Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 40 · Verse 8
Verſ. 8. But thou, Iſrael, art my ſeruant, and thou Iacob whom I hauehave choſen; the ſeed of Abraham my friend.
NOw the Prophet ſhewes how vnreaſonable a thing it were that Iſrael ſhould mingle himſelfe with prophane Nations, though all of them ioined hand in hand, marching in aray vnderunder the banner of Idolatrie, and giuing themſelues to lewde practiſes. Why ſo? God had called them, and freely ſeparated them to be his peculiar people, and therefore it became not ſuch to throw themſelues headlong into ſo beaſtly a furie. This place is notable therefore, and teacheth vsus to ſtick faſt to the calling of God, that we defile not our ſelues with the filth of the world: if corruptions breake forth, and that Idolaters let looſe the bridle to all villanie; yet muſt we be held ſhort by another bridle; to wit, we are the choſen of God, and therefore it is not lawfull for vsus to flie out, as the wicked and vnbeleeuers do. Such were ſome of you, ſaith the Apoſtle, but you are waſhed, but you are ſanctified in the name of the Lord Ieſus, and by the ſpirit of our God, 1. Cor. 6.11. For what is more abſurd then to wander in the darke, after the ſunne of righteouſnes hath ſhined vponupon vsus.
Let vsus in any wiſe therefore bethinke vsus of our vocation, that we may follow it effectuallie and diligentlie: and walking in it as children of the light, let vsus abhorre all the darknes of our life paſt. This is the cauſe why he calles Iſrael his ſeruant: not that the Iſraelites had merited ought by their ſeruices, but becauſe it had pleaſed the Lord to chooſe them for his owne. And therefore to the ſame purpoſe he addes, Thou Iakob whom I hauehave choſen: wherein he ſets before them a ſpeciall commēdation of his free bountie. As if he ſhould ſay, You are my ſeruants, not by merit, but of my free merciemercy, ſeeing I hauehave prepared you thereunto by mine election, and by putting you apart to be my peculiar people. To be ſhort, he admoniſheth them, that they obteined not this title of being the ſeruants of God by their owne induſtrie; for there was nothing to be found in them that ſhould make them more holy then others, but only becauſe the good pleaſure of their maſter was ſuch, God chooſeth and refuſeth whom it pleaſeth him. The end of our election is, …o be Gods ſeruants.who chooſeth this or that man according to the counſell of his owne will. Therewithall alſo he ſhewes what is the end of our election, to wit, that we ſhould be the ſeruants of God. For he hath choſen vsus, as the Apoſtle ſaith, that we ſhould be holy and without blame before him in louelove, Epheſ. 1.4. The end alſo of our election is, that ſuch as were the bondſlaues of Satan before, ſhould now ſubmit and giuegive themſelues to God in abſolute obedience.
In the third place he addes, the ſeed of Abraham, to teach vsus, that election depends vponupon the free promiſeElection depends vponupon the free promiſe. of God: not that the promiſe goes before election (which is from euerlaſting) but becauſe ye Lord makes known his fauor in reſpect of his promiſe: for to Abraham he ſaid, I am thy God, and the God of thy ſeed, Gen. 17.7. This fauor then was continued to his ſucceſſors, and in reſpect of the promiſe, God had a ſpeciall care ouer the welfare of this people, as alſo S. Paul ſaith Rom. 9.4. That to them were giuen the couenants, the promiſes, and the law. For which cauſe this ſeed was called an holy nation, a royall Prieſthood, &c. Exod. 19.6. 1. Pet. 2.9.
But the Lord ſhewes the ſingular louelove he bare to Abraham in calling him his friend. Abraham Gods friend.It is no ſmall fauor to be called Gods ſeruant: Simile.for if it be worthily eſteemed an high dignitie to be brought into the ſeruice of a King or Prince, how much more highly ought we to thinke our ſelues aduanced when we are accounted the houſhold ſeruants of the Almightie? And yet he contents not himſelfe herewith, but as if that were too little, he honours him yet further, and adornes him with the title of Friends. Now that which is here ſaid of Abraham belongs to all the faithfull, which Chriſt declares at large, Ioh. 15.15. I call you not ſeruants, ſaith he, but friends: for the ſeruant knowes not what his Maſter doth, but I hauehave acquainted you with all my heauenly myſteries and ſecrets: by reaſon wherof, you may eaſily diſcerne how great the louelove and affection is which I beare towards you. Seeing then that God hath done vsus ſo great honour, ought we not to bethinke vsus of our duties? Hath he ſhewed ſo vnutterable a fauour to vsus, and ſhall it not ſtirre vsus vp to ſerue and honour him with the greater care and reuerence? But let it (I pray you) be alwaies remembred, that Abraham is not called the friend of God, but in regard of adoption:Note, that Abraham is not called Gods friend, but by the right of adoption. as Moſes alſo ſaith of the Iewes, Deut. 4.37. He loued thy fathers, and therefore he choſe their ſeed after them.