Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 48
CHAP. XLVIII.
Ver. 1. HEar ye this O houſe of Jacob] Ye ſtiffenecked of Iſrael, and uncircumciſed in heart and eares, who do alwayes reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt, Act. 7.51. to you be it ſpoken: for to the Iſraelites indeed enough hath been ſaid of this ſubject already.
Which are called by the name of Iſrael] Sed nomen inane crimen immane: Ye are called Jews, and make your boaſt of God, Rom. 2.17. having a form of knowledge,Picti eſtis Iſraelitae, eſt… hypocritae. Rom. 2.20. and of godlineſs, 2 Tim. 3.5. and that's all: the voyce of Jacob, but the hands of Eſau. Let ſuch fear Jacobs fear, My Father perhaps will feel me, and I ſhall ſeem to him as a deceiver: and I ſhall bring a curſe upon me and not a bleſſing, Gen. 27.12. 'Tis ſure enough.
And are come forth out of the waters of Judah] i. e. Out of the bowels,Pro foreign videtur hic legendum foreign as Gen. 15.4. as waters out of a ſpring, Deut. 33.28. Pſal. 68.26. Judah was the tribe royal (hence they ſo gloried) and remained ruling with God, and faithful with the Saints, when other tribes revolted.
Which ſwear by the Name of the Lord] And not of Baal.
And make mention of the God of Iſrael] Who was neer in their mouths, but far from their reines, Jer. 22.2. Pſal. 50.16. Religionem ſimulabant, cum in cute eſſent nequiſſimi, arrant hypocrites.
But not in truth, nor in righteouſneſſe] i. e. Without faith and ſound converſion.
Ver. 2. For they call themſelves of the holy City] Inhabitants of Jeruſalem and men of Judah: yea they ſwore by their City and Temple, as appeareth in the Goſpel, and cryed out ad ravim uſque, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, Jer. 7. like as the Romiſts now do, The Church, the Church; glorying in the falſe and empty title of Roman Catholicks, Sed grande eſt Chriſtianum eſſe, non dici, ſaith Hierom: and it is a great vanity, ſaith the Poet, Reſpicere ad fumos & nomina vana Catonum.
And ſtay themſelves] As far as a few good words will go. See on Mic. 3.11.
The Lord of hoſts is his Name] So ſaid theſe hypocrites, bearing themſelves bold upon ſo great a God, who had all creatures at his command.
Ver. 3. I have declared the former things] This God had ſaid oft before: but being now to conclude this comfortable Sermon, he repeats here the heads of what had been ſpoken in the ſeven foregoing Chapters.
Ver. 4. Becauſe I knew that thou art obſtinate] Heb. hard, obduraete: therefore do I ſo inculcate theſe things, if by any means I may mollify thee. Hypocrites are harder to be wrought upon then other ſinners.
And thy neck is an iron ſinew] Thou art utterly averſe from, yea adverſe to any good, no more bended thereunto than if the body had for every ſinew a plate of iron.
And thy brow braſſe] Sinews of iron argue a natural impotency and ſomewhat more: but brows of braſſe impudency in evil; quando pudet non eſſe impudentes, when men are ſhameleſſe in ſin, ſetting it upon the cliffe of the Rock, Ezek. 24.7. and declaring it as Sodom, Iſa. 3.9.
Ver. 5. I have even from the beginning, &c.] See ver. 3. It is probable that there were many among the Jews, who when they ſaw themſelves to be ſo puniſhed, and the heathen proſpered, would be ready to think that the God of Iſrael either could not or would not do for his people, as thoſe Devil-gods did for theirs. For their help therefore under ſuch a temptation, God was pleaſed to foretell his people what good or evil ſhould betide them; and accordingly to accompliſh it.
Ver. 6. Thou haſt heard; ſee all this] Here God extorteth from them a confeſſion of the aforeſaid truth; and urgeth them to atteſt and publiſh it.
Ver. 7. They are created now] i. e. They are now brought to light by my Revelations and predictions.
Behold I knew them] By my gods or Diviners, or by my natural ſagacity.
Ver. 8. Yea thou heardeſt not, yea thou kneweſt not] Yea ſo oft uſed here, is very emphatical; and ſheweth how hardly ſinners are born down, and made to beleeve plain truths, where they are prepoſſeſſed with conceits to the contrary.
And waſt called a tranſgreſſour from the womb] Ever ſince thou madeſt and worſhippedſt a golden Calf in the wilderneſſe (See here the Note on Pſal. 58.3.) and art ſtill as good at reſiſting the Holy Ghoſt, as ever thy Fathers were, Act. 7.51.
Ver. 9. For my name ſake will I defer mine anger] Heb. prolong it. Here he ſetteth forth the cauſe of his patience toward ſo perverſe a people, viz. the ſole reſpect to his own glory whereof he is ſo tender, and ſo loth to be a loſer in: Propter me faciam.
And for my praiſe] The praiſe of my might and mercy.
That I cut thee not off] Which I would do, were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, leſt thine adverſaries ſhould behave themſelves ſtrangely, and leſt they ſhould ſay Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this, Deut. 32.27.
Ver. 10. Behold I have refined thee, but not with ſilver] Much leſſe as gold, which is wont to be fined moſt exactly,Non agam ſummo jure tecum. Jun. and to the uttermoſt; becauſe theſe precious mettles will not periſh by fire. But thou haſt more droſſe in thee than good oare: therefore I have refined thee with favour, Pſal. 118.18. Ne totus disperires, leſt I ſhould undoe thee: for if thy puniſhment ſhould be commenſurate to thine offence, thou muſt needſly periſh.
I have choſen thee in the furnace of affliction] i. e. In affliction, which is as a furnace or crucible. See Ezek. 20.37.
Ver. 11. For mine own ſake, even for mine own ſake] This is oft repeated, that it may once be well obſerved. Bene cavet ſpiritus ſanctus ubique in Scripturis ne noſtris operibus ſalutem tribuamus; it is Oecolampadius his Note upon the firſt verſe of this Chapter, i. e. The holy Ghoſt doth everywhere in Scripture take courſe that we aſcribe not our ſafety to our own works. See on chap. 43.13.
For how ſhould my Name be polluted?] As it will be by the blaſphemous Heathens, who elſe will ſay that their gods are fortiores & faventiores, more powerful and more merciful than the God of the Hebrews. Thus the Turkes at this day, when they have beaten the Chriſtians, cry up their Mahomet as mightier than Chriſt.
And I will not give my glory to another] Preſſe this in prayer: 'tis an excellent argument, Exod. 32.12. Joſh. 7.9. Pſal. 79.9, 10. Pſal. 115.1, 2. The Saints after all other arguments uſed, hunc quaſi arietem admovent, minde God of his glory engaged; and then doubt not to prevail with him.
Ver. 12. I am he] Heb. Hu; this the Rabbines make to be one of the names of God. Sanchez here obſerveth, that by this threefold I is meant the holy Trinity: the Deity of Jeſus Chriſt is rightly proved from this text, compared with Rev. 1.11. and 22.13.
Ver. 13. My hand hath alſo laid the foundation of the earth] My left hand,Oecolamp. in loc. ſay the Rabbins, as my right hand ſpanned the heavens; that is, meted them out as a workman doth his work. God did but call unto them both, and they ſtood up together; Vain therefore and needleſs was the diſputation of the Samerites and the Hillelites among the Jews, Whether was firſt created the heaven or the earth?
Ver. 14. The Lord hath loved him] i. e. Cyrus. He ſo loveth his people that for their ſakes he loveth all their Benefactours and well-wiſhers. See Gen. 12.3.
He will do his pleaſure] See chap. 43.14.
Ver. 15. I have brought him] Heb. made him to go, or cauſed him to come, who of himſelf had no ſuch mind to come on ſuch a deſigne. Herodotus telleth us, that Cyrus had once reſolved to let alone the ſiege of Babylon as unfeiſable: but God altered his mind, as we here read, and proſpered his work.
Ver. 16. Come ye near unto me and hear this] God calleth often for audience, as knowing our dulneſs and croſſeneſs, our oſcitancy and inadvertency: a good mirrour for Miniſters.
I have not spoken in ſecret] See chap. 41.26.
From the time that I was, there am I] Viz. At the Creation, as Prov. 8.22, 23.Diod. Or, I have from everlaſting been the Authour of that counſel by which all theſe things have had as is were their firſt beginning; and afterwards, in their appointed time, I have brought them forth by my power.
And now the Lord God and his Spirit hath ſent me] i. e. Me Iſaiah the Prophet; whoſe writings ſhould therefore be prized and beleeved by us as moſt authentike and authoritative, becauſe he was commiſſionated by the bleſſed Trinity.
Ver. 17. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit] And do therefore ſo oft call upon thee to hear me, not for any benefit to my ſelf but to thee alone. And the truth is, In all the Commandements of God, if they were open to us, if we did ſee the ground of them, we ſhould ſee there were ſo much reaſon for them, and ſo much good to be got by them, that if God did not command them, yet it would be beſt for us to practiſe them.
Which leadeth thee by the way that thou ſhouldeſt go] Heb. making thee to tread in the way thou ſhalt walk, carefully chuſing thy ſteps for thee, and ſetting thy foot right: thus he led Joſeph like a ſheep, Pſal. 80.2. and Iſrael through the deep as an horſe in the wilderneſſe that they ſhould not ſtumble, Iſa. 63.13. Thrice happy are the Saints in ſuch a guide. The ſteps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way, Pſal. 37.23.
Ver. 18. Oh that thou hadſt hearkened to my Commandements] See the like wiſhes, Deut. 32.29. and 5.29. Pſal. 81.13. implying, that ſo they might have redeemed many ſorrows, eſcaped many miſeries.
Then had thy peace been as a river] Great peace have all they that love Gods Law, and nothing ſhall offend them, Pſal. 119 105. they ſhall have a confluence of all comforts and contentments: yet ever with an exception of the croſs, as need requireth.
And thy righteouſneſſe as the waves of the ſea] Which are perpetual, fluctus fluctum trudit.
Ver. 19. Thy ſeed alſo had been as the ſand] As was promiſed to Abraham, and performed to his poſterity: Such a foreign there is in godlineſs, and in doing of Gods Commandements ſo great reward.
His name ſhould not have been cut off] As it was of old among the heathens (ſee Horace, Juvenal, Martial, &c.) and is at this day among the Turkes, who uſually ſwear, Judaeus ſim ſi fallam, &c. See Zach. 8.13. with the Note.
Ver. 20 Go ye forth of Babylon] The word among the Jews, that deſpaired of ever returning from Babylon: but the Prophet by an unexpected alarum commandeth them to return, ſhewing how and why they ſhould do ſo; and carrieth himſelf no otherwiſe than as if he had been a Captain in the midſt of thoſe captives, &c.
Ver. 21. And they thirſted not when he led, &c.] Your Fathers did not of old: nor ſhall you now in your return homeward. The Jews tell us of many miracles then wrought alſo: but we read of no ſuch matter in Ezra; and we know that Gods pilgrims ſhall want no neceſſary accommodation: that, he will be ſure to ſee to.
Ver. 22. There is no peace, ſaith the Lord, unto the wicked] Babylons beſt dayes are paſt: therefore go ye forth of her, ver. 20. The wicked of what Nation ſoever that hearken not to Gods Commandements (as ver. 18.) well they may have a truce,Liv. Hiſt. lib. 9. but no true peace certainly. That which they have is pax infida, pax incertae (as that of the Romanes with the Samnites) a peace no peace: and how can it be better, ſo long as their wickedneſſes and witchcrafts are ſo many? 2 King. 9.22. Tranquillitas illa tempeſtas erit: as after a South-wind aroſe Euroclydon, Act. 27.13, 14. ſo after a falſe peace ſtorm and tempeſt everlaſting: this ſhall be the portion of their cup, Pſal. 11.6. See chap. 57.20, 21.