Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Vers. 11. The hie look of man shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men shall be abased, and the Lord only shall be exalted in that day.

Vers. 11. The hie looke of man shall be humbled, and the loftines of men shall bee abased, and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day.

Because whilst the wicked are glutted with present riches, and rest, all things falling out to their wish, they put these threatenings of the Prophet far off from them, and by this means hardened their hearts against God: in this place therefore he now sets down a course (as hath been said) how to pull down this pride of theirs: as if he should say, The time will come, wherein your great arrogance, which makes you thus in vain to set up your bristles, yea, and that with an incredible rage against the most high, shall cease. For howsoever the wicked seem to be religious, yet you shall perceive by their pride notwithstanding, that they will not stick to jostle even against the Lord himself, so as it seems they are greater then he. In that God thus thundereth against them, it is to the end that he might pull down their pride and haughtiness; and himself only might be known to be the chiefest. And therefore, as we have said heretofore, the impunity of sin is as it were a cloud cast before our eyes, which hinders us that we cannot see the glory of the Lord. For when he revengeth himself upon the rebellions of men, his glory doth so much the more appear.¹ And that is the cause also why Solomon saith, That the hearts of the children of men are set in them to do evil, because in this world they see themselves more happy then the godly, and so blinded more and more. But here he shows that after the proud shall be brought under in spite of their teeth; then nothing shall hinder, that God should not be known to be such a one as he is. Surely there was great reason that the people should willingly have submitted themselves under God, and have cast their eyes upon his greatness, in respect that under his shadow they were in safety: and besides the stock of Abraham was adorned so excellently with such variety of benefits, to the end they should have bin as the mirror of the holiness, and glory of the Lord. But because the Jews are now risen up in rebellion against this so good a God, Isaiah denounceth against them, that God will devise a new way how to exalt his glory; to wit, even in their destruction.