Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

IF we mean to understand our Prophets meaning aright, and to read with profit that which he hath here written,¹ we must learn to find out his drift, as I have touched before. For he extols not Gods greatness thus at random, but sets it forth with all his skill, according as the circumstance of the matter which he now is in hand with requires: to let the Israelites know, that this buckler is sufficient to cover them, and that they were not to fear the endeavours, rage, nor violence of the world, provided that God show them his favour: and that thus they were to learn to yield themselves under his safeguard. For if they had not bin well grounded in this point, they should have met with infinite occasions which would have driven them out of heart every minute of an hour. The Prophet therefore goes on with the same argument still, and tells the Jews, that if the nations and peoples be compared with God, they are as nothing: for with his only blast he will scatter all the inhabitants of the earth, as if they were but a little pick of dust. For in regard we are too much inclined, and foolishly witty in seeking pretences to strengthen our own infidelity, we imagine that whatsoever Satan conspires to hinder our salvation, shuts up all passage against God. The Prophet minding to correct this vice shows, that all creatures are nothing before him, and that all nations when they stand on an heap, are but as the small drops of a bucket in his presence. Whence we learn, that it is a gross sottishness in us so to prefer the creature, that we abase the power of the Creator, who ought to be held as supreme over and above all things; as indeed he is.