Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 40 · Verse 12 – Verse 17
Verſ. 12. Who hath meaſured the waters in his fiſt? and counted the heauen with a ſpanne, and comprehended the duſt of the earth in a meaſure? and weighed the mountaines in a weight, and the hils in a ballance?
Hauing ſet forth Gods fatherly louelove towards his little flock, now he ſets forth his power the ſecond time.HAuing finiſhed his ſpeech touching the fatherlie care that God hath for the defence of his people: now he comes to ſet forth his power; and magnifies it as farre forth as poſſiblie he can, which yet ſhal moue vsus very little, vnleſſe we looke narrowlie into the Prophets meaning. An ignorant perſon at the firſt bluſh would ſay that the Prophet hath heaped vp a many of broken ſentences without grace or arte: but if we hauehave regard to his ſcope and end, by an elegant ſpeech he adornes the power of God ſeaſonably, becauſe his power is the true and beſt ſtay for our faith to leane vponupon,Gods power, the true ſtay and prop of our faith. that thereby we may be aſſured he will performe his promiſe. It is not for nought the Apoſtle ſaith that Abraham doubted not, knowing that he which had promiſed, vvas alſo able to do it, Rom. 4.20. And in the ſame ſenſe he ſaith, 2. Tim. 1.12. I know whom I hauehave belieued; God is able to keepe that which I hauehave committed vntounto him. To this belongs the ſaying of Chriſt, My father which gaue them me is greater then all, Ioh. 10.19. Seeing then that we hauehave continuallie to wreſtle againſt diſtruſt, and that Satan is readie to circumuent vsus by many fetches, wee muſt attribute to the power of God the praiſe that it deſerueth, to the end his promiſes may be receiued of vsus with that aſſurance which is requiſit.
Now becauſe the reſtauration of the people was a thing incredible to fleſh and blood, it was needfull that the minds of the faithfull ſhould be raiſed vp farre aboue the world, leſt they ſhould tie the grace of God to humane helps. Wee ſee the Prophet not only teacheth that God is the Creator of heauen and earth:The Prophet playes not the orator only in ſetting forth Gods power but applies it to the preſent occaſion. but whatſoeuer he recites touching his infinite power, it is applied to the matter in hand; which we alſo are to doe at this day. When any aduerſitie preſſeth vsus, our ſaluation ſeemes to be hidden, Gods power is ouerſhadowed, as if a cloude were come betweene vsus and it: we ſtand amazed, euen as if we were vtterlie reiected and contemned of the Lord. Let vsus not thinke then that this deſcription is ſome light matter: for if the perſwaſion of Gods power were well ſetled in our hearts,The firme perſwaſion of Gods power well ſetled in our hearts, would keepe vsus frō being ſhakē of any temptation. we ſhould neuer be ſo toſſed vp and downe; neither ſhould any calamitie be able to trouble vsus.
Abraham reſted vponupon this power, as we hauehave ſaid, that he might with aſſurance imbrace that which otherwiſe was incredible: and therefore S. Paul affirmes that he hoped, aboue hope, being reſolued that God vvas able to performe that which he had ſpoken, ſo as he neither ſtaggered, neither was he weake in the faith, Rom. 4.18.19. This teacheth vsus to lift vp our eies aboue the hils, Pſal. 221.1. and that wee iudge not of things according to the outward appearance;We muſt not iudge of things according to outward appearances. but that we may indeed aſſure our ſelues, that that which God hath ſaid ſhall ſurely come to paſſe, becauſe he hath all things in his owne power.
All of vsus are to reſt in this; but (as I told you) the Iewes had exceeding neede to be fullie reſolued of it, for they were oppreſſed vnderunder very mightie tyrants: all paſſages were ſhut vp againſt them: all hope of libertie was taken from them: in a word, they ſaw themſelues eueryevery way compaſſed about, as in a great and hidious wildernes. This conſolation therefore had bin ſet before them in vaine, if by the Prophets admonition their minds had not bin raiſed vp to heauen, that ſo they might whollie reſt their hearts vponupon the abſolute power of God, without looking to inferior things.
When he ſpeakes of meaſures which men vſe in ſmall things, it is to applie himſelfe to our weaknes:God is faine to liſp as it were vntounto vsus, otherwiſe we were not able to comprehend his incomprehenſible greatnes. for the Lord liſps with vsus thus ordinarily, taking ſimilitudes from things vſuall amongſt vsus, when he is to ſpeake of his owne Maieſtie, that ſo thoſe of ſhallow and feeble capacities might the better comprehend his greatnes and excellencie. Wee are therefore to reiect all carnall imaginations of God, becauſe his greatnes ſurpaſſeth all creatures: for the heauen, the earth, the ſea, and all that in them is with their vnmeaſurablenes, are yet all of them nothing in compariſon of him.
Verſ. 13. Who hath instructed the Spirit of the Lord? or was his Counſellor, or taught him?
14. Of whome tooke he counſell, and who instructed him, and taught him in the way of iudgement? or taught him knowledge, and ſhewed vntounto him the way of vnderstanding?
THe Prophet now deſcends to ſpeake that of Gods wiſedome,The Prophet hauing deſcribed Gods power and goodnes, now he mentions his wiſdome. which in the former verſes he taught concerning his power and goodnes. This golden chaine is to be noted: for as carnall reaſon doth peruerſlie reſtraine the power of God to outward helps, ſo doth it without reaſon ſubiect the incomprehenſible counſell of God to humane imaginations: and thus many things will preſent themſelues to hinder the courſe of Gods works, till he himſelfe be exalted farre aboue all creatures. If our reaſon may be iudge, then there will be no end of doubtings.Where reaſon is Iudge, there will be no end of doubtings. For as oft as it conceiues not how the Lord works this or that, wee will call into queſtion the truth of his promiſes; becauſe whatſoeuer ſurmounts our reaſon, will forthwith ſeeme an impoſſible thing vntounto vsus.Wee muſt oppoſe Gods power to our weakneſſe, and his wiſdome to our preſumptiō. Thus then, as we are to oppoſe Gods power to our vveakeneſſe, ſo are wee to preferre his incomparable vviſdome, before our preſumption and boldneſſe.
In asking whether any hath instructed or directed the Spirit of God, it is to ſhew that he needes no teacher to goe before him, or to counſell him in vnknowne things. The Spirit is heere taken for reaſon, iudgement, or vnderſtanding: for he borrowes the ſimilitude from the nature of men, the better to apply himſelfe to our capacities. For, as I thinke, he ſpeakes not heere of the eſſentiall ſpirit of God.One thing ſet forth diuers waies. Now the Prophet ſets forth one and the ſame thing diuers waies, to teach vsus that man is more beaſtly then the very brute beaſts, when hee dares aſpire to heauen, to ſearch and vveigh the workes of God in the vnequall ballance of his reaſon: Iſaiah meant then more and more to beat downe the headineſſe and ouerweening of men. S. Paul alleadgeth this place to the ſame end, that he might ſtop our mouthes in asking curious queſtions touching the incomprehenſible counſels of God,Rom. 11.34. who wil not hauehave them ſearched into, further then with ſuch ſobrietie as is meete for ſo high myſteries. OnelyOnly there is this difference betweene Paul & Iſaiah: the Apoſtle ſaith,That which Iſaiah ſpeaks in generall, the Apoſtle applies to a particular. that the myſterie of the Goſpell cannot bee comprehended by mans naturall vnderſtanding: and the Prophet in generall magnifies the prouidence of God. And yet wee muſt inquire and ſearch into both theſe points with humilitie, and captiuate our whole reaſon vnderunder a right obedience: for all our wit and vnderſtanding is nothing but darknes, till Chriſt hath inlightened vsus by his Spirit.
Verſ. 15. Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the duſt of the ballance: behold, hee taketh away the Iles as a little duſt.
IF wee meane to vnderſtand our Prophets meaning aright, and to reade with profit that which hee hath here written,How to read this prophecy with fruit. wee muſt learne to finde out his drift, as I hauehave touched before. For he extols not Gods greatneſſe thus at random, but ſets it forth with all his skill, according as the circumſtance of the matter which hee now is in hand with requires: to let the Iſraelites know, that this buckler is ſufficient to couer them, and that they were not to feare the indeuors, rage, nor violence of the world, prouided that God ſhew them his fauour: and that thus they were to learne to yeeld themſelues vnderunder his ſauegard. For if they had not bin well grounded in this point, they ſhould hauehave met with infinit occaſions which would hauehave driuen them out of heart eueryevery minute of an houre. The Prophet therefore goes on with the ſame argument ſtill, and telles the Iewes, that if the nations and peoples be compared vvith God, they are as nothing: for with his onelyonly blaſt he will ſcatter all the inhabitants of the earth, as if they were but a little picke of duſt. For in regard we are too much inclined, and fooliſhly wittie in ſeeking pretences to ſtrēgthen our owne infidelitie, wee imagin that whatſoeuer Satan conſpires to hinder our ſaluatiō, ſhuts vp all paſſage againſt God. The Prophet minding to correct this vice ſhewes, that all creatures are nothing before him, and that all nations when they ſtand on an heape, are but as the ſmall droppes of a bucket in his preſence. Whence we learne, that it is a groſſe ſottiſhneſſe in vsus ſo to prefer the creature, that wee abaſe the power of the Creatour, who ought to bee held as ſupreme ouer and aboue all things; as indeed hee is.
Verſ. 16. And Lebanon is not ſufficient for fire, nor the beasts thereof for a burnt offering.
LEbanon: that is to ſay; if we ſhould offer a burnt offering vntounto God, according as hee deſerues; neither Lebanon nor all the beasts that feed in it, would ſuffice for the ſacrifice. He repeats & imprints in their minds this power of God ſtil after diuers maners, that the people who were to truſt in it, ſhould not reſpect creatures, nor any thing they were able to doe with all their forces. Notwithſtanding it ſeemes the Prophet ſpeakes expreſly of Gods worſhip, that he might bring the readers to hauehave it in the greater reuerence: as if hee ſhould ſay; Dareſt thou meaſure the power of God vvithin the narrow ſcantling of thy reaſon? Why thou canſt not ſerue him as thou oughteſt, though thou ſhouldſt lay all the vvood and beasts of Lebanon at once vponupon his altar. Some gather hence that none can procure Gods fauour by offering ſacrifices: which is very true; but we muſt hauehave an eye to the Prophets meaning, as I hauehave alreadie ſaid; who to hearten on the Iewes, to the greater confidence, ſhewes that all things are nothing, being compared with God.
Verſ. 17. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him leſſe then nothing.
THis is a repetition of that which he hath ſaid before; to wit, that God can deſtroy all nations as ſoone as it pleaſeth him: and that they are counted as nothing before him euen in their beſt eſtate. But it may ſeeme ſtrange that he ſaith, All nations are nothing. Obiect. Were they not all created of God, that they might be eſteemed ſomething? I anſwere, Anſ. this is ſpoken by compariſon. For ſuch is the peruerſitie of our vnderſtanding, that it darkens Gods glorie and Maieſtie, and ſets thoſe things aboue it which ſhould be ſet farre beneath. When we are to enter into this combat then, whether God or the creature ſhould hauehave the preeminence, let vsus boldly pronounce, That that vvhichwhich is compared vvith God, is nothing. The Prophet ſpeakes not ſimply of the nature of man as it is created of God: but his purpoſe is to beate downe and to bring to nothing all their preſumption and pride, when they dare ſet themſelues aboue him. Wee know it is vnpoſſible to ſubſiſt, or be without God, for in him only we liue, moue, and hauehave our being, as it is ſaid, Act. 17.28. notwithſtanding that which Dauid ſaith is alſo as true, to wit, that nothing is ſo vaine a thing as man: who if he be weighed in a ballance, wil be found lighter then vanitie it ſelf, Pſal. 62. And in this ſort our Prophet ſhewes that all nations are as nothing, yea, leſſe then nothing: that he might the better note out both their vanitie, and imbecillitie.