Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 15. Verily thou, ô God, hidest thy self: O God, the saviour of Israel.

Vers. 15. Verily thou, ô God, hidest thy selfe: O God, the sauiour of Israel.

Now Isaiah breaks forth into an exclamation, showing,¹ that they must wait long for the enjoying of Gods promises, for the people were in danger of declining, seeing the wicked had the world at will, and that all things went cross with them. I know well that many expound this place otherwise, for the Hebrews for the most part interpret it thus, That the Lord will hide himself from the Gentiles, but will manifest himself to his people. The Christian Doctors bring another exposition, but as far from the purpose. I grant that which they say savours of wit, when they affirm that Christ is an hidden God, because his divinity was hidden under the infirmity of his flesh. But this hath no affinity with the Prophets intention, who saith, God is hid, because he seemed as it were to estrange himself for a time, whilst he suffered his Church to languish under divers oppressions and calamities, they were therefore to build up one another by hope, which as Paul saith, is not of things seen, but of things hidden, Rom. 8.24. And in this sense Isaiah saith that God was hid, because they saw not the promises by & by performed: thus he meant to draw their minds from the consideration of things present, and to ravish them above the heavens.

NOw Isaiah breakes forth into an exclamatiō, shewing,¹ that they must wait long for the inioying of Gods promises, for the people were in danger of declining, seeing the wicked had the world at will, and that all things went crosse with them. I know well that many expound this place otherwise, for the Hebrues for the most part interpret it thus, That the Lord will hide himselfe from the Gentiles, but will manifest himselfe to his people. The Christian Doctors bring another exposition, but as far from the purpose. I grant that which they say sauors of wit, whē they affirme that Christ is an hidden God, because his diuinitie was hidden vnder the infirmitie of his flesh. But this hath no affinitie with the Prophets intention, who saith, God is hid, because he seemed as it were to estrange himselfe for a time, whilest he suffred his Church to languish vnder diuers oppressions and calamities, they were therefore to build vp one another by hope, which as Paul saith, is not of things seene, but of things hidden,