Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 40 · Verse 1
Verſ. 1. Comfort yee; Comfort yee my people, will your God ſay.
The occaſion of this prophecie.NOw the Prophet enters vponupon a new argumēt; for he lets the people alone, which made no vſe neither of admonitions nor threatnings whatſoeuer, in regard they were become maliciouſly deſperate: and turnes him towards the poſteritie to come, to ſignifie to thoſe which ſhould bee humbled vnderunder the croſſe, that they ſhould not be left comfortleſſe in the end; no, not in their deepeſt diſtreſſes. It is very likely that this prophecie was written by him,The time when this prophecie was written. when the time of the captiuitie drew neere, that after his death he might not leaue the Church behind him ouerwhelmed with greeuous calamities, without hope of reſtauration. Now albeit that to the ſame end hee hath before mingled threatnings and terrors with his prophecies,The prophecies that wēt before, reſpected thoſe that then preſently liued: theſe that follow, the eſtate of the Church to come. yet it ſeemes hee had a principall regard to thoſe that then liued: but all that which followes hereafter, toucheth the eſtate of the Church to come, which was reſtored long after the Prophets death. For he will now ſet downe a perpetuall doctrine, which is not to bee reſtrained to any particular time, ſeeing hee diſcourſeth both of the beginning and progreſſe of Chriſts Kingdome. Of ſo much the greater importance therefore ought this prophecie to bee vntounto vsus, by how much the more it belongs particularly vntounto vsus for our vſe. For albeit wee may euidently diſcerne in the former prophecies,Why the prophecies following, ought to be more highly eſteemed of vsus then the ormer. that the doctrine therein contained, is proper vntounto vsus as well as to the Iewes; yet in regard he now leaues the Iewes that then liued, and ſpeakes to their ſucceſſors, and indeede to all the faithfull to the worlds end, it ſeemes indeede that the doctrines following are more peculiar vntounto vsus. The Lord meant therefore to awaken the hearts of the faithfull by this exhortation, leſt they ſhould faint vnderunder ſo many calamities. Firſt then he ſpeakes to the Iewes, which ſoone after were to be led away captiues into miſerable ſeruitude, where they ſhould be depriued both of the ſacrifices and Prophets, and left deſtitute of all conſolation, had not the Lord bin pleaſed to hauehave releeued them by the comfortable doctrines of theſe prophecies enſuing. In the ſecond place he directs his ſpeech to the whole Kingdome of Chriſt, which ſhould ſucceed them ſoone after, to the end they might then take heart vntounto them, when in all likelihood they might ſeeme in the eies of the world to be vtterlie forlorne. But to the end his words might hauehave the more efficacie, and might indeede come neere the heart, he brings in God raiſing vp new Prophets: whom hee commands to ſweeten and aſſwage the dolours of his people, by an amiable conſolation. The ſumme is,The ſumme of this prophecie▪ that after theſe poore baniſhed exiles ſhall hauehave ſeemed to hauehave beene forſaken for a time, that Gods fauour and louing kindneſſe ſhall breake forth, as out of the darkneſſe; and the prophecies which were ceaſed, ſhould then be brought to light againe.
Now to amplifie this their ioy, he vſeth the plurall number; Comfort yee: thereby ſhewing, that he will not ſend one or two, but many by troopes; which alſo came to paſſe indeed: wherein alſo we may more cleerly behold the infinite louelove and mercy of God. Moreouer, it is diligently to be obſerued, that the verbe is put in the future tence; will your God ſay. Which ſome expoſitors tranſlate in the preſent tence, or in the preterperfect tence; but therein they both change and corrupt the ſenſe: for the Prophet cloſly notes out the time wherein the people ſhould be greeuouſly afflicted, as if God had not ſeene them at all. For howſoeuer the Lord at that time left them not deſtitute of hope touching their deliuerance, by ſending ſome Prophets vntounto them; yet in regard he deferred them long, and that whileſt they were miſerably perſecuted, and in a maner halfe dead: this conſolation had no great efficacie, till they ſaw ſome euident ſignes of their returne.
Comfort ye, comfort ye.The verb Comfort therefore is to be applied to the preſent time, which being twice repeated, not only confirmes the truth of the propheſie, but alſo ſets forth the power and efficacie of it: as if he ſhould ſay, in this meſſage there ſhall be a full, perfect, and perpetuall occaſion of gladnes.
But eſpeciallie they were to retaine the futurtence, will your God ſay? for in theſe words there lies hid a cloſe oppoſition betweene that dolefull ſilence whereof I hauehave ſpoken, and that comfortable doctrine which came in place of it.
This propheſie is like to the complaint of the Church, Pſal. 74. Wee ſee not our ſignes, our Prophets are not, and there is none left that can tell vsus how long: in which we know ſhe laments, as one left deſtitute of true conſolation, becauſe ſhe could heare no promiſe of comfort in her diſtreſſes. The Prophets meaning in this place then is, The Lord will not ſuffer you to be left deſtitute of Prophets which ſhall comfort you in your extreame aduerſitie: for then he will raiſe vp men to whom he wil giuegive that commiſſion which you hauehave ſo long deſired, and then will he ſhew he hath care of you.
Now I referre this verb will ſay, not only to the captiuitie of Babylon, but to the whole time of our deliuerance; which comprehends in it the kingdome of Chriſt vntill his laſt cō ming. We muſt adde, that he will ſay to ye Prophet…, whom he will ordeine for this purpoſe: for in vaine ſhal they vtter their voice, vnleſſe the Lord ſpeake not to them firſt, and put that into their mouthes which they ſhall publiſh vntounto others. Thus then there is a mutuall relation betweene God and his Prophets. But as I hauehave ſaid, theſe things are not to be whollie reſtrained to the captiuitie of Babylon; no, they hauehave a further extent, and comprehend vnderunder them the doctrine of the Goſpell, in which this power to comfort is chieflie conteined: for it is the proper office thereof to refreſh the afflicted,The proper office of the Goſpell. & thoſe that are brought low, to quicken the dead, and to reioyce ſuch as are in heauines: in a word, to bring with it tidings of all ioy and gladnes;GoſPell, that is, glad tidings. for which cauſe it is called the Goſpell, that is to ſay, good newes: which began not then to be publiſhed when Chriſt firſt appeared to the world, but long before, to wit, from the time that God firſt manifeſted his fauour.
Daniell.Daniell, he firſt raiſed vp the ſtandard, to the end the faithfull might prepare themſelues to returne home: after him, Haggai, Zachari, Malachi, Nehemiah, Ezra, Haggai. Zacharie. Malachi. Nehemiah. Ezra.and others after them, vntill Chriſtes comming, alwaies exhorted the faithfull to be of good comfort, and to hope againſt hope. The laſt of them that wrote was Malachi, who knowing there ſhould be no more Prophets after him, ſends the people to the law of Moſes, that they might learne what the will of God was both touching his threatnings and promiſes, Mal. 4.4.
Now from this place we gather that which is chieflie to be ſought in the Prophets, to wit,What is chiefly to be ſought in the Prophets. they ſet before vsus the ſweetnes of Gods fauor, that the faithfull might conceiue hope for the time to come: that they ſhould not quaile vnderunder afflictions, but might perſeuere in prayer. But the matter being alwaies incredible, he calles to minde the couenant; as if he meant to ſay, That it was vnpoſſible for God to forget that which he once promiſed to Abraham. Howſoeuer the Iewes then had fallen from the grace of God by their ſinnes, yet he auoucheth notwithſtanding that he is their God ſtill, and that they were his peculier people which depended vponupon his election: and therefore in regard there were many reprobates among them,My people. he only directs his ſpeech to the faithfull, for he lets the wicked languiſh and conſume away in their incredulitie. But the godly hauehave here an ineſtimable conſolation, to wit, that albeit they be preſſed with griefe and anguiſh for a time, yet becauſe they put their truſt in him who is the father of mercies and God of all conſolation, they ſhall in the end feele that the promiſes of grace were conſerued and kept for them as an hid treaſure, to glad their hearts in due ſeaſon. See heere an excellent commendation of the propheticall office, which ſerues to ſuſteine the faithfull in aduerſitie, leſt they ſhould faint or ſinke vnderunder the burthen: contrariwiſe, this place ſhewes, that God is exceeding angrie whē he depriues vsus of ſuch faithfull teachers as may bring glad tidings to the Church whereby to refreſh the wearie ſoule, and to ſtrengthen the weake.