Isaiah 27

Isaiah 27:1

SHall punish] shall destroy the devill and his kingdom, and all his instruments With his] with the spirituall and invincible power of his word, Isaiah 66:16. Rev. 1. 16. and 19. 15, 21 Leviathan] a generall name for all great fishes and sea monsters, Job 41:1. by which here is meant the devill, as hee is elsewhere called Serpent, and the great dragon, Revl 12. 9. and 20. 2 The Dragon] the Italian, the Whale wheeby may also bee meant the great Potentates of the world, which are the Churches enemies; as the. King of Egypt, who was her first persecuter, is called, Psal. 74. 13. Isaiah 51:9. Ezekiel 29. 3. and 32. 2.

Isaiah 27:2

Singye] that is to say, all beleevers have great cause to celebrate the Churches happinesse to the glory of God, whose Vineyard she is, Ia. 5. 1. Ofred wine] of excellent and rich wine.

Isaiah 27:4

Fury is nt] I will then shew my selfe to be quite at peace with my Church Who would st] who shall that bee amongst men, that are but aornes and bushes before me who am a devouring fire, that shall, will, or dare to assault my Church any more, it being under my protection.

Isaiah 27:5

Let him tak held] the Italian, Can any one take hold? who will be so rash, as to imagine that he can overcome me? He may make peace] let every one of mine enemies humble himselfe, and flie to my grace, which is the onely way to overcome me, or else he must necessarily be destroyed, see Job 22:21.

Isaiah 27:7

Hath he] God hath moderated those punishments which he inflcts upn his Church, and doth not use extreame rigor with them as he doth with the wicked whom he meanes o uine, but doth at the last happily restore them. Others translate it, Hath he smitten them, with the strokes of them that smote him? hath he been slaine with the slaughter of them which were slaine by him? that is to say, God hath not imitated the unappeasable and unsatiable cruelty of those men that are enemies to his Church, see 2 Samuel 24:14. Or hath he smitten him as he smites those that persecute him? namely, with a bar of Iron, to send them into utter perdition.

Isaiah 27:8

In measure] not comming to a rigorous account with her, nor equalling the punishments, to the greatnesse of her iniquities, but tempering them so that they may but correct her, being no greater then she may be able to beare, 1 Corinthians 10:13. Debate with it] namely, with thy Church, which is as thy wife, driven by her misdeeds out of the Land of Israel, which is as thy house, Isaiah 50:1.

Isaiah 27:9

By this] by these punishments I will satisfie a fathers just severity, for the misdeeds of his children The fruit] namely, of these my corrections and visitations To take away] that being converted from their idolatries, which is the wel-spring of other sinnes, I may make them feele the pardon of their sins, and the effects of my grace Altar] dedicated to idols.Groves] employed in idolatrous uses Leviticus 26 30. Isaiah 1:29.

Isaiah 27:10

Yet the] the Italian, therefore the] he gives a reason for what he had said, that the sinnes of the people should be purged, that is to say, they should be punished to the utmost with a just correction, when they were come to the height of excesse.

Isaiah 27:11

When the boughes] a continuation of the figure of an utter destruction, as if a tree when it is green should be eaten and sed upon by Cattell, or be burned when it is drie Will not have] namely, to spare them, so faire as the discipline of fatherly rigour wll extend, which is no way contrary to that which is spoken, vers 7, 8. for there he speaketh of the punishment of damning and accursing, and God, judgements upon his children doe never ech so far.

Isaiah 27:12

In tat dry] namely, at the time of those punishments Shall beat off] a terme taken from Trees, when the fruit is gathered, Isai. 17. 6. & 24: 13 From the channell] namely, fromEuphrates unto the little Rivet called Sihor, which were the two uttermost bounds of the Land of Israel in length Ye shall be] none shall escape.

Isaiah 27:13

In that day] after the execution of these my judgements, I will bring my people together againe, which were scattered up and downe in captivity. Which must chiefly be understood of the spirituall bringing together of the Saints by the Gospell.