John Trapp on Isaiah 1:18

Ver. 18. Come now let us reaſon together] In the Greek Church, at the beginning of Divine ſervice, the Deacon cryed out, Sacra Sacris, Holy ſouls to holy ſervice.Chryſoſt. Baſil. Liturg. God will not treat with this people till purified, till reſolved upon better practices. As when he is content, by a wonderfull condeſcention, to make them even as Judges in their own cauſe. The Vulgar rendreth it, but not ſo well, Et venite & arguite me. See chap. 5.3. Jer. 2.9. Mic. 6.1, 2, 3.

Allu[illegible: 1 letter]it ad habitum meretricum. A Lap. Though your ſin be of ſcarlet] blood-red, as ver. 15. and of a double dye, ſins in grain, enormia & horrenda, ſuch as ye may well think will never waſh out.

They ſhall be white as ſnow] i. e. You ſhall be fully freed of the guilt and filth of your moſt heinous offences by the blood of my Son; ſc. Not your peccadilla's only ſhall be remitted, but your many and mighty ſins, quae coccini, quae vermiculi inſtar ſunt. Ci[illegible: 1 letter]cr. l. 4. Acad. queſt. Galen. l. 2. De virt. [illegible: 1 letter]mp. remediorum. But what meant that mad Philoſopher Anaxagoras to affirm that ſnow was black? Purge me with Hyſop (waſh me by the blood of ſprinkling from the ſting and ſtink of ſin) and I ſhall be clean; waſh me, and I ſhall be whiter then ſnow, Pſalm 51.7. Cleaner I ſhall be then the picked glaſs, whiter then the driven ſnow. The Law, ſaith one, is like a glaſs wherein we ſee our ſpots: but the Goſpel is like the Laver,Ainſw. in loc. Exod. 38.8. which was made of the womens Looking-glaſſes, whereby they might both ſee their Faces, and alſo waſh out their ſpots: for it was both a Glaſs to look in, and a Laver to waſh in; and this typified Chriſt: ſee 1 Joh. 1.7. Revel. 1.1.

Though they be redlike crimſon] which is, ſay the Rabbins, of a deeper colour then the former.

They ſhall be as wool] which naturally is exceeding white in thoſe Countries, Pſalm 147.16. Scultetus noteth that God here promiſeth not only pardoning, but purging Grace alſo.