The Songs of the Old Testament Translated into English Measures, Song 11
Hezekiahs ſong of Thankſgiuing. Eſay 38.10.
The Argument and Vſe.
WE finde this Song in the 38. Chapter of Eſay, where is ſet before it this Title. The writing of Hezekiah: King of Iuda, when he had beene ſicke and was recouered of his ſickneſſe. By which, you may perceiue the occaſion of it: And if you conſider the Song it ſelfe, many particular circumſtances are remarkable; whereby the Author ſheweth Gods mercy to hauehave beene exceeding great vntounto him: Firſt, in reſpect that he ſhould elſe hauehave beene cut off in the beſt of his Age (and perhaps, when his ſinnes might hauehave made him ripe, aſwell for hell, as the graue.) Secondly, in regard he ſhould neuer hauehave ſeene againe the Temple of the Lord, to praiſe him there, with the reſt of his people. Thirdly, if he had beene then taken away, His dwelling, that is, his poſteritie, had beene cut off (for at that time he had no children) and ſo he had not loſt his life onelyonly, but the hope of the Meſſias, his Redeemer. Fourthly, his diſeaſe was ſo violent and vnſufferable, that he thought not to hauehave liued out one day. Fiftly, God deliuered him when he was not tormented in body onelyonly, but when he ſuffered alſo extreame agonies of the Soule. Laſtly, the greatneſſe of Gods mercy is here praiſed, in that when be deliuered him from the terrors of death; he forgaue him alſo his ſinnes, which were the cauſe of that ſickeneſſe. Then ſeeming to hauehave entered into a ſerious conſideration of all this. He confeſſeth who they are, that are moſt bound to celebrate Gods praiſes; and voweth this Deliuerance to euerlaſting memorie.
By our priuate Meditations, we may vſe this for a Song of thankeſgiuing after our deliuerances from temporall ſickneſſes; which is one and the firſt ſence wherein Hezekiah vſed it. But in the ſecond, and moſt principall ſenſe, he ſung it in the perſon of the Miſticall body; who was by Chriſt cured of the deadly ſickneſſe of ſinne and death; for Hezekiah, which ſignifieth helped or ſtrengthned of the LORD, was a type of the Church, healed by God; and Iſaiah, who brought the medicine that cured the diſeaſe, and is interpreted, The ſaluation of the LORD, figured our Redeemer Ieſus Chriſt. And indeede it is not lik… ly that ſo good a Prince as Hezekiah, would hauehave been ſo extreamely deiected, if he had apprehended nothing more fearefull then his preſent ſickneſſe, with the naturall ſeparation of the ſoule and body; or that it was his neuer ſeeing againe of Gods temporall houſe, that made him ſo paſſionate. For, if that had beene a matter worthy ſuch griefe, it ſhould hauehave beene alwayes ſo, and then neither he nor any man could hauehave departed this life willingly. But there was a greater miſtery in it; yea, if you well conſider that this Deliuerance herein memorized, was confirmed by one of the greateſt miracles (to wit) the Sunne going backe ten degrees, I thinke you will then beleeue that it had reſpect to ſome greater thing then the particular recouery of Hezekiah. For that the Sunne went really backe (and did not appeare onelyonly ſo to doe) is manifeſted in theſe places, 2 King. 20.12. 2 Chron. 32.31. Jſ. 39.1. for thence J gather, that it was obſerued in Aſiria, and that Meſſengers were ſent from thence to H…zekiah, to know the reaſon of that wonder: which if we ſhould affirme to be for a ſigne of Hez…kiahs recouery onelyonly; we muſt confeſſe the ſigne greater then that which it was ſent to ſignifie: whereas if we will vnderſtand Hezekiah to be a type of the Church, and that God gaue this for a token to aſſure him that as he ſhould be healed, ſo he would alſo ſend his Sonne to heale the generall infirmity of Mankinde: we ſhall then make the thing figured, proportionable to the figure. For the redemption of Man, being a worke much greater then the Sunnes retrogradation, it was well worthy of ſo admirable a Type.
But I ſhall make this prologue ouer-large, or elſe J would ſo plainly declare vntounto you, how Hezekiah was a Type of the Church, how in eueryevery circumſtance of his ſickneſſe he pattern'd out the infirmity of mankinde, laboring vnderunder ſinne; and how naturally that miracle of the Sunnes retrogradation repreſented the ſending of Chriſt to be our deliuerer, that you ſhould confeſſe this Song was made for vsus and the Church, to ſing throughout all Ages, for a memoriall of her former vnſpeakeable miſery; and to ſet forth the praiſe of God, for that vnequal'd benefit of her Redemption.
The Song.
… WHen I ſuppos'd my dayes were at an end, Thus ſpeaking to my ſelfe, I made my moane: Now to the gates of Hell I muſt deſcend, And all the remnant of my yeares be gone, The Lord (ah mee) the Lord I cry'd Where now the liuing be, Nor man that doth on earth abide, Shall I for euer ſee. …
As the remouing of a Shepherds tent,
Or as a Weauer cuts his webbe away,
My dwelling ſo; yea, ſo my age was ſpent,
And ſo my ſickneſſe did my life decay;
Each day, ere night ſhould end the ſame
My death expected I,
And eueryevery night ere morning came,
I did ſuppoſe to dye:
For he ſo Lyon-like my bones did breake,
That I my life accounted ſcarce a day;
A noyſe I did like Cranes or Swallowes make,
And at the Turtle I lamenting lay;
My fainting eyes I vpward caſt,
And thus my moane did make;
Oh, I extreamely am oppreſt,
For me, LORD vndertake.
What ſhall I ſay? his word to me he gaue,
And as he promis'd, he performed it;
For which, I will not whil'ſt that life I hauehave,
Thoſe bitter paſſions of my ſoule forget:
But all that after me ſuruiue,
Yea all that liue, ſhall know,
How thou my ſpirit didſt reuiue,
And health on me beſtow.
VponUpon my peace, did bitter ſorrowes come,
But in the louelove which to my ſoule thou haſt,
The all-conſuming graue thou keptſt me from.
And my offences all behind thee caſt.
For neither can the graue, nor death,
Or praiſe or honour thee,
Nor are they hopefull of thy truth
That once entombed be.
Oh, he that liues; that liues as I doe now,
Eu'n he it is that ſhall thy praiſe declare;
Thy Truth the father to his ſeede ſhall ſhow,
And how, oh LORD, thou me haſt dain'd to ſpare,
And in thy houſe (for this) will we,
(Oh LORD throughout our dayes)
On inſtruments that ſtringed be,
Sing ſongs vntounto thy praiſe.