Isa. 64 The church’s prayer continued, for the illustration of God’s glory, Isa. 64:1–5; with a confession of their sins, and complaint of their afflictions, Isa. 64:6–12.

Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens: either the earnest desire of the prophet, or the Jews’ strong wish, for the coming of the Messias: or rather, their cry to God for vengeance upon their adversaries, on consideration of the enemy’s unmerciful dealing with them, and their insolent and…

As when the melting fire burneth; come with such zeal for thy people, that the solid mountains may be no more before thy breath than metal that runs, or water that boils by the force of a vehement fire; and thus, for the most part, when God will take vengeance of his enemies, the Scripture…

When thou didst terrible things: this may relate to what he did among the Egyptians, though it be not recorded, and afterward in the wilderness. Which we looked not for, viz. our forefathers, of whose race we are; before we expected them; or such things as we could never expect.

Whereas there are but three ways whereby men ordinarily come to the knowledge of a thing, viz. by the ear, either our own hearing, or by hearsay; and by the eye; and by reason, which the apostle adds, where he makes use of this text, 1 Cor. 2:9; two of them are mentioned here.

Thou meetest him; or, wast wont to meet him; or, thou preventest him, Isa. 65:24, Ps. 21:2–3, as the father the prodigal. That rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, viz. that rejoice to work righteousness; the same thing expressed by two words, by a figure called hendiadis.

We are all as an unclean thing: he alludes either to things unclean under the ceremonial law, wherein the leprosy was found, and was to be burnt, Lev. 13:55; or rather to persons unclean. They compare their present state with the former: q.d.

And there is none; or, yet there is none, i.e. few, Ps. 14:3; they are not to be discerned among the multitude. That calleth; such as call upon thee as they ought, as Jacob, and Moses, and David, &c.

But now, O Lord, thou art our Father; an argument or pathetical plea for pity; or, Notwithstanding all this, thou art our Father, both by creation and by adoption, therefore pity us thy children.

Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever, viz. Thou hast been angry with us a long time, be not so for ever; but deal with us as may best consist with a father’s bowels. It hath reference both to quantity and time, that it might not be very great, nor of long durance.

Thy holy cities; either Zion and Jerusalem, being the cities they instance in: q.d. Thy holy cities, viz. Zion and Jerusalem: or rather, other cities also in the land of Judea besides those two; called holy, either, 1. Because they were built upon God’s inheritance, Isa. 63:17. Or, 2.

Our holy and our beautiful house; the temple, Isa. 60:7; q.d. Not only our cities, and our principal cities, but even our temple, which we thought sacred and inviolable, in which we have gloried, because it was thine, and our fathers, and ours, the place where thy holy service was performed, and…

Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, viz. that are done by the Babylonians? do none of these things move thee to take vengeance on them? Wilt thou hold thy peace; wilt thou be as one that regards not? Wilt thou be still, and suffer them? And afflict us very sore: see Isa.