Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Because the particle Ci, hath divers significations, we may conjoin this verse with the former, thus; But yet the Lord will have pity upon Zion: and so it should show how much the condition of the Church differeth from that which he described before. But I had rather take it for a particle rendering the cause; and that indeed agrees best to this place, as in many other texts: so as the sense shall be this; God shall destroy Babylon, because he shall have compassion of Jacob; whom he can neither despise nor reject. Whence we perceive, that the Prophet hath endeavoured hitherto, to assuage the sorrow of this poor people; to the end they might learn to be of good comfort in those their afflictions, which God would at §1length avenge. Thus Babylon & the Church of God are here set before us as in a glass: Babylon (I say) exalted in her sovereign power, who had so oppressed the poor and desolate Church, that she was utterly past hope (in a manner) that ever she should be §2restored again. But the Lord tumbling Babylon down from her high seat, therein witnesseth, that he hath care over his people, •ow abject or contemptible soever they seem to be.¹