Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 6

IN the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne , high and lifted up , and his train filled the temple .

In a Vision or Ecstasie.

Either, 1. God the Son, who frequently appeared to the Patriarchs and Prophets, and that sometimes in the form of a Man: Or rather, 2. the Divine Majesty as he subsisteth in Three Persons, as may be gathered both from the Plural Number [illegible: 1+ letters]s, used of this Lord, v. 8. and by comparing other Scriptures; for God the Father is described as sitting upon a Throne, Dan. 7. 9, 13. and elsewhere; and the Glory of God here manifested▪ is said to be Christ's Glory, Iob. 12. 41. and the Words of the Lord here following, are said to be spoken by the Holy Ghost, Act. 28. 25.

In the posture of a Judge, to hear Causes, and give Sentence.

Towards the Roof of the Temple.

Or, as the Word properly signifies, and is here rendred by divers, the skirts or borders of him, or of it, to wit, his Royal and Judicial Robe; for he is represented as a Judge.

His glorious Robes reached down to the bottom of the Temple, and were spread abroad in the Temple, which was an Evidence of a more than ordinary Majesty. The Temple may be here taken either, 1. largely, and so it includes the Courts as well as the House, as that Word is oft used; or, 2. strictly, for the House it self, or for that part of the Temple in which this Vision was exhibited, which may seem to have been the Porch, for that was much higher than the other Parts.

Marginal references: 2 Kings 15. 7.; John 12. 41.; Or, the skirts thereof.

2 Above it stood the Seraphims : each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face , and with twain he covered his feet , and with twain he did flie .

As Ministers attending upon their Lord, and waiting to receive and execute his Commands.

Certain holy and blessed Angels, thus called from fire and burning, which this Word properly signifies; to represent either, 1. their Nature, which is bright and glorious, subtil, and pure, and spiritual, like Fire; or, 2. their Property, of fervent Zeal for God's Service and Glory; or, 3▪ their Office and present Employment, which was to execute God's Vengeance upon the Iews, and to burn them up like Dross.

Out of profound Reverence, as being so sensible of the infinite distance between God and him▪ that he durst not presume to look directly upon him, and judg'd himself neither able nor worthy to behold the Brightness of his Glory.

Either, 1. his secret Parts, which sometimes come under that name, as Deut. 28. 57. Isa. 7. 20. & 36. 12. of which see more in my Latin Synopsis upon Exod. 4. 25. And so this is done for our [illegible: 1+ letters]nstruction, to teach us Modesty and Chastity: Or, 2. their Feet properly so called, as that Word is generally used; from which use we should not depart without necessity, which, with submission, seems not to be in this place. And so this may signifie a sence of their own natural, though not moral Infirmity, and a desire that God would not too severely examine all their Ways and Actions, which the feet commonly signifie, because though they did not swerve from God's Commands, yet they were not worthy of the acceptation, nor suitable to the Dignity of so glorious a Majesty.

Which signifies their great forwardness and expedition in executing God's Commands. Comp. Dan. 9. [illegible: 1+ letters]1.

Marginal references: Ezek. 1. 11.

3 And one cried unto another , and said, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory .

Singing in Consort the Praises of their Lord.

[illegible: 1 word] is repeated thrice, either, 1. to intimate the Trinity of Persons united in the Divine Essence▪ or, 2. that he was most eminently and unquestionably holy in his present Work of Judgment, and in all his Ways; such Repetitions being very frequent in Scripture, for the greater assurance of the thing, as Ier. 7. 4. Ezek. 21. 9.

Not onely Conaan, to which the Iews did vainly and arrogantly confine the Presence of God, but all the World▪ Which seems to have a respect to the Conversion of the Gentiles, which did accompany the plenary and last Execution of this Judgment here threatned against the Jewish Nation, v. 10. as is evident by comparing this with Mat. 13. 14, 15. & Act. 28. 19. and other places of the New Testament.

Of the Effects and Demonstrations of his glorious Holiness, as well as of his Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness.

Marginal references: Heb. this cried to this.; Rev. 4. 3.; Heb. his glory is the fulness of the whole earth.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried , and the house was filled with smoak .

Together with the Door it self, as if the Door was to be removed, and the Temple thereby to be exposed to the view and rapine of profane Persons. Such violent Motions were commonly Tokens of God's Anger.

To wit, the Angel, which cried, v. 3.

Which elsewhere is a Token of God's Presence and Acceptance, as Exod. 40. 34. 1 Kings 8. 10. but here of his Anger, as Psal. 18. 8. and elsewhere.

Marginal references: Heb. thre [illegible: 1+ letters].

5 Then said I, Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips , and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips : for mine eyes have seen the king, the LORD of hosts .

I am a great Sinner, as many other ways, so particularly by my Lips, which being in a special manner consecrated to God by my Prophetical Office, should have been intirely devoted to him: But, alas! my Speeches, either to God in Prayer, or from God in Preaching and Prophecying to the People, have been mixed and defiled with so much irreverence, dulness, distraction of Thoughts and Affections, carnal Fear, and many other Infirmities, that I dread the thoughts of appearing before thy Judgment-seat, which I see erected in this place. For Isaiah had been a Prophet before this time, chap. 1. 1. and was now called, not in general to his Prophetical Office, but to the delivery of this special Message.

I am an unclean Branch of an unclean Tree, and, besides my own Uncleanness, I have both by my Omissions and Commissions involved my self in the guilt of their Sins, and therefore may justly fear to partake with them in their Plagues.

The sight of this glorious and holy God gives me cause to fear that he is come to Judgment against me, together with others. Whilst Sinners are secure and presumptuous, the holiest Persons have ever been filled with great Reverence, and oft times with Doubts and Fears, at any extraordinary Manifestation of God's Presence. See Gen. 16▪ 13. & 17. 3. Iudg. 13. 23.

Marginal references: Heb. cut off.

6 Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me , having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar .

By Gods Command.

Both a Token and an Instrument of Purification, as the next Verse explains it.

Of Burnt-offering, which stood in the Court of the Priests near the Porch, and which had always Coals of Fire upon it, Levit. 6. 12, 13. Hence he took it, to shew that Men are to expect Purification and Expiation of Sin onely by such means as God hath appointed, and particularly by Christ, whom that Altar did manifestly represent, Heb. 13. 10.

Marginal references: Heb. and in his hand a live coal.

7 And he laid it upon my mouth , and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged .

Sleightly, so as onely to touch my Lips, and not to burn them; which God could easily effect.

This is a Sign that I have pardoned and purged the Uncleanness of thy Lips, and do own and accept thee as a fit Minister for my Service.

Marginal references: Heb. caused it to touch.; Heb. attoned, or, expiated.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us ? Then said I, Here am I, send me .

To deliver the following Message. The change of the Number, I and us, is very remarkable; and both [illegible: 1+ letters]ing meant of one and the same Lord, do sufficiently intimate a Plurality of Persons in the Godhead.

God's last and great Favour to him did both encourage and oblige him to be forward in God's Service.

Marginal references: Gen. 1. 26.; Heb. behold me.

9 And he said, Go and tell this people , Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not .

Not my people, for I disown them, as they have rejected me.

The Hebrew Words are Imperative; yet they are not to be taken as a Command what the People ought to do, but onely as a Signification and Prediction what by their own Wickedness, and by God's just Judgment, they did and would do, as is manifest by Mat. 13. 14. Act. 28. 26. where they are so rendred. And Imperative▪ Words among the Hebrews are frequently put for the future, as is well known to the Learned. The sence is, Because you have so long heard my Words, and seen my Works, to no purpose, and have hardned your Hearts, and will not learn [illegible: 1+ letters]or reform, I will punish you in your own kind, your Sin shall be your Punishment. I will still continue my Word and Works to you, not in Mercy, and for your Good, but to aggravate your Sin and Condemnation; for I will blind your Minds, and withdraw my Spirit, so that you shall be as unable, as now you are unwilling, to understand or perceive any thing that may do you good.

Marginal references: Mat. 13. 14. Mar. 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. Joh. 12. 40. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8.; Or, without ceasing, &c.; Heb. Hear ye in hearing, &c.; Heb. in seeing.

10 Make the heart of this people fat , and make their ears heavy , and shut their eyes : lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed .

i. e. Stupid and senseless: For the Fat which is in the Body is without sense; and Fatness in the Heart, makes it dull and heavy. Thus this Phrase is used, Psal. 119. 70. And this seems best to agree with the following Words. This making of their Hearts fat is here ascribed to the Prophet, as it is ascribed to God in the repetition of this Prophecy, Ioh. 12. 40. because God inflicted this Judgment upon them by the Ministry of the Prophet, partly by way of Prediction, foretelling that this would be the effect of his Preaching; and partly by way of Judicial Operation, withdrawing the Light and Help of his Spirit, and giving them up to the Power and Arts of Satan, and to their own Mistakes and Lusts, whereby they are easily and commonly led to turn God's Word, as they do other things, into Occasions of Sin.

Make them dull of hearing, as Isa. 59 1. Zech. 7. 11. as sometimes the Ears are made by an excessive Noise.

Heb. dawb their eyes, as the Word is used also Isa. 44. 18.

That they may not be able, as before they were not willing, to see.

Turn from their sinful Practices, unto God.

Of Sin, which is the Disease of the Soul, by Remission and Sanctification, and of all the deadly Effects of Sin.

Marginal references: Jer. 5. 21.

11 Then said I, Lord how long ? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate ,

An abrupt Speech, arising from the Prophets great Passion and Astonishment: How long shall this dreadful Judgment last?

Until this land be totally destroyed, first by the Babylonians, and afterward by the Romans.

Marginal references: Heb. desolate with desolation.

12 And the LORD have removed men far away , and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land .

Hath caused this People to be carried away Captive into far Countries.

Till Houses and Lands be generally forsaken of their Owners, either because fled away from the Sword into strange Lands, or because they went into Captivity.

13 But yet in it shall be a tenth , and it shall return , and shall be eaten : as a teil-tree, and as an oak whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves : so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof .

A small Remnant reserved, that Number being put indefinitely, as is very usual.

To wit, out of the Babylonish Captivity, into their own Land.

That Remnant shall be devoured and destroyed a second time, by the Kings of Syria, and afterwards more effectually by the Romans.

Or, Yet as, &c. Or, Nevertheless a[illegible: 1+ letters] &c. such Particles being frequently understood in the Hebrew, as hath been noted again and again. So the Sence of the following Words of the Verse seems to be this, Although the Iewish Nation shall undergo a second and a greater Desolation by the Romans, yet there shall be another Remnant, not such an one as that which came out of Babylon, which, for the most part, were corrupt and degenerate, as appears by the Sacred Histories and Prophesies relating to that time; but an Holy Seed, a number of Elect and Godly Israelites, who shall afterwards look upon him whom they pierced, and mourn over him, as is said Zech. 12. 10. and by me be received to Mercy.

Who when their Leaves are withered and cast, as it is in Winter, have a Substance, or Subsistence, or Support within themselves, to wit, a Vital Principle, which preserves Life in the Root and Body of the Tree, and in due time sends it forth into all the Branches. But others take the Hebrew Word, Shallecheth, for the Proper name of a Place, to wit, a Causeway which led from the Palace to the Temple, 1 Chron. 26. 16. and so the Place is and may be rendred thus, As a teil-tree (or, [illegible: 1+ letters]n elm) and as an oak (the Singular Number for the Plural, as is very frequent) As the elms and the oaks which are at or by Shallecheth (on both sides of which Way such Trees were planted, to beautifie and to support that Causeway, as some have observed) have [illegible: 1 word] or support in them, either, 1. for themselves; they stand fast and firm, when other Trees are blown down: or, for the Way which they uphold.

Or rather, the support (as the same Word seems to be taken in the next foregoing Clause) thereof, to wit, of the Land or People, which, were it not for the sake of these Elect Persons, should be totally and finally rooted out; or, of that Tenth part, which shall be delivered and preserved for the sake of that Holy Seed, those true-hearted Israelites which are among them.

Marginal references: Or, when it is returned, and hath been broused.; Or, stock and sten[illegible: 1+ letters].