Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 52
CHAP. LII.
Ver. 1. AWake, awake] Pluck up thy beſt heart, as we ſay, and rouſe up thy ſelf to receive the ſweet promiſes. For as mans laws, ſo Gods promiſes favour not them that are aſleep, but awake, and watchful.
O Jeruſalem the holy City) Thou that haſt been brought through the fire; being refined as ſilver is refined, and tryed as gold is tryed, Zach. 13.9.
There ſhall no more come into thee] Or, againſt thee, i. e. I will not ſuffer tyrants to vex thee, or profane ones to harbour with thee. See chap. 35.8.
Ver. 2. Shake thy ſelf from the duſt] Wherein thou layeſt along when trampled on, chap. 51.23.
Ariſe and ſit down O Jeruſalem] Rather, ariſe ſit up O Jeruſalem. It hath been noted before, that when Veſpaſian had ſubdued Judaea, money was ſtamped with a woman ſitting in the duſt with this inſcription, Judaea ſubacta.
Looſe thy ſelf from the bonds of thy neck] From thy ſpiritual ſervitude eſpecially, as Luk. 1.74. Rom. 6.19. ſhake the devils-yoke from off thy neck, geſtaque monilia sponſae & libertatis, and get on the Spouſes ornaments.
Ver. 3. For thus ſaith the Lord] Thus he pleadeth the cauſe of his people, chap. 51.22.
Ye have ſold your ſelves for nought] Heb. ye were ſold for nought; Babylonii non egerunt mihi gratias. Piſcat. Mat. Pariſ. Hiſt A. D. 1072I had not ſo much as thanks for you from the enemy; no more hath he from the devil: and yet a letter was framed in Hildebrands dayes, as ſent from the devil, wherein he kindly thanked the Popiſh Clergy for the many ſouls they dayly ſent him to hell, by their negligence and wickedneſſe.
And ye ſhall be redeemed without money] Heb. without ſilver, ſo were we, 1 Pet. 1.18.
Ver. 4. And the Aſſyrian oppreſſed them without cauſe] Nulla injuria laceſſſitus. So did the Primitive Perſecutors, the Chriſtians of thoſe times: though they were non aliunde noſcibiles quam ex vitae integritate, ſaith Juſtin Martyr, eminent for their innocency; as Pliny alſo in his Epiſtle to Trajan the Emperour teſtifieth. What hurt had the Iſraelites ever done to malicious Moah, that he was irked at them? Num. 22.3. or the Hebrews to the Aſſyrians, that they ſhould oppreſſe them?
Ver. 5. Now therefore what have I here?] Cui bono? to what purpoſe or profit? for what wealth or worth ſuffer I my poor people to lie captives here at Babylon? Or, as others ſenſe it,Piſcator. what make I here any longer at Jeruſalem when my poor people are in durance at Babylon? why haſten I not to help them out?
They that rule over them, make them to houle] i. e. The Chaldaans, and after them the Romans, and then the Scribes and Phariſees, by binding heavy burthens grievous to be born, and laying them on mens conſciences, Mat. 23.4.
And my name continually every day (or, all the day long) is blaſphemed] That's all I get by the bargain.
Ver. 6. Therefore my people ſhall know my name] ſc. That I am Jehovah, as Exod. 6.3. the God of Amen, Iſa. 65.16. who will not ſuffer my faithfulneſs to faile, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth, Pſal. 89.33, 34. And it ſhall therefore be ſo becauſe my name (that nomen majeſtativum) hath been blaſphemed and vilified: Gods people fare the better for their enemies inſolencies.
That I am he that doth ſpeak: behold it is I] Or, that it is I that do speak, ſaying, Loe here I am. This ſome underſtand of the ſecond perſon in Trinity, the eternal Son of the eternal Father, called the Word. Joh. 1.1. and there are that give us this Rule, Where the Old Teſtament bringeth in God appearing and ſpeaking, we are to underſtand it alway of the ſecond perſon. See Joh. 12.37, to 42.
Ver. 7. How beautiful!] Quam amaeni, i. e. amabiles! How amiable or deſireable. Interrogatio admirantis & exultantis.
Ʋpon the mountains] Whence they may beſt be heard, as Judg. 9.7. ſaying as there, Harken unto me, that God may harken unto you. Our Saviour (that Arch-Evangeliſt who, as ſome, is here firſt and chiefly meant by Mebasſher, him that bringeth good tydings) ſeeing the multitudes, went up into a mountaine, Mat. 5.1. which is ſaid to be in the tribe of Nephthali, and called Chriſts mount to this day. blis Apoſtles afterwards travel'd and trudg'd on foot over hills and dales (What a compaſſe fetcht Paul, Rom. 15.19? Inter valium illud eſt milliarium Germanicorum 350. ſo that he might better be called than afterwards George Eagles the Martyr was Trudge-over-the world) to preach the Goſpel and to plant Churches, to whom their feet though fouled and worn (how much more their faces?) were deemed delectable and debonnaire, Gal. 4.14. Act. 10.21. The Pope (Peters pretended ſucceſſor) holdeth forth his feet to be kiſſed, but preacheth not; or not peace, but war, which he ſtirreth up by his roaring Bulls.
Of him that bringeth good tydings] Whoſoever he be that preacheth the Goſpel (that chief work of a Miniſter) Rom. 10.15. Of Mr. John Dod it is written (and I know it to be true) that he was very Evangelical: ſtriving firſt to make men ſee their loſt condition clearly (for, ſaid he, ſenſe of miſery muſt goe before ſenſe of mercy) and then largely and excellently opening the promiſes, and the grace of God in Chriſt according to the Goſpel, looking at that as the moſt effectual preaching. Some, ſaid he, labour ſtill to keep men under terrours, loading them with threatnings, &c. leſt they ſhould not be humbled enough: but the Goſpel worketh true humiliation, not the law; it ariſeth from ſenſe of ſin and miſery joyned with hope of mercy. The damned have terrour and ſenſe of miſery enough; but that doth not humble them.
That publiſheth peace] The Goſpel is a doctrine of peace, Eph. 2.17. whoſe Authour is the God of peace, 1 Cor. 14.33. whoſe Miniſters are Meſſengers of peace, Rom. 10.15. whoſe followers are the children of peace, Luk. 10.6. &c. If any know not how they came by their peace, but are like the Iſraelitiſh women, quick of delivery before ever the Midwife (the Miniſter) can come at them, they have cauſe to ſuſpect their peace.
That bringeth good tydings] As before, (but never enough) mentioned and memorized. Some Criticks tell us, that the Hebrew word here uſed ſignifying alſo Fleſh, B. Andrews.ſhewed that the incarnation or taking fleſh ſhould be generally good news to the whole world; even the beſt tydings. The Old Church had foreign the Promiſe: we have foreign the joyful tydings.
Leo Caſtrius ex Procop. & Euſeb.That publiſheth Salvation] Publicantis Jeſum, ſo ſome have rendred it: the concrete for the abſtract.
That ſaith to Zion Thy God raigneth] Maugre the malice of earth and of hell; this is the ſum of all the good news in the world. It is happy that Chriſt liveth and raigneth, ſaid a godly man, for elſe I had utterly deſpaired.
Ver. 8. Thy watchmen ſhall lift up the voyce] Heb. the voyce of thy watchmen. ſc. Thy God raigneth: or, as in the following verſe, Break forth into joy, &c.
They lift up the voyce, they ſing together] As having no greater joy than that their children walk in the truth, 2 Joh. 4. 1 Theſ. 3.8. and the contrary.
Id eſt cominus evidentiſſime, ui Num. 14.14. Jun.For they ſhall ſee eye to eye] And be able to ſay, as 1 Joh. 1.1. That which we have ſeen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, (and what ſo ſure as ſight?) declare we unto you.
Ver. 9. Break forth into you] This is the ſubject matter of Goſpel-Miniſters diſcourſes: they ſhall call upon Gods people to rejoyce, ver. 9.10. and to repent, ver 11, 12. and ſhall ſhew them that it is as well a ſin not to rejoyce as not to repent.
Ver. 10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm] Nudavit, id eſt, exeruit, in anſwer to your prayer,Confeſ. l. 5. c. 8. Turk. hiſt. fol. 287. chap. 51.9. God oft anſwereth his praying people ad cardinem deſiderii, (as Auſtin ſaith) letteth it be to them even as they will. Scanderbeg ever fought againſt the Turkes with his arm bare, and that with ſuch fierceneſs, that the blood did oftentimes burſt out of his lips. It is written that he with that bare arm of his ſlew three thouſand Turkes, in the time of his wars againſt them.
Shall ſee the Salvation of the Lord] Shall ſee it and ſing of it, ver. 9.
Ver. 11. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out, &c.] Here we have a double repetition redoubled, and all little enough to bring them out of Babylon (not half, as may be probably thought, returned, which was no ſmall prejudice to thoſe that did) and us out of this wicked world; whereunto we are ſo affixed and addicted, that nothing can ſunder us but an extraordinary touch from the hand of heaven. Save your ſelves from this perverſe generation, Act. 2.40. Exter not into the path of thoſe wicked, and go not in the way of evil men: avoid it, paſſe not by it, turn from it and paſſe away, Prov. 4.14, 15. a parallel place.
Be ye clean, ye that bear the veſſels of the Lord] Id eſt qui geſtatis arma, inſtramenta, adeoque inſignia Chriſti, all ye true beleevers who are made ſpiritual Prieſts, Rev. 1.6. and eſpecially all ye holy Miniſters who (as Myſtagogues) handle the Law, Jer. 2.8. and adminiſter the Sacraments, being your ſelves choyce veſſels of honour to bear Chriſts name unto his people, Act. 9.15. See 2 Tim. 2.21.
Ver. 12. For ye ſhall not go out with haſte] Neither with fright nor flight ſhall ye depart, as once ye did out of Egypt. Diod.And this ſpiritually denoteth the mature deliberation and calm mind with which beleevers do forſake the world to follow Chriſt.
For the Lord will go before you] He will be unto you both Van and Rere. The Lord is a man of war, Exod. 15.3. yea he alone is a whole army of men, as here.
Ver. 13. Behold my ſervant ſhall deal prudently] Or, ſhall proſper, as chap. 53.10.Aug. de Civ. Dei lib. 18 cap. 29. Juſtin. contra Tryphon. O…ig. lib. 1 cont. coſ. Here ſome (and not unfitly) begin the next Chapter, which hath Chriſt alſo for its ſubject, as the Chaldee Paraphraſt, and ſome old Jew-Doctors acknowldge: Johannes Iſaac a Jew was converted by reading of it: This I confeſs ingenuouſly, ſaith he, that that Chapter brought me to the Faith of Jeſus Chriſt; and well it might; for taken together with theſe three laſt verſes, it is an entire Prophecy, or rather an hiſtory of Chriſts perſon and acts, both in the ſtate of his Humiliation, and Exaltation.
He ſhall be exalted and extolled and be very high] This great advancement was the conſequent of his great abaſement, Phil. 2.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. His humane nature, wherein he ſuffered ſo for our ſakes, hath by vertue of the Union with the Deity, theſe high prerogatives; 1. An exuberancy and exceſſe of glory, Eph. 1.21. 2. The grace of divine Adoration together with the Deity, Heb. 1.6. Phil. 2.9. 3. Power over all things for his peoples uſe, Mat. 28.18. 4. Judiciary power, to be Judge of all, Act. 17.30.
Ver. 14. As many were aſtonied at thee,] Viz. at thine abaſement firſt, and then at thine advancement thereupon. All things in Chriſt are admirable: well therefore might he be called wonderful, Iſa. 9.6.
His viſage was ſo marred, more than any man] Partly through the anguiſh of his mind at his paſſion and on the croſs, and partly alſo by the miſuſage of his body, whil'ſt they made totum pro vulnere corpus, by their ſcourging, ſcratching, racking on the tree, piercing, buffeting, &c.
And his form more than the ſons of men] Pluſquam filii Adae, more than thoſe of the vulgar ſort: whereas naturally his body, being of the fineſt temperament, and no way diſeaſed, could not but be very beautiful. See Pſal. 45.2. with the Note.
Ver. 15. So ſhall he sprinkle many Nations] With his Doctrine, Ezek. 20.46. Am. 7.16. or with his blood, that blood of ſprinkling. See Heb. 10.22. or with water in baptiſme, wherein ſprinkling inſufficient.
Kings ſhall ſhut their mouths at him] As being aſtonied at his prudence and proſperity, ver. 13. They ſhall alſo ſilently and reverently ſubmit to his Scepter, and to the Laws of his Kingdom with all humble obſervance.
For that which had not been told them] The myſtery of the Goſpel ſo long time concealed, Rom. 15.21. and 16.25.
Shall they ſee] Viz. with the eyes of their faith, God enlightening both Organ and Object.
And that which they had not heard] Goſpel-truthes. See 1 Cor. 2.9. with the Note.