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if it has received its commission to cut us down. Inquire then whether, if the message were now delivered unto you, “Thou shalt die, and not live," you are ready to give up your account with joy? Can you appeal to the heart-searching God that you have walked as in his presence, and endeavoured with sincerity of heart to approve yourselves to him? Has the doing of his will in all things been the one object of your life? Above all, inquire whether Christ has been precious to you? whether you have lived by faith on him? and whether you have truly devoted yourselves to his service? These are the things that characterize a true Christian; and unless you have the testimony of your conscience that you have made this use of life, you have indeed very abundant cause to be afraid of death. O pray to God that you may not be taken away in such an unprepared state; and lose not a moment in seeking that entire change of heart and life, without which you can never have any well-grounded confidence towards God.]

2. Those who have recovered from sickness, or have escaped any particular danger

[Why has God spared or restored you, but that you might live henceforth to his glory? Perhaps under the apprehension of death, you determined with yourselves that you would give yourselves up to God. Now then remember the vows that are upon you. God heard your prayer, and the prayers of others for you, that it might be seen whether you would serve him or not. O beware how you abuse his patience and long-suffering towards you: beware how you make use of life only to "add sin to sin," and to "treasure up wrath against the day of wrath." There is a great work lying before you, and but little time to do it in. To have the text realized in you, to have it realized in all its parts and to have such an evidence of it in your heart and life, as to be able to appeal to God respecting it; this is no easy matter; nor is it a work that ought to be deferred one single moment. Consider, you are still as much exposed to death as ever. Though restored, you have no promise of life for fifteen years to come, no, nor for fifteen days or hours. Improve then the present hour: "Walk not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time," that at whatever hour the heavenly Bridegroom may arrive, you may be found ready, and be counted worthy to sit down with him at his marriage-feast in heaven.]

CCCLXXIX.

HEZEKIAH'S RESIGNATION.

2 Kings xx. 19. Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken.

IF of active virtues it may be said, that they are more fascinating and beautiful in the eyes of men; of passive virtues it may be said, that an equal degree of divine grace is displayed in them. It is as much an effect of divine grace to suffer patiently the will of God, as it is to perform it diligently. Accordingly we find, that most of the eminent saints of old were as remarkable for a meek submission to the divine disposals, as for a zealous execution of the divine commands. Aaron, Eli, Job, David, and many others, are recorded as bright examples of the passive graces: and the history of Hezekiah, as contained in the words before us, furnishes us with an admirable specimen of pious resignation.

We shall consider his resignation,

I. As an act of piety

The judgments denounced against his family and kingdom were of the most distressing nature

[All the wealth that he possessed, together with the holy city and temple, were to be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans; and his sons, whom he should beget, should be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. To a monarch, what could be more distressing than the overthrow of his whole kingdom? To a pious monarch, what more grievous than the destruction of God's temple, and the triumph of idolatry over the true religion? And to a monarch that was a parent, what more terrible than such degradation and misery as were denounced against his offspring?

Some may think that these judgments were not very afflictive, because they were not to affect the king himself, but only to attach upon his descendants: but, we apprehend that any personal affliction whatever would have been esteemed light, in comparison of the calamities here threatened.]

Yet were the tidings of them received with the most perfect submission—

[What could any man say more? Hezekiah justified in the strongest terms the denunciations that had been delivered. Though he was taken entirely off his guard, and had not the smallest expectation of any such message from the Lord, yet, on the delivery of it, he bowed at once, and "accepted it as e Job. i. 21.

a Lev. x. 3.

d Ps. xxxix. 9.

b 1 Sam. iii. 18.
e See 2 Sam. xxiv. 17.

the punishment of his iniquity." Grievous as the chastisement was, he approved of it as coming from the hands of a righteous God, and declared it to be not only just, but "good."]

Instead of murmuring against God for the severity of his judgments, he instantly expressed his gratitude for the mercy blended with them

[He was informed that in his days the nation should enjoy "peace;" and that "truth" should triumph over the idolatry and wickedness which had overrun the land. These considerations, independent of his own personal welfare, were consolatory to his mind; because, if God had been "extreme to mark what had been done amiss," he might have justly executed his threatened judgments instantly, without any intervention of grace and mercy. On these mitigated circumstances Hezekiah fixed his mind; and, whilst he acknowledged the equity of the judgments in their fullest extent, he more especially adored the goodness of God in suspending them for so long a period : "Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?" The prospect of the prevalence of true religion, though but for a season, was cheering to him: and he "accounted the long-suffering of God to be salvation."]

If, as an act of piety, we admire his resignation, much more shall we do so,

II. As a lesson of instruction

Truly in this view the history before us is very important. From it we learn many valuable lessons:

1. That pride, however light and venial it may appear in our eyes, is most offensive in the sight of God

[It was pride which led Hezekiah to display before the Babylonish ambassadors all the monuments of his wealth and power: he felt an undue complacency in the things themselves, as though they of themselves could make us happy; and next, he relied on them as inducements to the king of Babylon to court his alliance. According to the common estimation of men, there would be no great evil in this conduct: but God regarded as a very heinous sin, the indulgence of such vain conceits; and marked the extent of his displeasure by the severity of his judgments.

Let not any one then imagine that an inordinate attachment to earthly things, or a vain confidence in them, is a light

f Lev. xxvi. 41.

offence. Whatever we have that distinguishes us from our fellow-creatures, it is given us of the Lord; and, instead of engrossing our affections, it should lead us to him in thankfulness and praise. If we take glory to ourselves for our possession of it, we provoke him to jealousy, and excite his indignation against us. How highly did God resent the pride of Nebuchadnezzar, and of Herod h! And shall we escape, if we "provoke the Lord to jealousy?" Let us be thankful for what we possess; but let our affections centre in God alone.]

2. That just views of sin will lead us to justify God in all the judgments that are denounced against it

[We are ready to think that the punishment inflicted on Hezekiah was more severe than the occasion required: but he thought not so, because he saw his sin in all its malignity In like manner, when the everlasting displeasure of God is denounced against sin and sinners, the proud heart of man is ready to rise up against God, and to say, that it would not be just to inflict eternal punishment for the sins of time, especially if those sins have not been of the most flagrant kind. But a just view of our demerit silences at once all those rebellious murmurs. We then say with David, "Thou art justified in thy saying, and wilt be clear when thou judgest." It is remarkable, that the man who was cast out for not having on the wedding garment, is represented as not having one word to utter in arrest of judgment; "he was speechlessi:" and so will it be with all at the last day, yea and with all in this life also, who are made sensible of their iniquities. Under the deepest of earthly afflictions they will say, "Shall a living man complain? a man for the punishment of his sins?" No; "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." Under the apprehension of his eternal displeasure also they will cry, "I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.'

Let us beg of God then to give us an insight into our own wickedness; that under all circumstances we may approve of God as "doing all things well."]

3. That a humble mind will be more thankful for the mitigating circumstances of an affliction than querulous about the affliction itself—

And

[We greatly admire this in the history before us. who does not see what sweet composure such conduct is calculated to bring into the mind? The generality of persons are ready to fix on every circumstance that can aggravate their h Acts xii. 22, 23. i Matt. xxii. 12.

8 Dan. iv. 29-33.

affliction; and hence they make themselves far more miserable than they would otherwise be: but if, like Hezekiah, they looked on the brighter side of their troubles, and noticed the mercies with which they were blended, they would be comparatively happy under them. Even self-love might dictate such a line of conduct, if we were actuated by no better motive for, if once we saw, how much more afflictive our circumstances might have been, and how much heavier judgments we have merited, we should feel gratitude rise up in our bosoms, and "bless our God, no less when he takes away, than when he gives:" we should confess it to be "of the Lord's mercies that we are not utterly consumed."]

CCCLXXX.

THE BENEFITS ARISING FROM PEACE AND TRUTHa.

2 Kings xx. 19. Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

BY many it is thought that a knowledge of futurity would contribute to their happiness: but we are persuaded that it would prove only a source of misery: the good that would be foreseen would lose more than half its zest, whilst the evil that was anticipated would embitter the remainder of their days. It was as a punishment, and not as a favour, that an insight into futurity was given to King Hezekiah. He had displeased the Lord by his conduct towards the ambassadors of the king of Babylon: and God sent him word what calamities should befall both his family and nation through the instrumentality of that monarch. This judgment however was tempered with mercy; the execution of it being deferred to a generation yet unborn. Hence the judgment was submitted to with pious resignation: "Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?"

It is not our intention to enter any further into the Jewish history than just to fix the precise import of our text. The text is applicable to all persons in every age, and particularly so to this present season. We shall therefore take occasion from it to shew, a Thanksgiving for Peace, in 1816.

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