Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 40 · Verse 21
Verſ. 21. Know yee nothing? HaueHave yee not heard it? Hath it not beene told you from the beginning? HaueHave yee not vnderstood it by the foundations of the earth?
HAuing ſcorned the beaſtly ſottiſhneſſe of the Gentiles, hee now turnes againe to the Iewes: for being all of vsus by nature inclined too much to ſuperſtitious vanities; ſo we alſo eaſilie fall, if any example be ſet before vsus. The Iewes being captiues and mingled amongſt the Babylonians, were conſtrained to looke vponupon horrible & damnable idolatries, which might ſoone draw them to a wicked imitation: Iſaiah therefore as a good Prophet of God, ſpeedilie preuents them, and warnes them that they bee no whit moued with ſuch ſpectacles. He askes if they hauehave not bin taught and instructed concerning the true God. Manie expoſitors thinke that this is but one repetition; to wit, it appeares by the creation of the world, that there is not ſo much as anie appearance of ſeeking God in wood, ſtone, gold, or ſiluer: but wee may gather from the ſcope of the text, that theſe are two diſtinct members. For if he continued ſtill to reproue the Gentiles, hee would then bring no other teſtimonies but heauen and earth againſt them: but ſpeaking to the Iewes, who were familiarly acquainted with the law of God; The Iewes had a double meanes of reproofe.for their reproofe hee vſeth teſtimonies taken both from the order of nature, and from the word.
Firſt, he askes in generall, if they knew nothing. Secondly, he propounds the meanes by which they ought to diſcerne the true God from the falſe. The firſt is from hearing the word; and therefore he ſaith expreſly, HaueHave ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? The laſt is from this faire theater of the vvorld, where Gods glory ſhines round about and beneath vsus. He would hauehave contented himſelfe with this ſecond demonſtration, if he had had to deale with the profane Gentiles; as Saint Paul alſo doth Act. 14.17. For ſpeaking to them of Iconia, who had neuer heard word of the heauenly doctrine, he vſeth arguments taken from the order of nature. How? That God left not himſelfe vvithout vvitneſſe, by giuing raine and fruitfull ſeaſons. But our Prophet, who ſpeakes of that true religion which was among the Iewes, could not omit the mentioning of the law, which was to make them double inexcuſable, if they ſhould forſake or deſpiſe it, to prophane themſelues among infidels. For they were conuinced not onelyonly by the ſight of their eies, but alſo by the hearing of their eares: which were continually beaten vponupon by God, in the preaching of his law amongſt them. Seeing then that from their mothers breasts they had (with their mothers milke) been nurced vp with the milke of the true knowledge of God, and were inſtructed by their fathers, by continuall ſucceſſion, the Prophet telles them that they ſhall ſhew themſelues too peruerſe and vnthankfull, if ſuch an helpe ſhall nothing profit them.
For that which he ſaith of the beginning, or long agoe, is to the ſame purpoſe; namely, that from their cradle, they had been nurced vp in Gods true worſhip: and beſides, in ages ſucceeding they had ſuch continuall teaching, as would not ſuffer thē to erre; only, if they did but remember vvhat they had heard. As if he ſhould hauehave ſaid; You hauehave no new God, but the very ſame who manifeſted himſelfe from the beginning to Abraham, Moſes, and the reſt of the Patriarks.
And here we hauehave an excellent confirmation touching the antiquitie of that doctrineAntiquitie of true doctrine which hath continued ſo many ages among the faithfull: not that antiquitie is ſufficient of it ſelfeAntiquitie not ſufficient in it ſelfe. to giuegive faith & aſſurance (for ſo the Gentiles might reply that their ſuperſtitions were no leſſe ancient) but in reſpect that frō the beginning, the authoritie of the law hath been abundantly confirmed, and that God hath teſtified that himſelfe is the author of it: for this cauſe, I ſay,Antiquitie a good confirmation of the truth. it gets great confirmation vntounto it by long vſe, in that the ſucceſſors knew that their anceſtors gaue them ſuch a forme of religion, which they could not reiect without a manifeſt brand of apoſtaſie. By ſuch an order and progreſſe then, all difficultie is taken away. Now we at this day hauehave the ſame faith with theſe good fathers,Our faith one and the ſ…me with that that theſe good fa…he…s profeſſed. becauſe with vsus they acknowledged one God, the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: for the faithfull hauehave all one word and promiſe, tending all to one and the ſame end.
Where he addes, from the foundations of the earth; it is ſpoken by a figure, where a part is taken for the whole: for a part of the world is here taken for the whole. God hath ſet this world before men as a looking-glaſſe, that by viewing of it, they might come to the knowledge of his Maieſtie, and that it might be an image of things inuiſible, as Saint Paul ſaith more fully, Rom. 1.20. Their ignorance then is inexcuſable; for they neede nor complaine touching the want of meanes, whereby they may come to the knowledge of God, ſeeing he is ready ſo many waies to manifeſt himſelfe vntounto them.Men ſinne more of pride and obſtinacie, then of ignorane. And to ſay the truth, men ſinne more of obſtinacie and pride, then of ignorance: for they willingly deſpiſe God, ſpeaking thus diſtinctly, that they might ſtay themſelues in creatures, and in vaine things. Can ſuch a contempt deſerue to be excuſed? No, for thoſe who worſhip their owne inuentions in ſtead of God, (of which all almoſt are guilty) are they not welworthy to be blinded? Truly ſuch, and ſo iuſt a puniſhment is worthily to be inflicted, where there is ſo great headſtrongneſſe.Thoſe that hauehave a double meanes of knowledge, are doubly inexcuſable if they ſinne againſt it. But if the doctrine of Gods word be ioined to this knowledge which we hauehave by the creatures, we ſhall be much leſſe excuſable. Thus then Iſaiah mentions both knowledges, to ſhew that the Iewes ſhall be worthy of double condemnation, if they ſtand not faſt in the faith, being thus informed and aſſured of the power and goodneſſe of God.