And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Ver. 2. And many nations shall come and say] The conversion of the Gentiles is here foretold, a piece of that mystery of godliness, 1 Timothy 3:16. The Jews usually call Christians in contempt Gozin (the word here used), and Mamzer Goi, bastard Gentiles. But, either they must come under this name themselves or deny that they are the posterity of Abraham, Genesis 12:2, where God saith, "I will make of thee a great nation."
Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord] The wicked have their Come, Proverbs 1:11, and would not go to hell alone. Should not the saints have theirs? should they not get what company they can toward heaven? The Greeks call goodness Kαλον, from καλειν; and Aγαθον, from Aγαν θεειν, because it doth, as it were, invite and call others to it; and every man is willingly to run after it.
And to the house of the God of Jacob] To the public ordinances, where we may hear and believe, and be sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, as those Ephesians were, Ephesians 1:13. We read that Marcellinus, Secundanus, and some others were converted to Christianity by reading Sibylla's oracles of Christ's birth; and that by Chaucer's book some were brought to the knowledge of the truth. But either this was not so, or not ordinary; for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word preached, which therefore the people of God do so prize as Luther did, who said, He would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible; and that without the preaching of the word he could not live comfortably in paradise; as with it, he could live and enjoy himself, though it were in hell.
And he will teach us of his ways] Cathedram in coelis habet qui corda docet, saith Austin. All true converts are taught of God, John 6:45, and then quam cito discitur quod docetur? saith the same Father: how soon are men discipled! how soon learn they the ways of God, whereby to serve him here, and be saved by him hereafter! For it is false that some contend for; sc. that every man may be saved in his own faith, be it right or wrong. For none can come to the Father but by the Son, John 14:6. Neither is there any other name but his under heaven, whereby men must be saved, Acts 4:12. See John 17:3; Joh 6:40 Hebrews 11:6, whatsoever the Huberians affirm of universal election, or the Puccians of a natural faith.
And we will walk in his paths] Which are all paved with mercy and love; so that the saints run therein and faint not; walk, and are not weary, Isaiah 40:31. They are all peripatetics, ever in action, Genesis 17:1; they are currists caretakers, not quaerists, seekers, saith Luther elegantly; they do not reason, but run the paths of God's precepts. Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratis (Ambrose).
For the law shall go forth of Zion] The law, or doctrine, as Proverbs 13:14. Understand here the gospel, that law of God, Psalms 19:7, that law of Christ, Galatians 6:2, that perfect law of liberty, James 1:25, a counterpane whereof God putteth into the hearts of his people, Jeremiah 31:33, whereby they become (as it was once said of the Thracians) αυτονομοι, a law to themselves; as being transformed into the same image with the gospel, like as the pearl, by the often beating of the sunbeams upon it, becometh radiant as the sun (Herod.).
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem] Not from Africa at first (as the brethren of the Rosycross would have it), though it is thought the gospel was received and the Christian faith professed even from the apostles' time, in that large region of Nubia, in Africa. But repentance and remission of sins was preached "among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," Luke 24:47. The Jews were God's library keepers, and the apostles sent and went from Jerusalem to plant Churches abroad the world, and to gather into one the children of God that were dispersed, John 11:52 .