Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI.
Ver. 1. Keep ſilence before me O Iſlands] i. e. O Iſlanders (ſo the Hebrews called all that were beyond ſea to them) with whom God, being about to conteſt, calleth for ſilence that he may be heard. The people of Rome could hardly digeſt a foreign or Keep ſilence from their Emperour Adrian, Dio in Adrian.as too ſevere: but when God thundreth it, men wriggle into their holes as ſo many wormes.
And let the people renew their ſtrength] Come as ſtrong as they can into the Court, with their beſt Advocates and arguments; ſith they are to debate the cauſe concerning their Religion.
Let them come near together in Judgement] This is a wonderfull condeſcention: En in quantum ſe demittat Deus!
Ver. 2. Who raiſed up the righteous man from the Eaſt?] Who but my ſelf? which of your Idols can boaſt of ſuch a man as Abraham was, like as I can?
Called him to his foot] Making him follow his call with a blind obedience: for he winked and put himſelf into Gods holy hand to be led at his pleaſure. He knew not whither he went, Heb. 11.8. nor much cared, ſo long as he had God by the hand, or might follow Him as a guide, ſtep after ſtep.
He gave the Nations before him] Gen. 14.14. his poſterity alſo prevailed exceedingly. And thus God ſtoppeth the mouths of thoſe Idolaters who inſulted over the Iſraelites, becauſe afflicted and ſubdued by other Nations: (as Cicero doth in his Oration for Q. Flaccus) extolling therefore their Idols above the true God.
Ver. 3. He purſued them, and paſſed in ſafety] He gat an unbloody victory over the four Kings; not loſing a man of all thoſe unexpert Souldiers: this was a great mercy, if not a miracle. War is uſually utrique triſte: victory is oft like a golden fiſh-hook; which, loſt or broken, cannot be paid for with that it taketh.
Ver. 4. Who hath wrought and done it?] Here the Gentiles ſhould have anſwered for God: which becauſe they did not, but were ſenſeleſly ſilent, therefore He anſwereth by a diſcription of himſelf.
Calling the generations from the beginning] Giving them their Being; and having them at a Beck.
I the Lord, the Firſt, and with the Laſt] foreign:De leg. lib. 4. Virg. This was anciently believed concerning God, as Plato teſtifieth. A te Principium tibi deſinet.
Ver. 5. The Iles ſaw it] The Heathens were convinced by the former arguments, yet not converted: they were affraid, and yet they came together to confirm themſelves mutually in their abominable Idolatries.
Yea they drew near] As it were to juſtify their Idolatries before the Lord. Such is the deſperate obſtinacy of obdurate ſinners; Pharaoh menaced Moſes, even during that palpable darkneſs. The Philiſtines were afraid when they ſaw the Ark of the Covenant brought into the feild: and yet they encourage one another to fight againſt Iſrael, 1 Sam. 4.8, 9. The Thief on the croſs was under the arreſt of death, and yet railed. Felix trembled, and yet expected a bribe from St. Paul. There is a cold ſweat ſitteth on all the limbs of Antichriſt at this day, and yet they repent not of their Idolatries, nor murthers, nor ſorceries, nor fornication, nor thefts, Rev. 9.20, 21. but defend them, all they can.
Ver. 6. They helped every one his neighbour] Thus thoſe deſperate Idolaters did from the firſt; Euſebius telleth us, that in the ſeventh year of Abraham, Ninus the founder of Niniveh ſet up an Image of his father Belus, In Chron.which was worſhipped after his death: ſo did other Princes, by his example; not moved with Gods mercies ſhewed to Abraham who worſhipped the true God alone, ſetting up altars to him whereever he came.
Ver. 7. So the Carpenter encouraged the Gold-ſmith] Becauſe no ſmall gain was brought hereby unto theſe crafts-men, Acts 19.24, 25. The Jew-doctours tell us, that Terah the father of Abraham was an Image-maker at Ʋr of the Chaldees, till God called him thence. Hyperius ſaith, that all theſe words are to be taken as pronounced with irriſion and contempt, that ſo the vanity of Idols may the more plainly be perceived: ſith they have no more worth then is given them by their worſhippers.
Ver. 8. But thou Iſrael art my Servant] And it was for thy ſake, and for thy ſettlement, that I have dealt ſo long with theſe odious Idolaters: whom elſe I would not once look toward nor commune with, as he ſaid 2 King. 3.14.
The ſeed of Abraham my Friend] This ſtile was an higher honour to Abraham, then if God had ingraven his name in the orbes of Heaven. See the Note on Jam. 2.23. Huſhai was Davids Friend: and Auguſtus vouchſafed to give Virgil the name of Amicus. This was a ſpecial favour: but not like that in the Text.
Ver. 9. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth] ſc. in the loyns of Abraham thy Progenitour.
And called thee from the chief men thereof] Called thee and culled thee out of the Grandees of the Chaldees, the rich, the potent and the honourable, ſeparate from the common ſort; ſetting thee above the Kings of the earth, Pſal. 89.27.
Ver. 10. Fear thou not, for I am with thee] Cordialibus, ut ita dicam, verbis, Deus hoc eloquitur. As long as a childe hath his Father by the hand, he feareth none. Quid timet hominem homo in ſinu Dei poſitus? what ſhould he who lyeth in Gods own boſom, fear any man alive? Is not Gods preſence ſecurity ſufficient?
I will ſtrengthen thee, I will help thee, &c.] I will, I will, I will: Oh the Rhetorick of God! Oh the certainty of the Promiſes!
With the right-hand of my righteouſneſſe] i. e. My righteous right-hand, that ſhall right all thy wrongs.
Ver. 11. Behold all that were incenſed againſt thee] Theſe and the following precious Promiſes the Jews miſapply to the coming and Kingdom of their Meſſias; the Papiſts to their Hierarchy. Let every true ſervant of God take them home as ſpoken to himſelf: Every promiſe droppeth Myrrhe and mercy.
Ver. 12. Even them that contended with thee] Heb. the men of thy contention, thy Contendents; ſuch as this Eriſtical age hath more then a good many. By the Quakers wild fancies and rude practices, we may ſee how croſs-grained theſe people are, in contradicting every thing. Many mens ſpirits (ſaith One) now-adayes, lie like that Haven, Acts 27.12. toward the South-Weſt, and North-Weſt, two oppoſite points.
Ver. 13. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand] As a tender father taketh his dear childe by the hand, in dirty or dangerous wayes eſpecially, lifting him over; So the Saints are ſaid to ſit down at Gods feet, Deut. 33.3. or to ſtand betwixt his legs, as little ones do.
Ver. 14. Fear not] This is oft inculcated, for better confirmation and comfort. Our Saviour may ſeem to have hence his Fear not little flock. It is no eaſy matter to chear up afflicted conſciences: Luther ſaith it is as hard a matter as to raiſe the dead. Hence this frequent Fear not.
Ver. 15. I will make thee a new ſharp threſhing inſtrument having teeth] Traham, aut tribulam in omnem partem probè dentatam. Such as thoſe Eaſtern Countries did uſe, to maſh in pieces their rougher and harder fodder for their cattle; or rather to threſh out their harder grain with, Chap. 28.25, 28. or to torture men with, 2 Sam. 12, 31.
Thou ſhalt threſh the mountains] Thy lofty and mighty enemies. This was fulfilled in the Macchabees: But eſpecially in the Apoſtles, ſubduing the Nations to the obedience of the Faith: See 2 Cor. 10.4.
Ver. 16. Thou ſhalt fan them] But find nothing in them of any ſolidity: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
And thou ſhalt rejoyce in the Lord] As the ſole doer of all: for it is he that ſubdueth the people under us, and doth all our works for us, Chap. 26.12.
Ver. 17. When the poor] When ſuch as are poor in ſpirit, ſenſible of their utter indigency, ſhall bleſſedly hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe, ſhewing themſelves reſtleſs and unſatisfiable without it.
And there is none] None to be found in the doctrine of the Phariſees, Philoſophers, or Fryars.
Ver. 18. I will open rivers in high places] Rather work miracles, as once in the Wilderneſſe, Exod. 17.6, 7. then my poor people ſhall want neceſſary ſupport and ſuccour.
Ver. 19. I will plant in the wilderneſſe the cedar, &c.] That is, ſaith Lyra, I will give variety of graces to my people.Per varia ligna varietatem gratiarum inſinuat. Oecol.
And the Box-tree] That groweth of it ſelf in wild places, ſaith Diodate: to ſignify that the Church will alwaies have worldly wild plants, mixed and growing in it. Box is alwayes green indeed and full of leaves: but its of an ill ſmell, & ſemen habet omnibus inviſum animantibus, and of a worſe ſeed.
Sphinx Philoſ.Ver. 20. That they may ſee and know and conſider] Heb. lay. 1. Lay it upon their heart: which natural men are very hardly drawn to do. The beſt are ſo backward, that an Ezekiel may hear, Son of man, behold with thine eye, and hear with thine ears, and ſet thine heart upon all that I ſhall ſhew thee, &c. chap. 40.4. and Hagget calleth upon the good people of his time to conſider, and better conſider, chap. 1.5, 7.
Ver. 21. Produce your cauſe, ſaith the Lord] He had dealt with the Heathens, and convinced them: now have at their Gods: and their beſt proofs are called for.
Bring forth your ſtrong reaſons] Heb. your bony arguments, argumenta trabalia: but alaſs they had none ſuch.
Saith the King of Jacob] Not the God of Jacob: for that was now the matter in queſtion, whether he were God, or the Heathen deities. foreign.And becauſe they were ſilent, and to ſeek of ſuch arguments, he helpeth them to a couple.
Ver. 22. Let them bring forth, and ſhew what ſhall happen] By ſuch arguments as theſe, Cleanthes in Tully teſtifieth (though himſelf were an Heathen) that the deity might be known. And whereas it may be objected,Lib, 2. de nat. deorum. that the Delphick devil had foretold things to come: it is anſwered, that the devil cannot foretel all future things, nor any thing infallibly, and of himſelf: but either as it is revealed unto him by God, as was Ahabs fall at Rameth-Gilead: or as he forſeeth it in the cauſes, ſignes, or Prophecies of holy Scripture, wherein he is not a little skilled.
Ver. 23. Shew the things that are to come] This firſt argument is much inſiſted on: God alone can properly predict;Tertul. Apol. cap. 20. and Teſtimonium divinitatis eſt veritas divinationis. Cato Major was wont to ſay, that he wondered how one Diviner could look upon another and not laugh, as knowing themſelves to be no better then deceivers of the people.
Yea do good or evil] good to your friends, evil to your foes: this is the ſecond argument, and it is unanſwerable. If it be objected, that this the Devil can do, and hath done: The anſwer is, 1. that Idols can do neither good nor evil. 2. No nor yet Devils: but the good they do their clients, is a meer juggle: and the evil they do to any, is by divine permiſſion.Vide etiam Aug. de Civ. Dei. l. 2. c. 22. 25. & Baruc. 6. See Cyprians fourth treatiſe de vanitate idolorum.
Ver. 24. Behold ye are of nothing] Hence Paul took that aſſertion of his, 1 Cor. 8.4. we know that an Idol is nothing in the world. For the matter of it, tis true, wood is wood, and ſtone is ſtone: but the relation and ſignification which is faſtned thereunto, is nothing at all: all the being of an Idol is nothing but the Idolaters imagination.
And your work of nought] Or, of the Baſilisk, or Viper: it will doe you to death.
An abomination is he that curſeth you] Papiſts therefore muſt needs be abominable Idolaters. Dr. Rainolds his work De Idololatria Romana is yet unanſwered; Weſton writes that his head aked in reading it.
Ver. 25. I have raiſed up one from the North] Here God beginneth to prove that He can do both thoſe things, whereof the Heathen vanities could do neither. This One in the Text, is Cyrus, ſay ſome: Chriſt ſay others, by whom God here foretelleth, that he will puniſh his enemies, but do good to his Church and choſen.
He ſhall call upon my name] Or, proclaim my name.
Ver. 26. Who hath declared] Who, beſides my ſelf, ever did or could predict ſuch a thing? If any other hath done it, we will do him right, clepe him a God.
Ver. 27. The firſt ſhall ſay to Zion] Or, I firſt ſaid to Zion. I firſt brought her that good tidings by my Prophets.
Ver. 28. For I beheld, and there was no man] None to ſay any thing for theſe dumb Idols, why I ſhould not paſs a definitive ſentence againſt them. It is therefore this:
Ver. 29. Behold they are all vanity] Jer. 10.3, 15.
Their works are nothing] See ver. 24.
Are wind and confuſion] Or emptyneſſe, Heb. Tohu, Nothing in themſelves, and yet of ſufficient efficacy to inflict vengeance on their worſhippers.