Every one of these words were steeped in tears: but what meant these words, these tears? I hear not of any suit moved by Hezekiah, only he wishes to be remembered, in that which could never be forgotten, though he should have entreated for an oblivion.

Speak out, Hezekiah; what is it that thy tears crave, while thy lips express not? "Oh, let me live, and I shall praise thee, O God."

In a natural man none could wonder at this passionate request-Who can but wonder at it in a saint, whose happiness doth but then begin when his life ceaseth, whose misery doth but then end when his death enters? The word of faith is, "Oh, let me die, that I may enjoy thee!" How then doth the good king cry at the news of that death, which some resolute Pagans have entertained with smiles? Certainly, the best man cannot strip himself of some flesh; and while nature hath an undeniable share in him, he cannot but retain some snatch of the sweetness of life, of the horror of dissolution: both these were in Hezekiah, neither of them could transport him into this passion; they were higher respects that swayed with so holy a prince: a tender care of the glory of God, a careful pity of the Church of God. His very tears said, O God, thou knowest that the eyes of the world are bent upon me, as one that hath abandoned their idolatry, and restored thy sincere worship; I stand alone in the midst of a wicked and idolatrous generation, that looks through all my actions, all my events; if now they shall see me snatched away in the midst of my days, what will these heathens say; how can thy great name but suffer in this my untimely extinction? Besides, what will become of thy poor church, which I shall leave feebly religious, and as yet scarce warm, in the course of a pious reformation? How soon shall it be miserably overgrown with superstition and heathenism! How soon shall the wild boar of Assyria root up this little

vineyard of thine! What need I beseech thee, O Lord, to regard thy name, to regard thine inheritance?

What one tear of Hezekiah can run waste? What can that good king pray for, unheard, unanswered? Sennacherib came, in a proud confidence, to swallow up his city and people: prayers and tears sent him away confounded. Death comes to swallow up his person; and that not without authority; prayers and tears send him away disappointed. Before Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him saying, "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah, the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David, thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, behold I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add to thy days fifteen years."

What shall we say, then, O God; hast thou thus soon changed thy purpose? Was it not thy true message which thy prophet, even now, delivered to Hezekiah? Is somewhat fallen out that thou foresawest not? or dost thou now decree somewhat thou meanest not? The very thought of any of these were no better than blasphemous impiety. Certainly Hezekiah could not live one day longer than was eternally decreed the decree of God's eternal counsel had from everlasting determined him fifteen years yet longer. Why then doth God say, by his prophet, "Thou shalt die, and not live?" He is not as man that he should repent; the message is changed, the will is not changed; yea, rather, the message is explicated, not changed; for the signified will of God, though it sound absolutely, yet must be understood with condition ; that tells Hezekiah what he must expect from the nature of his disease, what would befal him without his deprecations. There was nothing but death in the second causes, whatever secret purpose there was in the first; and that purpose shall lie hid for a time, under a reserved condition. The same decree that says, Nineveh shall be destroyed, means, if Nineveh

repent, it shall not be destroyed. He that finds good reason to say Hezekiah shall die, yet still means, If the quickened devotion of Hezekiah shall importune me for life, it shall be protracted. And the same God that hath decreed this addition of fifteen years, had decreed to stir up the spirit of Hezekiah to that vehement and weeping importunity which should obtain it. O God, thou workest thy good pleasure in us, and with us; and, by thy revealed will, movest us in those ways, whereby thou effectest thy secret will.

How wonderful is this mercy! Hezekiah's tears are not dry upon his cheeks, yea, his breath is not passed his lips, when God sends him a comfortable answer. How careful is the God of compassions, that his holy servant should not languish one hour, in the expectation of his denounced death! What speed was here, as in the errand, so in the act of recovery? Within three days shall Hezekiah be upon his feet; yet, his feet shall stand in the courts of God's house; he that now in his bed sighs and groans, and weeps out a petition, shall then sing out a thanksgiving in the temple. "O thou that hearest prayer! unto thee shall all flesh come." With what cheerful assurance should we approach to the throne of that grace, which never failed any suppliant!

Neither was this grant more speedy than bountiful. We are wont to reckon seven years for the life of a man; and now, behold, more than two lives hath God added to the age of Hezekiah. How unexampled a favour is this! Who ever but Hezekiah knew his period so long before? The fixedness of his term is no less mercy than the protection: we must be content to live or die at uncertainties. We are not worthy to calculate the date of our own times. "Teach us, O Lord, so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."

There is little joy in many days, if they be evil. Hezekiah shall not be blessed only with life, but with

peace. The proud Assyrian threatens an invasion; his late foil still sticks in his stomach, and stirs him to a revenge: the hook is in his nostrils, he cannot move whither he list. The God of heaven will maintain his own quarrel: "I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." Lo, for his life, Hezekiah is beholden, next under the infinite goodness of God, to his prayers; for his protection, to the dear memory of his father David! Surely, for aught we find, Hezekiah was no less upright and less offensive than David; yet both Hezekiah and Jerusalem shall fare the better for David's sake, above three hundred years after.

To that man after his own heart, had God engaged himself, by his gracious promise, to preserve his throne, his seed. God loves to remember his ancient mercies. How happy a thing is it to be faithful with God! This is the way to oblige those which are yet unborn; and to entail blessings upon the successions of future generations.

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Isaiah is not a "And Isaiah said,

It seems it was some pestilent endangered the life of Hezekiah. prophet only but a physician. Take a lump of figs." He, that gave an assurance of recovery, gives a receipt for the recovery. The decree of God includes the means: neither can the medicine work without a word; neither will the word work without the medicine; both of them must meet in the cure. If we so trust the promise that we neglect the prescript, we presume to no purpose. Happy is that soul that so regards the promise of God's prophets, as that withal he receives their

counsels.

Nothing could be more proper for the ripening of hard and purulent tumours, than dry figs. Herein Isaiah's direction was according to nature; wherefore should we baulk the ordinary road, where it is both fair and near?

The sudden contradiction of the message causes a

just difficulty in the assent. Hezekiah therefore craves a sign; not for that he distrusteth, but that he might trust the more; we can never take too fast hold of those promises of God, which have not more comfort in the application, than natural impossibility in the performance. "We believe, Lord, help our unbelief."

The sick king hath his option; his father was offered a sign, and refused it; he sues for one and obtains it: "Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or back ten degrees?" As if heaven itself lay open to his choice, and were ready either to mend his pace, or retire for his confirmation. What creature is not cheerfully forward to obey the faith of God's servants?

Hezekiah fastens rather upon that sign which is more hard, more disagreeing from the course of nature; not without good reason; every proof must be clearer than the thing to be proved, neither may there want a meet proportion betwixt both; now the going forward of the shadow was a motion, no other than natural, the recovery of that pestilent disease was against the stream of nature; the more difficult sign, therefore, the surer evidence.

Whether shall we more wonder at the measure of the love of God to Hezekiah, or at the power of Isaiah's faith in God? Out of both, either the sun goes back in heaven, that his shadow may go back on earth, or the shadow no less miraculously goes back on earth, while the sun goes forward in heaven. It is true that the prophet speaks of the shadow, not of the sun; except perhaps because the motion of the sun is best discerned by the shadow, and the motion of the shadow is led by the course of the sun: besides, that the demonstration of this miracle is reported to be local in the dial of Ahaz, not universal in the sensible length of the day; withal, the retreat of the sun had made a public and noted change in the frame of nature this particular alteration of the shadow in places limited, might satisfy no less without a con