Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

And shall smite the earth.] In this place the Prophet extols the efficacy of the word, which is the royal sceptre of Christ. For the rod of the mouth is as much to say, as a verbal sceptre: and in the second member, speaking of the breath or spirit of the lips, he repeats the selfsame thing: as if he should say, Christ shall not need to borrow strength from others to beat back his enemies, and to overthrow whatsoever is contrary to his dignity and Empire; for his only breath or word shall be sufficient thereunto. Now this may be a general sentence, seeing it is of necessity that the faithful do first die, to the end they may be renewed into a spiritual life. And in this sense,¹ the Gospel is called the sword of the Spirit, dedicated for the killing of the sacrifices: but the latter part of the verse requires another sense. And yet notwithstanding, if any be minded to use a distinction here, the smiting of the earth shall be ⟨p. 122⟩referred as well to the elect as to the reprobate,² because the Gospel is a two edged sword, piercing into the inmost and darkest corners of the heart and discerning the thoughts and affections: but it wounds one of them after one manner, and the other sort after an other. For in mortifying the vicious nature of the elect, it kills their lusts, that they may be a living & sweet smelling sacrifice before God: but it smiteth and killeth the reprobates outright, because they rot in their perdition; yea, it is made unto them the savour of death unto death as the Apostle speaks 2. Cor. 2.16. And I could easily grant that he speaks here of both effects in deed, were it not that the use of the Hebrew tongue doth contradict it, because the Hebrews do often repeat one and the same sentence in divers words.

And shall smite the earth.] In this place the Prophet extolles the efficacie of the word, which is the royall scepter of Christ. For the rod of the mouth is as much to say, as a verball scepter: and in the second member, speaking of the breath or spirit of the lips, hee repeates the selfesame thing: as if he should say, Christ shall not neede to borrow strength from others to beate backe his enemies, and to ouerthrow whatsoeuer is contrary to his dignitie and Empire; for his onely breath or word shall be sufficient thereunto. Now this may be a generall sentence, seeing it is of necessitie that the faithfull doe first die, to the end they may bee renewed into a spirituall life. And in this sense,