Isaiah 41

^{1 !} Gods mercie in chusing is people.

^{1 a} God, as thogh he pleade his cause with all nacions, requireth silence that he may be heard in his right.

^{1 b} That is gather all their power & supportes.

^{2 c} Who called Abraham (who was the paterne of God justice in deliuering his Churche) from the idolatrie of the Chaldeans to go to and fro at his commandment, & placed him in the land of Canaan?

^{4 d} Who hathe created man & mainteined his succession.

^{4 e} Thogh the worlde set vp neuer so manie gods, yet they diminish nothing of the glorie: for I am all one, vnchangeable, which haue euer bene, and shalbe for euer.

^{5 g} They assembled them selues, and conspired against me to mainteine their idolatrie.

^{5 f} Considering mine excellent workes among my people.

^{6 h} He noteth the obstinacie of the idolaters to mainteine their superstitions.

^{6 !} Their idolatrie.

^{8 i} And therefore oghtest not to pollute thy self with the supersticion of the Gentiles.

^{10 k} That is, by the force of my promes in the performance whereof I wil shew my self faithful and juste.

^{12 l} Because they shalbe destroyed.

^{14 m} Thus he calleth them because they were contemned of all the worlde, & that they considering their owne poore estate, shulde seke vnto him for helpe

^{15 n} I wil make thee able to destroye all thine enemies, be they neuer so mightie: and this chiefly is referred to the kingdome of Christ.

^{17 o} That is thei that shalbe afflicted in the captiuitie of Babylon.

^{18 p} God wil rather change the order of nature, then they shulde want anie thing that cry to him by true faith in their miseries: declaring to them hereby that they shal lacke nothing by the way, when they returne from Bablyon.

^{20 q} That is, hathe appointed & determined that it shal come so to passe.

^{21 r} He biddeth the idolaters to proue their religion, and to bring forthe their idoles, that they may be tryed whether thei knowe all things, and can do all things: which if they can not do, he concludeth that they are no gods, but vile idoles.

^{24 s} So that a man can not make an idole, but he must do that which God detesteth, and abhorreth: for he chuseth his owne deuises, and forsaketh the Lords.

^{25 x} Bothe of the Chaldeans and others.

^{25 u} That is, Cyrus, who shal do all thing in my Name, & by my direction: whereby he meaneth that both their captiuitie, and deliuerance shal be ordered by Gods prouidence and appointement.

^{25 t} Meaning, the Chaldeans.

^{26 y} Meaning, that none of the gentiles gods can worke anie of these things.

^{27 !} Deliuer and promised Zion.

^{27 z} That is, the Israelites, which returne from the captiuitie.

^{27 a} To wit, a continual succession of Prophetes & ministers.

^{28 b} When I loked whether the idoles colde do these things, I founde that they had nether wisdome nor power to do anie things: therefore he concludeth that all are wicked, that trust in such vainitie.