Isaiah 57

^{1 a} From the plague that is at hand, & also because God wil punish the wicked.

^{1 !} God taketh awaie the good, that he shulde not se the horrible plauges to come.

^{2 b} The soule of the righteous shal be in joye & their bodie shal rest in the graue vnto the time of the resurrection, because thei walked before the Lord.

^{3 !} Of the wicked idolaters,

^{3 c} He threateneth the wicked hypocrites, who vnder the pretence of the name of Gods people derided Gods worde & his promises: boasting openly that thei were the children of Abraham, but because they were not faithful & obedient as Abraham was, he called them bastords, & the children of sorcerers, which forsoke God and fled to wicked meanes for succour.

^{5 d} Read {Leui 18,21} {2 King 23,10}.

^{6 f} In the sacrifices which you, offring before these idoles, thoght you did serue God.

^{6 e} Meaning, euerie place was polluted whith their idolatrie: or euerie faire stone that they founde, thei made an idole of it.

^{7 g} To wit, thine altars, in an open place like an impudent harlot that careth not for the sight of her housband.

^{8 i} That is, didest increase thine idolatrie, more and more.

^{8 h} In stead of setting vp the worde of God in the open places on the postes & dores to haue it in remembrance, {Deut 6, 9} & {27,1}. thou hast set vp signes and markes of thine idolatrie in euerie place.

^{9 !} And their vaine confidence.

^{9 k} Thou didest seke the fauour of the Assyrians by giftes and presents, to helpe thee against the Egyptians: & when thei failed, you soughtest to the Babylonians & more and more didest torment they self.

^{10 l} Althogh you sawest all thy labours to be in vaine, yet woldest you neuer acknowledge thy faute & leaue of.

^{10 m} He derideth their vnprofitable diligence which thoght to haue made all sure, & yet were deceiued.

^{11 n} Broken promes whith me.

^{11 o} Meanin, that the wicked abuse Gods lenitie & growe to farther wickednes.

^{12 p} That is, thy naughtines, idolatries & impieties: which the wicked call Gods seruice: thus he derideth their obstinacie.

^{13 q} Meaning, the Assyrians & other, whose helpe thei loked for.

^{14 r} God shal say to Darius and Cyrus.

^{16 s} I wil nor vse my power against fraile man whose life is but a blast.

^{17 t} That is, for the vices & fautes of the people, which is ment here by couetousnes.

^{18 u} Thogh thei were obstinat, yet I did not withdraw my mercie from them.

^{19 x} That is, I frame the speache & wordes of my messengers which shal bring peace.

^{19 y} As wel to him that is in captiuitie as to him that remaineth at home.

^{20 z} Their euil conscience doeth euer torment them & therefore they can neuer haue rest, read {Cha. 48,22}.