Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 1. O Lord, thou art my God: I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name: for thou hast done wonderful things, according to the counsels of old, with a stable trueth.

Vers. 1. O Lord, thou art my God: I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name: for thou hast done wonderfull things, according to the counsels of olde, with a stable trueth.

Hitherunto Isaiah hath prophesied of Gods judgements, which hung not over the head of one people alone, but almost of the whole world. Now it was impossible that the consideration of so many calamities which he foresaw would fall upon them, should not work great sorrow and trouble of mind in him. For those that are of an upright heart, desire that all the world might be saved. And as they thirst after Gods glory, so they cannot but love all the works of his hands: by how much the more then a man is possessed with the true fear of God, the more nearly is he touched to the quick with the feeling of his judgements. In the mean while, the wicked are besotted when he manifests the same, and will not be moved for any terrors whatsoever: the godly on the contrary quake at the least sign of his displeasure. If we have experience of this, what think we the Prophet felt, who saw all these calamities which he foretold, before his eyes as in a glass? For the Ministers of the word must needs be much more effectually affected with the sight of such things, then the common sort, that the same may be as it were a seal unto them of the trueth of their doctrine.

HItherunto Isaiah hath prophecied of Gods iudgements, which hung not ouer the head of one people alone, but almost of the whole world. Now it was impossible that the consideration of so many calamities which hee foresaw would fall vpon them, should not worke great sorrow and trouble of mind in him. For those that are of an vpright heart, desire that all the world might bee saued. And as they thirst after Gods glory, so they cannot but loue all the works of his hands: by how much the more then a man is possessed with the true feare of God, the more neerely is hee touched to the quicke with the feeling of his iudgements. In the meane while, the wicked are besotted when he manifests the same, and will not be moued for any terrours whatsoeuer: the godly on the contrary quake at the least signe of his displeasure. If wee haue experience of this, what thinke we the Prophet felt, who saw all these calamities which hee foretold, before his eyes as in a glasse? For the Ministers of the word must needes bee much more effectually affected with the sight of such things, then the common sort, that the same may be as it were a seale vnto them of the trueth of their doctrine.