Vers. 13. Ʋpon the land of my peo∣ple shall grow thornes and briars: yea, vpon all the houses of ioy in the Citie of reioycing.
HEe now confirmes the former sentence, and shewes that the cause of this famin and barrennesse shal be, in regard that thornes and briars shall grow vpon the land; that is to say, the fields shall bee laid fallow and bar∣ren, whereas before they were fat and fruit∣full.
Now this must needs be an horrible chāge: for this Country, as we know, had the praise for fruitfulnes aboue any other; not so much in respect of the soile, as by Gods blessing, who had said, I will giue you a land flowing with milke and hony: Exod. 3.8. and 17. Hence (I say) came this fruitfulnesse of that land.
Whereas he calles it the land of his people: he preuents an obiection which they might thus make; what reason haue we to feare the bar∣rennesse of that land, or that it should not yeerly yeeld vs fruit, seeing God who is good vnto all, will be much more a nurcing father to vs, and that in a more particular manner? They thought it then a thing vtterly vnpos∣sible, that this land being bestowed vpon them, who were the children of Abraham, should euer be ouergrowne with thornes and briars. And thus the Prophet rebukes the Iewes the more sharply, because by their re∣bellion, they had not onely made void these blessings of God, but had also pulled downe his wrath so far vpon them, as to lay their fruitfull land waste and barren.
The word yea, in the middle of the sen∣tence, amplifies the doctrine: albeit some ex∣pound it, For, reading it thus: For gladnesse is in their houses. But this sense sutes not wel, in regard the construction of the words will not beare it. I rather thinke therefore that he inlargeth the sentence, as if he meant to say, that this calamitie shall not onely seise vpon the vtmost bounds of the land, but euen vpon the houses of ioy also; to wit, euen vpon those which were sumptuous and pleasant, where they were alwaies wont to solace themselues without let in times past.
But when the Prophet spake these things, I warrant you the people of that time laught a good (as we say) at him: neither could they heare such vnsauorie newes amiddest so ma∣nie delights which bewitched them. Nay, they tooke foule scorne to be so dealt with∣all, because of Gods promises, which they tooke to bee so sure, that they thought no want could euer befal them: but Isaiahs words haue all proued true for all that. By this ex∣ample therefore let vs learne to vse prospe∣ritie with sobriety, [Vse] and so depend vpon Gods promises touching his blessings, to bee pow∣red out vpon vs, that in the meane while we yeelde obedience to his word with a good conscience.