Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

HE shows, that all the evils wherewith he threatened the Assyrians should turn to the salvation of the Church. Why so? Because God would no less severely punish the injuries done to his children, then if they had been done to himself. And thus he sets forth his fatherly love and his inestimable good will towards us, in that he vouchsafes to take arms even in his own person as it were for our defence. Whence we may gather,¹ that all the menaces so frequent in the holy Scriptures, serve much for the consolation of the faithful.

HE shewes, that all the euils wherewith he threatned the Assyrians should turne to the saluation of the Church. Why so? Because God would no lesse seuerely punish the iniuries done to his children, then if they had been done to himselfe. And thus he sets forth his fatherlie loue and his inestimable good will towards vs, in that he vouchsafes to take armes euen in his owne person as it were for our defence. Whence we may gather,¹ that all the menaces so frequent in the holy Scriptures, serue much for the consolation of the faithfull.

1. 1Threatenings pronounced against the wicked in the holy Scriptures serve greatly for the comfort of the faithful.Threatnings pronounced against the wicked in the holy Scriptures serue greatly for the comfort of the faithfull.

In the next place he saith, that this shall be an holy song; and compares it to those that were used in solemn feasts: the rather to stir the faithful up to thanksgiving, and to teach them how to order their joy and rejoicing. For it is not enough to rejoice,¹ unless our joy be directly in the Lord, whose glory should always be the mark and end we aim at therein: otherwise, our joy should neither be good, nor acceptable unto him, but rather profane and vain.