Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 51
CHAP. LI.
Ver. 1. HEarken unto me ye that fellow after righteouſneſſe] Heb. ye that purſue or follow hard after it, as Paul did, Philip. 3. The ſpeech is directed to thoſe Jews that embraced the Goſpel: perſwading them to perſiſt in the faith, in nothing terrified by their adverſaries, ſith Almighty God would keep and help them, as he had done faithful Abraham and Sarah, their Anceſtours:Banim meabanim. to whom alſo he would of ſtones raiſe up ſons in the converſion of the Gentiles, and could do it as eaſily as he had hewed the Hebrews, that great Nation, out of aged Abraham, and ſuperannuated Sarah; who are here compared to a dry-rock, and a deep pit.
And to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged] Eſt honeſta periphraſis actus conjugalis. The word here uſed is of the ſame root with Nekebah the female kind of all creatures.
Ver. 2. Look unto Abraham your Father] Look and again Look: hearken and again hearken: Theſe poor Jews, before the coming of Chriſt in the fleſh, were vino ſomnoque ſepulti, drunk with the cup of Gods fury, ver. 17. and ſo faſt aſleep, that they needed to be thus rouſed and raiſed up to the hope of better times, which now were at hand.
And unto Sarah that bare you] By the force of her Faith alſo, Heb. 11.11. her ſon Iſaac was emeritae fidei filius. Now theſe domeſtical examples are alledged, to aſſure them that God could do the like again in reſpect of ſpiritual children, Abraham's right ſeed, Gal. 4.
For I called him alone] Be not ye therefore troubled at your aloneneſſe.
And bleſſed him, and increaſed him] Gods benediction is his benefaction; the Popes is not ſo: fumos vendit, fumo pereas.
Ver. 3. For the Lord ſhall comfort Zion] (As once he did Abraham) by multiplying her children, giving her in good ſtore of Converts: theſe were the Apoſtles and the Primitive Chriſtians, thoſe earthly Angels, who made the world (which before was as a waſte wilderneſſe) to become a moſt pleaſant and plentiful Paradiſe. Chryſoſtom ſomewhere calleth them Angels, and ſaith that they were puriores coel… afflictione facti, more clear then the azured sky.
Joy and gladneſſe ſhall be found in them] See chap. 35.10.
Thanksgiving and the voice of melody] Paul as the Pracentor ſweetly ſings and gives the Note to us all, Eph. 1, 3, 4, 5. &c. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt who hath bleſſed us, &c.
Ver. 4. Harken unto me] See on ver. 2.
For a Law ſhall proceed from me] i. e. The Goſpel of grace, that perfect Law of liberty, the Law of the Spirit of life, Rom. 8.2.
Diod.And I will make my Judgement to reſt] I will firmly and irrevocably eſtabliſh the government of my Word and Spirit in the Church for a ſecure guide to bring it to eternal life. Some render it thus, My Judgement. (i. e. My Goſpel) ſhall be for a light of the people, whereby I will give reſt: So that here is a double effect of the Goſpel, viz Saving light, and Peace of Conſcience.
Jam amodò iter ingreſſa eſt. Hyper.Ver. 5. My righteouſneſſe] i. e. my faithfulneſſe, or my Son, that Sun of righteouſneſſe, is already on the way, and will be with you forthwith.
And mine arm ſhall judge the people] i. e. All that ſet themſelves againſt the Lord and againſt his Chriſt, Pſal. 2.2. theſe ſhall feel his power to their perdition, even the force of both his arms.
The Iles ſhall wait upon me] They ſhall ſtretch out their ſouls as a line, (ſo the word importeth) and direct them toward Chriſt.
And on mine arm ſhall they truſt] i. e. On my power, or on my Goſpel-promiſes.
Ver. 6. Lift up your eyes to the Heavens] Man hath a muſcle more then ordinary to draw up his eyes heavenward.
And look upon the earth beneath] How faſt and firm it ſtandeth, Eccleſ. 1.4. Yet the whole engine ſhall be changed, 2 Pet. 3.10.
Shall dye in like manner] Or, like a louſe, as ſome render it.
But my ſalvation ſhall be for ever] The Goſpel, together with the ſpiritual benefits thereby, ſhall out laſt Heaven and Earth.
Ver. 7. Hearken unto me] See on ver. 2.
Ye that know righteouſneſſe] with a knowledge Apprehenſive, and Affective alſo.
The people in whoſe heart is my Law] and not in your heads only.
Fear ye not the reproach of men] Tertullian thinketh that our Saviour alludeth to this of Iſaiah in that, Luke 6.22. We ſhould not be ſcoffed out of our Religion, but patiently ſuffer cruel mockings.
Ver. 8. For the moth ſhall eat them up] They ſhall be cruſht before the moth, Job 4 19. that is, eaſily be deſtroyed, and their own conſciences ſhall grub upon them too, throughout all eternity.
But my righteouſneſſe ſhall be for ever] Beare therefore bravely all contumelies and contempts of men.
Ver. 9. Awake, awake O Arm of the Lord] God had promiſed what his holy arm ſhould do for his people, ver. 5. Now they beg of him to uſe it, and beſtir himſelf for their relief and reſcue: and this they do magno affictu atque animi impetu, heartily wiſhing the coming of Chriſt and the declaration of the Goſpel, to their Salvation.
Awake as in the ancient daies] God ſeemeth ſometimes to be aſleep, and we muſt wake him; to delay, and we muſt quicken him: to have loſt his compaſſions (which yet never fail:) and we muſt find them for him.
Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab] Or hew…d Egypt with thy ten plagues ſucceſſively, though ſhe were a proud and potent State?
And wounded the Dragon] Or Crocodile? That is, Pharaoh, Pſal. 74.14. whom thou didſt put to pain, even the pains of a travelling woman (as the word ſignifieth) when he ſank as a mil-ſtone in the mighty waters.
Ver. 10. Art not thou it which hath dried the ſea?] And canſt not thou do as much again for thy poor people? This is an excellent way of arguing with God in prayer: viz. from his ancient acts.
Ver. 11. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord, &c. This is Gods anſwer, as ſome: or the good peoples confidence as others: that God would deliver them now, as he had done their forefathers from Pharaoh.
And everlaſting joy] As a fair and precious crown, 2 Tim. 4.8. Some make it a Metaphor from thoſe that carry heavy burdens on their heads. St. Paul calleth it a weight of glory.
They ſhall obtain joy] See chap. 35.10.
Ver. 12. I even I am he that comforteth you] This is certainly an Anſwer to that ſupplication ver. 10. and it comprehendeth a reprehenſion and an expoſtulation about their puſillanimity, which was more then womanly: therefore it followeth,At, not Acta.
Who art thou] Heb. thou woman, thou hen-hearted creature.
That thou ſhouldeſt be afraid of a man] Heb. ſorry-man, ab homine miſero, aerumnoſo, damnato ad mortem, ab hoſte faeneo, an enemy of clouts, as we ſay. We trouble our ſelves oft through ignorance. In the dark every thing ſcares us.
Ver. 13. And forgetteſt the Lord thy Maker] Thou conſidereſt not wiſely, 1. How fearfully and wonderfully thou art made. 2. What a mighty power God put forth in the Creation of the whole world: all which he will rather unmake again then thou ſhalt want ſeaſonable help.
And haſt feared continually every day] P…jor eſt morte timor ipſe mortis.
And where is the fury of the oppoſſour?] q d. It is but fury and not power; and that not illimited neither; for in the thing wherein they deal proudly I am above them, Exod. 18.11.
Ver. 14. The captive exile haſteneth that he may be looſed] i. e. Deliverance is even at the next door by: Or it is a deſcription, ſaith Diodate, of the believers readineſs in anſwering with the motion of their hearts to Gods calling and deliverance.
Ver. 15. For I am the Lord thy God that divided the Sea] Or, I the Lord thy God am he that ſtilleth the Sea when the waves of it roar: How much more then can I curb and controll the rage of man? Surely, ſaith David, foreignthe wrath of man ſhall praiſe thee: the remainder of wrath ſhalt thou reſtrain: where the Septuagint have it, It ſhall keep holy day to thee.
Ver. 16. And I have put my words in thy mouth] O Iſaiah, my ſervant: but eſpecially O Chriſt my Son.
Than I may plant the Heavens, &c.] God doth as great a wonder in ſaying to Zion, Thou art my people in the work of renovation, as if he had made a new world. Whoſoever is in Chriſt, is a new creature, or a new Creation, 2 Cor. 5.17. Chriſt is called The beginning of the Creation of God, Rev. 3.14. Some by planting the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth here, underſtand the ſtate of the Goſpel, called by St. Peter a New heaven and a new earth: and the ſame they ſay is called by our Saviour Regeneration, Matth, 19.28. Ye which have followed me in the Regeneration, &c. and by the Author to the Hebrews The world to come, Heb. 2.5.
Ver. 17. Awake, awake] Suſcita te, ſuſcita te: As the Church had ſtirred up the Arm of the Lord to awake, ver. 9. ſo here he doth the Church: chearing her up, and as it were drinking to her in a cup of Nepenthe, after her bitter cup of gall and Aloes, which ſhee had drunk to drunkenneſs, and had none to guide her, v. 18. as a drunken man had need to have.
That haſt drunk at the hand of the Lord] Herein happy yet, that God had a hand in the mingling of thy cup: who, being a wiſe and gracious Phyſician and Father, would be ſure not to overdo; for he knoweth our frame, he remembreth that we are duſt, Pſal. 103.
The cup of his fury] Or his cup of poiſon, as Deut. 32.24, 33. ſo thou miſtakeſt it, and therefore ſputtereſt as if poiſoned indeed, Lam. 3.19.
Thou haſt drunk the dregges] Craſſamentum, that thick ſtuffe that ſettleth in the bottom, and uſually is reſerved for the worſt of wicked ones, Pſal. 75.8. whiles the Saints ſip only of the top of the cup.Illud tantum bibunt qu…d eſt ſuavim et limpidius; eſt propemodum proverbialis locutis bibere calicem, pro eo quod eſt perferre adverſa. Hyper. See Ezek. 23.34.
Of the cup of trembling] Poculum horrificentiſſimum bibiſti, exſuxiſti, the cup of concuffion or horrour, as a juſt puniſhment of thy cup of ſlumbering and ſecurity, wherein thou hadſt afore carouſed, chap. 29.9, 10.
Ver. 18. There is none to guide her] This was a point next the worſt, as we ſay: She was without prudent and pious Magiſtrates and Miniſters, or other friends to adviſe her: and ſo ſhe was foreign twice miſerable. Chriſt hath promiſed all his, I will not leave you deſtitute or orphans.
Among all her ſons] Who ſhould ſee to their aged Parents and ſublevate them; as pious Aeneas did, and as Scipio, who therehence had his name: but Zions ſons were themſelves in a dreadful plight, ver. 26. and in an ill caſe to relieve their Mother.
Ver. 19. Theſe two things are come unto thee] As they ſeldome are ſeparated: as ſome write of the Aſp that he never wanders alone, without his companion.
Who ſhall be ſorry for thee] Condole and comfort thee.
Deſolation and deſtruction, and the famine and the ſword] i. e. Deſolation by famine and deſtruction by the ſword: or, as ſome will have it, deſolation by famine and ſword, and want of conſolation, as ver. 18.
By whom ſhall I comfort thee?] By whom but by my ſelf, when thou art at thy greateſt under, and even forſaken of thy hopes. See ver. 12.
Ver. 20. Thy ſons have fainted] Fame, macie, tabe, vulnere, utterly diſabled to relieve thee, ver. 18.
As a wild Bull in a net] Taken in a toil, where he ſtruggles and ſtrives, foames and fumes, but cannot get out.
Ver. 21. Thou afflicted and drunken] With a dry drunkenneſſe, which thou canſt not ſo eaſily ſleep out. See ver. 17.
Ver. 22. Behold I have taken] Though man could not. Where humane help faileth, Divine help beginneth.
Thou ſhalt no more drink it] i. e, Not of a long time, till thy laſt devaſtation by the Romans.
Ver. 23. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee] Who ſhall drink it not to drunkenneſſe only as thou haſt done, but unto madneſſe, Jer. 25.10. Baltaſar and his Babylonians did ſo: the revenging hand of God was afterwards upon Antiochus, Vespatian and his children: Antichriſtians drink of the wine of Gods wrath, Rev. 14.10.
Bow down] This paſſage ſetteth forth their extreame cruelty and Thraſonical inſolency. But the caſe ſhall be altered. Rev. 3.9.