Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

HE confirms that which he had said before; to wit, that God his vengeance is not cruelty: why so? Because they had deserved a far greater punishment. And howsoever there was some difference between them and the Sodomites, in regard of the punishment; yet the fault was alike: so as if the Lord had not pardoned them, he might even justly have plagued them with the like judgement. In a word, he tells them, that if God do spare, it is not to the end they should conclude with themselves, that their sins were less then those of the Sodomites; but that they were to attribute it rather unto the mercy of God. Now there is no great diversity in that he attributes the name of the city of Sodom to the P•inces, and the name of Gomorrah to the people: but it rather shows their condition to be both alike. But whereas he repeats one thing twice; this diversity of names hath the greater elegance. As if he should say, The Princes and people differ no more one from another, then Sodom differed from Gomorrah. True it is that he alludes to the divers degrees of men, when he attributes two cities to them as it were apart: but in •egard that Sodom equals Gomorrah in value, we see he binds them up both together as it were in one fardle. The sum then is; If any man will judge of the Princes and people, he shall find them agreeing as well together in one, even as Sodom and Gomorrah did. That is to say, there was never a barrel better hearing: but they were as like, as one egg is to another. For there was no more uprightness in the princes, then in the people. The Prophet begins now therefore to unmask the Jews, and that very justly: for as it is a common thing with all hypocrites to shroud themselves under