Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Here pride overflows his banks yet further: for the Assyrian not only exalts himself against men, but even against God also: yea, against the gods which he worshipped. He boasteth that the gods under whose protection other nations were; could not let him that he should not subdue them, and that the God of Jerusalem and Samaria should resist him no more then the former. For infidels are so full of pride, that attributing the victories which they get, to their own forces, they make no bones to exalt themselves against God and all divine power.¹ They make fair shows indeed, as if they stood in some awe of their gods; that is to say, of the idols which themselves have forged; to whom they bow and offer sacrifice; whereby they seem to confess, that they hold all their victories of these treen gods: but by and by they offer incense and sacrifice to their own nets, (as Habakkuk saith, speaking of Nebuchadnezzar) Abac. 1.16. when they brag and glory themselves in their goodly acts, counsels, prudence and industry. For then they discover their hypocrisy, then they lay open their secret thoughts, which were hidden before under these close feignings: which we may easily discern, when they suddenly take that to themselves, which before they seemed to attribute to their god. We need not wonder then if Sennacherib exalted himself above all that is called God; for such is the fruit of impiety.