Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

¹Hitherunto the Prophet hath spoken by similitudes; but now he delivers his mind plainly and without any figures, showing what these buds and herbs be, whereof he hath spoken; to wit, that the Lord will gather his people out of all nations, and will bring them into his Church, which were far off before: also that he would restore and augment the same, which in a manner seemed to be brought to nothing: for all should run unto it out of all quarters of the world, and should crave that they might be enrolled among the faithful: according to that which is said in Psal. 87. Behold, Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia; there was •e borne. Which place of the Psalm, howsoever it hath seemed to be obscured by the ignorance of the expositors, yet it serves to give light to this prophecy. For we know the number of those which returned from the captivity were very few: the faithful therefore had cause to be astonished, and to blush for shame: much more cause had they to be hindered from comprehending the glorious and wonderful work of their redemption, which was so highly extolled by the Prophets. The author of this Psalm therefore labours to prevent this astonishment, and gives them to understand that the Babylonians and Egyptians shall also become members of the Church: that the Ethiopians, Tyrians, and all such as were strangers, should come and be incorporated into the number of Gods chosen. As if he should say, Jerusalem is now desolate indeed, yet will God not only gather together his banished, but will also call from every part of the world, and make them one body, which now are sundered, in such sort, that they shall rejoice that God hath made them Citizens with the Saints, and shall no less appertain to the body of the elect, then if they had issued forth of the same.