The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Time will not suffer that these particulars be so largely treated as they ought to be, and as I gladly would; therefore let us consider, That the Prophet in transferring the Power and Promise of God to himself, doth not vindicate to himself any particular prerogative above the people of God, as that he alone should live and arise, and not they also; But he doth it, to let them understand, That he taught a Doctrine whereof he was certain, yea, and whereof they should have experience after his death: As if he should say, My words appear to you now to be incredible, but the day shall come, that I shall be taken from you, my Carcass shall be enclosed in the bosom of the earth, and therefore shall ye be led away Captives to Babylon, where ye shall remain many days and years, as it were buried in your Sepulchres.

Time will not suffer that these particulars be so largely treated as they ought to be, and as I gladly would; therefore let us consider, That the Prophet in transferring the Power and Promise of God to himself, doth not vindicate to himself any particular prerogative above the people of God, as that he alone should live and arise, and not they also; But he doth it, to let them understand, That he taught a Doctrine whereof he was certain, yea, and whereof they should have experience after his death: As if he should say, My words appear to you now to be incredible, but the day shall come, that I shall be taken from you, my Carcase shall be inclosed in the bosome of the earth, and therefore shall ye be led away Captives to Babylon, where ye shall remain many dayes and yeers, as it were buryed in your Sepulchres.

But then call to mind, that I said unto you before hand, that my body shall arise: Even so shall ye rise from your graves out of Babylon, and be restored to your own Country, and City of Jerusalem. This, I doubt not, is the true meaning of the Prophets. The charge that he giveth to the dwellers in the dust, is to express the power of Gods Word; whereby, he not only giveth life, where death apparently had prevailed; but also by it, he calleth things that are not, even as if they were. True it is, that the Prophet Isaiah saw not the destruction of Jerusalem, much less could he see the restitution of it with his corporal eyes; but he leaveth this, as it were, in testament with them, That when they were in the extremity of all bondage, they should call to mind, what the Prophet of God had before spoken.