Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 3. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity: your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue hath murmured iniquity.

Vers. 3. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquitie: your lippes haue spoken lies, and your tongue hath murmured iniquitie.

¹Now he brings their works to light, to stop their contendings: and that they should not call into question what these sins were, which had made this division. He takes away from them all excuse then, in discovering unto them these particular vices; as if their wicked life had been blazed in an open theatre. Now he speaks in the second person, in regard that he maintains and prosecutes the cause of God, whose advocate he is: and therefore he separates himself out of the wickeds society, to whom now he will not join himself, although he were not utterly exempt from sin. But he feared and honoured God notwithstanding: and therefore had his conscience clear.² For he which shall be tainted with the same offences, cannot freely condemn others: neither shall he be fit to debate the matter, because he bereaves himself of his authority by his scandalous and wicked life. §1For we ought not to be culpable of the vices which we reprove in others, unless we mean to make the doctrine which we teach, a matter of scorn and derision; and our selves to be taken for bold and impudent fellows. §2But on the other side, when we serve our God in a pure and good conscience, then hath the doctrine which we deliver majesty and power in it, and leaves the adversary the more without excuse.

¹NOw he brings their workes to light, to stop their contendings: and that they should not call into question what these sins were, which had made this diuision. He takes away from thē all excuse then, in discouering vnto them these particular vices; as if their wicked life had been blazed in an open theater. Now he speakes in the second person, in regard that he maintaines and prosecutes the cause of God, whose aduocate he is: and therefore he separates himselfe out of the wickeds societie, to whom now he will not ioyne himselfe, although hee were not vtterly exempt from sinne. But hee feared and honoured God notwithstanding: and therfore had his conscience cleare.