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
and mercies for the infinit goodnesse of God for he discouers and powres out his bowels as it were in shewing himselfe a liberall benefactor towards vs. And these said fauours are so great that wee cannot possiblie esteeme nor value them as we ought But it is no new thing to see the faithfull pressed with griefe to powre out their complaints familiarly in the presence of God charging him that hee hath shut his bowels from them I grant they retaine this principle The faithfull euer retaine this principle namely that God is alwaies mercifull that God is alwaies mercifull in regard his nature is vnchangeable and howsoeuer they impute it to their sinnes that they feele him not such a one to them yet to preserue themselues from despaire they expostulate vvith him how it can be that hee should handle them so seuerelie Yea in shewing them nothing but the signes of his wrath as if he had forgotten himselfe Vers 16. Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou O Lord art our father and our redeemer thy name is for euer THe Lord permits vs familiarly to powre out our hearts before him A definition of prayer For prayer is nothing else but a manifesting of the heart in the presence God so as the best remedie we haue to releeue our cares and anguishes is to lay them vp in his bosome Cast thy burthen saith Dauid vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee Psalm 55.22 and 37.5 The Prophet then hauing numbred vp Gods benefits towards the Iewes whereby his power and goodnesse was sufficiently manifested and yet that men by their sinnes depriued themselues from tasting the fruit thereof he now comes to this point namely that Gods goodnesse is so great that it ouercoms mens stubbornnesse He calles him father in the name of the whole Church For all cannot call him thus The Churches priuiledge because it is a priuiledge that peculiarly belongs to the Church of God to call him father in his presence Thence we may gather that Christ as the first borne God hath neuer been called vpon as a father in the Church otherwise than by Christ or rather as the onely sonne of God hath alwaies borne the chiefe sway ouer the Church for God cannot be called father but by him And againe here wee see that the faithfull contend not with God but onely draw arguments vnto themselues from his nature whereby to ouercome all temptations and to settle their hearts in good hope Though Abraham knovv vs not Quest Some aske here why the people say that the Patriarke knew them not S. Ans Saint Ierom. Jerome thinks it was because they were degenerate and therefore were not worthie of so great an honour But I take this exposition to be ouer curious The true sense is That albeit our forefathers disauow vs yet God stil holds vs for his children and shewes himselfe a father towards vs. Those who say that Abraham and the rest of the faithfull had cast off all care touching the affaires of this life doe too subtilly wrest the Prophets words to a wrong sense I speak not of the thing in it selfe but I say these words proue not that the Saints are altogether carelesse of vs. The true sense of this place The most natiue and pure sense is this Lord we acknowledge that in regard thou art our Father it is a thing so firme and sure that albeit our fathers after the flesh should faile vs yet vvilt thou neuer cease to bee a father vnto vs Psal 27.10 So as all rights of nature shall cease rather then thou shouldest cease to shew thy selfe a father vnto vs or that thine holy adoption should bee made void seeing it is established in thine immutable counsell and ratified by the death of thine holy Sonne And yet in the meane while we may hence gather that the holy men so pray and present themselues before God that they looke not to the intercessions of others for praier is inioined them vpon this condition that wholly resting themselues in the fatherly loue of God they reiect all other confidences But if our Prophet taught the Iewes not to direct their hearts toward Abraham and Iacob who yet had receiued so many precious promises to be heard of God then is it certaine that we haue now no more cause to runne to S. Saints not to be praied vnto Peter to S. Paul and the rest then to them For this is not a priuate praier made by one or two but publike and appertaining to the whole Church in generall as if the Prophet had heere set them downe a forme of praier And questionlesse our confidence ought so to be setled vpon Gods fauour and fatherly goodnesse towards vs that we should shut our eies against all intercessions of men whether aliue or dead In a word the faithfull heere protest that they gaze not heere nor there but rest themselues in God alone Quest But some may aske now why hee onelie names Abraham and Iakob and makes no mention of Isaack Ans The reason is because the couenant was more solemnly ratified with these two heere noted I grant that Isaack had no lesse part therein then they but yet hee neither receiued so full nor so many promises Our Redeemer Redemption is heere expressed as a testimonie of this adoption for by this experiment God shewed himselfe the Father of this people And therefore the people pray vnto God and with assurance call him Father in regard he had manisted vnto them so admirable a signe of his fatherly good will which gaue them incouragement to hope well But redemption simply in it selfe would not haue sufficed vnlesse the promise had bin therewithall annexed Euen as then hee did once redeeme them so doth he promise to be their father for euer The clause from all time sets forth the stedfastnesse and stabilitie of Gods fatherly loue For we haue not deserued the name of children but in regard that his will onely by which hee hath once adopted vs for such is vnchangeable Seeing the Lord then hath an eternall name it thereupon followes that the title and grace which is thereunto conioined and flowes from this eternitie shall indure for euer Vers 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies * Or wherefore hast thou turned and hardened our hearts from thy feare Returne for thy seruants sake and for the Tribes of thine inheritance BEcause these phrases of speech seeme harsh and tart some thinke the vnfaithfull are here brought in murmuring against God and blaspheming him for their malice turnes into rage whē they haue lost all hope But the scope of the text crosseth this conceit For the Prophet shewes the fruit which should proceed from these miseries and calamities of the Iewes How Because being humbled and brought low they should cease either to be proud or to please themselues in their vices They
may render it in another sense Let vs beare thy name For when the woman comes into the family of the husband shee takes his name and loseth her own 1. Cor. 11.3 in as much as the husband is her head and therefore her vaile is a signe of her subiection As Abimelech said to Sara Abraham thy husband shall be the couering of thine head Genes 20.16 But if the woman marrie not she remaineth couered vnder the name of her family Now it sufficiently appeares by the 48. chapter of Genesis that this is the true sense of this manner of speech where Iacob blessing his nephewes saith Let my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac bee called vpon them that is to say Let them be of our stocke partakers of the couenant neuer shut out thereof as it came to passe in Esau and Ismael Gen. 25.23 21.10 Cato and Martia The prophane authors also speake after this manner Martia desiring to returne againe to Cato as it is in the second booke of Lucanus saith Giue me only the bare title of mariage let it bee lawfull to write vpon my Tombe Martia wife of Cato Now they say Take away our reproch because it seemes that they beare some reproch when they find no husbands not onely in that it seemeth they are despised as vnworthy but because it was a singular blessing of God among the ancient people to haue posteritie and therefore the Prophet saith they shall not onely haue neede with care to bethinke them how to auoid this reproch but shall vse all possible perswasions to attaine thereunto Lastly he signifies that the destruction shall bee such that almost all husbands shall die Vers 2. And in that day shall the bud of the Lord be beautifull and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall bee * Or in excellencie and renowme excellent and pleasant for them that are escaped of Israel THis consolation is added in very good season in regard that the faithfull might haue bene vtterly discomforted with the newes of such an horrible waste and might doubt in themselues how the couenant of God could stand fast in this so great a ruine of the people For there is great differēce betweene these two things that the people shall be as the sand of the sea for multitude and yet notwithstanding that they shall be so rooted out by an horrible ruine that there shall be no dignitie nor glorie at all remaining in those that shall escape no not so much as a glimpse of any name Isaiah therefore according to his custome as also the rest of the Prophets preuents the mischiefe in due time and moderates the terror by adding this consolation to the end that the faithfull should assure themselues that notwithstanding all these things the Church shall be saued and that by this meanes they should fortifie their hearts in good hope Euen as then in the second Chapter he disputed touching the restoring of mount Zion so now also he promiseth that a new Church shall spring vp euen as a bud or sprig shooteth vp in the field which was vndressed before They do commonly expound this place of Christ and so much the rather is this opinion receiued as it seemeth to haue some colour by the sentence of Zachary Zach. 6.12 Behold a man whose name is Branch Which is also further confirmed in that our Prophet speakes not barely of this branch but with addition of honorable as if it had been the meaning of the Prophet to speake of the Diuinitie of Christ And after when the Prophet addes the fruit of the earth they referre that to his humane nature But when we shall consider all things aduisedly I doubt not but he taketh the bud of the Lord and the fruit of the earth for an abundance of most ample and vnwonted grace which abundance shall recreate the affamished for he speakes euen as if the earth after a waste should be so barren and dry that it should neuer promise any bud to come out of it thereby to cause the grace of God to be the more longed for in so sudden a fruitfulnes as if seared and barren fields should bring forth grasse beyond all hope This maner of speech also is much vsed in the scriptures to wit that the gifts of God shall bud out of the earth as the Psalmist saith Truth shall bud out of the earth and righteousnes shall looke downe from heauen Psal 85.12 Also hereafter in the 45. Chap. The earth shall open and saluation shal fructifie It appeares by the course of the text that this is the true meaning of the place for Isaiah addes in the words following that the deliuerance of Israel to wit this handfull yet remaining which the Lord will saue from this destruction shall be the glorie and beautie of this bud Also the word Pheliath which they commonly turne Deliuerance is collectiue in this place as in many others But yet there may be a double exposition either that those which shall be deliuered shal be a fruit of glorie and a bud of honour or that the graces of God shall bud amongst them The first exposition likes me best because it seemes the Prophet addes the explication in the verse following when he sayth That those which shall remayne shall be called holy Questionlesse the Prophets meaning is to say that the glorie of God shall appeare clearely when a new Church shall be borne as if hee should create a people of nothing Those who draw and restraine this place vnto the person of Christ make themselues a scorne to the Iewes as if for want of testimonies of scripture they should pull in places by the eares to serue their turne For there are other places of scripture by which wee may more clearely prooue that Christ is true God and man so as it is no neede to coyne proofes thereof from hence But yet I confesse that the kingdome of Christ is heere spoken of vpon which the restauration of the Church is grounded Neuerthelesse let vs obserue that this consolation is not sent to all indifferently but onely to the remnant which should be drawne out of death as it were by wonderfull meanes Againe lest the consolation might seeme to bring but cold comfort if it had ben only sayd that a small number should be deliuered he speakes of an exceeding glorie and excellent brightnes to the end the faithfull might assure themselues that they should receiue no hurt by this their deminishing because the Church of God takes not her dignitie frō the multitude but from puritie which is when God shall gloriously and excellently beautifie his faithfull ones with the gifts of his Spirit Whence we ought to gather a most profitable doctrine namely that howsoeuer the faithfull be small in number and that they be like brands taken out of the fire yet notwithstanding that God will be glorified in the midst of them and will no lesse shew a proofe
he will make himselfe felt of vs when he dwelles with vs that is to say wee shall not onely reuerence his Maiestie wherewith wee are by and by ouerwhelmed but that we shall be also fully assured that hee hath a fatherly care ouer vs albeit wee be separate from the rest of the whole world For he calles him the holy one by the effect because by gathering vs vnder his wings and sauing vs by his grace he sanctifies vs as a thing consecrated for his owne vse And therefore if God be with vs the feeling of his gratious presence will fill our hearts with ioy vnspeakeable By reioycing and singing he signifies that when God displayeth his power in the midst of vs wee haue occasion to reioyce greatly Also speaking directly to the inhabitants of Zion he shewes that all are not capable of so great a benefit and hee therewithall closely exhorts vs to perseuere in the vnitie of faith that being knit vnto the Church we may reioyce with this happie and blessed ioy From the first Chapter hitherto the Prophet hath denounced iudgement against the two Kingdomes of Iudah and Israel from the beginning of the Chapter following to the 24. the Prophet foretelles what horrible calamities should befall the enemies of the Church And thus God iudgeth his owne house first as Peter speakes 1. Pet. 4.17 THE XIII CHAPTER Vers 1. The burden of Babel which Isaiah the sonne of Amoz did see Seuen reasons shewing the cause why God caused the ruine of the Churches enemies to be foretold FRom this Chapter vnto the 24. the Prophet foretelles the grieuous and horrible calamities which should befall the Nations and Countries then knowne to the Iewes either because they were neighbours vnto them or else in regard that they had traffique or leagues with them And this he doth vpon good reasons for when diuers changes happened some thought that God did sport himselfe as it were and tooke pleasure to bring base things to confusion others thought that all things were guided by a blind violence of fortune of which profane histories giue sufficient testimonie and verie few there were who could be resolued that these casuall mishappes were ordained and gouerned by the counsell of God For no one thing is so hardly beaten into mens heads as this namely that the world is gouerned by the prouidence of God Many indeed wil confesse this with their mouth but the number of them is verie small which haue it truely engrauen in their hearts We neede but one little puffe of wind to trouble vs and behold we are vndone then fall wee to searching the causes of it as if this depended vpon the will of men What will we doe then when all the world is in an vproare and that all things are so changed in diuers places that it seemes they must needes shiuer into peeces Well we see then it is very profitable that Isaiah and the rest of the Prophets should speake of such calamities to the end that all might vnderstand that they come not to passe but by the secret and wonderfull counsell of God For if they had prefixed no prophecie touching this matter things being thus suddenly confused it might easilie haue troubled and appalled the hearts of the faithfull But when they knew long time before that this should come to passe they had therein a mirour wherein to behold Gods prouidence touching the things that happened After that Babylon was taken vse and experience taught them that those things which they had learned in times part from the mouth of the Prophets had not been foretold at random nor in vaine Notwithstanding there was an other cause why the Lord commanded that the ruine of Babylon and other places with it was foretold not that the Babylonians had any profit at all by these prophecies neither yet the other Nations as though these writings came to them Another cause then was this God meant by this consolation to asswage the sorow of the faithfull lest they shold grow out of hert as if their estate had bin worse then that of the heathen if they should haue seene them escape the hand of God altogether without punishment For if so be the monarchie of Babylon should haue continued safe the Iewes would not only haue thought they had serued the Lord in vaine and that the couenant which he had contracted with Abraham had been to no purpose seeing strangers and wicked men were better dealt withall then the elect people of God but they might also haue entred into a worse suspition to wit that God had fauored these cursed theeues who trod all iustice and equitie vnder their feet by their robberies and seditions truely they might by and by haue thought either the God had had no care of his people or else that he wanted power to succor them in their need or that all things were turned vpside downe by the confused mouing of fortune To the end then they should not be too much appalled nor become vtterlie desperate the Prophet preuents this by the consolation of this prophesie shewing therein that Babylon also shall be punished Moreouer this comparison did admonish them how grieuous the chastisement should be which they of set purpose had pulled down vpon their owne heads for if God threaten the vnbeleeuers and prophane nations so sharplie who yet haue erred in darknes how much more seuere ought his anger to be against his people who had wittinglie he rebelled against him Luk. 12.47 Iust it is that the seruant which knew his masters will and did it not should be beaten with more heauie stripes When God then denounceth such rough punishments against poore blind wretches he therein did set a looking-glasse before the Iewes who had been trained vp in the law what chastisement they had deserued And yet the chiefe marke that Isaiah aimes at in these prophesies is to shew the Iewes how deare and pretious their saluation was in Gods eyes when they saw that he tooke their cause into his owne hand and executed vengeance vpon the wrongs which had been done them Now in the beginning the Prophet spake of the destruction and wasting of the kingdomes of Iuda and Israel as we haue seene which was to come When God corrects he alwais begins with his owne because iudgement must first begin at the house of God 1. Pet. 4.17 for the Lord hath a speciall care of his owne and chiefly regards them Wherefore euen as often as we reade these prophesies let vs learne to applie them to our vse True it is that the Lord doth not by piecemeale foretell all things which come to passe at this day in kingdomes and amongst nations and yet notwithstanding hath he not resigned vp the administration of the world which himselfe keepeth in his owne hand to another When we then see the ruin of cities the calamities which befall nations and the change of kingdomes let the things aforesaid come vnto our minds to the end