Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

As touching the putting away of their iniquities, it properly belonged to the captives, which for their iniquities sake suffered that punishment. Hence it followed therefore that God being appeased, their deliverance was at hand: for it is an argument taken from the cause to the effect.¹ If the fault be remitted, so is the punishment. For the Jews were no sooner reconciled with God, but the punishment which they suffered for their transgressions ceased.

As touching the putting away of their iniquities, it properly belonged to the captiues, which for their iniquities sake suffered that punishment. Hence it followed therefore that God being appeased, their deliuerance was at hand: for it is an argument taken from the cause to the effect.¹ If the fault be remitted, so is the punishment. For the Iewes were no sooner reconciled with God, but the punishment which they suffered for their transgressions ceased.

1. 1An argument taken from the cause to the effect.

Now in these words there is hid a close exhortation to repentance, not only to §1move them to sigh under the burden of their afflictions, §2but to acknowledge them as just recompenses of their iniquities, whereby they had provoked God unto wrath. As oft then as he handles us roughly,¹ we must not crave so much to be disburdened of this our sorrow and misery, as rather to begin at the forgiveness of our sins, that God would not impute them unto us. And here we have cause given us again to meet with that fond distinction of the Papists, who confess that the fault indeed is forgiven, but not the punishment.