John Trapp on Isaiah 52:7

Ver. 7. How beautiful!] Quam amaeni, i. e. amabiles! How amiable or deſireable. Interrogatio admirantis & exultantis.

Ʋpon the mountains] Whence they may beſt be heard, as Judg. 9.7. ſaying as there, Harken unto me, that God may harken unto you. Our Saviour (that Arch-Evangeliſt who, as ſome, is here firſt and chiefly meant by Mebasſher, him that bringeth good tydings) ſeeing the multitudes, went up into a mountaine, Mat. 5.1. which is ſaid to be in the tribe of Nephthali, and called Chriſts mount to this day. blis Apoſtles afterwards travel'd and trudg'd on foot over hills and dales (What a compaſſe fetcht Paul, Rom. 15.19? Inter valium illud eſt milliarium Germanicorum 350. ſo that he might better be called than afterwards George Eagles the Martyr was Trudge-over-the world) to preach the Goſpel and to plant Churches, to whom their feet though fouled and worn (how much more their faces?) were deemed delectable and debonnaire, Gal. 4.14. Act. 10.21. The Pope (Peters pretended ſucceſſor) holdeth forth his feet to be kiſſed, but preacheth not; or not peace, but war, which he ſtirreth up by his roaring Bulls.

Of him that bringeth good tydings] Whoſoever he be that preacheth the Goſpel (that chief work of a Miniſter) Rom. 10.15. Of Mr. John Dod it is written (and I know it to be true) that he was very Evangelical: ſtriving firſt to make men ſee their loſt condition clearly (for, ſaid he, ſenſe of miſery muſt goe before ſenſe of mercy) and then largely and excellently opening the promiſes, and the grace of God in Chriſt according to the Goſpel, looking at that as the moſt effectual preaching. Some, ſaid he, labour ſtill to keep men under terrours, loading them with threatnings, &c. leſt they ſhould not be humbled enough: but the Goſpel worketh true humiliation, not the law; it ariſeth from ſenſe of ſin and miſery joyned with hope of mercy. The damned have terrour and ſenſe of miſery enough; but that doth not humble them.

That publiſheth peace] The Goſpel is a doctrine of peace, Eph. 2.17. whoſe Authour is the God of peace, 1 Cor. 14.33. whoſe Miniſters are Meſſengers of peace, Rom. 10.15. whoſe followers are the children of peace, Luk. 10.6. &c. If any know not how they came by their peace, but are like the Iſraelitiſh women, quick of delivery before ever the Midwife (the Miniſter) can come at them, they have cauſe to ſuſpect their peace.

That bringeth good tydings] As before, (but never enough) mentioned and memorized. Some Criticks tell us, that the Hebrew word here uſed ſignifying alſo Fleſh, B. Andrews. ſhewed that the incarnation or taking fleſh ſhould be generally good news to the whole world; even the beſt tydings. The Old Church had [non-Latin text not transcribed] the Promiſe: we have [non-Latin text not transcribed] the joyful tydings.

Leo Caſtrius ex Procop. & Euſeb. That publiſheth Salvation] Publicantis Jeſum, ſo ſome have rendred it: the concrete for the abſtract.

That ſaith to Zion Thy God raigneth] Maugre the malice of earth and of hell; this is the ſum of all the good news in the world. It is happy that Chriſt liveth and raigneth, ſaid a godly man, for elſe I had utterly deſpaired.