Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

¹Now the Prophet enters upon a new argument; for he lets the people alone, which made no use neither of admonitions nor threatenings whatsoever, in regard they were become maliciously desperate: and turns him towards the posterity to come, to signify to those which should be humbled under the cross, that they should not be left comfortless in the end; no, not in their deepest distresses. It is very likely that this prophecy was written by him,² when the time of the captivity drew near, that after his death he might not leave the Church behind him overwhelmed with grievous calamities, without hope of restoration. Now albeit that to the same end he hath before mingled threatenings and terrors with his prophecies,³ yet it seems he had a principal regard to those that then lived: but all that which follows hereafter, toucheth the estate of the Church to come, which was restored long after the Prophets death. For he will now set down a perpetual doctrine, which is not to be restrained to any particular time, seeing he discourseth both of the beginning and progress of Christs Kingdom. Of so much the greater importance therefore ought this prophecy to be unto us, by how much the more it belongs particularly unto us for our use. For albeit we may evidently discern in the former prophecies,⁴ that the doctrine therein contained, is proper unto us as well as to the Jews; yet in regard he now leaves the Jews that then lived, and speaks to their successors, and indeed to all the faithful to the worlds end, it seems indeed that the doctrines following are more peculiar unto us. The Lord meant therefore to awaken the hearts of the faithful by this exhortation, lest they should faint under so many calamities. First then he speaks to the Jews, which soon after were to be led away captives into §1miserable servitude, where they should be deprived both of the sacrifices and Prophets, and left destitute of all consolation, had not the Lord bin pleased to have relieved them by the comfortable doctrines of these prophecies ensuing. In the second place he directs his speech to the whole Kingdom of §2Christ, which should succeed them soon after, to the end they might then take heart unto them, when in all likelihood they might seem in the eyes of the world to be utterly forlorn.