Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 10. Make the heart of this people fat, make their ear heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and he heal them.

Vers. 10. Make the heart of this people fat, make their eare heauie, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and vnderstand with their hearts, and conuert, and he heale them.

Here the former sentence is better expressed. For God not only admonisheth Isaiah that he shall lose his labour in teaching; but also that he will close up the eyes of this ⟨p. 70⟩people by his doctrine, thereby giving them occasion of greater blindness and obstinacy, which in the end shall work their perdition. He signifies that the people being deprived of reason and understanding, shall perish, and that there shall be no remedy left: notwithstanding he therewithal advertiseth the Prophet, that his labour shall be an acceptable sacrifice unto him, howsoever it bring ruin and death to the Jews. And truly this is an excellent sentence, not only because Isaiah foretells the things which were accomplished in the kingdom of Christ, but because it contains a very excellent doctrine, the use whereof is perpetual in the Church of God. Also those who walk faithfully in the ministry of the word, shall be forced to feel the experience, of it: and we learn it by effect more then were to be wished: but this hath been common to all the servants of Christ, and therefore ought we to bear it with the greater courage, howsoever it be a great scandal to those that serve God with a pure conscience, Besides, we are not only much offended hereby, but Satan under this pretext pricks his instruments forwards to bring their doctrine into the greater disgrace; namely, that is not only without fruit, but also because it doth hurt, so as it makes men more obstinate, and works their confusion. For many at this day having nothing else to reproach the doctrine of the Gospel withal, affirm, that the preaching thereof brings no other fruit but this, that it makes men worse then they were before. Now whatsoever the event be, yet notwithstanding God declares that our ministry pleaseth him, because we do that which he hath commanded.