Vers. 10. Like as mine hand hath found the kingdomes of the idols, seeing their idols were aboue Ierusalem, and a∣boue Samaria:
11. Shall not I, as I haue done to Samaria, and to the idols thereof; so doe to Ierusalem, and to the idols there∣of?
HEere pride ouerflowes his bankes yet further: for the Assyrian not onely exalts himselfe against men, but euen against God also: yea, against the gods which he worshipped. He boasteth that the gods vnder whose pro∣tection other nations were; could not let him that he should not subdue them, and that the God of Ierusalem and Samaria should resist him no more then the former. For infidels are so full of pride, that attributing the victo∣ries which they get, to their own forces, they make no bones to exalt themselues against God and all diuine power. They make faire shewes indeed, as if they stood in some awe of their gods; that is to say, of the idols which themselues haue forged; to whom they bow and offer sacrifice; wherby they seeme to con∣fesse, that they hold all their victories of these treen gods: but by and by they offer incense and sacrifice to their owne nets, (as Habacuck saith, speaking of Nebuchadnezzar) Abac. 1.16. when they brag and glory themselues in their goodly acts, counsels, prudence and industrie. For then they discouer their hypocrisie, then they lay open their secret thoughts, which were hidden before vnder these close fai∣nings: which wee may easily discerne, when they suddenly take that to themselues, which before they seemed to attribute to their god. Wee neede not wonder then if Senacherib exalted himselfe aboue all that is called God; for such is the fruite of impi∣etie.
Now there is heere a double blasphemie. First, in that hee aduanceth himselfe aboue [ 1] God, thinking himselfe stronger then he. Besides, in that hee matcheth the true God with the [ 2] false. Hee shewed his impietie more then e∣nough, when he exalted himself aboue idols: for although idols be nothing; yet in regard that the worshippers of them attribute a cer∣taine vertue and diuinitie vnto them; if they lift vp themselues against such forged gods, they shew themselues contemners of all di∣uine power. Their own conscience then wit∣nesseth against them, that they bid open de∣fiance to God; neither is there any ignorance which can excuse them, because they per∣swade, themselues that God is inclosed in their images. For be it that this tyrant deri∣ded Apollo, or Iupiter; it is certaine that he de∣spised them not simply as idols; but as hauing some diuinitie in them. The other blasphe∣mie of this tyrant was, that hee placed the li∣uing God in the ranke of the counterfet gods of the heathen; and was so bold and presumptuous to exalt himselfe against him, as well as a∣gainst other gods, and to despise the confi∣dence of Israel, as if the vertue and power of God ought not to be esteemed greater then that of the idols.