The Way to True Peace and Rest, Sermon 6
THE SIXTH SERMON VPONUPON THE 38. CHAP. OF the Prophecie of ISAIAH, preached in the presence of the Kings Maiestie.
ISAIAH 38.
1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vntounto the death, and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vntounto him, and said vntounto him, Thus saith the Lord, Put thine house in an order, for thou shalt die, and not liue.
2 And Hezekiah turned his face vntounto the wall, and prayed to the Lord.
3 And said, I beseech thee, Lord, remember now how I hauehave walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and hauehave done that which is good in thy sight; and Hezekiah wept sore.
IN these words which I hauehave presently read (welbeloued in Christ Iesus,) the heauie disease whereinto this godly King fell, is at length described, and the manner of his behauiour vnderunder this disease is well set downe. It pleased the Lord to exercise this godly King with this heauie tentation amongst many moe. And suppose it be true that diseases are common to all flesh, yet the manner how to behaue our selues vnderunder diseases, is not common. Therefore let all flesh take heede to the seuerall parts of this historie, that they may learne so to behaue themselues in the day of their miserie, that taking vp this Kings behauiour, they may in the end obtaine his comfort.
Heads to be intreated in this Sermon.In the beginning of this Chapter, the King is brought in lying vnderunder an heauie disease: the kinde and manner of this disease is concealed, although it may be gathered from the 21 verse of the Chap. and therefore I note it here. Secondly, the time when he fell into this disease is also noted. Thirdly, the greatnesse and weight of this disease is likewise noted. And last of all, the manner of the Kings behauiour vnderunder so terrible a disease is at length set downe. To returne to the first: The kinde of the disease as may be gathered out of that verse, was a pestilentious byle: for the name which is giuen to the byle, is the same name which is giuen to the botch of Egypt, that same name which is expressed Exod. 9.9 a matterie kinde of byle breaking out into many heads; for so the nature of the word signifieth: The most dangerous and deadly kinde of plague that was in the daies of that king. In deed since as the world hath growne in wickednesse, so it hath brought foorth more dangerous kinds of botches then before: the experience whereof this Towne hath had. For as man is ingenious to inuent new sinnes to prouoke God to wrath, the Lord being both iust and prudent, on the other part deuiseth new plagues to punish these new sinnes of men: for the store-house of the Lords iudgements can neuer be emptied. But surely it is a wonderfull matter that he should hauehave visited so godly a King with so terrible a both, in respect that this plague proceedeth commonly from his hote rage and wrath. For from his wrath it takes these names ofttimes; as when it is called the finger of the Lord, his feare by night, his flying arrow by day, and the deuouring plague. Now I say the matter is wonderfull, that he louing this King so well, should so extremely hauehave plagued him in the sight of the whole world. What should this teach vsus? This visitation of the King teacheth vsus two necessarie lessons. First it teacheth vsus, not to measure the fauor and hatred of God by any externall thing on the earth: For if we looke to the visitation of God vponupon his children, if we looke to the nature of the plague and affliction either in quantitie or qualitie, if we looke to the long continuance & diuturnity of the plague; in the iudgement of man and in the iudgement of him that is afflicted, sometime it shall come to passe that he shall thinke himselfe in a worse case then any of the reprobate. But howsoeuer it be so esteemed in the heart and iudgement of man, yet it is farre otherwise in the iudgement of God. For there lieth hid one thing in the heart of God concerning vsus that are his children; and an other thing concerning the Reprobate, in such sort, that suppose affliction be common to vsus and them; yet the cause from whence the affliction proceedeth, is not common, not the end whereunto it tendeth. For as to vsus our affliction sloweth from the fauour, louelove and mercy of God in Christ Iesus, and tendeth to our great profite and commodity; to wit, that we being corrected here, should not perish hereafter with the wicked world. But as for the affliction of the reprobate, it floweth from the hote wrath and indignation of God vponupon them, he as a righteous iudge beginning their punishment here which shall last for euer. So affliction that is vntounto them a part of his iustice, vntounto vsus is a mercifull correction. The Prophet Isaiah in his 27. chap. expresseth this matter so liuely, that I thinke there is no part of Scripture in the which there is greater comfort. In the 4. and 7. verses of that chapter he saith to the Church, I am not, saith he, in furie, I am not in rage; suppose I strike thee, yea suppose I beate thee, saith he, I strike not thee as I strike them that strike thee, I slay not thee as I them that slay thee: for in correcting thee I purge thee from thine iniquity, in striking thee I remoue thy sins from thee, but I do not so with the rest.First lesson. Then the first lesson that ye hauehave to learne here is this, Measure not the fauour of God by any externall thing in the earth, whether it be prosperity or aduersitie.
The second thing that ye hauehave to learne here, is this,Second lessō. ye see Kings may hauehave the Plague. There is no Prince in the earth exempted from the iudgement of God, when he pleaseth to apply them. Thus farre for the name of the disease.
The second thing that is noted here, is the time when the King fell into this disease:The time when the King fell into this disease there is no certaine time set downe here; but the time specified is relatiue to the last history: It is relatiue to that time when the King of Ashur took armes against him, which was the 13. yere of his reigne. So it was the 14. yeare of his reigne that he fell into th…s disease: for this godly King reigned 29. yeares; 15. of them were giuen him after his disease: In the 14. yeare of his reigne the warres beganne, and this time is relatiue to that history; so it must be in the 14. of his reigne that he fell into that disease, whether the disease was after the siege, or during the same the iudgement of the learned differs: although in 2. Chron. 32. chap. it appeareth that he fell into this disease after the siege and time of his deliuery. For we reade in that history, that the King in the meane time of this siege, was building vp the ruinous walles, was stopping the conduites of the waters, was sending messengers to Isaiah, and was resorting to the Temple. These were all arguments of a wholesome and well disposed King, and there is no argument of infirmity here So it appeareth, that it was after the siege that he fell into this disease.
Obseruation.Now take heede where my note riseth; he is scarsly freed from the fearefull warres, when he falleth into a terrible plague.Doctrine. We see then, that the estate of the godliest and best Princes, is to be subiect to continuall tentation, griefe and vexation, so that the issue of one trouble is the beginning of another. So it pleaseth the Lord to exercise them. And to what end I pray you? To the end that this life, with the pleasures and glorie of it, may become bitter to their taste; and so they may be moued to seeke for a better. And this lesson appertaineth to all Christians: for if thou be a Christian, thou must looke for trouble, of necessity thou must take vp thy daily crosse and follow Christ. As for the fed carcasses of this world, the Lord in his righteous iudgement hath appointed them for slaughter. But if thou be one of them whom he hath not appointed for slaughter, thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise, either in soule or in body, in familie or fame, one way or other, thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise. For there is no way to pierce the clouds, but by a continuall tribulation. And seeing it is so, it becommeth vsus not to hauehave our hearts here gruntling vponupon this earth; but it becometh vsus to hauehave our hearts hoissed and our minds lifted vp to the heauens where our Maister reigneth in glorie, and to vse the things of this world as they may best further vsus to the next world: or otherwise, terrible is the iudgement and incommoditie that the things of this world shall bring vponupon vsus. Thus farre concerning the time.
As to the greatnesse of the disease, I find it noted in the verses which I hauehave read by sundrie things: First, the Prophet sheweth the greatnesse of the disease, whereas he saith, he was sicke euen to ye death. Secondly, the greatnes of his disease is aggrauated, while as the Prophet getteth command in the name of the Lord to assure him of death. And thirdly, the byle it selfe which broke out, was deadly, and sheweth also the weight of the disease.
Now in this extremitie the Prophet visiteth him,The Prophet visiteth the King, and inioyneth two things to him. and in the name of the Lord enioyneth him two things: first, to take order with his house: next, to prepare him for death, and to pull his heart the more from all present things and all earthly comfort, assureth him of death shortly: and for his further assurance, he doubleth the word, saying, Thou shalt die, and not liue. It is so hard a thing to hauehave the hearts of Kings pulled from their wealth, and from their glorie.
The Prophet in visiting of the King,The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren. learneth vsus a point of dutie towards our diseased brethren, a point wherunto we are bound by nature, by charitie, and by all sorts of lawes; but chiefly we who hauehave the care of soules, and represent Esay in our office, at this time chiefly we are bound to visite our brethren; for at such times the Diuell is most busie, the bodies of men are abstracted from the hearing of the preached word, and old sinnes begin to reuiue and returne to their memories, and therefore at that time there is great need of comfort. We are also informed here by the Prophet how to propound our comfort, lest we spend our time in idle and vnprofitable talke, as worldly men do: To wit, first of all that we bid the patient take order with his house, that is, make his testament, and lay aside the worldly part, that so his heart may be readie to go when the Lord calleth on his soule. The most part of the world are so negligent in this point of dutie, that there are very few that hauehave their heart free when the Lord knocketh: but they are compelled to leaue their heart behind them where their treasure is, or where they louelove best, and that because they set themselues here as in a permanent Citie. And in their life time they will not so much as once thinke of death, but dreame to themselues length of dayes: and which I wonder most of; there is not a man about them that will do so much as once to put them in mind of death, yea not when the Lord beginneth to strike; but some say, it will trouble him and make him heauie; others come in and say, they would do it, but they cannot for teares and sorrow: The Doctor saith, Nature is strong enough, be of good comfort. So that if the Pastor leaue this point of dutie, there is not a friend almost that beginneth to admonish a man vntill his outward senses begin to leaue him. Now as it becometh the Pastor to propound this, so it becometh the Patient to obey it: for this command is not giuen by man, but by God. For Esay giueth it in the Name of God: and it is not onelyonly giuen to Kings, but it reacheth to all masters of families whosoeuer: for the Lord hath willed them to hauehave a care of their families, not onelyonly in their life time, but in their death also, that by this meanes all occasion of quarrels and debates might be cut off after their death. The Patriarches, the godly Kings, they hauehave left their example registred concerning this point; so that I will not insist at this present further in it. Now the worldly part being set aside, and the conscience put at rest, the soule is prepared to heare of death: and so the Prophet cometh in the second place with the denunciation of death. Indeed Esay in his denunciation appeareth to be very strict, but how strict soeuer he was, he hath his warrant: We hauehave not the like warrant, therefore we ought not to vse the like strictnesse toward the Patient. Alwaies generally we ought to exhort him to vnbu…den his conscience, to disburden his soule, and to make … whensoeuer it shall please the Lord to call … the chiefe points of our visitation stande…h … two: first, to bid the Patient lay aside the …: and next, to prepare for the heauenly part.
Yet ere I leaue the denunciation, the…e …ppeareth in the denunciation three faults to concu… ▪ The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation.First it seemeth that the Prophet in his denunciation … ouer rigorous against so godly a King, and handl… …he King ouer extremely in this heauie disease: for he cu… from him at the first, all hope of this present life. He doth farre otherwise then our Doctors of medicine; for if they see any certaine signe of death, they will not shew it to the Patient himselfe, but to some of his friends: he on the contrarie denounceth death to himselfe, constantly affirming that he shall die. Now this appeareth to be very hard: But I answer, if this denunciation had bene vsed against an Ethnick or a licentious liuer, indeed it had bene an hard denunciation. For as to an Ethnick who hath his hope onelyonly in the earth, it is not possible that he can make his hope to mount aboue the earth, so that he thinketh when he is gone, all is gone to him. Secondly, this denunciation would appeare hard and extreame to them that liue according to the flesh; for ô how bitter is death, saith Salomon, to them that liue according to the flesh! And I pray you what is the cause that death is so bitter vntounto them? Because in the agonie of death they feele another thing then this violent separation of the soule from the bodie: for beside this, they feele a conscience of iniquitie gnawing them: they feele also the heauie wrath of God kindled against their sinne and iniquitie, and the sense of this wrath striketh such a horrour in their soules, that at the very memorie of death they tremble. Therefore I say to such kind of persons as those, this would hauehave bene a hard kind of threatning: But vntounto Christians, and namely to such a godly King as this was, it was no hard language. For as to vsus that we Christians, we must not looke on death as she is in her owne nature: But we must looke vponupon her as she is made to vsus, by the benefite and merciemercy in Christ Iesus. And looking on death this way, is not death spoiled of her sting, is she not sanctified to vsus in the death of Christ, and is she not made to vsus an entrie to euerlasting felicitie, is she not a returning from our banishment, and passing to our euerlasting heauen? So looking on death not in the owne nature, but as she is made to vsus in Christ, at the voice of death we ought to lift vp our eyes and be glad, that the redemption of our soule is so neare; when the separation shal be made, & the Lord shall call on vsus, we ought to reioyce, seeing he hath made death to vsus, a further step to ioy, and a meanes of a stricter coniunction. But it is not possible that words can make men prepare them for death. The readiest way to eschue the horror of death is to thinke vponupon death, and yet notwithstanding of all the great spectacles that we see dayly, we are neuer an haire moued. Alwaies the readiest way, as I hauehave said, is, to take vp such a life presently as may best agree with that life which we aspire vntounto. Thou must take vp a new course, thou must conforme thy life here with the life to come, that an harmonie being betwixt the two liues, death may be to thee an entry to that euerlasting ioy. Thou must bid all thy foule affections good night, for thou and they cannot come both to heauen: Thou must bid sinne whereunto thou art a slaue and an ordinarie seruant, farewell; for except thou be this way altered, thou must not thinke that death shall be to thee a passage to heauen. Then learne ye that would hauehave death pleasant, so to rule and square this life, that it may agree in some measure with the life to come.
The second omission.The second omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this, …t seemeth to be superfluous: for why? the kind of plague assured him of his death, the Physicions assured him, the weakenesse of his owne nature assured him that he should die. So the denunciation seemeth to be superfluous; but it is not superfluous in deed, if we shal examine our owne nature, how loath all men are to die; for we know by experience, that there are some who wil scarcely take death to them, euen at the last gaspe; and what louelove we hauehave to this life, it is knowne to all men. Therefore the Prophet so strictly denounced death, that by this strict denunciation, the King may be moued to lift his hope aboue nature and all naturall meanes, and of God onelyonly to seeke support where nature had denyed him: And so the denunciation is not superfluous, it is the ready way to make him runne vntounto the right way.
Now the last omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this. The Lord seemeth by his Prophet to dissemble,The third omission. for is not this an high dissimulation, to say that he shall die, and yet notwithstanding to meane the contrary? So there appeareth a great dissimulation on Gods part denounced by his Prophet, that he should die instantly: and yet he was of minde that he should liue fifteene yeares after this. To answer vntounto this, this generall must be layed downe for a ground, that VntoUnto all the threatnings and promises of God there is a condition annexed, which condition is either secretly inclosed in the promise or threatning, or else it is openly expressed. That this is true, see Ezechiel the 18.1. and Dan, 4.27, this condition hath place.
Then this being the nature of the threatnings of God, this terrible denunciation how terrible soeuer it appeare, yet it hath a condition in it, to wit, Except he repent, except he seeke me, and make his recourse to me by prayer. For out of question, the Lord was of minde to punish Nini…e, except they had preuented him by repentance. So I say, all the promises and threatnings of God hauehave a condition annexed, which is either openly expressed, or couertly to be vnderstood. And therefore the denunciation hath a secret condition, and this condition made the King to liue: for suppose it be simply propounded, yet it is not to bring him to despaire, but onelyonly to make him the more instant to s…eke grace & health at the hands of the liuing God. Now hauehave I touched the greatnesse, the time, and the kind of the disease. Let vsus make our profite thereof; for it is necessary that this doctrine be applyed to our times.
Then I say, praised be the liuing God, our King is not diseased, but surely his country is heauily diseased; for so long as Papists & Papistry remaine in it, so long as these pestilent men remaine in it, and so long as these floods of iniquity which flowes from the great men, remaine, there is an heauie iudgement hanging ouer this Country. And in my conscience, I cannot but look for a heauy iudgement vntill these things be remoued. There is no great man, but whatsoeuer liketh him, he thinketh it lawfull: And not onelyonly is this in this part of the land, but in all other parts of this Nation grosse iniquities are committed; and the Church is made a prey to all men, there is such disdaine and contempt of the word in the whole estate. Except these things be purged, I cannot looke but the Lord shall raise some if it were out of the furthest Indies to plague this land. Albeit I doubt not but the liberty of the Church here, and the sobs and sighes of the godly here, hauehave delayed the iudgement from the whole land: yea, I am assured of it, and therefore I pray God that he may so worke in your heart (Sir) by grace, yt ye may put to your hand to purge your part of the Ile. The Lord of his mercy establish your heart by grace, that for no mans pleasure ye communicate with other mens sinnes. Three maner of wayes we are said to communicate with other mens sinnes. First, when both with heart and hand we do one thing with them. Secondly, when we consent with our heart only. Thirdly, when we ouersee where we should reproue, and forbeare where we should punish And in this way Magistrates are onelyonly guilty. Thus farre for the application. Now I go forward to my text.
The last thing that we hauehave to speake of, is the manner of the Kings behauiour vnderunder so terrible a disease;The King, behauiour in this disease. we hauehave in the second three verses, his behauiour liuely expressed. As to his behauiour, I speake onelyonly of it as the text speaketh; I doubt not but he reasoned otherwise, and gaue other answers to Isaiah: But I content me with that which the text saith. Then in his behauiour we see, he retyreth himselfe, first to God by prayer, and to testifie that he prayeth …rom his heart, it is said that he weeped bitterly. Surely this is an euident argument that his prayer flowed from his heart, & was indited by the right Spirit; for if God leaue vsus to our owne natural spirit, we neither know what to pray, nor how to pray: But as it is said, Rom. 8.26. it is the Spirit of God that inditeth our prayer, that raiseth these sighes and these sobbes, that maketh our heart to melt in those teares that are pleasing to him. So it appeareth here by the earnestnesse of his prayer, that it flowed from the right fountaine, and therefore it can not be but pleasing to God.
This prayer and manner of his behauiour,The Kings beh…uiour makes vsus certaine of his faith and repentance. assureth vsus of two things; first, it makes vsus certaine of his faith; Secondly, of his repentance: I say, it makes vsus certaine of his faith. For how is it possible that I can craue any thing at the hands of him in whom I trust not? Or how can we call vppon him (saith the Apostle) in whom we belieue not? Then Prayer to God is an euident argument, that we trust in God. So I say, it is an argument of his faith, and where faith is, of necessity repentance must be; for these two companions, Faith and Repentance, are inseparable. As Peter testifieth in the Actes, 15. chap. For so farre as the heart is purged, so farre is the life renewed: so faith, and newnesse of life going together, faith and repentance must also go together. Then his prayer testifieth his faith, his faith testifieth his repentance, his repentance testifieth of the secret condition inclosed in the threatning; and the condition being fulfilled, the threatning can not strike. So by this deduction it may appeare, that suppose the Prophet denounced very strictly, yet vnderunder the denunciation there was a condition, which condition taketh effect in the King. Thus far concerning his behauiour.
Now as to his gesture, I shall be short in it:The Kings gesture in his disease. It is said that he turned him to the wall, he did this out of question for two respects. First, that he might weepe the more bitterly: for it is said, that he powred forth his soule in teares. And so he desired not that he should be seene. Secondly, he turned him to the wall, to the end that his eyes should not carry his minde from God. For we know easily, that when any of vsus is making our prayer in any publike place, there is no obiect that falleth before our senses, but it will draw vsus from that communing which we hauehave with God. So it is necessarie for them yt would pray earnestly, to withdraw them vntounto a secret place, according as our maister commanded his Disciples to enter into their secret chamber. Thus farre for his gesture.
The words of his prayer.As to the words of the prayer, they are set downe in the third vers…: in his prayer he suppresseth his petition (for his petition is the prorogation of his dayes;) according to the custome of the godly men of old, as Daniel 9.4. And in place of the petition he setteth downe the reason why his petition should be heard. As to the reasons, they are three in number.
The first is, Remember Lord, that I hauehave walked in thy truth. Secondly, I hauehave walked with an vpright heart. Thirdly, I hauehave done that which is good in thy sight. In all these three it would appeare, that he is boasting of his owne merits: for the words appeare to be full of ostentation and pride. But to answer to this, the Lord measureth not ostentation and pride by words, but by the heart from whence the words proceede: A broken, a contrite and humble heart, is euer acceptable to him, vse what forme of words you will. And a proud hea…t is euer displeasing to him, vse what forme of words it will.
Now what is he doing here? he is not making a vaunt or bragging of his works onelyonly; he is shewing to God, yt howsoeuer his plague was great, yet he had a good conscience, the testimonie whereof vpheld him: In such sort, that suppose all outward things said that God was angry at him, yet he could not be perswaded in his conscience but he was his friend.
And therefore in his whole prayer he reasoneth as though he would say after this manner: Lord, thou knowest that the prophane men of this countrie will thinke it an extreme curse that I shall die without children, and by this they will esteeme the deedes to be accu…sed which I hauehave done before: they will curse and damne the religion that I hauehave reformed, and the order of thy house which I hauehave begun. And yet notwithstanding I am assured in my conscience, that I hauehave the warrant of thy Law in all that I hauehave done: For I sought not my selfe, but thee onelyonly; therefore (Lord) deliuer me. So this kind of reasoning commeth neither of ostentation nor of pride. Now as to my selfe (would he say,) when I examine my doings, I find my conscience so pure, that in all my proceedings I had a good warrant; and in all my doings I sought not mine owne particular, but thy glorie: And therefore Lo…d remember me, & take not my life from me, that I be not a stumbling blocke to the weake ones, and a reioycing to mine enemies. This is the onelyonly thing whi…h we a…e taught here; We see this good King when all worldly comfort faileth him, and in his greatest extremitie, he reposeth himselfe vponupon the testimonie of a good conscience; this is the onelyonly thing that sustaineth him, this is the onelyonly thing that comforteth him, and wherein now in the very instant of his death he hath to glorie. Surely when I reade through the Bible, I find that all the seruants of God in their greatest trouble, had recourse to this testimonie of consci…nce. Ye see Moses when he hath to do with Core, Dathan, and Abiram, he ha…h recourse to the testimonie of his conscience. Ye see Dauid when he hath to do with Saule, he hath recourse to this testimonie of conscience. Ye see Nehemiah maketh recourse to this: Ye see Daniel maketh recourse to this, 6.23.Dan. 6.23. 1. Cor. 4. And the Apostle Paule, 1. Cor. 4. maketh his recourse to this, and saith, I passe very little for your iudgment or any mans iudgement; my glorie is the testimonie of mine owne conscience. And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes, in his last Chapter: I am assured (saith he) that I hauehave kept a good conscience in all things. So go through all the seruants of God, and ye shall see they hauehave had euer recourse to this testimonie of conscience; and blessed is that man that i… not condemned in his doings by his owne conscience. For if we are not able to eschue the condemnation of our owne heart, how shall wee be able to eschue the condemnation of God, who seeth all the secrets of the heart? So that man is more then blessed that is not condemned of his owne heart. For as to this conscience it is a faithfull pledge keeper: the pawnes yt it receiueth it rendreth; of good turnes it giueth a ioyfull testimonie, of euill turnes it giueth a bitter testimonie. And suppose the most part of our deeds be now couered from the eye of man, and her testimonie for the most part hid from our selfe; yet there is a day coming which now is at hand, in the which all these things that are now hid vnderunder darkenesse shall come to light, and the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. The bookes of conscience shall be cast open, and he that bringeth not in these bookes, the discharge of his sinnes in register, purchased by the bloud of Christ Iesus whereby our consciences are onelyonly washen from these dead workes; he that bringeth not this discharge with him, to him shall his whole sinnes present themselues. So that not onelyonly shall he be iudged by the sentence of the righteous Iudge, but his owne conscience which in this life foreiudged him, shall cōdemne him there, and all the Angels of God with his elect children shall iustifie his iudgement: Therefore it is time we had now our discharge registred.
Now would God I might obtaine this of the office bearers in Church or Policie, that they would now cast them in their life, to hauehave the approbation of their conscience in the time of their death. The Lord grant it to all them that seeke to serue him: But specially, the Lord make you (Sir) so to walke in your life, that you may hauehave a ioyfull testimonie of your conscience in your death; that being approued with your owne conscience, and the testimonie of God within your conscience, in the mouth of these two faithful witnesses your saluation may be sure, not in your selfe, but in the bloud of Christ Iesus, whose merciemercy is on…ly our merit.
As this is desired in him, so it is required in the rest of the office-bearers: Lord grant that they may follow such a trade of life, that in their death their conscience may make mention of their deeds to their ioy. Thus far for this part of his behauiour.
Now resteth one thing to speake, and so I shall end: T…ke vp the manner of his behauiour vnderunder this disease, he is straitned with the extremitie of his disease on the one side, and with the Lords threatning on the other: what doth he in this strait pinch? He se…keth by prayer to the same God that strooke him, and now by his P…ophet threatneth him. This is wonderfull:A wonderfull thing to hauehave recour…e vntounto the same God who smiteth. for if he had had to do with any other person, as namely, if he had had to do with the King of Ashur as before, it had bene an easie matter to hauehave retired to God: But now hauing to do with God, and God apparently being his enemy, it is wonderfull that he should hauehave recouse to God. This is a notable faith in him, for he hopeth against hope, he runneth to that same God that smiteth him. So notwithstanding that he threatneth him with death, yet he runneth to him, and he appealeth from his iustice to merciemercy in the merits of Christ: he appealeth from God as a righteous Iudge, vntounto him as a Redeemer in Christ, and his appellation is heard. For, as we shall heare hereafter (by Gods grace) he is healed: Thus farre concerning his repentance. Now as to the prorogation of his dayes, the question might rise, whether it was lawfull for him to craue it or not. I shall touch it but in generall; and first I say, in Hezechias person it is very lawfull: for he lacked posteritie, and in this the promise of God had not taken effect in him, and so it was lawfull for him to seeke the accomplishment of the Lords promise made to his father Dauid: and also the reformation of the Church was but new begun, the commonwealth was not as yet established, and all these craued the presence of the King. So if we looke to the particular, in him it was lawfull. I come to the generall, it is lawfull at some times to seeke at God prorogation of dayes, and my reason is this; Length of dayes is one of the greatest blessings temporall that we hauehave, as in that promise annexed to the commandement appeareth. And as the Apostle in the 2. Chap. 27. to the Philip. when he maketh mention of the disease of Epaphroditus, he saith, No doubt he was sicke verie neare vntounto death, but the Lord had merciemercy on him, and not onelyonly vponupon him, but on me also. So he counteth the prorogation of dayes a speciall merciemercy. And there is no merciemercy nor benefit of God but it may be craued, so that it be craued to the right end. For we directing our life to the glorie of God, and vsing it as Pilgrims and strangers seeking our home, and hauing it ready to lay downe in the hands of God at his pleasure, why is it not lawfull to craue it? Indeed Iohn in his 12. Chap. 25. ver. seemeth to gainsay this, where he saith, He that loueth this life shall lose it. This knot may be soone loosed. There is a louelove of this life which is commendable, and there is a louelove which is worthie of reproofe, whereof Iohn speaketh, to wit, an extraordinarie louelove, and such a louelove whereby we place our whole felicitie in this life, not looking for a better after this. So this louelove is damned by Iohn. The other louelove which is of God, is whē we are readie to lay downe our life at his Maiesties feete, and seeke the prorogation of our life for no respect but for his glory, (as this King did,) as he sheweth clearely in the end of his owne words, in the 18 and 19 verses. Thus farre concerning the petition. So if we respect God and his glorie we may seeke this blessing. Alwaies ye see in the greatest extremitie, the onelyonly comfort that he hath is the testimonie of a good conscience:…esson. And this ought to be our stay when we are threatned of God, either with plague or any other calamitie.
Well, as I said in the beginning, if it were possible that the Lords threatnings could make vsus to hauehave recourse to him that he might cleanse our consciences in time, we should hauehave as great comfort in our trouble as this King had. Would God he would giuegive vsus melting hearts.
Lord worke this in you (Sir) that as he hath honoured in your byrth, so ye may honor him by your doings in your gouernment. The Lord of his mercy giuegive vsus hearts to craue this; Lord giuegive vsus hearts to sigh for the things we cannot amend: Lord giuegive vsus grace to hauehave recourse to Christ Iesus, and by his mercy to enter into that City, for without it there is nothing but swine and dogs, nothing but Papistrie and idolatrie. Let vsus, I say, hauehave recouse to this God, who is onelyonly able to preserue both Church and Countrie. To this God be all honour, praise and glorie, for euer and euer. Amen.