A commentary vpon the prophecie of Isaiah. By Mr. Iohn Caluin. Whereunto are added foure tables ... Translated out of French into English: by C.C.

Vers. 14. But they shall flee vpon the shoulders of the Philistims toward the west: they shall spoile them of the East together: Edom and Moab shall be the stretching out of their hands, and the children of Ammon in their obe∣dience.

HIs meaning is, that the Lord will also as∣sist his people by another means; to wit, that he will triumph ouer his enemies, & sub∣due them vnder his power. For as he hath hi∣therto spoken of the safetie of the Church; so now also he declares, that shee shall obtaine victorie ouer her enemies. Now hee makes mention of the nations against whom the Iewes had continuall warres: the Philistims [ 1] assailed and molested them on the one side, on the other side they had the Ammonites and [ 2] Moabites, by whom they were conioyned both by consanguinitie and neighbourhood. And [ 3] on the other side were the Idumeans, who were not withheld by any neerenesse of kin∣red whatsoeuer, from being the sworne ene∣mies of the Iewes; they came of Esau the bro∣ther of Iacob, the remembrance whereof ought to haue turned them from all hatred and rancour. And therefore the Lord promi∣seth to his Church, that although she should haue enemies, that yet notwithstanding by suffering vnder them, shee shall conquer and bring them vnder in the end.

The stretching forth of the hands, signifies the domination which the Church shall obtaine ouer her enemies: for ordinarily the hand,

signifies power, and the Hebrues vse the phrase, To stretch out the hand, to subdue this or that. So as it is said in the Psalme, I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the floods, Psal. 89.26. To stretch out the hand then signifies power to rule and go∣uerne; and contrariwise he also addes the obedience which the enemies shall yeeld vnto her.

The Iewes who dreame of an earthlie king∣dome and Messiah, interpret all these things carnallie, and draw them to I wot not what outward power, whereas they should rather be esteemed according to the state and con∣dition of Christes kingdome. True it is that the effect of this prophesie was seene to be fulfilled in some part, when the Lord brought back the Iewes from captiuitie, at which time he raised them vp into a good estate in de∣spite of all their neigbour enemies: but the faithfull were to expect a more excellent vi∣ctorie, which in the end they obteined by the preaching of the Gospel. For albeit we must fight continuallie vnder the crosse, yet we ouercome our enemies notwithstanding: [ 1] first, when being deliuered from vnder the tyrannie of the diuell & vnbeleeuers, we are called and maintained in freedome by Iesus Christ, that the flesh with all his lusts may be [ 2] brought vnder: secondly, when by meanes hereof we liue to him, and possesse our soules in patience, quietly with a meeke spirit bea∣ring whatsoeuer befalles vs. We also heape coles of fire vpon the heads of our enemies, and by this meanes likewise we obteine vi∣ctorie ouer them and ouer all their iniuries and reproches, vnder which it seemes we are subiect.

Notes

• Gen. 36.1.8.9.
• The Church ouercomes by suffering.
• Luk. 21.19.
• Rom. 12.20.