Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 1 · Verse 15
Verſ. 15. And when you ſhall ſtretch out your hands I will hide mine eies from you: and though you make many prayers, I will not heare: for your hands are full of blood.
IT came not from any ſuperſtition that the people in old time vſed to ſtretch out their hands in prayer: neither came this geſture of any vaine or friuolous luſt, as many others hauehave done: But in regard that nature her ſelfe thruſteth forth her hands to ſeeke for that which ſhe deſireth: teſtifying euen by outward ſignes that ſhe hath her recourſe vntounto God. Therefore in as much as we cannot flie vp vntounto him, wee lift vp our ſelues as it were vntounto him by this ſigne or geſture. True it is that the fathers had no commandement to doe it: notwithſtanding they vſed it as being inſpired of God. And by this very ſigne are all idolaters conuinced euen of ſottiſh blindnes: for they proteſt by this outward geſture that they hauehave their refuge in God, and yet notwithſtanding in effect they withdraw their hearts from him to idoles. Alſo to the end the ſuperſtitious might be the more conuinced, the Lord was pleaſed that this cuſtome ſhould alwaies continue in vſe amongſt them. The Prophet then condemnes not the lifting vp of the hands ſimplie, but their hypocriſie, whereby in appearance they made ſhew to call vponupon God, but in their hearts they were farre from him, as in the 29. chapter he doth more fully charge them. The Lord confeſſeth indeed that he is neere; but it is to thoſe that call vponupon him in truth, Pſalm. 145.18. For where hypocriſie reigneth, there can be no true inuocation. That therfore which is ſaid in another place is not contrarie to this; namely, when they ſhall ſtretch forth their hands vntounto me, I wil heare them. For the Lord there ſpeakes of that inuocation which proceedes of faith. For faith is the mother of prayer: but if faith bee abſent, prayer is a meere mocking of God.Rom. 10.14. This he yet amplifies further when hee tels them that he will not heare their cries, although they ſhould multiplie their prayers: As if hee ſhould ſay; Be it that you neuer ceaſe praying, yet this your diligence ſhall profit you nothing: For hypocrites hauehave this vice alſo peculiar vntounto them, that they imagine the more they babble, ye more holy they are, and that they can the more eaſily obtaine the thing they aske. But he refels their babling here, as we ſee.
For your hands.] Now he begins to declare more plainly why he abhors, yea, reiects their prayers, as alſo their ſacrifices with diſdain; namely, becauſe they preſented themſelues before his face with a brauerie full of diſſimulation: and in the meane while were cruell, bloudy and giuen to eueryevery kind of iniquitie. Now howſoeuer he by and by addes other ſorts of iniquities, he yet ſpeakes thus notwithſtanding in regard that he had mentioned the lifting vp of the hands: and ſaith, that euen in them, they bare a ſigne and marke of their impieties, ſo as they need not to marueile why they be ſo ſharpely beatē back.1. Tim. 2.8. For otherwiſe this manner of ſpeech, To lift vp pure hands, was not only in vſe among the Prophets and Apoſtles, but alſo euen amongſt prophane authors, who were pricked forward by the very inſtinct of nature, to exerciſe themſelues in reproouing the ſottiſhnes of mē: or rather it may be the Lord plucked this confeſſiō or ceremonie from them, to the end that at the leaſ…wiſe there might alwaies be ſome appearance of true religiō amongſt thē.
Notwithſtanding the Prophet meant not to charge the Iewes to bee ſuch theeues or murtherers as rob and kill by the high waies ſide: but hee ſtrikes at their priuie deceits and opreſſions whereby they got other mens goods into their owne hands. For God iudgeth otherwiſe then man doth: man eſpieth not the priuie iuglings and wilie practiſes of the wicked by which they are accuſtomed ſmoothly and cunningly to beguile the ſimple ones; or if ſo be they chaunce to come to light, they are extenuated, and not examined according to the weights of the Sanctuarie: But God pulling out theſe gallants by the poll into light, who were wont to ſhroud their robberies vnderunder honeſt titles, pronounceth before all men that they are murtherers. For if thou kill a man, be it after what manner thou wilt, then art thou a murtherer, whether thou cutteſt his throate, or takeſt away his maintenance, and that which is conuenient for him. He ſpeakes not of them then which were openly wicked, being deteſted of all for their diſhoneſt dealing: but of ſuch as caried two faces vnderunder one hood; profeſſing themſelues good men in outward ſhew, and kept their credit with the world. And this is a circumſtance well worthie our obſeruation. For thus muſt wee proceede at this day againſt thoſe lanke and emptie fellowes who will cloake their villanies vnderunder vizzards of honeſtie, and in the meane while, what by deceit, violence, or ſome ſuch other iniurie, they oppreſſe the poore and needie. Although then they impudently crie out that we doe them wrong to compare them to theeues and murtherers, yet muſt they be reprehended with ſuch ſeueritie, as the Prophet vſed here to their fellowes. For when wee ſpeake in the name of God, we muſt not iudge according to the reaſon and opinion of men: but muſt with all boldnes pronounce that which the Lord his iudgement approueth.