Vers. 21. Stand to your cause, saith the Lord: bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Iaakob.
IT was very needfull that this should bee added to the former doctrine: for whilest we conuerse with the wicked, they scorne our hope, and thinke vs fooles, and too simple and light of beliefe. You see with what scoffes our weake faith is assailed and shaken; Oh these fellowes build castels in the aire, and perswade themselues of the accomplishment of things impossible and vnreasonable.* 1.1 For as much as the Iewes then lay open to such taunts in their banishment, it was necessarie they should be fortified by such admonitions. And that this sentence might get the greater weight touching the assurance of it, hee sets all prophane people at nought, comman∣ding them to stand to their cause: as men are wont to doe in iudgments. But in calling him the King of Iaakob, he bids defiance to all the idols, and shewes that he will take his peoples quarrell in hand, to the end they may know at length that he is the protector and defen∣der of his owne glory, in deliuering such as are iniustly oppressed. And yet it was need∣full that the faithfull should be fortified with an exceeding measure of faith: for in what case was the estate of the Kingdome, whilest they were detained prisoners in a strange land, and in a manner ouerwhelmed with ca∣lamities? That is the cause why the Prophet called them dead men, and worme Iaakob, verse 14. But their hearts were susteined by this promise, in which it was affirmed, Chap. 11.1. that their root was hidden in the earth, when the people was compared to a tree hewen downe by the rootes: onely there should come forth a rod out of the dry stocke of Ishai, &c. Thus by the eies of faith, they beheld the kingdome that was hid: for it was impossi∣ble to see it by the outward senses, no, nor to comprehend it by the light of naturall reason.