derides their vanitie in that they ranne swiftlie and with great alacritie whither soeuer their deceiueable lusts led them VValke As if he should say You shall feele by experience how vaine and vanishing your light is when your vncertaine hopes haue failed you And thus by this so taunting a permission hee signifies that they shall both lose their time and their labour Others expound that the wicked kindle against themselues the fire of Gods wrath But the Prophet hath an higher drift neither doe I thinke that this exposition agrees to this place Of mine hand In regard the wicked being beguiled with a false confidence think themselues vtterly out of danger and doe boldly contemne all after claps by trusting in their light that is to say in the meanes wherewith they haue furnished themselues the Lord shewes that they shall lie downe in sorrow and that this shall proceede from his hand In a word that such as forsake the light of Gods word to seeke consolation elsewhere shall miserably perish THE LI. CHAPTER Vers 1. Heare mee yee that follow after righteousnesse and yee that seeke the Lord looke vnto the rocke whence yee are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged A consolation or exhortation vnto patience NOw the Prophet exhorts the Iewes not to faint though they were few in number for they were so humbled and diminished that they seemed neere their vtter ruin euen as if they had been hopelesse of any posteritie to succeed them Hee therefore brings them to their originall to teach them that howsoeuer they were but a small handfull now yet God was able to increase multiply them Then he commands them to looke vnto their father Abraham who being but one man yet grew into a great number and God gaue him children as the starres in the firmament Gen. 15.5 and as the sand vpon the sea shore Gen. 22.17 Thence they might collect that if God in so small a space was able so admirably to multiply their fathers he was no lesse powerfull to make them increase heereafter seeing his power is no whit abated nor his will changed Looke to the rocke Some thinke that Abraham is heere called a rocke because hee was strong in faith as Saint Paul saith Rom. 4.19 Others alleadge a reason cleane contrarie to this similitude for they thinke Abraham is heere called a rocke or stone because he was vnfit to beget children and that Sara was called a caue because she was barren But all of them as I take it are deceiued for it is a plaine similitude taken from stones He saith then that they were hewen or digged out of Abraham and Sara as stones are hewen or digged out of a rocke or caue There was exceeding need that the faithfull should be vpheld by this admonition in the ruine of the whole nation God had promised as we said before that Abrahams seede should be as the starres Gen. 15.5 22.17 and as the sand This promise in outward appearance was abolished in the destruction of Ierusalem for then those that remained were like a small cluster of grapes that remaines after the vintage But in regard they had alreadie prooued how powerfull God was to create a great people of nothing the Prophet exhorts them to hope wel still that they may not bee taxed of vnthankfulnesse towards God And thus hee directs his speech properly to the faithfull who had much adoe to sustaine so sharpe temptations for hee speakes not to all in generall The Prophets alwaies make a distinction betweene the faithfull and the hypocrites but to those only that rested vpon the promises whom he calles followers of righteousnesse The Country was filled with vnbeleeuers and hypocrites who had for along time been apostataes from the exercise of pietie the more praise those deserued then who constantly followed a godly and a sincere course Where there is a desire of righteousnesse there God hath audience Note but where infidelitie raignes there is no place at all for the promises Thus then albeit they boasted they were Abrahams children yet all were not capable of this doctrine In the next place the Prophet shewes the way how to follow this iustice to wit in seeking the Lord for it must needes be that such as seeme to follow righteousnes and yet aime not at this marke doe erre in all the parts of their life These two things then to follow righteousnesse and to seeke the Lord must be ioined together Vers 2. Consider Abraham your father and Sara that bare you for I called him alone and blessed him and increased him The application of the former consolation THis application shews sufficiently whereunto the Prophets exhortation tended namely to confirme the peoples hearts in the hope of a better estate He saith he called him alone not onely because Abraham had no companions with him when he was called to forsake his Country but because the Lord suffered him to inhabit the land of Canaan without hauing issue till his old age so as he looked not to haue any at all And besides that Sarah his wife was also barren but at the last they had a sonne giuen them to comfort their old yeeres in their afflictions Which was no sooner giuen but it seemed that God had appointed him to the slaughter and yet for all this the Lord furnished him with a great number of children I told you ere while how necessary this consolation was for the Iewes which wee may also iudge by that wofull and miserable estate in which they then were as histories doe at large record It is also no lesse needfull for vs at this day Vse to vs. in regard of the scattering of the church that so our small number may no whit discourage vs. No wee are rather to hope that God wil one day multiply the same by means to vs vnknowne For we haue heere a manifest and an excellent example thereof in this blessing whereby wee see how the Lord in Abrahams old age weakens yea and out of death it selfe multiplied his of-spring Which promise appertaines not onely to the Iewes but to other nations and therefore his name is no more called Abram