John Trapp on Isaiah 40:1

CHAP. XL.

Ver. 1. COmfortye, comfort ye my people] Hitherto hath been the Comminatory part of this Prophecy: followeth now the Conſolatory: Here beginneth the Goſpel of the Prophet Iſaiah, and holdeth on to the end of the book. The good people of his time had been forewarned by the foregoing Chapter of the Babylonian Captivity. Thoſe in after-times, not only during the Captivity, but under Antiochus and other Tyrants, were ready to think themſelves utterly caſt off, becauſe heavily afflicted. See ver. 27. of this Chapter, with Lam. 5.22. Here therefore command is given for their comfort, and that Goſpel be preached to the penitent: the word here uſed ſignifieth, firſt to repent, then to comfort, 1 Sam. 5. 35. 1 Sam. 12.24. This our Prophet had been a Boanerges, a thundering Preacher all the fore-part of his life (ſee one inſtance for all chap. 24. where Pericles-like, fulgurat, intonat, totam terram permiſcet, &c.) Now toward his latter end, and when he had one foot in the grave, the other in Heaven, he grew more mellow and melleous, (as did likewiſe Mr. Lever, Mr. Perkins, Mr. Whately, and ſome other eminent and earneſt Preachers that might be named) ſetting himſelf wholly in a manner, to comfort the abject and feeble minded;Sunt eutem omnia plena magnis adfectibus. Hyp. which alſo he doth with ſingular dexterity and efficacy. This redoubled Comfort ye, is not without its Emphaſis: but that which followeth, ver. 2. is a very hive of heavenly honey.