Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

That which was said before, was to the magnifying of so rare and excellent a §1deliverance. For when the Lord means to succour us in temptations, he sets the greatness of the danger before us, to the end we might perceive that he promiseth no less §2than the necessity requireth. He lesseneth not, but rather amplifies the evils wherewith §3we are pressed: then he offereth his promise, and shows that he is all-sufficient to deliver us, although it seem we be past recovery. The Prophet hath followed this manner of teaching. For he might simply have told them what should come to pass, and might have encouraged the King and the people; to the end they should not be affrighted nor discouraged in regard of these great armies: but he discovers the counsel and deliberation of these Kings; against which he now opposeth the promises and decree of God, that his admirable work in their deliverance might the better appear.¹ Behold then the sacred anchor which only holds us fast in the middest of all tempestuous temptations: whereas on the contrary, if God should take away his word from us, we were never able to hold out in adversities. Although the King then was almost overwhelmed with despair already; Isaiah tells him that there is nothing so terrible which he may not boldly despise, if so be that fortifying himself strongly upon this promise of God, he patiently wait for that which he sees not, which yet seems almost incredible to him. He affirms then that howsoever these men have lifted up themselves as giants against God,