the fire made the vvaters to boile in regard that contrarie to their wont fires and lightnings were mingled with violent raines and tempests As if hee should haue said This fire kindled by the Lord was so fierce that it melted all things were they neuer so hard and drunke vp euen the very vvaters To this appertaines that which is added touching the melting of the mountaines before his face For hee opened a way for his redeemed euen thorow the greatest incumbrances that they met withall Hee saith also that the Israelites saw things which they neuer looked for in regard that albeit God had aduertised them and had acquainted them with many experiments of his power yet this terrible spectacle whereof he speakes greatly surmounted their capacities and vnderstandings yea and all the reason of man Vers 4. For since the beginning of the world they haue not heard nor vnderstand with the eare neither hath the eie seene another God besides thee which doth so to him that waiteth for him THis verse confirmes that which wee haue said before namelie that the faithfull desire nothing here which is strange and vnheard of but only that God would but shew himselfe such a one towards them as in times past he had done to their fathers and that hee would continue foorth his liberalitie And withall seeing it hath been his custome to succor his people and to giue them some assured testimonies of his presence that he would not now discontinue the same for the time to come that so his almightie power might still shine more and more For you must note that he so brings in the people praying vnto God that therewithall they should confirme their hope from the remembrance of the time past and with the more boldnesse might haue their recourse to the throne of grace The eie hath not seene Doubtlesse the Prophets meaning is to magnifie Gods goodnesse by mentioning these so many benefits which God in former times had bestowed vpon his people This manner of commendation also is very high and excellent when being rauished with admiration in regard thereof he cries out that there is no God but he Likewise that the things which God hath done for his peoples sake were neuer heard of before But this may be read two waies for the word God may be taken in the accusatiue or in the vocatiue O Lord none but thou hast seene the things which thou hast done to those that wait for thee But the other reading is more receiued namely They haue neuer heard nor seene such a God In this last reading the particle of similitude must be supplied for without that the sentence would bee imperfect No eare then hath heard neither hath the eie seene such a God as doth such things And thus God is here separated from idols from which the superstitious sort thinke they obtaine all blessings but they are onely the deuices of mans braine which can neither doe good nor hurt Contrariwise God deales foorth his benefits of all sorts liberallie to those that serue him It seemes S. Paul expounds this place otherwise Obiect 1. Cor. 2.9 and applies it to another sense Yea he cites it in other termes because hee followed the Greeke translation The Apostles made no scruple touching this point Ans in regard they rather respected the sentences then the words and thought it sufficient only to point out this place of Scripture vnto the reader whither they might resort to be satisfied touching the things which they taught But where S. Paul seemes to haue added of his owne Neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them which loue him this he did that his speech might be the better vnderstood For nothing is added which agrees not very well with the Prophets doctrine And that wee may the better perceiue this agreement wee must consider his drift In that place hee disputes about the doctrine of the Gospell which hee shewes doth farre surpasse all the reach of mans wit Why so Because it containes such a knowledge as is contrarie and wonderfullie farre remote from the wisdome of the flesh In a word that it is an hidden wisdome For which cause S. S. Pauls drift in alleaging this text 1. Cor. 2.9 Paul worthilie breakes foorth into this admiration in weighing and pondering of the same And our Prophet calling to mind these rare and famous works of God Obiect Ans as one astonished cries out that there was neuer such a thing heard of So concerning this grace which surmounts all the rest namely when Christ is offered vs in the Gospell we may breake foorth after the same manner and say O Lord the mercie which thou shevvest vnto thy people farre surmounts all our reason Neither eie eare hart nor spirit can attaine to such an height S. Paul then you see applies this place fitlie to his disputation neither doth he corrupt the Prophets sentence when he exalts aboue all things in the world that excellent and peculiar grace which God hath bestowed vpon his Church There yet remaines another difficultie namely that the Apostle transferres that to spirituall benefits which is here said of temporall But we may affirme that Isaiah simplie respected the cause from whence these benefits of God issued though hee therewithall had an eie to the estate of this life present For all the good things which God hath giuen vs here below for the sustaining and cherishing of our naturall life are so many testimonies vnto vs of that fatherly loue which he beares vs. The propertie of faith And it is also the propertie of faith to ascend by visible benefits to inuisible graces Thus then howsoeuer the Prophet seemes to meddle onely in matters touching their bodily deliuerance and other things appertaining to this life present yet aimes he therein at an higher marke and especially respects those benefits which in particular manner belonged to the people of God The inioying of temporall benefits should carrie vp our minds to the meditation of those that are eternall For what a sottishnesse were it if whilest we inioy benefits temporall wee should not by them mount vp to the welspring from which they flow namely from Gods meere loue and mercie Both good and bad doe indifferently inioy these common good things but that particular fauour wherewith he entertaines vs appertaines to none but to his houshold seruants Hence it is that wee not onely consider that which appeares to our outward senses but wee forthwith ascend vp to the very cause Vnto which point though neither eye nor eare can reach that is to comprehend therein the grace of adoption by which the Lord protests that hee will be our Father yet hee reueales this vnto vs by the witnes of his holy Spirit It is also very likely that the Prophet hauing spoken of a particular benefit of God takes occasion thereby to arise vnto a generall consideration For when the matter concernes the meditation
esteeme so much of themselues as if they were gods Isaiah therefore wisely separates man from God as also the Holy ghost doth thorowout the whole Scripture For when men are considered in themselues it better appeares how fraile their condition is yea how transitorie and inconstant As soone therefore as men shall once beginne to attribute vnto themselues but the least strength whatsoeuer then must their vanitie be made knowen and discouered vnto them to the ende they may acknowledge themselues to be nothing By this onely word all the glorious titles of free will and mans merits doe fall to the ground wherein the Papists glorie against the grace of God and all that fond and foolish loue which prophane men haue of themselues is also plucked away from them Lastly we are all called home to God the author of al good things to the end wee should not think any thing excellent either in heauen or earth out of him For his praise is forthwith eclipsed if so be the whole world be not stripped of all wisedome strength and iustice in a word of all praise that so it may be giuen to God alone THE III. CHAPTER Vers 1. For loe the Lord God of hosts will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudah the stay and the strength euen all the stay of bread and all the stay of water WE haue said a little before that the Prophet goes on still with the same matter which he began in the ende of the former chapter For hee admonisheth the Iewes that how great riches soeuer they possesse yet notwithstanding they shall not bee able by any meanes whatsoeuer to hinder the wrath of God being once inflamed against them to consume all their preparations Whence it appeares that they too much ouershoote themselues who to put farre away from them all feares doe heape gather together weapons power strength of warre counsels great store of victuals and such like The particle demonstratiue Hinneh which wee haue translated Behold or Loe is not put here for the more certentie of the matter but to set forth the shortnes of the time as if Isaiah should euen set the thing it selfe before the eyes of the wicked For it often comes to passe that those who dare not openly contemne the iudgements of God do yet notwithstanding reiect them as if they touched them neuer a whit or else as if they were farre off from them What is that to vs say they or if afflictions come wherefore should wee make our selues miserable before the time when the calamitie comes vpon vs will it not then be time enough to thinke vpon it Because then the wicked digge themselues such hiding places and securely take their ease in despising the iudgements of God the Prophet doth the more neerely presse them home to the end they should not imagine that the hand of God should bee farre off also that all their staies which they promised to themselues should be but in vaine To this appertaines that where he calles God the Lord God of hosts that so his Maiestie might the more daunt their sleepie and benummed consciences For God hath no need of titles but it is necessary that our blockishnes and drousines should be awakened by the sense and feeling of his glorie Now the Prophet in the first place threatens that the Iewes shall be stripped of all abundance of victuals so as they shall be forced to die for want And by and by he will adde the same thing as touching their succours of warre and all helps of politicke order and gouernment From hence we may gather that the Iewes were so lifted vp with the prosperous successe which their affaires then had that they foolishly secured themselues as if they had been vtterly exempt from all damage or decay But Isaiah lets them know that not onely all the region shall bee smitten with the rods of God but that Ierusalem in like manner which was as it were the inuincible fortresse of the whole nation should be smitten also as if he should say The wrath of God shall not one be scattered vpon the bodie but it shall pearce also euen vnto the very heart As touching the words Mashen and Mashenah which he hath put in the masculin and in the feminine gender I doubt not but by this diuersitie he would more certainlie expresse that all kinds of staies should bee broken and therfore I haue translated strength say For I approoue not of their expositions who referre this to men because it is rather to bee vnderstoode of all helps of all kinds Notwithstanding some doubt whether the Prophet restraines this to victuals or rather whether he referres it to the other helpes and staies which doe follow a little after But it is very likely that vnder these two words he generally comprehends all things whatsoeuer which are necessarie for the sustentation of the estate of a citie or people and also that by way of explication hee names some specials The first member then hath this scope to wit that the Lord will tread vnder feete all defences and riches by meanes whereof they thought to continue safe so as there should be nothing left to succour them Secondlie he addes what the pouertie and want shall be and as we haue said he begins with food which in the first place is of al other the most necessarie helpe for sustaining mans life Now the Lord takes the strength of bread and of water away two waies first when hee takes them from vs altogether or else when he takes away their strength to nourish vs. God takes away strēgth from bread after two sorts For if God inspires not a secret vertue into thē they can profit vs nothing at all though we should haue them in neuer so great abundance and that is the reason why it is said elsewhere that he breakes the staffe of bread Ezech. 4.16 That is to say Though the Bakers giue out bread by waight Leuit. 26.26 and though it be eaten yet it shall not satisfie them any thing at all This similitude ought to be diligently obserued to the end wee may know that although the bellie bee filled neuer so full yet we shal alwaies bee hungrie It is not bread but God his secret blessing which nourisheth because the secret blessing of God which nourisheth and giueth strength is wanting But although the want wherewith the Prophet threatens the people in this place may be vnderstood of famine because God will depriue the Iewes of all kind of reliefe notwithstanding because the Prophets are wont for the most part to take these manners of speech out of the law this interpretation agrees very well For hee might simplie haue said I will take away from you bread and win◠but he expresseth a thing more secret in speaking of the stay and strength of bread and water as if he should say Although the people bee not brought to pouertie for want of meate and drinke yet God
his first Epistle Chap. 3. vers 13. But our Prophet leades them higher to wit that in liuing holilie and iustlie they shall keepe themselues in Gods fauour For is it not a thing altogether vnreasonable that the wicked should expect peace when they themselues will continuallie make warre against God The wicked would faine enioy peace whilest they make open war against God In deed there is none but desires peace yea who is he that can not highlie extoll it but in the meane while themselues are the cause why enemies are raised vp against them for they trouble heauen and earth by heapes as it were with their wickednesses Now in regard that this peace which God giues is perpetuall Isaiah compares it with that which lasts but for a moment In that he calles peace the effect of Iustice let vs thence learne that warres proceed frō Gods wrath which we set on fire by our rebellion whereas peace on the contrarie proceeds from his blessing When therefore we see the enemies boile with rage Warres proceed from Gods wrath which we set on fire by our sinnes Our sound and sincere conuersion the onely meanes to still and quiet the rage of our enemies exalting themselues furiouslie against vs let vs seeke no other matter to allay that heate then true conuersion for our God will easily calme and quiet tumults we being at one with him for he it is as the Psalmist saith which makes warres to cease vnto the ends of the earth he breakes the bow and knappeth the speares in sunder and burnes the chariots with fire Psal 46.9 but we haue told you before that these things belong not only to the time of Hezekias but ought also to be referred vnto Christ Vers 18. And my people shall dwell in the tabernacles of peace and in sure dwellings and in * Or quiet refreshings Peace the fruite of Iustice safe resting-places AS he hath shewed that spirituall Iustice is that which hath her seate in the hearts of men the same must be said of peace which is the fruite of it Thus when we heare of sure dwelling places and refreshings let vs remember what Paul saith Rom. 5.1 Being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God This peace Christ left with his Disciples which the world could not giue vnto them Iohn 14.27 And what maruell For as the same Apostle teacheth Phil. 4.7 This peace passeth all vnderstanding Hauing once obteined this Iustice we shall be no more disquieted with inward terrors as we were whē we felt that God was angrie with vs. The wicked conscience is alwaies at warres with it selfe and in continuall anguishes The wicked therefore must needs be tossed to and fro with diuers garboiles for he that is destitute of righteousnes can neuer be in any sound peace He that is destitute of the imputation of Christs righteousnes can neuer haue sound peace of conscience But where Christ reignes there only is the true peace to be found which the faithfull haue in assurance which makes thē come without feare before the heauenlie throne not so much in respect of their owne pietie as for that they rest themselues vpon the sure rock of Gods mercies in Christ Hence we gather that Christ reignes not where consciences are troubled and tossed to and fro with diuers doubtings in which case the Papists must of necessitie be yea and all others that cast not themselues vpon the meritorious sacrifices of Christ and vpon that purgation which he hath purchased for vs. Vers 19. When it haileth it shall fall on the forrest and the Citie shall be set in the lower place WE told you before that the Prophets were often wont to set forth the kingdome of Christ vnder shadowes because they borrowed similitudes from an earthly kingdome for otherwise in respect of our dulnes we could hardly be brought to comprehend this inestimable treasure of all good things The meaning is that the Lord will remoue far off from his people all incombrances and discommodities and will cause them to fall vpon others Now because in this world were subiect to diuers tempests and vexations so as wee must indure raine haile windes and whirle windes he saith that God by his admirable prouidence will exempt vs from the harme we might receiue by these things because the violence thereof shall be driuen by him vpon those of other places By forrests hee meanes vast and deset places Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers thē out of all Psal 34.19 where none inhabits By this we are aduertised that being vnder the protection of Iesus Christ we are so freed from all dangers and inconueniences that notwithstanding there are many hailes and tempests readie to fall vpon our heads but the Lord is our deliuerer who either turnes away these eminent perils or frees them who are in danger to take hurt by them And that hee might the better confirme that which he said touching peace he saith that the Cities which stood in the plaine shall be out of danger for they were wont then to build their Cities vpon high places the rather to preuent assaults Now hee saith that God will so defend his people that they shall neede none of these vsuall munitions because the Cities shall bee safe though they stand in the vallies neither shall they receiue any hurt albeit they lie open to the furie of the enemie Why so For the hand of the Lord will saue and keepe them Wil we be secure then Let vs not trust in horses nor chariots nor yet in defenced Cities lest the Lord suddenly dislodge vs but seeing our good and heauenly Father vouchsafeth to take care of our saluation let the protection of so good a gardian suffice vs. Vers 20. Blessed are yee that sow vpon all waters and driue thither the feet of the Oxe and the Asse HE shewes how great the change shall be when Christ begins to reigne Vers 13. Verse 14. For hee said before that there should be such a desolation that thornes and briars should couer the face of the holy land that stately houses should be laid on heapes and the Cities and palaces vtterly raced All these things were to fall out when the Country should be spoiled by continuall incursions of the enemie but now he saith they shall be blessed because God will giue them the abundance of all things He adorneth and decketh this fruitfulnesse with figuratiue speeches which may be expounded in plaine words to wit that they shall sow in marish grounds and shall feede their cattell in those places without feare By waters some vnderstand a fat and fruitfull soile but I take it otherwise because of the generallitie of the particle All for in calling them all waters it is as if hee had said that euen those places which were couered with waters should be fit for tillage so as they shall not need to feare the spoiling of their seede It is our manner also to
time freely added new benefits to the former He vvill help thee Others supplie the relatiue Ci as if he had said Thy helper notwithstanding it seemes best to reade it apart and the sense had bin clearer if we had read it in the first person I vvill help thee but the difference is not great The summe of the whole comes to this If God haue regenerated vs he will surely help vs. that he which is the Creator of the people will be readie to succor them when the appointed time is come In which regard it is free for euery one to rest in the exposition he thinks best yet I had rather follow the plaine and the lesse constrained sense without supplying any thing The word Ioshurun is diuerslie expounded for some would deriue it of Iaschar which signifies To be vpright or To please others deriue it otherwise but I agree rather with those who translate Beloued deriuing it from the verb aboue mentioned Moses also hath giuen this title to the Israelites in his song Deut. 32.15 for howsoeuer some translate the Hebrue word there vpright as in this place yet the old translation agrees best which reades it My beloued is waxed fat Now our Prophet adornes his people with this name to the end that by the remembrance of benefits past they might conceiue good hope for the time to come A generall and perpetuall rule For the faithfull are to hold this as a generall and perpetuall rule that by mercies formerlie receiued they ought to expect no lesse fauors for hereafter otherwise we should sauour too much of ingratitude and should shew our selues not to rest at all in the promises which if they were soundly and deeply imprinted in our hearts would worke a setled peace and tranquillitie of spirit not to make vs idle but to chase away al inordinate feares and distrust For which cause he once againe repeates Feare not ô Iaakob whereunto also belongs that consolation of Christ Luk. 12.32 Feare not little flock for my Father takes pleasure in you and will giue you the Kingdome And questionlesse among so many dangers which threaten vs with death on euery side there is no remedie more soueraigne to appease our feares then this sentence A soueraigne remedie to appease our feares namely that God vouchsafeth so farre forth to fauour vs that we shall be euerlastinglie saued by him By the word Beloued then he giues them the better to vnderstand that their saluation depends vpon the grace and good will of God who reserues and attributes whollie to himselfe all that which is found praise-worthie in his people Vers 3. For I will powre water vpon the thirstie and floods vpon the dry grouÌ„d I will powre my spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing on thy buds HE continues on the same argument In the forme verse he promised them help here he describes the meanes and therewithall shewes wherein this promised help shall stand We must still keepe in mind therefore that these prophesies are to be referred to those wofull and dolefull times whereof mention hath bin made before to wit when all things were confused the people forsaken and all the promises of God seeming as if they had been of none effect the Prophet therefore meets with these doubts and compares the people to a drie and thirstie ground which hath no moysture left in it which similitude Dauid vseth Psal 141.6 to set forth his miserie Now howsoeuer they were ouerwhelmed with sorrowes and had lost all vigor yet lest their hearts should faint within them in these extremities they were to set these and the like sweete sentences before them And wee also are to haue our recourse to such promises as oft as dangers beset vs on euery side The vse for vs. so as we can see nothing but present death ready to swallow vs vp quick and by this meanes shall we remaine more then conquerors But it is required that we be such as haue a sense and feeling of our thirst and pouertie that so our fainting and parched soules may cheerefullie receiue refreshing from these floods By the word spirit he tels vs what is signified by vvaters and floods The spirit is also called vvater in Ezech. 36.25 but in a diuers sense For when Ezechiel attributes the name of vvaters to the holy Spirit he calles them pure vvaters hauing respect to the purgations vnder the Lawe Isaiah will afterwards likewise call the holy Spirit vvater but in another respect to wit in that it giues streÌ„gth and vigor to fainting soules by his secret and inward power But here the Prophets words haue a further extent for he not only speakes of the spirit of regeneration but there is an allusion to that generall vertue which it sheds into all the creatures whereof the Psalmist speakes Psal 104.30 When thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created This word Spiriâ— here not only signifies the spirit of regeneration but that generall vertue which it sheds into all the creatures and thou renuest the face of the earth Now as Dauid there in the first place shewes that all the parts of the world are reuiued by that secret power which God breathes into them so afterwards he attributes vnto the Lord a sufficient abilitie forthwith as soone as it pleaseth him to renue the whole frame of heauen and earth that it should not fall to ruine In the same sense doth our Prophet call vvater the sudden restauration of the Church as if he should say the restoring therof is in the hand of God as well as it rests in him by dewes or showers to fructifie barren parched grouÌ„ds Thus the Spirit is compared vnto vvater because without it all things would fade and wither with drouth he it is also that reuiues the world by a secret sprinkling of it with his power and redresseth the barrennes that proceeds of heate and drouth whereby the earth recouers a new face as it were which is yet further amplified by the word blessing added in the end of the verse Vers 4. And they shall grow as among the grasse and as the willowes by the riuers of waters This verse is an amplification of the former THere is nothing contained in this verse but that which I haue alleadged out of the hundreth and fourth Psalme to wit that when God sends forth his Spirit then the whole face of the earth is renued and the things which were before parched vp with heate shall beginne to wax greene and florishing euen as the hearbs sprout after they haue been watered by the dewes from heauen He amplifies his speech by these similitudes and shewes more plainly that it shall be no lesse difficult for God to repeople his Church a new which was barren and deformed in regard of the wofull estate in which shee was then to giue the earth power to bud and bring forth gâ—asse and hearbs Moreouer albeit hee speakes not properly heere of regeneration
as if yee had laid your heads together deliberately to conspire thereof in your minds so that there is no hope at al left of any moderation Now God in this speech purposed to manifest vnto al men how incorrigible their spirit was to the end they might pretend no excuses afterwards The whole head Others translate Euery head and thinke that the princes and great men among the people are here meant by these particular names But for mine owne part I rather agree to their opinion who translate all the head For me thinks it is a plaine similitude taken from the body of man to wit when the bodie is so sore afflicted that there is no hope of health left Now he names two principall partes whereupon the health of the whole bodie depends and hereby he declares the extremitie of the diseases wherewith this wretched people was vtterly spent It was not some part or common member of the bodie then which was pained but the heart was wounded and the head very sore diseased in a word that the vitall parts as they are called were so putrified and infected that they were incurable But the Interpreters doe not agree in this behalfe for some referre this sicknes to sins others to punishments To sinnes thus You are alreadie become a rotten and stinking bodie wherein nothing that is whole and sound is left wickednes and sinne hath gotten the swinge amongst you by the infection whereof all is defiled and corrupt But I had rather vnderstand it of the punishments for the Lord doubtles stil pursues this complaint namely that the people are so rooted in obstinacie that they cannot bee brought to amendment of life for any plague inflicted vpon them and that howsoeuer they had been smitten euen to death at the least wise rent and torne in peeces with sore blowes in a fearefull maner yet that they became neuer the wiser for all that Vers 6. Euen from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swelling and sores full of corruption they haue not been wrapped nor bound vp nor mollified with oyle THese words also haue affinitie with the former wherein hee still prosecutes the very same matter vnder the same similitude and manner of speech Those who referre the first part vnto sinnes doe not sufficiently waigh the remainder of the text that followes Let vs grant that the people corrupted with vices are compared to a sicke bodie what coherence will there be touching the things which by and by follow to wit that their wounds were not wrapped nor mollified with oyle It appeares therefore that the Prophet speakes of the afflictions wherewith the people were almost consumed And he also sets forth this continuall languishing in them as a testimonie of their extreame hardning He calles the wound Corrupt from whence flowes a continuall infection as if a spring deepe in the earth should continually send forth new streames of venome So that by this similitude he shewes that the maladie is incurable seeing the corrupt water which is in it runnes without stay The amplification also is not small when hee saith there were no remedies applied thereunto For the three similitudes which he coÌ„ioynes together tend al to one end namely that this people were in so miserable a plight that they were without any hope of comfort without consolation and without remedie So that in such kinds of punishments one might easily discerne the extreame seueritie of God Vers 7. Your land is wast your cities are burnt with fire strangers deuoure your land in your presence and it is desolate like the ouerthrow of * Or forrâ—ine enemies strangers WAst Word for word it is desolation And thus Isaâ—ah prosecutes that more largely and more clearely which he had said before figuratiuely touching the wounds To wit that the land was afflicted with an horrible wast For I had rather referre the sentences to the time past because the Prophet rather recountes how many calamities haue formerly hâ—ppened before he denounceth the vengeance of God For he casts their dotage and benummednes of hart in their teeth in that they continued so besotted in their miseries As the ouerthrow of strangers This is added for amplification sake For their sense is too narrow and constrained who would haue the Hebrew word zarim which signifieth destruction which word the Prophet also here vseth to bee put in the stead of zerem which signifies an ouerflowing of waters True it is that the word may be applied to enemies but it is better to take it in his proper signification for strangers For the calamitie is then much more grieuous when men vnknowne and those that come from a farre countrie doe make warre in a kingdome because they are lightly farre more cruell and doe more hurt then the nighbour enemies For they race the cities they burne vp houses buildings and villages destroying all things and sparing nothing In a word they rush in with barbarous inhumanitie seeking nothing but to kill sack and burne yea they study rather to do hurt theÌ„ to get their booty But the neighbour enemies because they are able to hold that which they haue won vse to leaue garisons there and as soone as any reuolt is intended or any trouble moued they forthwith send succors and therefore are not so cruell neither doe they spoyle the countrie out of which they may fitly reape any commoditie Hee therefore describes no ordinarie destruction but rather so bloodie and fierce an one as exceeded all the rest From hence then we may note that when God hath once begun to chastice correct he makes not an end with vs by and by But in striking vs with many wounds hee redoubles the blowes and ceaseth not to visit vs stil with one plague after another if so bee wee cannot be brought to true repentance Let vs then eschew and flee such an obstinacie if we meane to escape the like punishments or if we meane this reproach which was iustly cast vpon the Iewes should not by as good right light vpon vs namely that albeit wee haue been diligently admonished and haue felt the hand of the Lord yet for al that we could not bee corrected nor amended What maruaile is it then I pray you if wee are pressed with so many and so diuers calamities whereof we can see neither end or issue Surely we euen fight hand to hand as it were with God and against all his roddes by our rebellion Is it not needefull then that hee should take vs in hand and deale with vs as men do with restie and vnruly lades who the more they wince and kick the more they must bee pummelled about the head and spurred vpon the sides There want not many at this day I dare say who accuse God of crueltie as if he were too outragious and that he ought to carrie a more soft and gentle hand ouer vs But in the meane while they consider not how horrible
himselfe Vers 5. And the Lord spake yet againe vnto me saying 6. Because this people hath refused the waters of Shiloah which runne softly and reioyce with Rezin and the sonne of Remaliah TO the end Achaz should not waxe secure nor rest himselfe vpon a vaine hope the Prophet suddenly breakes off his speech touching the common saluation of the faithfull and doth againe set the threatnings and chastisements before the vnbeleeuers Some thinke that hee speakes here against those which onely sought after newes as indeede it comes to passe that the common people for the most part are not contented with the present state but desire to heare of a new King And that often happens to manie which wee see befall those that are sicke namely they hope to be better when they haue changed their place The wills of men are so peruerse that when things fall not out as they would they looke after nothing but a change in the state greedily pursuing after tidings therof thinking to receiue some reliefe by it But I thinke the meaning of the Prophet is to be stretched further and is not to be referred only to those who asked after a change but that it is rather a generall speech comprehending all estates for impietie and the contempt of God had almost ouergrowne the whole land He speakes not then of any small number or of a particular faction but of the whole assemblie of the people and seeing they were almost all of them degenerate he very iustlie reprooues them all I confesse indeede that he excepts a little remnant of the faithfull of whom he will make mention by and by Now the offence is that the people distrusting their owne weakenesse desired greater riches and forces He saith then that they despised the waters of Shiloah because the Iewes made no reckoning thereof and were discontented with their owne estate He ads that they delighted to looke to Rezin Others translate with Rezin but the particle to expresseth their peruerse desire better His meaning then is to say that the Iewes seeing themselues destitute of great garisons looked vnto others and longed for the riches of the kingdome of Israel For when they considered their pouertie and weake estate they trembled and trusted not in God at all but only in outward helpes They thought they should be in great safetie if they could obtaine a Prince equall in power to the King of Israel Thus they reioyced in other mens riches and desired them Vers 7. Now therefore behold the Lord bringeth vpon them the waters of the riuer mightie and great euen the King of Ashur with all his glorie and he shall come vp vpon all their Riuers and goe ouer all their bankes HE speakes in the present tence to the end all should lay it the neerer to heart Behold the Lord brings vpon you violent waters We must note the similitudes which the Prophet vseth for the speech is much more elegant then if he had spoken barely and nakedly without them and it is as if hee had said Because the people are not contented with their condition but are euer lusting after the riches and wealth of another I will shew them what it is to haue a mightie King As for example if some few people subiect to a poore and obscure Prince hauing mightie neighbours that were subiects to a King of great renowne should say Oh what a goodly thing were it to bee the subiects of such a puissant King to be vnder the gouernment of the Emperor or of the King of France who haue an inuincible power Should not God haue iust occasion to chastice such a wicked desire For by how much the more mightie Kings are so much the more doe they oppresse their people they will be vnder no controll but will do whatsoeuer they list adde also that they know not the measure of their power but according to their strēgth they giue themselues licence to doe what them liketh The Lord reprooues this vnbridled desire of the Iewes that in distrusting their owne strength they looked not to the Lord but to the riches of mightie Kings Now this reprehension hath much more grace vnder these figures then if he had spoken without them Shilo as S. Ierom saith was a little fountaine whence proceeded a riuer running softly thorow the middest of Ierusalem And because this little riuer was insufficient to defend them they desired and asked after those great riuers which inuironed and greatly inriched the cities For there is nothing which brings more renowne and riches to a countrie then these great nauigable riuers by which one may fetch in and carrie out all sorts of merchandize the more easily He compares Euphrates then which is the most renowned riuer in the East with Shilvah and followes the same similitude vnderstanding by violent waters the Assyrians which should waste Iudeah and spoile it wholely 2. King 18. as it were with a deluge I wil shew you saith the Lord what it is to wish for these mightie and violent waters And shall come vp This place ought to be diligently obserued For wee haue all of vs a distrustfulnesse naturally rooted in vs so as when the helpe of man failes wee are out of heart Let God make what promise hee will we cannot be resolued of the truth of it but haue our eies fixed vpon our owne feeblenesse and being besotted we lie like blocks in our feares And therefore haue we neede to seeke a remedie for this vice Shiloah then that is to say the vocation or condition to which God hath called vs with promise of blessing should be vnto vs a strong defence although we see it not before our eyes and that we should preferre the same our estate before the power of the greatest Kings of the world For if wee relie vpon the succour of men and place our confidence in riches and abundance of siluer we must looke for the chastisement which the Prophet threatneth in this place The holy historie witnesseth that these things came to passe so as he which shall reade therein shall haue no great need of an exposition of this place The Assyrians whom the Iewes called to their succour destroyed them and this was a iust punishment of their distrust Wherein wee haue a faire looking glasse to behold the ende of such lustfull people who could not content themselues with the promise of Gods aide and succour Let vs then looke to our selues and let vs bee warned by this destruction of the Iewes The Church for the most part is in such case that she is alwaies destitute of the helpe of men lest whilest we be too well stablished in our outward estate wee should haue our eies dazled with our riches and strength and so should fall to forget God We must learne to reioyce in our weakenesse and to content our selues therewith to the end we may depend vpon the Lord for succour so as the small and low waters be better pleasing vnto vs
herb THe Prophet amplifies this desolation by a kind of excessiue speech He saith The grasse shall wither which falles out when God depriues a land of all helps Also that the waters shall be dried vp for it is very likely they were exceedinglie necessarie for this quarter which was drie for such countries as those bring forth nothing vnlesse they be watered But howsoeuer this be an excessiue speech yet it conteines nothing but that which is most true for he passed not his bounds but was faine to lay forth these things in the more words because of the peoples dulnesse to the end they might know that this land beeing depriued of Gods blessing should become a desert deformed and void of all beautie Vers 7. Therefore what euery man hath left and their substance shall they beare to the brooke of the willowes THat which euery one hath reserued signifies the same which we vsually say that which is left or spared For his meaning is to speake of riches reserued thereby shewing what happens ordinarily in those countries which the enemies inuade to wit euery one labors to transport his goods to an other place and to lay them vp safe there that so they may fetch them home afterwards Now he saith that these shall haue no fortresse nor refuge to put their goods in safetie so as they shall bee constrained to hide them amongst the willowes See here an extreme miserie when wee can finde no place of refuge to safegard and keepe that which wee haue gotten with great labour from being a spoile to the enemies It is very likely that these willowes stood in some secret and close place remote from others Some expound this of the enemies which bring the riches which they haue pilled to the riuer to part the pray among themselues Vers 8. For the cry went round about the borders of Moab and the houling thereof vnto Eglaim and the skriking thereof vnto Beer-Elim THe Hebrew particle Ci was added for ornament His meaning is that all the quarters of this Country shall be filled with cries and lamentations in euery corner because this destruction shall reach from one end to another To the cry he addes a skriking or double houling to expresse the execesse of dolour it being the maner of desperate persons to become vtterly desolate and to bee resolued into teares Vers 9. Because the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood and I will * Or increasings bring more vpon Dimon euen lions vpon him that escapeth Moab and to the remnant of the land HEe not onely describes here the dolour houling flight and trembling or the couetousnesse of the enemies in raking together of riches but the slaughter of men which must needes be fearefull when the great and renowned riuers as Dimon was were filled with blood By increasings hee meanes that the Lord in whose person hee speakes will augment the murthers so as the dead bodies shall be piled one vpon another and there shall be no end thereof till they be all put to the sword Now howsoeuer the aduersaries were cruell in this destruction yet the Lord passed not measure for all that because hee iustly punished the inhumanitie which the Moabites vniustly exercised ouer the Iewes vpon whom they ought to haue had compassion It was iust then for them to beare the same punishment which they had laid vpon others Which are escaped These are also the increasings whereof he spake or at least part of them For behold the highest pitch of all these calamities that if any indeuoured to saue himselfe in battel from out of the hands of his enemies hee should meete with lions and cruell beasts which should deuoure him And this is the true meaning of the Prophet if we narrowly weigh the whole context He meant to expresse this discomfiture and the miserie thereof in liuely colours by shewing that the small remnant which shall escape the slaughter shall fall into the pawes of the lion because the hand of the Lord doth so pursue the wicked that they can no way escape if they passe one danger they by and by fall into another But withall let vs remember that the Prophet speakes these things for the consolation of the faithfull that they might fortifie themselues by some promises against the cruelty of the enemies who in the end should be cut off and should finde no refuge at all in their gods fortresses or lurking holes neither should their flight any thing at all auaile them THE XVI CHAPTER Vers 1. Send yee a lamb to the ruler of the world from the rocke of the wildernesse vnto the mountain of the daughter Zion HEere the Prophet insults ouer the Moabites for that they knew not God whilest they had time but boldly expected his punishing hand till at length they were destroyed by it In this place then there is a condemning of too late a repentance when men cannot be brought to amendment by any admonitions whatsoeuer but harden their faces against God In a word this kind of exhortation hath place when the disease is become incurable Now wee must diligently obserue the words because both Hebrewes and Christians interpret this place amisse St. Ierome Saint Ierome expounds it of Iesus Christ because he descended from the Moabites of whom Ruth came Ruth 1.4 Matth. 1.5 and the most part of Christian expositours follow him As if the Prophet should say Lord although so seuere a iudgement be prepared for the Moabites yet thou wilt not vtterly destroy them Why Because they must send vs the Lambe which is the ruler of the world But as this exposition hath no ground so needes it not to be refuted As touching the Hebrewes they thinke this was spoken in regard that the Moabites who seeing the Iewes to haue ill successe ceassed to pay them the tribute which they ought and Isaiah hauing prophecied the restauration of the Kingdome of Iudah they thinke that therewithall hee exhorts the Moabites to acknowledge their King And so would haue this a royall edict to correct their disobedience as if hee should say Send the tribute which you owe. But wee reade not in any place that the Moabites were subiect or tributaries to the Iewes neither is there so much as any probable coniecture of it Wheras they alleage the history of the Kings they are mistaken for it is there spoken to the king of Israel Ahab and Samaria are there expresly named 2. King 3.5 6 and we know that the Samaritans bare a deadly hatred against the Iewes The true senâ—e of this place I content my selfe then in the first exposition which I haue touched as being the truest and most naturall because the Prophets meaning is to condemne the Moabites for not repenting in time and therefore should now seek reconciliation in vaine which before to their great vtilitie they might easily haue obtained Thus the word send must be taken by way of deriding as if he should say You may now send
that the principall vines of the vineyards were plucked vp by the Lords of the nations that is to say by the conquerours which bare sway as they listed ouer the people whoÌ„ they had subdued Where he saith that these branches came to Iaazer it is for amplifications sake because this citie was situated vpon the bounds of the land of Moab As if he should say They shall not onely cut downe some part of your vines but the whole Country shall bee laid waste from one end to the other Some referre this to the enemies but I had rather referre it to the vines which stretched so far that they came to Iaazer so as the sense shall be Although these vines should spread euen vnto Iaazer and should couer much land from thence vnto the wildernesse yet shall the lords of the nations tread them vnder foote So that the text runnes well because it is said afterwards that the vines spread themselues vnto the wildernesse yea vnto the sea thereby signifying that it was a fruitfull soile but especially for vines he addes ouer the sea because in fertile groundes they are wont to keepe backe the sea with rampires for gaining of ground and they preuent the violence of the water with boords and timber to inlarge the land Vers 9. Therefore wil I weep with the weeping of Iaazer and of the vine of Sibmah O Heshbon and Elealeh I will make thee drunke with my teares because vpon thy summer fruites and vpon thy haruest a shouting is fallen HEere the Prophet takes another person vpon him as we haue noted before for he sorrowes and complaines in the person of the Moabites I deny not but the faithfull haue alwaies trembled at Gods iudgements neither could they euer so put off the bowels of pitie but they had still compassion vpon the wicked yet doth he not describe his priuate affections here but his meaning is to get authoritie to his doctrine that none might doubt of the accomplishment of it And therefore he represents the sorrow and heauinesse which they should all feele after the discomfiture as it were vpon a scaffold in the person of a Moabite and all to the end he might the better confirme the Iewes in the truth of this promise which might otherwise haue seemed incredible vnto them Because vpon thy summer fruits The expositours interpret this latter part diuersly The verbe Naphal signifies to Fall and to run vpon Those which take it in the last signification referre the word Hedad to the enemies themselues as if he should say The cry of the enemies shall runne vpon thy haruest so as there should be a close opposition here betweene this cry and the singing whereof he will speake in the next verse Others expound it It shall come to passe that they shall cast forth cries as if singing should cease and as if the pleasant songs and mirth of the reapers who are wont to reioyce after haruest should be no more heard But I had rather referre it to the cry of the enemies wherein I follow Ieremiah the faithfull expositour of this place Ier. 48.32 who saith That the destroyer shall runne vpon thy summer fruites Which Isaiah calles here the cry of the enemies as if hee should say When thou shalt prepare thy selfe to gather in thy haruest the enemies shall run vpon thee from whom thou shalt heare this hideous cry instead of thy cheerful songs and shall chase thee thence Vers 10. And gladnesse is taken away and ioy out of the plentifull field and in the vineyards shall be no singing nor shouting for ioy the treader shall not treade wine in the wine-presses I haue caused the reioycing to cease HEe confirmes his threatning by more words shewing that the whole region shall be destroyed and laid waste so as there shall be no more vintage nor haruest When he saith that God will take away the songs of the vine-dressers hee respects the ancient custome For they were wont to dance and manifest their ioy after the grapes were gathered in For which cause Virgil Virgil. saith that the vine-dresser sings when his last labours about his vines are finished euen as the Mariners shout for ioy when they be arriued in the hauen For then hauing suffered much and escaped many dangers they hope to haue rest and to obtaine some refreshing This is as much then as if the Prophet had said Being depriued of the reuenue of their fruits nothing shall remaine vnto them but the bewailing of their pouerty Vers 11. Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harpe for Moab and mine inward parts for Kir-hareseth THe Prophet vnder the person of a Moabite doth againe describe a great lamentation proceeding from such grieuous sorrow that their bowels should breake or make an horrible noyse For hee would shew the thing it selfe by the signe of it Now we haue alreadie shewed whereunto these liuely descriptions tend to wit that hauing the thing demonstrated as it were in their sight wee might the more confidently expect the obtaining of that which far surmounts all our thoughts In that he names the chiefe Citie againe he notes out the ruine of the whole Country taking a part for the whole Vers 12. And it shall appeare that Moab shall be weary of his high places then shall he come to his * Or Sanctuary Temple to pray but he shall not preuaile HE now returnes to the sentence which he touched in the second verse to wit that the idolaters seeing their affaires to succeede ill doe runne to idols thinking to find some comfort in them Although he here expresseth some thing more for in as much as Idolaters haue their temples and ordinarie chapels they trot to that temple which they take for the most holy when any great calamitie befals them as to the place where they hope to finde God most fauourable vnto them For if the Papists at this day fall into any great and extreame danger they perswade themselues they shall sooner obtaine their requests and this hath been a common and ancient superstitious conceit if they trot to Saint Claude or to our Lady of Laurette or to some other Idoll more famous than the rest than if they should resort to the Church that is neerest hand They make their extraordinarie prayers in places furthest off Thus the Prophet calles the most renoumed and frequented temple among the Moabites a Sanctuarie and saith they shall goe thither but to no purpose Now it appeares by the holy historie that the famousest temple of the Moabites was dedicated vnto Chemâ—sh 1. King 11.7 Some expound the particle They shall not preuaile that they should be so wearie that they should not haue so much strength as to goe to the temple But the first sense is the fittest as I thinke for he takes away all hope from the Moabites so as they should finde no succour no not in the gods themselues This member and when is shall appeare hath great waight for
neither doe I see how the word Branch should agree I confesse indeede that when they speake of vines the word Haruest is vsed but abusiuely It might also be translated Collecting yet would I not obstinately stand to contend about these two words because the sense will alwaies be one prouided that the foresaid word be taken for the gathering of fruits Thus then the text will runne well Although thou ceasest not from labour holding thy selfe hard at it from morning to night yet shalt thou gaine nothing by it because the fruit shall wither of it selfe by the shaking of the bowes or thy vines shall be spoiled Thus then by the figure Synecdoche vnder the verbe To plant hee comprehends a daily labour which husbandmen and vine-dressers take in the fields and vineyards Such a labour must needes bee very irkesome and proceeds from the very curse of God For if he that is destitute of possessions be oftentimes banished out of his Country hee will not be so much grieued as hee that inioyeth fruitfull lands especially if he haue bestowed any long time in husbanding of them thâ— Lord then meant to execute his vengeance vpon the Israelites because they had abused the abundance of the land and let loose the raines vnto all excesse The like punishment is also threated generally to all the wicked to wit that they shall rise early and labour extremeâ—y because it shall be without any fruit whereas on the contrarie those which rest vpon the Lord are well assured to reape the certaine fruit of their labours because the blessing of God accompanies the worke of their hands Reade Psalme 127.2 and 128.2 Vers 12. Ah the multitude of many people they shall make a sound like the noise of the sea for the noise of the people shall make a sound like the noise of mightie waters OThers expound Ah Woe as if it were a curse sometimes it is vsed as a word of calling as we haue seene heretofore But as I thinke it should rather signifie Alas in this place for he mournes for the calamitie which he foresaw would befall Israel be it that he doth it of a brotherlie affection or that he thereby would pierce the deeper into the hearts of this senselesse and blockish people No question but the Prophets feared the vengeance of God whereof they were the Heraulds more then any other and howsoeuer they sharplie threatned the people as in regard of the person they susteined yet did they neuer so cast off the affection of loue but they alwayes had compassion of those that should perish Notwithstanding the consideration of the couenant which God had contracted with the seed of Abraham was the cause of this and we see that this affection was in S. Paul who desires to be accursed for his brethren the Iewes Rom. 9.3 When Isaiah then sets the matter thus before his eyes it could not be but that he was touched with extreme griefe Now in that he sets this destruction before the view of the Israelites as if he himselfe beheld it it is to confirme his threatning as wee haue shewed elsewhere The word multitude is set downe because the armie was gathered of many and diuers nations whereof the Monarchy of the Assyrians was composed By the similitudes which he addeth afterwards his meaning is only to amplifie his speech for he compares the enemies to a Sea or deluge which drownes the whole countrie Vers 13. The people shall make a sound like the noise of many waters but God shall rebuke them and they shall flee farre off and shall be chased as the chaffe of the mountaines before the wind and as a rolling thing before the whirlewinde ALthough he seemes to continue on the threatning which he began before yet doth he now begin to comfort the faithfull by repeating again the very same words with the former as if he should say It must needs be that those who haue forgotten God should be chastised and as good as ouerwhelmed for their wicked reuolt but the Lord according to his wonted goodnes will represse the ouermuch crueltie of the enemies for hauing once serued himself of their rough dealing he will finde a meanes well enough to beate them backe and chase them away See heere a singular consolation by which he meant to put the faithfull which remained in good hope Now he speakes not of the Iewes onlie as the most haue imagined for hitherunto he hath directed his speech vnto the ten Tribes amongst whom no doubt there were some that truly feared God who had been left in a desperate case if they had had no promise whereon to rest By these similitudes he describes horrible stormes tempests for when the holy Ghost would comfort the faithfull he sets those things before them which are wont most of all to terrifie and cast downe their spirits to the end we might learne that it is easie for the Lord to still all the violence of tempests be they neuer so furious And looke how he hath the sea the winds and tempests at his command so easilie can he curb the rage and violence of their enemies Therefore he by and by after compares the Assyrians to straw or stubble for howsoeuer their furie was terrible to the Israelites yet the Prophet shewes notwithstanding that they are no more in Gods account then straws or rushes because without any paines whatsoeuer he will scatter all their preparations They were not then to iudge of their forces and power according to sense As oft therefore as wee see that the wicked haue gotten the bridle in their necks to runne vpon vs for our destruction let vs arme our selues as much as is possible with this meditation A meditation of great vse True it is that we see no matter of hope left but God seeth a meanes readie to bring all powers that are raised vp against vs to nought The word Galgal signifies a round thing which the wind driues easilie away Vers 14. And loe in the euening there is trouble but afore the morning it is gone This is the portion of them that spoile vs and the lot of them that rob vs. THe sense is this looke how a tempest raised vp in the euening appeares not in the morning if it be by and by appeased so also shall it come to passe that immediatlie after the enemies shall be driuen away you shall suddenlie espie beyond all hope a sweet and quiet calme The Prophet meant to set down two things first that the rage of the enemies shall suddenlie fall vpon them secondly that the spoile which they shall make shall not last very long For as the Assyrians rose suddenlie against the Israelites so also they were soone brought to nought All the faithfull ought to gather great consolation from this place as oft as they see things troubled and confused A Consolation and fearefull changes to approch for is all this ought else then a tempest which the Lord will easilie still Tyrants
fight in Now the Prophet speakes of those whereupon the horsemen were mounted Vers 7. Or and that it came to passe c. And thy chiefe vallies were full of Chariots and the horsemen set themselues in array against the gates IF this be a threat it should be expounded in the time to come to wit And it shall come to passe But because the words following are put in the time past and that it appeares the Prophet speakes of things alreadie fallen out I haue not been afraid to appropriate this beginning to that which is by and by added The chiefe of the vallies is taken for faire and fruitfull Now he puts the Iewes in mind of these distresses into which they were brought by Senacherib whilest hee besieged them and whilest the enemies were before the gates of the Citie for then ought they to haue fled vnto God for succour But then did these poore Iewes runne so much the further away from him and the more shamefully did they manifest their rebellion herein shewing themselues vtterly desperate Therefore is it that hee vpbraides them with this obstinate rebellion Vers 8. And he * Or carried away discouered the couering of Iudah and thou didst looke in that day to the armour of the house of the forrest HE shewes in what anguish the Iewes were when they were thus hardlie besieged Some referre this speech vnto God others to the enemies but I had rather take it indefinitlie for he hath caried away is a phrase of speech vsed of the Hebrues that is the couering of Iudah was caried away By the word couering all almost vnderstand the Temple or the name of God it selfe vnder which the Iewes falslie bragged But for mine owne part I take it more simplie for their Armorie wherein they shut vp as in a most secret place their instruments and furniture for the warre For he calles it not a couering as if these things were not discouered to all but because they were laid vp in a place pur apart or consecrate And thus hee sets that forth which we see to happen in great hurlie burlies for then euery one runnes to his weapon bringing out the munitions for war which were hidden before The latter member is ioined with this to wit that they then searched diligentlie euery place where they might get weapons in such an extreame necessitie because the furniture for warre had been hid a long time whilest they inioyed peace Now the holie historie witnesseth that Salomon had built this house of the forest 1. King 7.2 that all the armor and instruments of warre might be laid vp there The change of the person in this word thou darkens not the sense but rather confirmes that which I haue said to wit that the Prophet recites after what maner the Iewes were letted in making preparations to defend the Citie Vers 9. And ye haue seene the breaches of the citie of Dauid for they were many and ye gathered the waters of the lower poole HE coÌ„tinues forth his discourse for whilst matters go well and that all things are in quiet men care not greatlie neither for munition nor for warlike furniture nothing but necessitie awakens men Necessitie is it which coÌ„monly awakens vs. and makes them carefull peace and rest makes vs become lazie slothfull As long then as they thought themselues free from gunshot they neglected to make vp the breaches of the walles but when the drum once stroke vp then they gaue themselues to the care of these things and to take order for letting the enemie froÌ„ getting passage By the Citie of Dauid hee meanes the middest of the Citie which was deuided into two parts which we may see in many Cities Ierusalem was enuironed with walles and ditched round about but this middle place was the strongest fortresse they had and it was called the Citie of Dauid The Temple also was fortified so as the Citie was deuided as it were into three Now Isaiah meant to say that the Iewes had almost lost all hope of sauing the Citie when they thus retired into the middlemost which was strongger then all the rest And it appeares very well by the holie historie that their case was very desperate Thus wee may also gather that the prophesies were not gathered in order so as they which put them into one volume did not stand much vpon the circumstance of the time He addes the waters were gathered for their necessitie that the necessities of those which were besieged might be supplied therewith and thus the poole serued them for a Cisterne Vers 10. And yee numbred the houses of Ierusalem and the houses haue yee broken downe to fortifie the wall HIs meaning is that they viewed the Citie narrowlie and on euery side that no house nor building might annoy the defence of it Others say that the houses were numbred that they might haue watchmen out of them but the first exposition seemes the sittest for it is confirmed by that which is added after that there were houses broken downe to repaire the walles of the Citie We make no â—eckning of these things in the time of peace and oftentimes men of meane estate will build houses euen vpon the very ramparts therefore they must be pulled downe in time of warre that from thence they may fight and repulse the enemie and also lest any should haue any secret speech with the enemie if houses were so neere the walles Vers 11. And haue also made a ditch betweene the two walles for the waters of the old poole and haue not looked to the maker thereof neither had respect vnto him that formed it * Or long agoe THe first part of this verse is conioined with that which hath been expounded heretofore for his meaning is that they were put to their plunges and so flighted with imminent danger that they were driuen to vse all meanes possible to fortifie themselues against the enemie In the second part of the verse he taxeth their senselesnes in being so taken vp with seeking after worldlie helps that they forsooke that which was the principall For whereas they should first haue had their recourse vnto God they neglected it in contriuing of ditches ramparts walles and other defences of warre and yet did their chiefe defence all this while rest in God Now then it appeares that that which I saide in the beginning is true to wit that he forctels not heere the destruction of the Iewes but only puts them in minde of that they had felt in former time that from thence he might take occasion to shew how iustlie the Lord was angrie with them because no chastisement nor correction whatsoeuer could amend them For their extreame dangers into which they were fallen ought to haue admonished them of their impietie and contempt of God but they became so much the more hardened And yet there is scarcely any man so obstinate who in time of aduersitie and especially in the middest of great
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
and such as haue done the like if they will giue any true testimonie of their sound conuersion I grant repentance hath his seat in the heart and hath God for a witnesse of it but wee can discerne it no way but by the fruits And here vnder one kind Isaiah comprehends all For in generall hee toucheth one note of true repentance to wit when men make it appeare that they count all things coÌ„trary vnto Gods true worship abominable When he saith that the idols are prophaned That cannot be esteemed holy which is set vp to dishonour God withall his meaning is not that euer they were holy For how can that be esteemed holy which is erected to Gods dishonour which also pollutes men with the filthinesse of it But in regard that men being besotted with a false opinion attribute some holinesse vnto them therefore he saith they are polluted and that they ought to bee reiected and cast away as filthy things of no worth Also in calling them images of gold and siluer he therein shewes that the faithfull cease not to abhor idolatry what losse or disaduantage so euer come vnto them thereby For many are loth to abandon idolles because they thinke thereby they shall lose gold siluer or some such like thing and therefore had rather retaine them then to sustaine the least incommoditie Couetousnes so holds hampers them that they thinke it safer wittingly to offend God and to defile themselus with such abominations then to lose the paring of this or that trifle But we ought â—o prefer Gods pure worship and seruice Gods pure worshippe must bee deerer to vs â—hen the most pretious thing the world can afford vs. before the most pretious things in the world Let vs despise gold let vs cast pearles froÌ„ vs abhor whatsoeuer is deere vnto vs rather theÌ„ to suffer our selues to bee polluted with such vile trash In a word there is not the thing to be named for price excellencie which we ought not to esteeme base vile when wee are to ouerturne the Kingdome of Satan and to set vp the Kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ Note which consists in his pure worship How wee manifest that the loue of the truth is truely setled in our hearts For thus shall wee indeed make it manifest to all the world whether the loue of true religion hath takeÌ„ any place in our hearts yea or no namely when hauing indeed shewed our detestation against our owne peruerse ignorance we be also prouoked to put far away from vs all pollutions and defilings Vers 23. Then shall hee giue raine vnto thy seede when thou shalt sow thy ground and bread of the increase of the earth and it shal be fat and as oyle in that day shall thy cattell bee fed in large pastures 24. The oxen also and the young asses that till the ground shall eate cleane prouender which is winnowed with the shouell and with the fan AGaine he shewes by the effects how desirable a thing it is to be conuerted vnto God seeing this is the fruit of true repentance that God will receiue into his fauour the repentant and will so blesse them that nothing shall be wanting nay rather they shall be satisfied to the full with all sorts of blessings For as miseries and calamities proceed from the wrath of God Our sinnes the matter that sets Gods wrath on fire which we set on fire by our sinnes so when he is at one againe with vs all things fall out well wee are inriched euery way as wee may plainly see in the Law Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. He spake before of the raine which should make the earth fruitfull but because he obserued no order in beginning with earthlie and temporall benefits therefore he now ads to that doctrine which concerned the spirituall life those things which appertaine to the vse of our naturall and corruptible life For albeit godlines hath the promise both of this life and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 Mat. 6.33 yet in the first place it first aspires to the kingdome of God Our prosperous succâ—sses in all things depend whollie vpon Gods blessing Hence let vs learne that men do but lose their labour in tilling the earth vnlesse the Lord send his raine from heauen It is he that must water the labours of our hands and adde increase thereto or otherwise we shall but tire and vexe our selues in vaine From his blessing only must our raine come and to it must wee ascribe the abundance of the fruites of the earth which from time to time we receiue Let vs further note that nothing shall be wanting vnto vs Nothing shall be waÌ„ting to the conuerted but we shal reape the fruite of our labors in most ample maner if we conuert vnto God Let vs also know that our sinnes make vs often suffer want because we by our owne rebellion repell and beate back Gods blessing Let vs no more then attribute the cause of famin and the barrennes to any thing else but to our owne vnthankfulnes The earth would neuer be wanting to vs in bringâ—ng forth her fâ—uits but that we close vp her womb by our misbehauiours For the multitudes of people can not be so great but the earth will be able to nourish and feed them but we shut vp her womb by our misdemeanours which without them would be opened to giue vs all fruits in abundance so as we should liue both peaceablie and happilie That which he addes of the Cattell serues much to set forth the goodnes of God for he sheds forth the same vpon the very brute beasts How much more thinke we wiâ—l he do it vpon men whom he hath created after his owne image Now we neede not maruaile that beasts ordeined for the vse of man do indure famin as well as their masters When God is angrie with men the poore dumb creatures fare the worse but being reconciled with man they all fare the better by it Deut. 28.11 and that on the contrarie they fare well when God is fauorable to men being reconciled vnto them which the Prophet repeates and likewise confirmes in the words following in promising that oxen and asses shall eate cleane prouender For this sentence is taken out of the Law and the Prophets vsuallie do so that in the euill plight death of Cattell we might behold Gods wrath and froÌ„ the sight thereof might be stirred vp so much the more earnestlie and speedilie to be at one with him that our houses might be filled with his liberalitie Vers 25. And vpon euery high mountaine and vpon euery high hill shall there be riuers and streames of waters in the day of the great slaughter wheÌ„ the towres shall fall WHen the Prophets describe the kingdome of Christ they are wont to borrow similitudes from things appertaining to the life of man The prophets in describing Christes kingdome are wont to borrow
If this bee wanting a good King shall neuer be able so to aduance religion and iustice but his officers will bee readie more or lesse to foreslow the course of good proceedings And if there be not among the highest such a harmonie and agreement touching these things Simile as is in a well tuned instrument of musicke the Church Commonwealth shall seldome prosper The counsell therefore which Iethro gaue Moses his sonne in law is to bee hearkened vnto of euery good King let him chuse for his officers such as bee men of courage fearing God Exod. 18. and hating couetousnesse yea let him appoint such for his Captaines ouer tens fifties and hundreds But now adaies bawdes ruffians flatterers and iesters are forsooth aduanced by Kings to whom are assigned the chiefest dignities and places as iust rewards of their flatteries and bawderies Are we to wonder then when wee see commonwealths euery where almost fall to ruin and come to nought and all true administration of iustice and iudgement abandoned and reiected No verily Our sinnes the cause of all disorders both in ciuill and ecclesiasticall gouernments For it is the iust punishment of our sinnes yea and wee our selues deserue to haue such gouernours because wee will not suffer God to haue the gouernment of vs. How is it possible they should inioy this so singular a benefit which are knowne rebels prophane or malicious hypocrits who cast the Lord and his hests behind their backes and will not indure the sweet yoke of Christ which would bring with it this happy and florishing estate of the Church here promised Vers 2. And he shall be as an hiding place from the wind and as a shadow from the tempest as the riuers of waters in a dry place the shadow of a great rocke in the desert land IN this verse hee lets vs see how exceeding needfull it is to haue a well ordered Commonwealth when hee calles this King an hiding place for the wind and the shadow from the tempest For the world is neuer in such good case as when euery one willingly abstaines from that which is euill and when all quietly seeke the benefit of one another without constraint For as much then as many take libertie to offer violence to their neighbours by reason of their intemperancie and vnruly passions men shall be in continuall strife and debate if there bee not remedies at hand by law and iudgement seates to still and pacifie them but because many by their lordly authoritie are readie rather to raise vp troubles then to allay them it is not without cause that this good King is heere adorned with such titles And if this were rightlie spoken touching the person of Hezekias how much more doth it fitlie appertaine to Christ Christ especiallie is this hiding place in whom wee haue our sure and only refuge in these tempests amiddes which wee must be tossed as long as our conflicting dayes shall last in this world Christ our shadow and most sure hauen of safetie in the midst of siâ—ie trials and flouds of aduersities Are we then parched with heate Let vs learne to shroude vs vnder his shadow Are we euer and anon tossed with waues so as it seemes we shall be swallowed vp of them Let vs runne to him as to our most safe and sure hauen He will easily still and quiet all tempests He will set all things in order which before were confused and out of frame Vers 3. Then the eyes of the seeing shall not be shut and the eares of them that heare shall hearken 4. And the heart of the * Or rash or giddie headed foolish shall vnderstand knowledge and the tongue of the stutrerers shall be vnloosed to speake distinctlie HEnce wee may yet better perceiue that the Prophet so sets forth the gouernmeÌ„t and reigne of Hezekias that his meaning therewithall is to leade vs higher For he intreates here of the restauration of the Church whereof there was some resemblance vnder Hezekias but the full accomplishment of it was vnder Iesus Christ We know the Church neuer prospers well if it want iust and wise gouernours But which way can this bâ— attained vnlesse Christ reigne It followes therefore that himselfe and his kingdome are here recommended vnto vs. Now this promise is opposed to that fearefull iudgement of blinding mentioned in Chap. 29.10.11 Heere on the contrarie he promiseth that true light so as those which were blinded before shall now see clearely the deafe shall begin to heare the foolish shall vnderstand knowledge and the flutterers shall speake distinctlie He calles them seers hearers which ought to haue taken heed to the word of the Lord when it was published vnto them but they chose rather to remaine wilfullie blinde and deafe and estranged both their minds and thoughts from wholesome doctrine Now the Lord promiseth them that hee will restore eyes eares tongue and vnderstanding vnto them Sure it is that whatsoeuer is heere promised proceeds from the free grace of God for the question is not now simplie what men shal do of themselues but of that which God shall worke in them These then are the speciall gifts of God as on the contrarie when he shuts the eyes takes away vnderstanding and the right vse of speech and suffers ignorance and barbarousnes to reigne these are to be accounted horrible iudgements whereby God auengeth himselfe vpon the vnthankfulnes of men and also of their contempt of his word The Prophet then promiseth that God taking pitie of his Church will at the last restore that vnto her which before he had iustlie withheld It is Christ only that giues vs eies eares a tongue and an vnderstaÌ„ding heart No spirituall life in the world out of Christ and that for the loue which he beares vnto Christ from whom we must receiue a tongue to speake eyes to see eares to heare and an heart to vnderstand for till then we are more then blockish and smitten as it were with a fearefull sottishnes Let vs know then that out of Christ there is no spirituall life in the world Why so Because euery mothers sonne of vs is blind deafe dumb and foolish vntill we be gathered into that bodie whereof he is the head whence it followes that all these benefits faile when his kingdome is defaced We are also to note that the chiefest benefits which aboue all others we are especiallie to desire are here recommended vnto vs No riches comparable with these benefits which the Prophet here recommends vnto vs. for riches and the like in the inioying whereof men vsuallie place their happines ought to be esteemed as nothing in comparison of these things Shall we not be more then miserable in the middes of all abundance if the Lord denie vs these spiritual blessings whereof the Prophet speakes in this place Take away these and we may be sure Christ is gone neither can wee haue any part in him For from him doe
other benefits wherewith the faithfull are inriched soone after the establishing of Christ his Kingdome as if hee should say You shall not neede to feare any want after you be reconciled vnto God through Christ for plentifull and perfect felicitie streames from him vpon vs. But these things the Prophet sets before vs vnder borrowed speeches Wee are poore and beggerly â—ill God inrich vs with Christs benefits First he saith the vvaters are digged For whereas all things were barren before now there should be great abundance How poore and beggerly are we then vnlesse God for the loue which hee beares to Iesus Christ powres out his blessing vpon vs which Iesus onely brings with him from his heauenly Father and then imparts it to the members of his body I denie not but the wicked thriue wonderfully in outward abundance but all is accursed of God because they are out of Christ from whom onely flowes that true and sauing influence of all riches Truly it were much better to wish death Death is rather to be wished then that abundance with which we must needes swallow Gods curse rather then the abundance of wine and oyle with which wee must needes swallow the curse of God When Christ then shall beginne to manifest himselfe then shall riuers and waters flow forth to the healthfull vse of the faithfull Vers 7. And the dry ground shall be as a poole and the thirstie as springs of water in the habitations of dragons where they lay shall bee a place for reedes and rushes HE confirmes the former sentence to wit that Christ shall come to satisfie his chosen with abundance of all good things Why so Because waters shall issue and flow out of the dry ground But we must remember what I said erewhile to wit that the Prophet here desciphers out vnto vs an image as it were of euerlasting happinesse for howsoeuer this outward change appeared not visible to the eye at Christs comming yet Isaiah not without good cause affirmes that vnder his gouernment all things shall be fruitfull for hee hath said before that without him all things are accursed vnto vs. This whole world will bee but as a parched heath and wildernesse The world but a wildernesse without Châ—ist Psal 67.9 7. Psal 84.11 where lions dragons and wild beasts range after their pray vntill the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ bee erected and set vp amongst vs let it bee once established the faithfull shall feele no want at all The Lord did set his seale to the truth of this doctrin wheÌ„ he deliuered his people out of Babylons captiuitie Yet we are to seek the accomplishment of this prophecie in Iesus Christ who sets all things that are out of frame in their perfect estate againe For that deliuerance was but a darke shadow of this and yet wee are not to seeke the full accomplishment of this promise in this world neither because as our blessednesse consists onely in hope so must wee frame our mindes to wait for the same till the last day As our full blessednesse consists in hope so must we patiently wait for the same till the last day when wee shall be put into the full possession of our happinesse which now for the present is hidden as it were from vs. It sufficeth vs that God giues vs some sweete taste thereof in these our conflicting daies that with the greater affection wee might learne daily to aspire to that full felicitie which is reserued for vs in the heauens Vers 8. And there shall bee a path way and the way shall bee called holy and the polluted shall not passe by it for he * Or shal go shall be with them and walke in the way and the fooles shall not erre THe Prophet promiseth the Iewes heere that they shall bee set at libertie to returne home againe into their country to the end that being afterward carried captiue into Babylon they might not imagin it to be a perpetuall banishment And yet me thinkes this sentence should extend it selfe further For as heretofore hee promised them abundance and store of blessings Vers 7. where there was nothing but barrennesse so he saith now that the place where none dwelt shall be inhabited and frequented by multitudes To bee short that Iudea shall be in such league and amitie with other nations that one of them shall mutually passe to the other without any danger at all for where places are not inhabited what traffique can men haue there You shall see no man passe to and fro there He saith then it shall come to passe that the Iewes shall haue egresse and regresse as we vse to speake to traffique with others after they are come home and shall bee setled in their Country But it is not without cause our Prophet addes that the way shall be holy For where there is much concourse of people vices and corruptions haue their swinge on euery side How could it bee auoided then but these great troupes must needs pollute the land yea and infect one another with a mutuall contagion The Prophets meaning is then that not only the land but the minds of men should be purged and renued by the benefit of Christ that both the one and the other which in times past were wont to be prophaned by their vncleanes should now be sanctified And yet we must keepe that in minde which I haue touched before to wit that the Iewes whose way shall be made holy should returne into their countrie again to serue their Redeemer therein As if he should say The land shall be purged from those filthie sinkes which in times past were in it that it may be inhabited by the true seruants of God He ads also a more ample exposition when he saith that no polluted shall passe by this land now hallowed by the Lord for his children As if he had said God will so separate the faithfull from the prophane that they shall no more be mingled one with another and this doubtlesse was to be esteemed as one of the principall blessings that the Church receiued But this is not accomplished in this life for hypocrits and contemners of God intrude theÌ„selues pell mell into the Church and many times hold great places in it and yet we may see some signe of Gods fauor this way when he takes off the scumme from his Church by diuers meanes The Church shâ—ll not be fullie purged till the last day only we must wait for the full purgation of it vntill the last day yea euen the seruants of God theÌ„selues who are regenerated by the worke of his holy spirit are yet compassed about with many corruptions for albeit the Lord hath begun to sanctifie them yet it shall not be perfected in this life their old man is not whollie mortified but only tamed and repressed to giue way for obedience to the new Now because the Lord liues and reignes in them and subdues their lusts they are called
aduanced vs the more carefull should we be to cut off all pride and presumption that we may giue our selues to reioycing in him and to the setting forth of his praise and glory only Vers 17. When the poore and needie seeke water and there is none their toong faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them I the God of Israel will not forsake them HE goes on with the argument begun froÌ„ the beginning of the former Chapter for he sets out the miserable and poore estate into which the Iewes should be brought being in Babylon till God hauing compassion vpon them should at the last assist and help them Thus he aduertiseth them to prepare themselues for the induring of extreame pouertie when he telles them of thirst for wee know there is nothing more tedious to bee borne then the vvant of vvater when one is thirstie This therefore was a very apt kind of speech to expresse the greatnesse of their calamitie But the Prophet affirmes that God vvill aid them euen at the very pinch and thus we may see to whom this promise belongs namely to such as being in extremitie patch away and faint with thirst Hence also we may note that the Church flowes not alwaies in abundance of outward things The Church flowes not alwaies with abundance but is sometimes brought to penurie and want that by such goades in her sides she might be stirred vp to call vpon God for wee are wont to wax idle when things fall out as we would haue them It is good therefore to bee exercised with hunger and thirst that wee may learne to seeke the Lord with our whole hearts In a word it is very needfull we should be pressed with pouertie that so wee may the better taste the Lords bountie Questionlesse the Prophet meant by this circumstance to set forth the greatnesse of Gods grace as alâ—o admonisheth the people hereby not to faint nor quaile in the time of need and want Now we are to obserue what titles he giues them for in calling them poore and needie he speakes not to strangers but of such as the Lord had chosen and adopted for his heritage Wee ought not to wonder then if God now and then suffer vs to languish vnder hunger and thirst seeing hee hath exercised our fore-fathers no lesse seuerely When he saith the waters appeare not let vs learne that the Lord for the triall of our faith and patience takes away all means from vs that we might rest vpon him alone By the word I vvill heare he signifies that God helpes not all God helpes not all but such as call vpon him but such as call vpon him are wee so carelesse then as to contemne this helpe It is good reason we should be left destitute stil without feeling any succor in regard we are vnworthy of it Vers 18. I will open riuers in the tops of the hils and fountaines in the middest of the * Or plains vallies I will make the wildernesse as a poole of water and the waste land as springs of water 19. I will set in the wildernesse the Cedar the shittath tree and the myrre tree and the pine tree and I will set in the wildernesse the firre tree the elme and the box tree together THe Prophet amplifies the former doctrine by another circumstance to wit that the Lord needes no naturall nor externall remedies to succour his Church withall but hath secret and admirable meanes ready by which he can supply the necessitie thereof aboue all that mans reason can conceiue or imagin When wee see no helpe despaire easilie creepes vpon vs we dare hope no longer then we see worldly meanes present before our eies if they faile vs then all hope in God is gone But our Prophet telles vs that this is the very houre in which we should gather greatest assurance The time in which wee should gather greatest assurance because the Lord hath then most libertie to manifest his power when men are brought to extremities and seeme vtterly confounded It is his propertie then to assist those that are his against the expectation and thought of man that thus wee might not suffer our selues to bee transported hither and thither by any difficulties or idle discourses Now the better to confirme this hee promiseth to worke miracles contrarie to the order of nature teaching vs thereby not to speake or iudge of these his doings according to humane sense neither to tie his power nor promises to secondary causes for the Lord is strong enough of himselfe The Lord is strong enough of himselfe to helpe his chosen without or against meanes and needs no helpe from others he is not so bound to the ordinary course of nature but hee can change it as oft as it pleaseth him Now we know the things he heere promiseth to doe are contrary to nature as to make riuers spring forth in the tops of mountaines and fountaines in the middest of the plaine and pooles in the desert But why promiseth hee these things Lest the Iewes might thinke the way to be stopped vp against them in regard of their returning home because that great and spacious wildernesse was betweene them and it wherein passengers were wont to bee parched with the heat of the Sunne and left destitute of all necessaries Thus then the Lord promiseth plentie of vvaters and all other prouision needfull for their iournie These things were accomplished when the Lord turned the captiuitie of Zion but much more perfectly when he conuerted the whole world vnto him by the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ from whom flowed waters in great abundance Ioh. 4.14 7.37 38. 39. which were shed abroad throrowout the earth to quench the thirst of poore forlorne sinners Then there was such a change as men could by no meanes conceiue the reason of it in their vnderstandings Vers 20. Therefore let them see and know and let them consider and vnderstand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the holy one of Israel hath created it HOwsoeuer God shewes himselfe wonderfull in all his works God shewes his admirable power in nothing more then in the redemption of his Church yet when the matter concernes the restoring of his Church it is then that he manifests his admirable power principally so as he makes euery one astonied at it We haue seene heretofore and it will be repeated againe hereafter that by bringing the people home from captiuitie the Lord left such a testimony of his power therein as shall be memorable to the worlds end and the Prophet in effect saith as much here Now because we are either dull or carelesse in considering the workes of God or heede them not as we should The cause why the Prophet repeats one thing often therefore they easily slip out of our mindes and this is the cause why he repeates one thing so often For wee still stand muzing rather vpon things of nothing
certaine that wee shall feele by wofull experience that the miserie which befell these is common to all rebels Vers 25. Therefore hee hath powred vpon him his fierce wrath and the strength of the battell and set it on fire round about and hee knew not and it burned him vp * Or but he put it not vpon his heart yet hee considered not BEcause Gods chastisements which had begun to seize vpon them and were afterward to be finished in their captiuitie were very grieuous therefore the Prophet sets forth the vehemencie of them by these similitudes For he saith that the Lord will powre out his vvrath as if some thunder-clap should fall vpon their heads with great violence or as if the vvaters should ouerflow and make great breaches thorowout a whole Country as the waters gushed forth hastily in the deluge after the windowes of heauen were broken and that the bottels thereof were set open Gen. 6.11 In the next place he vseth an other figure saying that God will gather together his forces to fight vvith this people and to assaile them to the vtmost If any vnderstand this of the enemies which the Lord raised vp against the Iewes I gainsay him not for it is certaine that they came forth by Gods iust iudgement For what was Nebuchadnezzer but Gods rod Yet I rather thinke it should bee taken by way of similitude to wit that God entred by violence as an enemie armed and powred out his fierce vvrath vpon them Now he hath diuers means to fight against vs God hath diuers means to correct for hee corrects his people sometimes by plague sometimes by the sword sometimes by famin and therefore I thinke that in this similitude hee comprehends all sorts of afflictions wherewith the Lord smites his people And if wee thinke them now and then too sharpe We must set the vglie shape of our sins against the bitter taste of our afflictions let vs consider the vglinesse of our sinnes and we shall perceiue that they be not excessiue neither that he is too seuere and rigorous in punishing vs. And he knew it not He cries out againe against this grosse sottishnes wherewith the Iews were so possessed that they could no way feele their misery neither could they so much as lift vp their eies to heauen to acknowledge Gods hand which smote them But he put it not vpon his heart This phrase of speech signifies to consider of a thing seriously and diligently for if we thought vpon it and had it vvell grauen in our hearts that God is the Iudge and that hee iustlie chastiseth vs wee should forthwith repent The world at this day is pressed vnder manie calamities there is almost no corner thereof exempt from his wrath Gods iudgements abouÌ„d in euery place but no man layes â—heÌ„ to heart yet who knowes it or puts it vpon his heart Doe not all band themselues furiouslie against him with an vntamed rebellion it is no maruell then if he lay on loade and powre out his wrath on euery side vpon the mad world which desperately opposeth it selfe against him THE XLIII CHAPTER Vers 1. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee ô Iaakob and he that formed thee ô Israel Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by name thou art mine WEE can not well tell whether this verse depends vpon the former or is separated from it For the Prophets whose writings are left vnto vs distinguished not their Sermons into certain Chapters so as we should be able to define of euery dayes Sermon Yet me thinks this doctrine is ioined to the former so as hauing shewed himselfâ— very angry against the Iewes euen to threaten their destruction he meant now to sweeten this sharpnes For the Lord hath euermore respect to the faithfull neither is impietie at any time so ouerspread but hee reserues a small remnant which hee keepes from falling into such extremities because he cares for their safetie and therefore the letter Vau should be resolued into a particle aduersatiue thus Yet will the Lord leaue some consolation to the faithfull which shall succeed This place therefore is to be well obserued How this verse depeÌ„ds vpon the former for albeit the whole world should conspire to roote vs out and that Gods wrath should burne on euery side about vs and that we were brought to deaths dore yet if there doe but two or three of the faithfull remaine we ought not to despaire seeing the Lord speakes thus vnto them Feare not The word now which the Prophet here vseth hath great weight for it signifies that the calamitie is present or very neere at hand In a word that it is the time wherin all things shall seeme desperate and forlorne yet euen then God will neither cease to comfort his elect nor sweetly to asswage their sorrowes that so in the greatest of their extremities they may haue a firme and an inuincible faith Hereunto appertaine these Titles of Creator and Former without which these prophesies would haue bin vtterlie vneffectuall Now we may gather from other places that the Lord speakes not here of that generall creation This creation must be applied to regeneration which is common to vs with other men when we are borne dead in trespasses and sinnes but of our regeneration into the hope of eternall life in which respect we are also called new creatures and in this sense S. Paul saith that we are Gods vvorkmanship Ephes 2.10 as we haue sufficientlie shewed heretofore In this sense he also calles himselfe the former as if he should say I haue not formed my Church in which my glory clearely shines to bring so excellent a worke to nought Whence we may obserue The Church hath nothing in her selfe to boast of that the Church hath nothing in her selfe whereof she can boast but of Gods grace to which all these gifts wherewith she is adorned ought to be attributed That which is added for I haue redeemed thee may be as well referred to the time to come as to that which was past for the first deliuerance out of Egypt gaue them hope of that which was to come but albeit he speakes of the future deliuerance from Babylons captiuitie yet the verb which is put in the time past sutes well in respect the Lord hath in his secret counsell alreadie redeemed vs before the effect thereof extends it selfe vnto vs. Minding therefore to testifie what he had decreed in himselfe to wit to deliuer his Church which seemed as good as forlorne he fitly vseth the time past saying I haue redeemed thee To call by name What it is to be the called of God signifies to receiue one into a neere band of familiaritie as when God adopts vs for his children What is the reason of this speech Surely the reprobates are so reiected of him that it seemes he forgets their names in which respect the Scripture saith that he knowes them
care of his Church and as he dearly loues his Saincts so he turnes all things to their saluation It is not without cause then that he saith he sent them to performe this worke by his free grace because he meant thereby to procure the saluation of his Church In the same sense he addes that at his commandement hee brought them downe for albeit the Medes and Persians Medes and Persians had another end yet their iorney was gouerned by an heauenly instinct And thus God meant to shew what loue he bare to his chosen people aforehand lest they should haue fainted in their extreme anguishes and afflictions This promise therefore was of great vse in respect the poore captiues might from hence greatly comfort themselues that they were beloued of God although all the world besides contemned hated and reiected them as the ofscouring of all things seeing they saw that God in the end was minded to succor them and for their sakes to destroy the Monarchie of the Babylonians Where he saith they shall flee it is to shew that God shall so prosper the affaires of Cyrus that the Chaldeans shall be astonished at his arriuall and shal throw downe their armes to take them to their heeles for it often falles out euen to some mightie Prince well appointed with all furniture to enterprise war in which notwithstanding the issue shall be wofull It was not enough then that Cyrus was sent with a great armie vnlesse therewithall his enterprises had succeeded well And that he might further set forth their hastie flight he addes there shall be a crie or tumult in the Ships for they could not flee by land True it is they had a riuer fit for the purpose to wit Euphrates Euphrates which met with the riuer Tigris Tigris by reason whereof they had meanes to escape but they were disappointed of their purpose in this behalfe in regard the riuer was drawne drie Vers 15. I am the Lord your holy one the Creator of Israel your King THis verse conteines in it only a description of him that speakes first shewing how great his power maiestie is secondly with what affection he entertaines his elect and all to the end the promises before mentioned might haue the greater waight This verse a seale to the former sentence I call this verse therefore a seale to the former sentence as if the people should haue said We heare much spoken of God and of his promises but I pray you what is this God The Prophet answers Euen he that is your holy one the creator of Israel and your king He is called holy one Holy one because he culled and separated a people to consecrate them vnto himselfe By this title then he puts them in minde of their adoption wherein he ioined himselfe vnto them by a speciall band to assure them for the time to come that he would be their Father and Sauiour In which sense wee at this day ought to acknowledge that God is our holy one God our Holie one now in that he hath put vs apart to be members of his Church whereof he hath assured vs by our vocation and calling The title Creator Creator is not to be referred to the generall creation of all things for so he is also the Creator of the wicked but to reformation in which respect we are called his workmanship Ephes 2.10 In that he addes your king King it might seeme somewhat strange for what appearance was there of a kingdome among the Iewes now Were they not loaden with reproches and contumelies because they were left destitute of all succor Yet faith was to breake thorow all these obstacles in this title therefore the Prophet gaue them hope that the kingdome should againe be restored howsoeuer to the eies of flesh and blood it lay now in the dust yea vtterly extinct notwithstanding all this they were to hold God for their Soueraigne and King still Vers 16. Thus saith the Lord which maketh a way in the sea and a path in the mightie waters HE once againe comes to confirme that which otherwise seemed incredible and that this confirmation might haue the greater authoritie he takes vnto him the person of God Now he puts them in mind of former benefits to teach them God alwaies the same that as they had found him an Almightie Sauiour before so they should assure themselues that he would be no lesse powerfull and gracious vnto them for the time to come neither lesse able nor willing to worke their deliuerance As if hee should say The Lord vvho speakes will certainly shew the greatnes of his power by the effects of which as your forefathers haue had experience so his meaning is to giue you no lesse triall of it then they had Vnthankfulnes Are we not too vnthankfull then if by former benefits receiued we be not drawne to hope in him for hereafter but especially when hee hath showne so certaine and so excellent testimonies of his continuall care ouer vs. Israel deliuered out of Egypt to the end they should neuer forget it Hee brought Israel out of Egypt vpon condition they should neuer forget such a deliuerance Exod. 13.9 The Prophet now sets the same God before their eies shewing that nothing could withstand him which by his power hee ouercame not when he tooke his peoples saluatioÌ„ in hand For then he made a vvay for them in the sea Exod. 14.21 and guided them thorow the tempestuous mightie waters to wit thorow the riuer Iordan which he dried vp though it was very boisterous Ios 3.16 Now hee expresly names these two admirable miracles because they might imagin that all passage was shut vp against them in regard of their returne into Iudea and that all these promises therefore were but fables Vers 17. When hee bringeth out the chariot and horse the armie and the power lie together and shall not rise they are extinct and quenched as towe NOw he shewes that neither munition nor strength can resist God or hinder him from deliuering his people when hee thinks good no more then the sâ—a was able to let him from sauing them but hee diuided the same and drowned theiâ— enimies with their chariots and horses therein See here then an amplification of the former verse as if he should say Be it that the whole world haue conspired your destruction and would hinder mee from working your deliuerance shall it not be in vaine For when I list I will not onely find out a passage for you in the midst of bottomlesse gulphes but I will also scatter and ouerthrow all force and power of your enemies yea I will so dash them in sunder that they shall neuer be able to arise It may be he that hath lost one victorie will gather his forces afresh together the second time and win that he lost before but the Lord in this place promiseth a perpetuall victorie shewing that their enemies
Canaan a pledge to the Iews of their eternall inheritance Being exiled thence then they were in a maner excommunicated and cast out of Gods presence and had had no testimonies of his succour left them had not these promises relieued their miseries Now it is for vs to consider well of this their miserie for being banished farre from their Country they had neither Temple sacrifices nor assemblies Now those amongst whom at this day there is no forme of a Church vse of Sacraments nor preaching of the word they ought to thinke that God hath in a manner cast them out of his presence Let them learne then to call and cry instantlie with ardent praiers that God would plant his Church in their coasts Vers 20. Goe yee out of Babel flee yee from the Chaldeans with the voice of ioy tell and declare this shew it forth to the ends of the earth say yee The Lord hath redeemed his seruant Iakob THis is the second part of this complaint Isaiah speaks of a thing to come as if it were already come to passe by which the Lord protests that hee will deliuer his people how vnworthy or ingratefull soeuer they be For hauing told the Iewes that hee hath performed the office of a good teacher towards them and that they would not lend their eares so as by their owne default they were sent into captiuitie now in setting before them his inuincible patience he addes that he will not cease to assist them till hee hath drawne them out of their bondage Hee commands them then to goe out of Babylon where they were captiues Whence we gather that how iust cause soeuer God hath to complaine of vs yet by his inestimable goodnesse he is ready to sustaine our miseries and to aid those that are vnworthy yea such as haue frowardly resisted his grace That which is added touching the voice of ioy serues to confirme this deliuerance for hee meant to adde this confirmation to that promise which was vtterly incredible That he might remooue all doubtings then hee highly commends this benefit Declare He expresseth the greatnes of that confidence which hee meant to erect in the hearts of the Iewes for we are wont to publish that plainly and openly whereof we haue good experience and assurance but if wee doubt we dare scarse open our mouthes but remaine mute and dumbe Now Isaiah speaks of a thing to come with that resolution as if it were alreadie come to passe that the people might in their hearts conceiue the more sure and certaine confidence and therefore hee vseth this commandement which hath much more efficacie in it The vse the Iewes were to make of this commandement and moued their mindes more then if hee had told it them in bare termes Vers 21. And they weare not thirstie he led them through the wildernesse he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them for he claue the rock and the waters gushed out Isaiah puts thē in minde of their first passage out of Egypt to correct their infidelitie IN regard the Iewes saw no way open to returne home and that there lay betweene many great and vast wildernesses the Prophet alledgeth Gods power from whence he propounds some examples that so the Iewes might be dispossest of all feare doubtings He would haue them then to consider whether God was not sufficientlie able to deliuer their fathers out of Egypts bondage and to bring them through horrible deserts in which notwithstanding he furnished them with viands water and all other necessaries Exod. 16. and 17. If he were able to do the one why should they misdoubt his abilitie concerning the other The Iewes here according to their maner coine fond fables Fables inuēted by the Iewes and inuent ridiculous miracles which were neuer done nor heard of And this they doe not so much of ignorance as of impudencie whereby they giue themselues libertie to publish any thing that may carrie a faire shew though it be vtterlie senselesse But our Prophets meaning was to put them in mind of that first passage out of Egypt and of the miracles which the Lord then did For whē the Prophets meane to extoll Gods works it is their custome as we haue often shewed to mention this first deliuerance And thus Dauid setting forth the victories he obteined saith that the mountaines trembled and shooke the ayre cleft in twaine and the Lord appeared from heauen which he neuer saw notwithstanding Psa 18. but he therein followes the description of the deliuerance out of Egypt to shew that God was the author of it and that he also fortified and guided him to ouercome his enemies and that his power was no lesse manifest in this victorie then in those wonderfull signes and miracles And thus the Prophet now would haue the people consider of these wonders of old to correct their incredulitie not to be tempted with diffidence for it was the custome of Gods faithfull seruants to cast their eies alwaies vpon this deliuerance that by the remembrance of so great a benefit they might confirme euery mans heart in faith and hope We haue also told you before that they were from age to age to feele the fruit of this redemption that the Lord by a continuall progresse might still be acknowledged the protector of that people whom he had so redeemed at the first Our Prophets meaning is then that the Lord will easily ouercome all impediments and will set open the passages that are shut will furnish them with vvater in abundance that they faint not for thirst for he will worke for them as in old time he did for their fathers when extraordinarilie he caused vvaters to issue out of the rock they making their account to perish for thirst Exod. 17.6 and therefore there was no cause why they should call the assurāce of their returne into question if they would but only meditate of that power of God wherof themselues by experience had tasted Vers 22. There is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked SOme inclose these words saith the Lord A preuention in regard of hypocrite◠in a parenthesis but we may keepe this order in the text to wit That the Lord denies the peace to the vvicked vvhereof they are vnworthie Now this is expresly added lest the hypocrites according to their wont should conceiue any vaine hope in these promises for he saith they belong nothing at all to such that he might whollie exclude them from all hope of saluation But it seemes Isaiah respected some other thing for in regard the greatest part of the people ouerflowed in impietie and reiected this benefit many infirme and weake ones might stagger and be offended at their multitudes for at this day there are many weake consciences troubled when they see the doctrine of saluation contemned by the greater part of the world Seeing then there were many in great danger of stumbling he turnes their minds
of Christ aboue all the riches of Egypt Exod. 2.11 Heb. 11.26 Let vs with the Apostles reioyce who went from the Councell with glad hearts in regard they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke and wrongs for the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 5.41 Now because it were little ioy to vs to see the wicked brought to nought vnlesse wee might inioy our freedome and safetie the Prophet shewes what our condition shall be namely neuer to be destituted of the righteousnesse and saluation of God But this comparison seemes not verie fitting when the ruine of the vngodly is opposed to his righteousnesse For it might haue been more properly and plainly affirmed that howsoeuer the wicked reioice yet they shall shortly perish and the faithfull who now resemble dead men shall liue For seeng he mentions not them at all but onely recommends vnto them the perpetuitie of his righteousnesse it might bee obiected what profit shall we haue by this that Gods righteousnesse shall remaine for euer whilest we in the meane while are ouerwhelmed with miseries But the Prophet in these words aduertiseth vs that the consolation which belongs vnto vs in afflictions must arise from hence that our health and saluation is after a sort shut vp in God For whilest men rest in themselues they cannot conceiue so much as the least dramme of hope which will not forthwith vanish And therefore he turnes our eies vnto God whose mercie indures for euer vpon them that feare him and his righteousnesse vpon their childrens children as Dauid saith Psal 103. In regard that our saluation then is founded on Gods mercy and truth Isaiah brings vs vnto it that all men being accounted as nothing wee may wholly trust in the saluation of the Lord. For thus we must reason Saluation is in God Saluation in God not for himselfe but for vs. not for himselfe but for vs as also his righteousnesse which hee is readie to manifest for our defence From the saluation righteousnesse of God then wee ought to gather that his seruants can neuer perish Which we haue also prooued from the testimonie of Dauid Thou art alwaies the same and thy yeeres shall not faile the children of thy seruants shall continue and their seede shall stand fast in thy sight Psal 102.27 28. Wee see then how hee applies this perpetuitie vnto Gods children who stand not by their owne strength but in God who is the rocke of their saluation Vers 9. Rise vp rise vp and put on strength O arme of the Lord arise as in the old time in the generations of the world Art not thou * that arme the same that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon 10. Art not thou the same which hath dried the sea euen the waters of the great deepe making the depth of the sea a way for the redeemed to passe ouer Gods promises must beget in vs the affection oâ— praier THe Prophet heere teacheth that when God raiseth vs vp by his promises we on the other side ought instantly to intreat him to accomplish that which hee hath promised For he giues vs not comfort to nourish vs in idlenesse but the more to inflame vs with a greater affection of praier and to a daily exercising of our faith Now the Prophet speaks heere according to our vnderstandings For we thinke that God sleepes as long as he deferres to relieue our miseries and yet the Lord beares with vs thus far that hee suffers vs to pray with such words as sauour somewhat of the infirmitie of our natures The faithfull then pray that God would arise or awake not as if he were idle or asleepe in heauen but they rather acknowledge therein their owne dulnesse or slothfulnesse in regard they cannot conceiue ought else of God as long as he deferres to helpe them Notwithstanding howsoeuer the flesh imagineth that hee sleepes and neglects our miseries yet faith lookes higher and apprehends his infinite power The Scripture therefore is wont to say In what sense God is said to wake c. that God awakes and puts on strength when he manifests some testimonies of his presence and power for without this we esteeme him either idle or asleep Now when the Prophet calles it the arme of the Lord which was then hid he sets it heere before them as if it were present that they might conclude surely our enemies could not afflict vs thus cruelly if that the Lord had not withdrawne his arme and helping hand from vs. We haue shewed you the cause of this delay in Chap. 50.1 namely for their reuolt from God By the daies of old hee shewes that they ought to remember all the wonderfull works which God had in former time wrought for their saluation For howsoeuer he seemes to sit still as one vtterly carelesse of vs yet is he the same God still who of old hath gouerned his Church and therefore can neuer now reiect or abandon those whom he hath receiued into his protection In the generations of old Wee must meditate on Gods works of old This repetition doth yet better expresse that wee ought not onely to consider what was done yesterday but those things also which were done long agoe for we must extend our thoughts euen to the most ancient generations that wee may ouercome those temptations which otherwise would seeme to ouerwhelme vs. The Prophet doth heere then gather together in one all the testimonies of Gods fauour which he hath from time to time manifested to his people that if two or three were not sufficient yet at least the great numbers of them might wholly confirme the faith of the elect Now because it was too tedious to draw a long catalogue of all hee names this first and excellent miracle among the rest namely the wonderfull deliuerance of the people out of Egypt For by Rahab I doubt not but he means proud and cruell Egypt as in the 87. Psalme I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon among those which know me Also Ezechiel calles the King of Egypt a dragon 29.3 Behold I come against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great dragon that lieth in the midst of the riuers Thus it sufficiently appeares and all in a maner are of the same opinion that the Prophet heere puts them in minde of that strange deliuerance of the people out of Egypt If the pride and loftinesse of Egygt was at that time brought low if the dragon was then slaine why should wee not still hope for the like Art not thou that arme The Prophet reasons from the nature of God for this cannot bee said of the arme of flesh the strength whereof be it neuer so great yet decaies and diminisheth in succession of time Milosigheth Milo who was the stoutest and strongest among many waxing old and looking vpon his arme sighed because hee felt himselfe destitute of that force which once hee inioied but it is not thus with God for his power can neuer diminish
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
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
giuen of it Vers 16. For the Lord will iudge with fire and with his sword all flesh and the slaine of the Lord shall be many HEe addes nothing different from the former A confirmation of the former denunciation but onely confirmes the former sentence and shewes that this iudgement shall be terrible lest any should thinke the matter hee speakes of were of small consequence Thus then he amplifies this horror the more to terrifie the wicked as also to cause the godly to keepe themselues in all puritie and integritie by withdrawing themselues from the societie of the godlesse And that therewithall they should also patiently beare the iniuries and cruell assaults of the enemies vntill God shewed himselfe with his reuenging hand from heaueÌ„ to execute his vengeance Now he thâ—eatens the destruction of all men in such wise that there should be great heapes of dead bodies And this hee added expresly in regard that impietie raigned in euery place and the faithfull were sharplie assailed in respect of the wickeds prosperitie For as our mindes are variable so wee suffer our selues to bee carried away with bad examples and the multitude puts many toies in our heads as if the same were of sufficient force to withstand the hand of God The Prophet corrects this peruerse feare of ours for by how much the more impietie and the great troopes of the wicked beares the sway so much the more will Gods wrath be inflamed to burne the hotter so as the numbers and plots of the wicked shall not hinder the Lord from wrapping them also vp in the same ruine Vers 17. They that sanctifie themselues and purifie themselues in gardens * Or in a fountaine which is in the midst behind one tree in the middest eating swines flesh and such abominations * Or and. euen the mouse shall bee consumed together saith the Lord. The persons noted to whom this vengeance belonged NOw he notes out these enemies as with his finger against whom he said Gods ire should be inflamed For it was hard to discerne whether hee spake of forraine and open enemies or whether hee directed his speech to the contemners of God who notwithstanding were mingled among the godly And therefore he taxeth the false hearted Iewes which had reuolted And I doubt not but in the first place hee gauls the hypocrites and next of all the wicked that is to say those who ouerflowed in their inordinate lusts which is meant by eating of swines flesh The hypocrites sanctified themselues that is they smoothed ouer things vnder the pretext of holinesse by which meanes they beguiled many They purified themselues in gardens That is they polluted themselues with diuers superstitions And yet by such inuentions they thought to make themselues the purer in Gods sight Others without any dissimulatioÌ„ despised God and all godlinesse It is a generall sentence then vnder which he comprehends all idolatries as well such as manifested their wickednes in all mens sight as the others who couered and cloaked the same vnder diuers shadowes When hee addes by a garden vvhich is in the midst some expositors supply a pond or fish poole as if in the midst of the garden there had beene some holy water put to wash in But the other sense agrees also well in regard that as euery one had his god apart so did he also chuse out some one tree among others Vers 18. For I will visit their workes and their imaginations for it shall come to passe that I will gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and see my glory A confirmation of the former sentence HEe confirmes that which hee said in the former verse namely that all the wicked should be punished to the end that howsoeuer the Lord was content to let them alone for a while to worke their wils yet should the faithfull be well assured to behold the day of their vengeance and that this should be as it were a pteseruatiue to let them from being carried away with the streame of the multitude The Lord testifies heere that he so sees and notes their vvorkes that it shall bee manifested by the effects one day that none could flee from the regard of his eies Some take it as if the wicked were able to doe nothing without Gods permission which senteÌ„ce is true in it selfe but yet it sutes not with this place And euery one may see it to be farre fetched and wide from the Prophets â—eaning for he onely confirmes that which he said before to wit that the hypocrites and notorious offendors should bee punished at the last because God kept a register of all their imaginations deliberations and wicked actions So as they should gaine nothing in the end by their shifts as if it were vnpossible to bring them to iudgement Because the time is come We haue heere the confirmation of that which hath been said for hee shewes that the time drawes neere in which hee will call all nations together and adopt them as one people vnto himselfe after he hath reiected the hypocrites and the open vvicked ones The Iewes were proudly conceited of themselues and contemned all nations besides as vile and prophane But the Lord protests heere that hee will adopt them that they may partake of his glory whereof the Iewes had made themselues vnworthy Truly this is an excellent place Doctrine in which we are taught that God is bound to no people in the world but that it rests in his will freely to chuse whom it pleaseth him and to reiect the vnbeleeuers whom in times past hee had called to himselfe Which doctrine Saint Paul discourseth of at large in Rom. 10.19 and 11.25 where hee shewes how wee are grafted as into an emptie stocke after the Iewes by their infidelitie had been reiected Isaiah threatens them now with it as if he should say I would not haue you so simple as to thinke that God can want a people seeing you forsake him and thereby make your selues vnworthy of his grace For there are others in the world besides you and in the meane while he will shew himselfe to be your Iudge and will make you feele at length that he cannot alwaies suffer his patience to be abused And they shall come For being grafted in by faith they shall come together into the Church with the true Iewes who had not forsaken the true adoption For the Iewes being neere vnto God it was needfull that the Gentiles should be made one with them that so the discord being remoued they might be ioined into one body To see the glory of the Lord is nothing else but to inioy the grace which hee had shewed vnto the Iewes For this was one speciall priuiledge the Iewes had namely that they beheld Gods glory and had with them the signes of his presence Now he saith that the nations which were depriued of such benefits should see and behold this glory in regard the Lord was minded to
then all the great and boysterous riuers of the Heathen let vs not therfore enuie the greatnesse and power of the wicked To this purpose it is said in the 46. Psal The streames of the riuer shal reioyce the city of God the sanctuary of the most high is in the midst therof therefore it shall not mooue God wil helpe it right early the Heathen make a noise the kingdoms shaked and the earth trembled The Lord of hostes is with vs c. Obiect If any shall obiect that the helpe and succour of men is not to be despised the answere is very easie Ans to wit that the Prophet condemnes not such helps here but that cursed feare which driues vs into despaire as when we are so affrighted that no promise of God whatsoeuer can hold vs in our places Let this be wel obserued Now we must yeeld God this honour to content our selues with him alone although all things else should faile vs seeing we are assured that he is alwaies redy to relieue vs. And then it is all one whether we haue outward helps or whether we haue them not For if we haue them it is in our liberty to vse them if wee haue them not let vs be content and let one God onely suffice vs for all necessities For hee is sufficientlie able to fulfill his promises of himselfe and needeth none of mans helpe therefore wee may boldlie commit our selues ouer into his onely custodie and safegard The Verbe Kalaq which sometimes signifies to passe is as much in this place as to spoile and cut off as if the Prophet should haue said Hee shall not onely slightly passe thorow Iudeah but shall also ouer-flow it so as he will drowne and destroy it wholly For he will spread himselfe all ouer the land in all places He addes Vers 8. And shall breake into Iudah and shall ouerflow and passe thorow and shall come vp to the necke and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the the breadth of thy land O Immanuel THis similitude is taken froÌ„ a maÌ„ who entering into a riuer goes forward by degrees til at leÌ„gth he come vp to the neck So shal Iudah be inuironed with this boisterous flood to wit with the Assyrian in such sort as he shall wade into it vp to the necke Now he speakes this of Ierusalem which was the chiefe and capitall Citie in the kingdome for when the Assyrian arriued there it was no hard matter to destroy all Iudah The bredth of thy land That is to say ouer all the parts of it The Prophet goes on still with the similitude of his prophesie and sheâ—es how great the violence of the Assyrian wil be and he amplifies his fiercenes and turbulencie by the same similitude to wit of a raging streame which hauing broken all ramparts that could be set before it ouerflowes and spreads euery way ouercaries and beares all downe before it For he followes his denunciation against the Iewes as he began to do in the two former verses And as he had threatned the Israelites and Syrians with destruction so now he likewise threatens the Iewes with the same For the better vnderstanding whereof we must consider the context which Isaiah disposeth very fitlie He had directed his speech before to others because Ahaz was vnworthie of it The Lord shall giue you a signe and this we haue handled in the former Chapter He therewithall addes the meanes whereby to preserue Ierusalem to wit by the sodaine mutations which should happen to Israel and Syria This was confirmed in the beginning of this Chapter as well by expresse commandement as by vision Now hee comes to the Iewes who should not thinke to escape without punishment as also that they should not be too much lifted vp with the fall of their enemies for he shewes that their reward is very neere and that they shall be chastised for their impietie and disloyaltie because they despised the Lord and would not be satisfied with his promises signes and benefits which were offred them in all fulnes and abundance Quest Immanuel Some aske why the Prophet rather turnes his speech to Christ then to call it Gods holy land for no doubt but by the name of Immanuel he meanes Christ It should seeme that this was said to expresse the indignitie of the offence so much the more because Iudah was not only consecrated vnto God but also had the pledge of his saluation in the person of the Mediator and therefore should be a great indignitie vnto them to be destroyed by an Infidell king Ans But I thinke rather the Prophet addes this word to giue some hope againe to the faithfull and to comfort them in so great a calamitie for they might haue been out of heart seeing the countrie so cruellie wasted and spoiled His meaning is to say then that this destruction shall not hinder the comming of the Redeemer of whom he had made mention before As if he had said The land shall be thine O Immanuel thou must dwell and remaine in it This then is added in stead of a consolation giuing them to vnderstand that the land being pilled and destroyed shall yet notwithstanding be rather Gods then mans And this turning and applying of the speech to the second person hath great vehemencie because by this meanes he hath recourse to the promised redemption to the end the Lord may moderate his anger in the midst of these horrible calamities Vers 9. Gather together on heapes ô ye * Or peoples people and ye shall be broken in pieces and hearken all yee of far countries gird your selues and you shall be broken in pieces gird your selues and you shall be broken in pieces THe Verb Raaf signifieth to bruise or to breake whether it descends from the word Roa or from Raah But because Raah signifies to conioyne or assemble some had rather take it in this sense which also agrees best with the argument and context of the Prophet For whereas some translate Breake you to wit either the kingdome of Iudah or the Assyrians it seemes too coÌ„strained too farre fetched But it appeeres that the Prophet describes the counsels and enterprises by which they thought to cut off the Church of God because he by and by addes Gird your selues Also in the beginning of the next verse Take counsell The word then of Assembling properlie agrees to this place vnlesse any had rather take the word to Breake by a figure to which I willinglie yeeld and so the word amounts to as much as to heape vp or as we commonlie say to pack vp hard together because things which are pressed are also consequeÌ„tlie pressed with violence and thrust together He meanes then not only an heape but an heape well pressed together as if he should say Gather your selues close together as if you were some very thick heape This signification as it seemes agrees very well to the circumstance of this place and that which is added