Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 40 · Verse 22 – Verse 24
Verſ. 22. Let them bring forth, and let them tell vsus what ſhall come: let them ſhew the former things what they be, that wee may*Or, put thē in our hearts. conſider them, and know the latter end of them: either declare vsus things for to come.
23. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know ye are gods: yea, doe good or euill, that wee may declare it, and behold it together.
NOw hee directs his ſpeech not onelyonly to the idolaters, but permits them alſo to bring in their idols: as if he ſhould ſay; I know you thinke your idols very vviſe, yet they will bee able to ſpeake very little in the defence of ſo bad a cauſe. We ſee here that God takes vntounto him the perſon of an aduocate, & ſpeaks in the name of all the people; for he will not be ſeparated from his Church, but is carefull, as you ſee, to furniſh and fortifie her againſt all the opprobries of the wicked, and againſt all their plots, whereby they indeuor to aſſaile our faith. We muſt be of good courage then, ſeeing God is pleaſed to bee the pleader of our cauſe, and ſtands betweene vsus and the idolaters; and as one armed with his owne inuincible truth, bids defiance to the idols themſelues, being ready in perſon to refute their vanitie.
Beſides, he ſhewes that his elect are ſufficiently furniſhed with his word to get the victorie; ſo as they need not be afraid to vndertake the combate againſt all vnbeleeuers whatſoeuer. And truly he that hath profited in the heauenly doctrine as hee ought, ſhall eaſilie confound all the impoſtures of Satan, by a conſtant and victorious faith. I grant our faith begins at obedience, but the teachableneſſe by which wee ſubmit all our ſenſes to Gods worſhip, goes ſo before the vnderſtanding, that from thence our minds are illuminated with ſound knowledge.
By this marke wee may diſcerne ſuperſtition from that true religion,How to diſcerne ſuperſtition from true religion. which is directed by a rule that is neither doubtfull nor deceiueable. The idolaters vaunt themſelues but too much in their errors, yet all their pride proceeds from folly, ſottiſhneſſe, and frenſie. For if they would conſider of the heauenly doctrine, with calme and quiet minds, all this ouerweening by which they darken the light of truth, would forthwith fall to the ground. But the faithfull hauehave another reſpect, whoſe faith albeit it be founded vponupon humilitie, yet it is not caried away with a fooliſh or inconſiderate zeale, becauſe it hath the ſpirit of God for the conductor and leader thereof, that ſo ſhe may neuer turne aſide from the certaine light of Gods word. Therefore where the right rule of diſcerning things is abſent,Where the right rule of diſcerning things is abſ…nt, there can be nothing but ſuperſtition. there can be nothing but ſuperſtitions, as Iſaiah ſaith. Now becauſe things are not to be done raſhly, therefore the faithfull wils them to bring forth, and put them in their hearts: not that they meant to halt betweene two opinions, being before inſtructed of God,The difference betweene ſottiſh obſtinacie and true faith. but becauſe the ſuperſtitious could alledge nothing for themſelues, but that which was worthy to be laughed at of all. See here againe then the difference between blockiſh obſtinacle, and true faith, which hath her foundation vponupon Gods word, ſo as ſhee can neuer be moued.
But now let vsus ſee with what argument our Prophet defends the Maieſtie of God; for he ſo attributes vntounto himſelfe an infinite power and foreknowledge of all things, that none can take them vntounto himſelfe without manifeſt blaſphemie.Who it is that rightly deſerues to bee called God. How Iſaiah frames his argument againſt Idols. Whence we gather, that theſe things are ſo proper to the Diuinitie, that he indeed rightly deſerues to be called God, who knowes and can doe all things. Thus the Prophet reaſons then, If the Idols whom you adore be Gods, they muſt be able to know and doe all things: but they hauehave no power to doe any thing at all, neither in proſperitie nor aduerſitie: neither do they know that which is paſt, preſent, or to come: therefore they be no Gods.
Queſt. But here ariſeth a difficult queſtion, for in prophane hiſtories there are many predictions which the Idolaters receiued from their gods: for which cauſe it might ſeeme that Apollo, Iupiter, and others, knew of things to come: and therefore they were Gods. Firſt I anſwere, Anſ. that if we conſider what the oracles were which theſe Idols gaue forth, wee ſhall finde there was either obſcuritie, or, great ambiguitie in them all.Oracles giuen forth of Idols, ambiguous. Pyrrhus. Croeſus. As, that which was giuen to Pyrrhus, Thy men ouercome ſhall the Romans. And, to Creſſus, after he hath paſſed H…lys, Crſoeus ſhal ouerthrow many kingdoms. How the euent will ſhew that touching the firſt we muſt vnderſtand it thus, The Romans ſhall ouercome thy men. And for the ſecond, After Croeſus hath paſſed Halys, he ſhall ouerthrow many kingdomes: not other mens, but his owne. Thus Satan at that time vexed the minds of men by theſe intangled ambiguities, that he might alwaies leaue them hanging in ſuſpence, that gaue themſelues to be directed by ſuch impoſtures.
But beſides this, that is to be noted which Paul ſaith 2. Theſſ. 2.9, That the efficacie of error is giuen vntounto Satan, that he might blind the vnbeleeuers who delight in his deluſions. When they aske counſell then of this father of lies, it is no maruell though they be dedeceiued vnderunder a colour of truth: but in the meane while, it is a iuſt puniſhment of God vponupon them for their ingratitude.
We reade that a lying ſpirit was let looſe by meanes of the falſe Prophets, the better to blind Ahab, who pleaſed himſelfe in ſuch beguilings: 1. King. 22.21. It was good reaſon alſo that the prophane nations who had forſaken the true God, ſhould bee intangled in the ſnares of error, and ſo drawne headlong into perdition. Thus then it is a fond diſpute whereabout Saint Augustine labors ſo much;S. Auſten. to wit, how the diuels may bee partakers of this preſcience which the good Angels hauehave: for the cauſe hereof muſt not be ſought out in nature. So in times paſt, when God gaue the bridle to falſe Prophets, he by their fallacies auenged himſelfe vponupon the peoples wickedneſſe: not that ſuch impoſters had any great gift of knowledge, but being fitted for this purpoſe, they did according to the licence giuen vntounto them.
As touching God himſelfe, albeit his foreknowledge be hid, and that it bee a bottomleſſe depth, yet is it manifeſt enough to thoſe whom he hath choſen: ſo as they may diſcern him from the troope of falſe gods. Not that hee foretold all things by his Prophets, for mens curioſitie in that behalfe is inſatiable: neither is it expedient they ſhould know all things; but he hath concealed nothing from them that is fit to bee knowne, for by many excellent prophecies hee hath foreſhewen that he hath a ſpeciall care of his Church: as Amos ſaith; Is there any ſecret thing which the Lord will not reueale to his ſeruants the Prophets? Amos 3.7.
The Iewes hauehave wickedly and vnworthily abuſed this prerogatiue, in that they hauehave ſet their fond predictions to ſale among ſtrange nations. But the truth of God hath alwaies ſo ſhined in the prophecies, that all men to whom God hath giuen wiſdome, may cleerly perceiue that the God of Iſrael was and is the onelyonly God.The God of Iſrael the only God. Verily it was no more poſſible for the idols to beguile the faithful which were inſtructed in the ſchoole of God, then at high noone to perſwade one of a perfect ſight, that blacke were white: ſo farre was it off for them then to get any credit by their foreknowledge; and yet leaſt of al by their power: neither of which it was any way lawfull to aſcribe vntounto them, ſeeing it appeared by continuall prophecies, that one God onelyonly ruled and governed all things, both aduerſe and proſperous. The Aſſyrian thāked his idols for his victories which he obtained: but God had long before inſtructed the Iews of that which ſhould happen; yea and had made it euident in all mens ſight, that hee armed this wretch to execute his own iudgements. Read Chap. 10.
Now to doe euill, Euill, taken for corrections.is not taken heere to commit any outrage, which is a thing far from the nature of God, but it ſignifies to correct and ſend aduerſities, which indeed ought to bee attributed to Gods prouidence, and neither to fortune nor idols. And this is often met withall in the Scriptures: as in Amos 3.6. Is there euill in the Citie, and the Lord hath not done it? Ieremiah alſo accuſeth the people, in that they knew not that God was the author both of euill and good: Lament. 3.38. The Lord then puniſheth the ſinnes of the people by warres, plague, famin, pouertie, ſickneſſes, and other the like euils, and will be knowne to be the efficient from whom all of them proceed. Now Iſaiah alleageth not all the examples and arguments, by which he was able to hauehave diſtinguiſhed the true God frō idols; for that would hauehave taken vp much time: but he now contents himſelfe to proue it briefly, and yet plainly: for he hath not yet ended his argument.
Verſ. 24. Behold, yee are of no value, and your making is of nought: man hath choſen an abomination by them.
NOw he ſcornes the idols, that he might confirme the faithfull in the confidence and obedience of God, ſeeing by this compariſon, that idolaters are miſerably blinded and beguiled. The word making, ought heere to be taken in the paſſiue ſignification: as if he ſhould ſay; It is a vaine imagination or inuention of nought. But it ſeemes he ſpeakes improperly, Obiect. in calling the idols things of nothing: for are they not made of gold, ſiluer, braſſe, Anſ. vvood, ſtone, or ſuch like matter? The ſolution is eaſie, for Iſaiah conſidered not the matter, but the qualitie; that is to ſay, the opinion of diuinitie which men gaue vntounto them. For the ſuperſtitious doe not ſimplie worſhip the wood, braſſe, or mettall, but the maieſtie of God,Idolaters tie a diuine maieſtie to their ſtocks and ſtones. which they fondly and blaſphemouſly tie to the corruptible idol: ſo as in effect heere is nothing but a vaine imagination. To which purpoſe Paul ſaith, that an idol is nothing: 1. Cor. 8.4. For what can that be, or what name ſhall be giuen to a worke of vanitie?
An abomination.] Others reade it, The abomination; in the nominatiue, and vnderſtand it that ſuch are abominable as erect and ſet vp idols: but I thinke it is otherwiſe to be vnderſtood. I take ye verbe choſen, indefinitiuely, as the Grammarians ſpeake, & it is often ſo taken in the Scriptures. For when the Prophet ſpeakes of the common people, and recounts ſome ordinarie and vſuall thing, they expreſſe not the noune ſubſtantiue. Thus I vnderſtand it then; Men cannot forge idols, but therewithall they alſo forge an abomination. And ſurely this is a worthy text,This place teacheth vsus to abhor the idol and the idol maker. teaching vsus both to abhor idols, and the boldnes of thoſe that ſet them vp: for this cannot be done without offering great violence to the Lord himſelfe. Many eſteeme it but a ſport, but the Prophet not onelyonly thinkes otherwiſe, but he calles it ſuch an abomination, as God neither can nor will ſuffer vnpuniſhed.
The word To chuſe, points out as with the finger,The originall of idols. from what fountaine idolatry ſprings. For true religion ſhould neuer be polluted with ſo many corruptions, if men had not preſumed to make them idols of their owne deuiſing. Whence wee may note, that all deuiſed and inuented worſhips of God are heere oppoſed to true pietie.