Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Now the Lord exerciseth his vengeance §1two ways: for sometimes we think we have men of gravity and of experience in matters; but when they take it in hand, they stumble like blind beetles, and have no more skill and wisdom then little children; because the Lord deprives them of this singular virtue, with which before they were endued: and puts them out of bias, as if he had smitten §2them with a thunderclap. Sometimes also the Lord proceeds more slowly and takes away excellent personages for judgement, by little and little, and such as were fit for government: and transports the swaying of causes over to them which are not able to govern a family, no not a silly child. When these things come to pass, we may hold it for certain, that destruction and ruin is not far off.

Now the Lord exerciseth his vengeance §1two waies: for sometimes we thinke we haue men of grauitie and of experience in matters; but when they take it in hand, they stumble like blind beetles, and haue no more skill and wisdome then little children; because the Lord depriues them of this singular vertue, with which before they were indued: and puts them out of bias, as if he had smitten §2them with a thunderclap. Sometimes also the Lord proceedes more slowly and takes away excellent personages for iudgement, by little and little, and such as were fit for gouernment: and transports the swaying of causes ouer to them which are not able to gouerne a familie, no not a sillie child. When these things come to passe, we may hold it for certaine, that destruction and ruine is not farre off.

Moreover, we have to observe (as I touched not long since) that the estate of a Common-wealth well ordered,¹ is an excellent gift of God: seeing all the orders of Judges, Senators, Soldiers, Captains, Teachers, and Handicrafts men, do all of them help one another by mutual community: and do knit themselves together for the common safety of the people. For seeing the Prophet threatens and denounceth that these things shall be abolished as a most heavy judgement of God, he sufficiently shows, that these are rare and excellent gifts, which are necessary for the conservation of the people.