Isaiah 65

^{1 !} The vocation of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jewes.

^{1 a} Meaning, the Gentile which knew not God, shulde seke after him when he had moued their hearts with his holy Spirit, {Rom. 10,20}.

^{2 b} He sheweth the cause of the rejection of the Jewes, because they woulde not obey him for anie admonition of his Prophetes, by whome he called them continually & stretched out his hand to drawe them.

^{2 c} He sheweth that to delite in our owne fantasies is the declining from God & the beginning of all superstition & idolatrie.

^{3 d} Which were dedicat to idoles.

^{3 e} Meaning their altars, which he thus nameth by contempt.

^{4 g} Which was contrarie to Gods commandements, {Leu 11, 7}, {deut. 14, 8}

^{4 f} To consult with spirits & to conjure deuils which was forbidden, {Deut. 18,11}

^{5 h} He sheweth that hypocrisie is euer joyned with pride & contempt of others.

^{5 i} Their punishement shal neuer haue end.

^{6 k} So that the remembrance thereof can not be forgotten.

^{7 l} Shalbe bothe punished together: and this declareth how the children are punished for their fathers fautes: to wit, when the same fautes or like are founde in them.

^{8 m} That is, it is profitable: meaning, that God wil not destroy the faithful branches of his vineyard when he destroieth the roten stockes, that is the hyprocrites.

^{10 n} Which was a plentiful place in Judea to fede shepe, as Acher was for cattel.

^{11 o} By the multitude & nomber he meaneth their innumerable idoles, of whome they thoght they colde neuer haue ynough.

^{12 q} By my Prophetes, whome ye wolde not obey.

^{12 p} Seing you can not nomber your gods, I wil nomber you with the sworde.

^{13 !} The joy of the elect and the punishment of the wicked.

^{13 r} By these wordes, Eat & drinke, he meaneth the blessed life of the faithful, which haue alwaies consolacion, & ful contentement of all things in their God, thogh some times they lacke these corporal things.

^{15 s} Meaning, that he wolde call the Gentiles, who shulde abhorre, euen the very name of the Jewes for their infidelities sake.

^{15 t} Then by the name of the Jewes.

^{16 u} By blessing, & by swearing, it ment the praising of God for his benefites, and the true worshiping of him, which shal not be onely in Judea, but through all the worlde.

^{16 x} I wil no more suffer my Church to be desolate as in times past.

^{17 y} I wil so alter and change the state of my Church, that it shal seme to dwel in a newe worlde.

^{20 z} Meaning, in this wonderful restauracion of the Church there shulde be no weakenes of youth, nor infirmities of age, but all shulde be fresh, and florishing: & this is accomplished in the heauenlie Jerusalem, when all sinnes shal cease and all teares shalbe wiped away.

^{20 a} Whereby he sheweth that the infideles and vnrepentant sinners haue no parte of this benediction.

^{21 b} He proposeth to the faithful the blessings which are conteined in the Law, and so vnder temporal things comprehendeth the spiritual promise.

^{25 c} Read {Chap. 11,6}.