Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Now although these things were to fall out long time after, yet the Lord shows that they were already manifest in his sight; yea, that he ordained them in his secret counsel, to the end the event thereof might be a certain token of his divinity. Yet in the first member of the verse, he denounceth judgement, to fear the Jews: in the second, he sets forth mercy, in testifying that the captivity and deliverance of the people was his work, that all might perceive that the prescience and power of God were things which did indeed belong unto him.

Now although these things were to fall out long time after, yet the Lord shewes that they were already manifest in his sight; yea, that hee ordained them in his secret counsell, to the end the euent thereof might be a certaine token of his diuinitie. Yet in the first member of the verse, he denounceth iudgement, to feare the Iewes: in the second, he sets forth mercy, in testifying that the captiuitie and deliuerance of the people was his worke, that all might perceiue that the prescience and power of God were things which did indeed belong vnto him.

The profane nations divide certain offices amongst their gods: Apollo,¹ he foretells things to come: Jupiter, he puts them in execution: another, he dispatches a business contrary to that: but Gods office² is not only to foretell and signify things to come, but to §1dispose of things also according to his good §2pleasure. For in whatsoever thing it be that any divinity shines, it ought to be ascribed to God only, and not to any other. This is the cause why he appropriates to himself both prescience, ³and the execution of the same inseparably.