Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

The holy history orderly recites,¹ how Hezekias asked a sign of the Lord, which was granted unto him: our Prophet will only touch it in the end of the Chapter: but it is no new thing with the Hebrews thus to set those things last, which should be first, &c. Moreover, the Lord offers some signs voluntarily unasked. Again, he grants them to others that require them. Now in regard that the general use of signs² is to sustain our infirmity, God for the most part stays not till they be asked, but from the beginning hath always ordained such as himself knew would be the most profitable to his Church. If the faithful then at any time have desired that their faith might be confirmed by signs, ³we must not by and by follow them therein; because it was a thing very rare: as to Gideon, who being taken from the flail to govern the people,⁴ he gave two signs which he asked, to the end he might be the better confirmed in his calling: Judg. 6.17, 36. As touching other signs, he was wont ordinarily to give them to help mans weakness: as to Adam, the tree of life, Gen. 2.9. to Noah, the rain-bow in the clouds: Gen. 9.13. afterwards, the cloud, the pillar of fire, and the brazen Serpent in the wilderness: Exod. 13.21. Numb. 21.8. The like is to be said of the Passover, Exod. 12.3. and of all other sacraments which have been ordained both under ⟨p. 387⟩the Law and under the Gospel, without being asked of God at all.