Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Isaiah went his way, and left his sting behind him, as they say; leaving him as a dead man, whom in the name of the Lord he had adjudged to die. In the mean while we may gather from his song, how restless his ⟨p. 385⟩thoughts were, or rather, with how great terror he was surprised. It is not easy to define of the intermission between the Prophets departure, and his return: yet it is out of question, that the promise both touching his recovery, and life, was not made till he had felt himself forlorn; yea, after he had a long time been tossed up and down with furious storms and tempests. For his faith was tried to the utmost when God thus hid his face from him, and suffered him to lie plunged in the darkness of death: yet we have told you already, that the faith of this King was not so quenched, but that some sparks thereof appeared, though he were left destitute of all outward comforts. For by the secret instinct of the holy Ghost, he breathed out unutterable groans from this bottomless gulf, which ascended up into the ears of the most high. From whence we gather, that the faithful are so heard in the day of their distress, that the favour of God manifests not it self unto them at the first cry, but he defers of purpose to let them feel it, till he sees they be throughly humbled.

ISaiah went his way, and left his sting behind him, as they say; leauing him as a dead man, whom in the name of the Lord he had adiudged to die. In the meane while we may gather from his song, how restlesse his ⟨p. 385⟩thoughts were, or rather, with how great terror he was surprised. It is not easie to define of the intermission betweene the Prophets departure, and his returne: yet it is out of question, that the promise both touching his recouery, and life, was not made till he had felt himselfe forlorne; yea, after he had a long time been tossed vp and downe with furious stormes and tempests. For his faith was tried to the vtmost when God thus hid his face from him, and suffered him to lie plunged in the darknesse of death: yet we haue told you already, that the faith of this King was not so quenched, but that some sparks thereof appeared, though hee were left destitute of all outward comforts. For by the secret instinct of the holy Ghost, he breathed out vnutterable groanes from this bottomlesse gulfe, which ascended vp into the eares of the most high. From whence we gather, that the faithfull are so heard in the day of their distresse, that the fauour of God manifests not it selfe vnto them at the first cry, but hee deferres of purpose to let them feele it, till hee sees they be throughly humbled.