The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

AS the cunning Mariner (being Master) having his Ship tossed with a vehement tempest, and contrary winds, is compelled oft to traverse, lest that either by too much resisting to the violence of the Waves, his Vessel might be over whelmed; or by too much liberty granted, to be carried whither the fury of the tempest would, his Ship should be driven upon the shore, and so make shipwreck; even so doth our Prophet Isaiah in this Text, which now you have heard read; for he foreseeing the great desolation that was decreed in the Council of the Eternal, against Jerusalem and Judah, to wit, That the whole people that bare the Name of God should be dispersed; that the holy City should be destroyed, the Temple wherein was the Ark of the Covenant, and where God had promised to give his own presence, should be burnt with fire, the King taken, his sons in his own presence murdered, his own eyes immediately after to be put out, the Nobility, some cruelly murdered, some shamefully led ⟨p. 99⟩away captives; and finally, the whose seed of Abraham razed, as it were, from the face of the earth: The Prophet (I say) fearing these horrible calamities, doth,¹ as it were, sometimes suffer himself, and the people committed to his Charge, to be carried away with the violence of the tempest, without further resistance; then by pouring forth his and their dolorous complaints before the Majesty of God; as in the 13, 17, and 18 verse of this present Text we may read. At other times he valiantly resisteth the desperate tempest, and pronounceth the fearful destruction of all such as trouble the Church of God; which he pronounceth, that God will multiply,² even in such time as when it appeareth utterly to be exterminate. But because there is no small rest to the whole Body, till that the Head return to judgement, he calleth the afflicted to patience, and promiseth such a Visitation, as whereby the wickedness of the wicked shall be disclosed, and finally recompensed in their own bosoms.

AS the cunning Marriner (being Master) having his Ship tossed with a vehement tempest, and contrary windes, is compelled oft to traverse, lest that either by too much resisting to the violence of the Waves, his Vessell might be over whelmed; or by too much libertie granted, to be carried whither the fury of the tempest would, his Ship should be driven upon the shore, and so make shipwrack; even so doth our Prophet Isaiah in this Text, which now you have heard read; for he foreseeing the great desolation that was decreed in the Councell of the Eternall, against Hierusalem and Iudah, to wit, That the whole people that bare the Name of God should be dispersed; that the holy Citie should be destroyed, the Temple wherein was the Ark of the Covenant, and where God had promised to give his own presence, should be burnt with fire, the King taken, his sons in his own presence murthered, his own eyes immediatly after to be put out, the Nobilitie, some cruelly murdered, some shamefully led