Vers. 1. Cry aloud, spare not: lift vp thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgressions, and to the house of Iacob their sinnes.
THis present Chapter was ill diuided, in regard this is knit vnto the former: so as if we will vnder∣stand the Prophets meaning, wee must reade this as if there were no bre∣king off. Isaiah hath testified that the people should be so chasti∣sed, that yet some hope of peace remained fot them. Now hee confirmes this doctrine, and teacheth that the Lord hath charged him to cry out of the throte, or as wee com∣monly say in our speech, with open throte. To what end? Forsooth, to shew the people their sinnes. Neither speakes hee onely of the lifting vp of the voice, but of that vehemencie and seueritie of speech (whereof hypocrites stand especially in need) as if God thundered vpon them from heauen. For they flatter themselues in their vices, if they be not roun∣ly dealt withall, and bee forced to come into the light: nay, no good is to bee done vpon them, vnlesse they bee laid vpon with maine blowes.
Where he addes, spare not: it is a forme of speech much vsed among the Hebrewes; I speake, and will not hold my peace: as we also com∣monly say; Cry without ceasing. We haue told you that the Prophet speakes not heere simply of the sound of the voice, but signifies a sharpe & biting kind of reprehension, where∣with hypocrites must be galled to the quicke: as for example, if the Prophets should onely propound the Law of the Lord, and shew wherein the rule of a well ordered life con∣sists, should fall into the praise of Gods wor∣shippe, and without any vehemencie re∣prooue iniquities; what would hypocrites haue been the better for such a cold manner of preaching? For their consciences are so drowsie, that they cannot be awakened, but with loud and shrill cries. A cold maner of prea∣ching then would doe them no good, vnlesse they were sharply pressed and thundered vp∣on with terrible threats.
Saint Paul (imitating the Prophets) ha∣uing proued all mankind guiltie and worthy of death, he riseth vp with great vehemencie, against such as had some appearance of ho∣linesse, and yet abused Gods patience. Be∣hold, saith he, thou art called a Iew, and re∣stest in the Law, and gloriest in God, thou knowest his will, and approuest the things that are excellent, being instructed in the Law. Thou takest vpon thee to be a leader of the blind, a light to such as are in darknesse, an instructer of the ignorant, and an instru∣cter of them that lacke discretion, hauing a forme of knowledge & of ye truth in the Law. But thou which teachest others, teachest thou not thy selfe? thou that preachest another should not steale, yet doest thou steale? &c. Rom. 2. Against such, in conclusion, hee de∣nounceth iudgement, and the horrible ven∣geance of God; because they abused Gods goodnesse, and gloried in his name in vaine. Likewise in this place the Prophet taxeth the Iewes in particular, who gloried in the name of the Lord, and in the meane while rose vp in armes against him.
This is the course then that must be taken with hypocrites, who content themselues with an outward maske of holinesse, if wee meane to discharge our duties profitably, and as we ought. And euen as the Lord hath ex∣ercised his Prophets in this combat, so mus•• wee also at this day be in like maner exerci∣sed; that we may not feare the faces of hypo∣crites, nor content our selues to haue repro∣ued them lightly, in two or three words, but to cry aloud with might and maine against them.
But, may some say, If the Lord command such to be reproued for their sinnes, [Obiect.] to whom he promiseth peace, then no doubt but his meaning was to leaue them some hope of sal∣uation: and yet it is out of question, that this speech is directed to the reprobates, against whom before he proclaimed open war. I an∣swere, the faithfull were then few in number: for a small remnant only imbraced this peace which was offered them. When Isaiah then giues hope of a peace neere hand, he had re∣spect [ 1] to that little flocke: when he proclaimed [ 2] warre, that was to terrifie the multitude, who