Isaiah 28

Isaiah 28:1

Woe] Another Sermon or Prophecie.

Ephraim] Describes them, as men drunk with pride and prosperity, and drowned in sensuality. Thus were the ten Tribes, whereof Ephraim was the head.

Isaiah 28:2

fat valleys] Under the mountaine of Samaria.

And strong one] Salmanezer.

with the hand] By maine might.

Isaiah 28:5

Unto the residue of his people] To Judah.

Isaiah 28:6

to the gate] Of the enemie; beat them thither.

Isaiah 28:7

But they] Even they of Judah, whom God vouchsafeth these favours unto, yet take the same evil courses with Ephraim.

Isaiah 28:9

Whom shall he teach] Their sensuality and and riotous excesse, made them sottish, and unteachable.

Isaiah 28:10

Precept upon precept] Yet all to as little purpose to them, as if it were done to a new wearied infant.

Isaiah 28:11

another tongue] They no more reaped fruit from ought spoken to them, then if it had been spoken in a strange tongue, utterly unknown to them. See 1 Cor. XIV. 21.

Isaiah 28:12

he said] God by his Prophets.

This is the rest] The only means to procure rest and refreshing.

Isaiah 28:13

But the word of the Lord] Through their obstinacie, and Gods judgement thereupon.

Isaiah 28:14

scornful men] Verse 15. 2 Pet. 2, 3.

Isaiah 28:15

are we at agreement] We have made provision for our safety, ver. 18.

come unto us] Or at us.

Isaiah 28:16

I lay in Zion] For the stay of the minds and hearts of the faithful ones, in the midst of all the ensuing judgements, God maketh this provision for them to rest and build upon.

A precious corner stone] Jesus Christ, Psal. CXVIII. 22. Matth. XXI. 42. Acts IV. 11. 1 Pet. I. 4.

shall not make haste] But with patience wait and expect, Rom. IX. 33. the Apostle in his quotation renders it, shall not be abashed or confounded; regarding not the words, but the matter. Or having an eye to this text, and that also, ch. XLIX. 23. As in the former part of that quotation he joyneth two places together, ch. VIII. 14. and XXVIII 16.

Isaiah 28:17

lay to the line] God will in an exact and precise way of justice proceed against those sensual, secure, and scornful wretches. A metaphor taken from Carpenters.

Isaiah 28:20

For the bed] They should be in such straits and distresses, as all their wiles and shifts should not be able either to secure, or sucour them in.

Isaiah 28:21

As in mount Perazim] 2 Sam. V. 20. See the like, ch. X. 26. and XIII. 19.

Valley of Gibeon] Either, that 2 Sam. V. 25. Or, that Josh. X. 10.

his strange work] His dismal judgement; and that upon his owne people; grown to such an extreme height of sin and obstinacie. Strange, in it self, strange to God, to deale so with the body of his own people.

Isaiah 28:22

lest your bands] Lest God tie them up the shorter for it.

a consumption] Of such of you, as so continue, through the whole land.

Isaiah 28:24

Doth the ploughman] He doth not alwayes insist upon one piece of his work. And so God will not alwayes, and only be menacing.

Another Sermon seemes to begin; and to continue, ch. XXX. and XXXI.