Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Isaiah · Chapter 64
CHAP. LXIV.
AS the melting fire boileth. Here Calvin begins this Chapter, and saith, that Vers. 1.by the Hebrew it is so begun, the words before-going Chap. 63. 19. being all one verse, and not distinguisht, as verses use to be. But Jerom and Septuagint and New Translat. begin it at the words before-going, Oh that thou wouldest break the heavens! respecting rather the sense then the Hebrew distinction, and so indeed these and those words before-going so hang together that they cannot well be parted. To take them therefore together, though dis-joyned, Jerom understands this longing of the Church after the Lords descending from Hieron.heaven, of the Son of God his coming down by taking flesh of the Virgin Mary for our redemption, as wherein her greatest comfort lieth. For when this was done and proved by many miracles, the hearts of many Jews, being hard and high before as Mountains through pride and disdain of him for his poverty, melted, when after the coming down of the holy Ghost they were pricked in their hearts, Act. 2. 37. And herein it is alluded to the Lords coming down upon Mount Sinai. But Jerom applieth this of the Mountains melting to the enemies of Christ and his people, alledging Psal. 97. 5. which may indeed be understood of both together, sith one was not done without the other, all adverse powers to mans salvation were confounded and amongst men such as were appointed to life were confounded, and had their hearts prickt or melted with sorrow, to their conversion, who before were stiff enemies. It followeth here, As the burning fire things melted, the fire boyling waters; Thus Hebrew, Jerom, As by burning fire they would melt, the waters burn with fire, A similitude to shew, how even great, and hard, and high Mountains would melt away at Gods presence descending, they being no more to him a consuming fire, then wax or water congealed into ice, or any other thing that will easily melt, to common fire. So that as the Lord coming down upon Sinai, it trembled as ready to fall off the foundation before him, and to be dissolved to nothing; in like manner the Sonne of God coming, hils fell, and were made low, when proud hearts were humbled at his Gospel to make a plain way for him to goe on herewith with speed throughout the world.
When thou didst terrible things that we looked not for, the mountains melted before Vers. 3.thee. Here is a commemoration of things wonderfully done by God for his people in former times, to make way for them to come into the promised Land, that they might believe the deliverance now promised. For if this be beyond all expectation of man, and hope that was likewise, yet done by his almighty Power who promised it, and therefore this was not to be despaired of, but certainly to be expected. The mountains melted, or flowed down, that is, whatsoever stood in the way to hinder that which God would have done, he easily removed and made to vanish, were it as Mountains.
From the beginning they have not heard or seen, &c. Here the Prophet rendereth Vers. 4.another reason, why the Church should by faith expect the fulfilling of his most gracious Promises in Christ to come, though exceeding mans capacity, viz. none ever heard of such a God amongst all the Nations, that did so for any people, as God for his; wherefore there is no reasoning from hence, there was never the like seen or heard of, that hath been before promised: it is true, but the promiser is the almighty God of heaven and earth, and not like Idol-gods or devils, who are never able to do such things. For the citing of this and applying it otherwise by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 2. 9. See there what I have already written upon it.
Thou mettest him that rejoyced and did righteously in thy wayes, they remembred Vers. 5.thee, thou art angry and we have sinned, in them is eternity, and we shall be saved. Here the Church in affliction compareth her self with her in prosperity in the dayes of godly Judges and Kings, or of Joshuah, when the people served the Lord, and had joy of their enemies expelling before them; for the Lord is said to meet the righteous when with his blessings extraordinary making them glad and joyfull, then they remembred the Lord in his wayes, that is, walking in them, for so a foundation is laid of all happiness. But the Church in affliction complaineth, For our sins thou art angry with us, and we are made heavy by judgements in stead of joying in thy favours, yet herein is our comfort, that in thy waies is eternity, thy waies, I mean, of grace towards the people whom thou hast chosen; and therefore although we be kept under sore judgements for a time, we shall at length be saved and delivered out of them all, and from all our sins. For by the waies of the Lord, that the way of his grace is meant towards his chosen people, see Rom. 11. 33. compared with vers. 29. and other verses before going, as well as the waies of his Commandments appointed for us to walk in, that we may be in expectation of mercy, as was said before. For the Apostle having spoken of Gods constant love towards Israel to graff them into the true Olive again, yeeldeth this general reason, The gifts and calling of God are without repentance; and in admiring this after such a judgement laid upon them, he saith, How unsearchable are his waies, &c. for eternity, New Translat. hath continuance; Calvin, soeculum, Heb. foreign which I render Eternity, because foreign is for ever; and in other things there is continuance, but the waies of God are everlasting. For the first words Vatablus saith, some expound them of Moses in a contrary sense, as Vatablus.if it were meant, thou mettest with him in the way to Canaan, and didst cut him off, and Aaron likewise; but this is farre from the scope of the Prophet. And for these words [In them continuance] whereas Calvin besides the exposition Calvin.brought, hath another, referring continuance in them, to continuance in sin, but yet, saith he, we are saved, thus magnifying! Gods mercy the more, it cannot agree with the words before-going, which are, Thou art angry and we have finned, not [We are full of sins] which if it had been, there were some reason to refer in them] to sins, but now none, but rather, as hath been said, to take them for a ground, and setting forth of the cause of our being saved, as hath been said, for of such as continue in sinne it abhors from all true Divinity to say, they are saved; yet this is favoured in the Vulgar Latine, which hath it, In ipsis fuimus semper.
We are all as unclean, and our righteousnesse as a filthy garment, Or as a Vers. 6.cloth coming from a woman in her disease, here the Church returns again to Part 3 bewail her sins, which were not only in other actions touching the world, but made by Junius ver. 10, and the 7th and 11th.even in all our righteousnesses, that is, righteous acts of justice, charity or piety, for corruption and weakness by reason of the flesh, goeth from us, and is mixed with them all, for which, as Jerom saith, the righteousness of the Hieronym.Law being compared with that of the Gospel is unrighteousnesse, alledging also Phil. 3. 8. where Paul saith the same touching this righteousness of walking according to the Law in himself, calling it drosse and dung. And we fade as a leaf, falling off, or being blown away by the winde, so we by thy judgements, if thou shouldst proceed against us according to our sins.
Thou art our father, we the clay, thou the Potter. Here is the fourth part of Vers. 8.the prayer containing motives, 1. Here a Father pitieth his children, a Potter Part 4 will preserve his own work. 2. Vers. 10. Thy holy City is a wildernesse, thy house Vers. 10.burnt, &c. Then follows the answer.