John Trapp on Isaiah 1:16-17

Ver. 16. Waſh ye, make ye clean.] Waſh your hearts from wickedneſs, that ye may be ſaved, Jer. 4.14. Yea, cleanſe your hands ye ſinners, and purifie your hearts ye double-minded, Jam. 4.8. But how is that done? Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, &c. ver. 9. Ye cannot waſh your bloody hands in innocency; waſh them therefore in tears, which are a ſecond Baptiſm of the ſoul where it is rinſed anew. And ſurely, as the ſins of the old world, ſo of this little world, need a Deluge. Set to work therefore, and God will ſoon ſet in with you. Waſh your ſelves with the tears of true Repentance, and God will waſh you with the blood of his Son; only be ſure to do your work throughly, waſh hard, rub, rinſe: we have inveterate ſtains, which will hardly be got out till the cloth be almoſt rubd to peeces. And as an error in the firſt Concoction, is not mended in the ſecond; nor of the ſecond, in the third; ſo if a mans humiliation hath not been ſound, his reformation cannot be right. Waſh therefore, and then,

Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes.] Away with that abominable thing that is ſo grievous to all my five ſenſes, yea, to my very ſoul, as is above ſaid. Sin is in Scripture called Pollution, Leproſie, Contagion, Vomit of a dog, wallowing of a ſwine in the mire, &c: and muſt therefore be rid and removed out of the heart and life, or we cannot find favour.

Ceaſe to do evil.] This is firſt to be done; Depart from evil, and do good: break off your ſins by Repentance, and be abrupt in the work: ſow not among the Thorns; caſt away all your tranſgreſſions, &c. The Prophets preſſing moral duties in this ſort, do it as Explainers of the Law; they did but unfold and draw out that Arras which was folded together before.

Learn to do well.] Turn over a new leaf, take out a new leſſon. Be thou inſtructed O Jeruſalem, leſt God's ſoul depart from thee, Jer. 6.8. Deliver thy ſelf wholly up to his Diſcipline: Religion is the beſt learning, Philoſophia ſacra: To know Chriſt and him crucified is as much as Saint Paul cared for: Deum cognoſcere & colere, is the whole duty of man; add this to the former: Negative goodneſs profiteth not.

Seek Judgment, relieve the oppreſſed, &c.] Look to the Duties of the ſecond Table; thoſe of your own particular places eſpecially: Exerciſe your general Calling in your particular, and think not to ſet off with God by your ſacrifices for your oppreſſions; I will have Mercy and not ſacrifice. Primo praecepto reliquorum omnium obſervantia praecipitur, ſaith Luther. All Gods Laws were in Davids ſight, Pſalm 119.198. all his wayes in Gods ſight. What a good Juſticer and Houſholder both he was, ſee Pſalm 101.

Relieve the oppreſſed] Heb, righten the ſowred, or leavened.

Judge the fatherleſs, plead for the widdow] Theſe are Gods own Clyents, Exodus 22.21.