God, according to his promise Deut. 18.15, that he would neverleave his Church destitute of a Prophet, hath from time to time accomplished the same: whose office was not only to declare unto the people the things to come, whereof they had a special revelation, but also to interpret and declare the Law, and to apply particularly the doctrine, conteined briefly therein, to the utilitie and profit of those, to whom they thought it chiefly to appertain, and as the time and state of things required. And principally in the declaration of the Law they had respect to three things, which were the ground of their doctrine: First to the doctrine conteined briefly in the two tables: secondely to the promises and threatenings of the Law: and thirdly, to the covenant of grace and reconciliation, grounded upon our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the end of the Law. Whereunto they neither added nor diminished, but faithfully expounded the sense and meaning thereof. And according as God gave them understanding of things, they applied the promises particularly for the comfort of the Church and the members thereof, and also denounced the menaces against the enemies of the same: not for any care or regard to the enemies, but to assure the Church of their saveguard by the destruction of their enemies. And as touching the doctrine of reconciliation they have more clearly intreated it then Moses, and set forth more lively Jesus Christ, in whom this covenant of reconciliation was made. In all these things Isaiáh did excel all the Prophets, & was most diligent to set out the same, with most vehement admonitions, reprehensions, and consolations: ever applying the doctrine, as he saw that the disease of the people required. He declareth also many notable prophecies which he had received of God, as touching the promise of the Messiah, his office, and his kingdom. Also of the favour of God toward his Church, the vocation of the Gentiles, and their union with the Jewes. Which are as most principal points conteined in this book, and a gathering of his sermons that he preached. Which after certain daies that they had stand upon the Temple door (for the manner of the Prophets was to set up the sum of their doctrine for certain daies that the people might the better mark it, as Isa. 8.1, and Habak. 2.2.) t he Priests took it down and reserved it among their registers: and so by God’s providence these books were preserved as a monument to the Church for ever. As touching his person and time, he was of the King’s stock: for Amóz his father was brother to Azariáh King of Judáh, as the best writers agree, and prophecied more then 64 years from the time of Uzziáh unto the reign of Manasséh, whose father in law he was (as the Ebrewes write) and of whom he was put to death. And in reading of the Prophets this one thing among other is to be observed, that they speak of things to come as though they were now past, because of the certainty thereof, and that they could not but come to pass, because God had ordeined them in his secret counsel, and so revealed them to his Prophets.