Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

And therefore he saith, that the lion shall feed the bullock: ¹for if the contagion of sin had not infected the world, we should not have seen any beast given to blood nor to the pray, but the fruits of the earth would have sufficed all things; which kind of food indeed was prescribed unto them by the Lord. In the meant while, although Isaiah saith, that the wild and the tame beasts should live quietly together, to the end the blessing of God should appear & shine every where; yet notwithstanding he aims chiefly at that which I have said, to wit, that no hurtful affection should be discerned amongst the people of Christ, neither yet any cruelty or inhumanity whatsoever. And whereas before ⟨p. 134⟩they had been as lions and leopards, they should now become like lamb; and sheep; because they shall have put off all cruel and brutish affection. For by these kinds of speech, he meant nothing else but to say, that those which in times past had been like outrageous and cruel beasts, should become gentle and tractable. And therefore he compares violent men and robbers, to wolves and bears, which live of the pray and spoil: and pronounceth that they should become tame and meek, so as contenting themselves with a common and ordinary diet, they will carefully avoid the doing of wrong or hurt unto any.

And therefore he saith, that the lion shall feede the bullocke: ¹for if the contagion of sinne had not infected the world, wee should not haue seene any beast giuen to blood nor to the pray, but the fruits of the earth would haue sufficed all things; which kind of foode indeed was prescribed vnto them by the Lord. In the meant while, although Isaiah saith, that the wild and the tame beasts should liue quietly together, to the end the blessing of God should appeare & shine euery where; yet notwithstanding he aimes chiefly at that which I haue said, to wit, that no hurtfull affection should be discerned amongst the people of Christ, neither yet any crueltie or inhumanitie whatsoeuer. And whereas before ⟨p. 134⟩they had beene as lions and leopards, they should now become like lamb; and sheepe; because they shall haue put off all cruell and brutish affection. For by these kindes of speech, he meant nothing else but to say, that those which in times past had been like outragious and cruell beasts, should become gentle and tractable. And therefore he compares violent men and robbers, to wolues and beares, which liue of the pray and spoile: and pronounceth that they should become tame and meeke, so as contenting themselues with a common and ordinarie diet, they will carefully auoid the doing of wrong or hurt vnto any.