Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 1 · Verse 26 – Verse 28
Verſ. 26. And I will reſtore thy Iudges as at the firſt, and thy Counſellers as at the beginning: afterward thou ſhalt be called a citie of righteouſnes, and a faithfull citie.
NOw he ſpeakes plainely without any figure. And becauſe hee had ſaid that the ſpring and beginning of all euils was in the princes; thus hee teacheth, that their offices and places ſhall be purged by the Lord, when he begins to reſtore the perfect health and welfarre of the Church againe vntounto her. And from thence it is alſo that iuſtice in the politicall gouernment comes; to wit, when the gouernors that rule are vertuous, and fearing God: becauſe all thing goe to hauock, when thoſe which gouerne, are wicked. It is plaine enough, that by Iudges and Counſellers he meanes all Magiſtrates of what ſort ſoeuer. In that hee promiſeth they ſhall bee ſuch as they were at the beginning, he puts them in mind of the ſingular benefit of God, whereof they had been depriued. God by his direction had exalted the throne of Dauid, and commanded that in this gouernmēt there ſhould ſhine an Image of his fatherly louelove. Now although they had corrupted the ſame by wicked tyrannie; yet notwithſtanding, they ceaſed not to make their bragges of falſe titles: for they boaſted much of the kingdome of Dauid, euen as the Papiſts glorie at this day vnderunder a falſe pretence of the Church. Therefore the people are iuſtly admoniſhed from what an happie eſtate they were fallen by their owne default, that ſo they ſhould not be diſpleaſed to hauehave their multitudes of mē diminiſhed, but might rather be mooued to recouer againe the good order which God had ordained.
Afterward thou ſhalt be called.] He extends the fruite of this reformation, whereof he hath ſpoken, to the whole bodie. For the Prophet hauing ſaid that Ieruſalem was a faithfull Citie, and full of iudgement before ſhe reuolted from God; now he ſaith, that after ſhe ſhall be chaſtiſed, theſe vertues here ſpoken of ſhall be ſeene to ſhine in her. The ſumme alſo of true repentance is ſet forth in this place: for by Iustice, is vnderſtood integritie, wherein eueryevery man obtaines of another that which to him belongeth, and that one man liues with another without oppreſſion. The word faithfull extends it ſelfe further: becauſe we call that a faithfull Citie, not onelyonly where equitie and mutuall Iuſtice ruleth among men, but alſo where God is purely ſerued. And thus vnderunder this word, the puritie and chaſtitie of the vnderſtanding is comprehended. Yet we muſt note that Iuſtice deſcends from this faithfulnes, becauſe that when we carrie our ſelues vprightly one towards another; there Iuſtice will eaſily beare the ſway. And ſurely by examining the whole a little more narrowly; it ſeemes the Prophet takes not the word fidelitie in ſo ample a ſignification as heretofore. Alſo that hee ſo ioynes theſe two vertues together, as if they tended both to one end: ſo as truth ſhould be the firſt in order as being the cauſe; then that Iustice ſhould be the effect of it.
Moreouer Iſaiah not onelyonly promiſeth that ſhe ſhall be iuſt and faithfull, but alſo that by theſe badges and markes ſhe ſhall become excellent and renoumed: thereby further ſignifying, that her righteouſnes ſhal be ſuch that the knowledge and renoune therof ſhall be ſpread abroad eueryevery where. We know alſo that hypocrits obtaine great and honorable titles: but becauſe Iſaiah brings in the Lord ſpeaking, hee holds it as a ſure concluſion that the citie ſhall bee iuſt according as hee hath foretold. In the meane while, as I hauehave ſaid, he ſets before vsus the fruit of a true conuerſion, as if he ſhould ſay; When Ieruſalem ſhall bee once brought to true godlines, then others ſhall ſee the fruites of her renouation alſo.
Verſ. 27. Zion ſhall be redeemed in iudgement, and they that returne in her, in iuſtice.
HE confirmes the ſame doctrine: and becauſe the reſtitution of the Church was a thing hard to bee beleeued, hee ſhewes that it hangs not vponupon the will of men, but that it is grounded vponupon the Iudgement and Iuſtice of God: as if he ſhould ſay, God will by no means endure that the Church ſhould wholly be deſtroyed, becauſe he is iuſt. The meaning of the Prophet then is, to withdraw the minds of the faithfull, from all earthly cogitations, to the end, that when the hope of the ſaluation of the Church is in queſtion, they ſhould depend vponupon God, and not be diſcouraged, although in ſtead of helpe and ſuccour they ſhould ſee lets and hinderances on all ſides. For thoſe that referre theſe words of Iudgement and Iuſtice to men, are deceiued; as if Iſaiah ſhould ſpeake now of the well ordred eſtate of a city: and therefore that ſenſe which I hauehave giuen is according to the true meaning of the Prophet, to wit, that although no ſuccour appeare vntounto them from men, yet that the iuſtice of the Lord notwithſtanding is more then ſufficient to redeeme his Church. And truely whilſt wee looke into our owne ſtrength, what hope of helpe can we conceiue? Nay, how many rockes doe there by and by rather appeare, to daſh our faith all to peeces? It is in God only then that we ſhal finde a perpetuall firmenes of truſt. In the ſecond member, and they that returne, the means of the redemption is expreſſed, to wit, that thoſe which were baniſhed and ſcattered farre off, ſhall be gathered together againe.
Verſ. 28. And the deſtruction of the tranſgreſſers, and of the ſinners ſhall bee together, and they that forſake the Lord, ſhall be conſumed.
TO the end hypocrits ſhould not thinke that any fruit of theſe promiſes did appertaine vntounto them, and leſt they ſhould boaſt in vaine, he threatens that they ſhall periſh, although God redeeme his Church. For hypocrites are alwaies mingled amongſt the faithfull: and which more is, they thruſt themſelues into the chiefeſt places, valuing the Church according to the outward forme and ſhew thereof, audaciouſly drawing whatſoeuer God hath promiſed, vntounto themſelues. But the Prophet pluckes this truſt (if it may be ſo called) from them, becauſe it proceedes from nothing elſe but pride of heart, and a vaine perſwaſion. Here therefore is diligently to be conſidered, with what wiſedome and diſcretion the faithfull Teachers hauehave neede to be endued withall, for the comfort of the good, that they may refreſh their minds with ſome conſolation; and preſerue them from fainting, and from being diſcouraged, whilſt they terrifie the wicked with the iudgements of God. On the contrarie alſo the faithfull being ſtayed by the promiſe of God, and that the wicked ſeeke to wreſt it to themſelues, and lift vp their creſts with a vaine confidence, we muſt then keepe this order and meane, that we giuegive the wicked no occaſion to become proud and inſolent: as alſo that the faithfull be no whit out of heart, nor diſcouraged: as Iſaiah doth here in this place. For hauing ſpoken of the redemption of the Church, hee threatens the obſtinate and wicked, and denounceth their ruin, to the end they might not thinke, theſe benefits of God did any thing at all belong vntounto them. Now although he iudgeth ye wicked to perdition, yet by this compariſon he amplifies the grace of God towards the faithfull: the which ſhould then be the better perceiued, when God ſhould heale thoſe that were his, whileſt the wicked in the meane while ſhould periſh, as it is ſaid in the 91. Pſalme, verſ. 7. Againe, he alſo moderates the ſorrow which might diſquiet the hearts of the faithfull, for the waſt of the Church; for he admoniſheth them that the whole bodie could not otherwiſe be healed vnleſſe the corruption which was in it, were cut off.