A briefe exposition of such chapters of the olde testament as vsually are redde in the church at common praier on the Sondayes set forth for the better helpe and instruction of the vnlearned. By Thomas Cooper Bishop of Lincolne.

The exposition vpon the .30. Chapter of Esay.

Alas for those disobedient children sayth the Lorde, that they will take, &c.

AT what tyme the Assirians vnder * Senacherib, in the tyme of E∣zechias, inuaded Iurie, and put Hie∣rusalem in great feare, * many of the Princes and people were verye ear∣nest to haue sel•••• for succour into Egypt▪ and might hardly be perswaded otherwise. And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they were commaunded by God in their distresse to put their trust in him, and not seke helpe at the heathen and godlesse people, that were 〈…〉〈…〉 Esay in this 〈…〉〈…〉 from that put 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and sayth, 〈…〉〈…〉 dicut children (sayth the Lorde) that contemning my worde whereby I haue promised them helpe agaynst the Assirians, will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 followe theyr owne 〈…〉〈…〉 of my holy spirite, seeke ayde of straung•••••• for their defence, and so adde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon sinnes not onely disobeying my worde in taking that aduice, but stubburnely refusing my calling back from the execution 〈◊〉〈◊〉 purpose. They 〈…〉〈…〉

and confidence that they shoulde haue in me, and follow their owne counsayle and seeke their owne strength by the power of the * Aegyptians. But that vaine shadow of Pharoes power and the Aegypti∣ans, shall be their confusion.

Yea they sende theyr Princes in ambassage to the farremost partes of Aegypt, that is, to Zoan & Hanes with rich presentes and giftes in seruile maner to craue ayde of a godlesse people, that shall neyther be willing nor * hable to helpe them.

The burthen of the beastes of the South. In a lande of trouble, &c.

The Prophete doth not onely reprooue theyr doyng, but amplifyeth their follie, shewing that they take great and daungerous iourneyes, with their beastes l••aden wyth treasure to passe into Aegypt through the wildernesse (which is here no∣ted by the lande of anguish and trouble) and by the wayes were assaulted by Lyons and other wilde beastes▪ and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, with great hurt and daun∣ger: And all to bie the helpe of them that ••••re not hable to succour them, whereas they might haue had the readie helpe of God at home, If, according to his worde and preaching of his Prophete, they would haue called vpon him, and put their trust in hims.

Nowe therefore go thy way write this before them in a table, &c.

These wordes be spoken in the person of God

to the Prophete, willing him to write this prophe∣sie, and to set it in the sight of the people, that it might remain for an euerlasting memorie against them, and that all ages might thereby vnderstand what an * obstinate, stubburne, and waywarde people this was, that, by no preaching or teaching of the Prophetes of GOD, could be withdrawne from their vnfaythfull deuises.

For they say vnto the Seers, Se not: and to them that be cleare, &c.

By the name of Seers, and those that vnderstand he meaneth the Prophetes and Preachers that God had sent vnto them. In this place therefore Esay painteth forth the waywarde obstinacie and contempt of Gods worde before mentioned. In so much that they did not only turne away their eies, their eares, and all their sences, from the doctrine of his truth, but also derided the same, and desired to haue it vtterly rooted out and taken away. Of which virulent furie of the wicked ryseth all afflic∣tion, persecution, and trouble against the prophets and messengers of God. For when once they can not abide the truth, then seeke they all meanes to * vexe them, by whome it is offered and brought vnto them.

Looke not out right thinges for vs: but speake fayre wordes vnto vs, &c.

It cannot be thought that any people can be so obstinately blinded, that they will with so * open

wordes * protest that they will not here the truth, vnder the name of the truth, or, that they will with plaine wordes desire to be deceiued, and be led in∣to errour by flatterie: but rather with a counte∣naunce of hypocrisie will detest the truth vnder the name of falsehood and errour, because it is to them sharpe and vnpleasaunt, and, vnder the name of truth and godlinesse desire to haue * erronr and falsehoode, beeyng to them more pleasaunt and acceptable, because it is more * agreeing to theyr fantasies. But the Prophete here pulleth of their visarde, and letteth them be seene, as they are in∣wardely in heart and mynde, in deede abhorring the truth.

Wherefore thus sayth the holy one of Is∣raell, Because your heartes rise, &c.

In these verses next folowing is denounced a grieuous threatning of God agaynst such wilfull and obstinate refusers and contemners of hys worde. Seeing, sayth hee, your wickednesse is such, thus sayth that holy god, that hath chosen Is∣rael for his peculier people: Because you haue re∣fused this my worde and promise, wherby I haue vndertaken to preserue and deliuer you from your enimies, in all your aduersities, and putte your trust in wrong dealing and peruerse iudgement by seeking helpe of Idolatours with money and ry∣ches: therefore, I say, shall extreeme destruction come vpon you. And as an high wall, if it begin to haue a clift, falleth sodainly before men beware o••

it: so you, which by the blessing of God haue beene hitherto highe and notable, because you haue be∣gun to be cleft with the breech of vufaythfulnesse, and wickednesse, shall fall vpon the sodaine to ex∣treeme cōfusion. Yea, and euen as an * earthen ves∣sell so broken, by the fall of a great stone vpon it, that one sharde or shiuer is not left so big as to ca∣rie a cole of fire on, or to take water out of a pitte: so you, I say, that haue hitherto beene the vessels of Gods great mer••ie, shall be so oppressed and de∣stroyed, that scant any remnant shall be saued, yea, in the ende you shall be brought to so small a num∣ber, that you shall be but here and there one, as it were a maste of a shippe vpon a mountayne, or a bea∣con vpon an hill. Which shall remaine onely as a token of the great calamitie that by Gods hande shall fall vpon you.

Therefore doth the Lorde cause you to waite, that he may haue, &c.

Here the Prophete declareth a cause, why they should leaue the helpe of straungers, and put their trust in him: that is, because he hath determined to saue them from the Assirians, if they will ••arie in their Citie, and cal vpon him for helpe. The Lord, sayth he, causeth you to wayte, and deferreth hys doing, not that he intendeth to forsake you, but that he may merrifully, and with the more glory of his iudgement deliuer you.

Therefore should ye be of good cheere, and looke for the helpe of the Lorde. For * blessed are they,

and good shall come vnto them, that put their trust in the Lorde. For this I doe assure you, sayth the prophete, if the people remaine in Hierusalem with quiet trust in God, * though for the time they feele some trouble, hurt, and scarcitie by the enimies be∣sieging them: yet shall they not perish, & be oppres∣sed, but, at their first complaint and calling vpon him, he will haue mercie on them. And although the Assirians shall seeme so to haue wasted their countrey, that they shall not haue any sustenance to liue by: God yet wil so mercifully deale with them, that he shall giue them plentie of foode, with raine and prosperous weathering to maintaine y^e same. Yea, and as a pastour folowing his flocke doeth guide them with his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto the right way: so shall the Lorde sende them Prophetes, Princes, and Rulers, that shall gouerne and guide them, that they in their doings may go neyther on the right hande nor on the left, but keepe the straight and true way. But the Lorde doth not onely re∣quire of them, that they should remaine with quiet trust and cōfidence in him, but also that they should destroy and cast away their filthie Idols, the * wor∣ship whereof hath led them from the true seruice of God, and so caused them grieuously to offende, and to stray from the right way of his worde ap∣poynted.

Then shal God giue raine vnto thy seede, that thou shalt sow the ground, &c.

Againe the Prophete doth put them in minde

of that great and good blessing of plentie and suc∣cesse of all thinges, that God would sende them, if they would forsake their owne waywarde doings, and turne to him by repentance. These be the bles∣singes of wealth and prosperitie that he promi∣seth to them, that followe his will. Deuter. 28. and Leuit. 26.

Finally, vpon euery high mountaine and hill there shall be riuers, &c.

The Prophete sayth, that at that time that god shall destroy great multitudes of the Assirians, and pull downe their high towers, that is, ouerthrow their mightiest Princes, then shall there be great store of water and springs on all the hilles of Iuda, whereby their drie landes may be made battle and fertile. Yea, when God shall haue deliuered them out of daunger and restored them to their former libertie.

Then shall the light of the Moone be as the light of the Sunne, &c.

That is, God shall poure vpon his people so great ioy and gladnesse, that the sunne and moone shal seeme to them to be farre brighter than before they were. For to those that are in daunger and heauinesse, the sunne and moone doe seeme darke and dimme, and when they be deliuered, al things for ioy, seeme more bright and comfortable. And because these particuler deliueraunces of the Ie∣wes from their enimyes, often in the Prophetes

are figures of the great deliuerance of the people of God from their spiritual enimies by Christ Ie∣su: this whole place may well be interpreted of the happie and * spirituall successe, that by Christ, shall come to the faythfull, and of the great brightnesse of his holy spirite, which then shoulde shi••e farre more plentifully, then euer it did before.

Beholde the fame of the Lorde commeth from farre, and his presence, &c.

This is an other cause why that people shoulde stay themselues in the trust of God, and not seeke other forraine ayde and strength. For that he will destroye the Assirians and come vpon them as a dreadfull and terrible God, his countenaunce, his wordes, yea the very breath of his mouth shall be so terrible to them, that although they be a mightie nation, yet shall they not be hable to abyde it, but that he will shake and sift them, and as it were with a * bitte in their mouthes so turne them, that with all their power they shall fall downe and come to nothing. Yea the Lorde shall cause hys terrible voyce to be heard among them, and shall so stretch out his arme vpon them, as he shall most dreadfully declare his grieuous anger towardes them: euen as if he had sent downe flames of de∣uouring fire, * lightning and stormes of haile from heaueu to consume them. And this scourge of Gods wrath shall not depart from them whither soeuer they go: Insomuch that the very king him∣selfe shall be touched with it, and be partaker of

that hell and deuouring fire, that the iustice of God hath prepared for them euerlastingly.

Notes

• Vers. 1.
• 4. Reg. 19. a. 1 Esay. 36. g. 37 2. Par. 32. a. ••
• Esay. 36. b. 6
• Vers. 1. 2. 3:
• Iere. 42. b. 14 Deut. 17. d. 16 Ps. 146. a. 3. 4 Esay. 20. a. 5
• Vers. 4. 5.
• Esay. 31. a. 3
• Vers. 6. 7.
• Vers. 8. 9.
• Act. 7. f. 51 Hier. 7. f. 26
• Vers. 10.
• 1. Reg. 13. a. 4 2. Reg. 1. b. 9 2. Pa. 26. d. 19 Actes. 7. f. 54 Math. 14. a. 3
• Vers. 10.
• Hier. 22. e. 21 Ose. 12. b. 5 Math. 19. b. 14
• Psal. 35. a. 3 Esay. 28. c. 12 Hier. 44. d. 16
• 1. Tim. 4. a. 3
• Mich. 2. c. 11
• Vers. 12. 13 14. 15. 16
• Psal. 2. c. 9 Apoc. 2. f. 27
• Vers. 17.
• Vers. 18.
• Psal. 2. c. 12 Hier. 17. a. 7
• Vers. 19.
• 1. Cor. 10. c. 13 2. Pet. 2. b. 9
• Vers. 20.
• Vers. 21. Iohn. 8. b. 12 Iohn. 14. a. 6 Phil. 1. a. 6
• Vers. 22.
• Iud. 10. b. 7 3. Reg. 14. d. 15 1. Cor. 10. b. 7 Gal. 5. d. 20. 1. Cor. 6. b. ••
• Vers. 23. 24
• Deut. 28. a. 1 Leu. 26. a. 4
• Vers. 25.
• Vers. 26.
• Actes. 2. c. 17 Esay. 44. a. 3 Ephe. 1. a. 3
• Vers. 27.
• Eze. 29. a. 4
• Vers. 30.
• Exod. 9. c. 23 Psal. 10. b. 7 Vers. 32.