XLVI.

HEZEKIAH AND ISAIAH.

O GOD, how doft thou correct them whom thou loveft! Who was fo dear to thee in the throne of Judah as Hezekiah? Who fo devoted to thy fervice? Yet, behold, he is no fooner relieved from a miferable fiege, than he pants under a grievous ficknefs. While as yet he has no child to fucceed him, the prophet Ifaiah is fent to him with heavy tidings. "Set thine houfe in order"for thou fhalt die, and not live." It is no small token of God's mercy, when he gives us warning of our end. We shall not profit by the gracious admonition, if we make not preparation for our

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departure. They who have not a house, have yet a foul-no foul can without danger come unprepared before the allrighteous Judge. The neglect of this cafe is defperate. Set thy foul in order, O man, for thou fhalt die, and not live.

NEVER till now was the word of Ifaiah otherwife than welcome. Often had he been an ambaffador of peace, and deliverance-with equal fidelity he discharges the duties of his office, when GOD calls on him to deliver a meffage of death. The pious king receives it with meeknefs, and reverence-he utters no menace against the prophet-he betakes himself to Heaven with lamentations and prayers" I befeech thee, O LORD, re"member how I have walked before "thee in truth, and with a perfect "heart!" Couldst thou fear, O Hezekiah, that God had forgotten thine integrity? Doft thou doubt his remembrance of thy virtues, because he fum

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mons thee to glory and immortality? What is the object of thy mournful fupplications? Thy royal ancestor hath given language to thy thoughts-"O let

me live, and I fhall praise thee, O "GOD." From a natural man this wish might be expected-who cannot but wonder at it, in a faint? His happiness begins, when his life ceafeth-his mifery ends, when his earthly pilgrimage is over. He might be supposed therefore defirous to depart and be with GODready to exclaim, in all the fervour of devout affection, "O let me die, that I "may enjoy thee!" Why then is Hezekiah appalled with the news of that death, which even Pagans have welcomed with fmiles? Certainly the best of men is not divested of human infirmity. As long as we remain in the body, we retain those feelings implanted in our nature-a love of life-a degree of terrour at the thoughts of diffolution. But

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the mind of Hezekiah was not uninfluenced by nobler motives-he regarded the profperity of that Church, which he had reftored from its ruins-he faw how much its fafety would be endangered by his departure. His very tears faid, "O GOD, thou knowest the eyes of the "world are fastened on me, as one that "hath abandoned idolatry, and revived

thy holy worship. I ftand alone, in

"the midst of a wicked and faithlefs "generation. If they fee me cut off in "the midst of my days, will not the "heathen blafpheme? will they not triumph in my untimely extinction? "Alas, what will become of thy Church, "to which my zealous fervices have "been devoted? How foon will it be

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overgrown with fuperftition and hea

thenifm? LORD, if thou callest me

to thyfelf, have mercy on this thy vineyard. Let not the boar out of "the wood root it up-let not the "wild beaft of the field devour it."

Nor a word of Hezekiah is uttered, or a tear shed, in vain. The king of Affyria came up to deftroy his city and people-prayers and tears fend him away in confufion. A more refiftless tyrant came, not without authority, to bind him in chains of iron-prayers and tears take the spoil out of the hand of the mighty. Before Ifaiah was gone out into the middle court, the LORD of life and death speaks to him from heaven"Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the

captain of my people, Thus faith the "LORD, the GOD of David thy father— "I have heard thy prayer—I have seen thy tears-behold, I will heal thee!"

AND haft thou then, O GOD, so foon changed thy purpofe? Was it not thine own meffage, which thy prophet delivered to Hezekiah? If thou hadst defigns of mercy and favour, why didft thou fuffer him to say, "Thou shalt die, and

CC not live ?"

GOD