A briefe exposition of such chapters of the olde testament as vsually are redde in the church at common praier on the Sondayes set forth for the better helpe and instruction of the vnlearned. By Thomas Cooper Bishop of Lincolne.

The exposition vpon the .38. Chapter of Esay.

About this time was Ezechias sicke vnto death,* 1.1 and the Prophete Esay, &c.

IN this Chapter we haue the example of an other grieuous tenta∣tion of the good king Ezechias. Who being deliuered from the daunger of the Assirians, as is declared in the for∣mer Chapter, read at morning prayer, is now cast into a grieuous and daungerous sickenesse: yea, and hath the Prophete sent vnto him, to denounce,

as it were from the mouth of God himselfe, that he shoulde assuredly die. At what time this sicknesse happened it is not certaine, whether before the siege of Hierusalem or after. But more likely it is that it happened afterwarde. For otherwise so no∣table a circumstance in the time of y^e siege could not haue bene among other omitted.* 1.2 By this example we haue to learne that God * often sendeth many & grieuous tentations euen to the good and godly, sometime by warre, sometime by sickenesse, some∣time by vniust infamie and reproche, sometime o∣therwise. In all which we must learne constantly to continue in fayth and prayer and neuer to dis∣payre. For that GOD of his fatherly prouidence doth it, (not for our hurt and hinderaunce) but for the triall and increase of our fayth.

Then Ezechia turned his face towarde the wall,* 1.3 and prayed, &c.

It is not to be merueled that Ezechias was touched with * sorow by the message of death decla∣red to him by the prophet. He was a natural man, and therfore abhorred death in his flesh, he feared it to be some token of Gods displeasure towarde him, because the prophet brought him that message from god. He had not yet made perfect the good re∣formation of his countrey, that he had begun: and finally he had yet no issue to succeede him.

Remember O Lorde I beseech thee,* 1.4 that I haue walked before thee in truth, &c.

Here Ezechias in this distresse (to our good ex∣ample) resorteth to his olde Sanctuarie of prayer and calling vpon God. Neyther doth he, as it may seeme, in his prayer eyther quarrell with God, as dealing hardly with him, or glorie in his owne worthinesse and vertues. But rather comforteth himselfe and stirreth vp his fayth agaynst that ten∣tatiō, which happely Sathan then did put into his minde, that he should be reiected and reprobated of God, & therfore, sayth he, that all that he did procee∣ded from a good heart and minde, and respected therein the good will and pleasure of God, accor∣ding to his holy worde:* 1.5 wherein he might well and did comfort his troubled minde with the * testimo∣nie of a good conscience, & yet not so, that he would therevpon stande in iudgement before God.

Then sayde God vnto Esay,* 1.6 &c.

This alteration of sentence is not to be thought mutabilitie or vnconstancie in GOD, who by the same Prophete before had denounced death to the same partie. For the threatnings and promises of God are oftentimes conditionall and not of deter∣minate purpose in himselfe, and therefore vpon the fulfilling of the condition may they without note of inconstancie be altered. As it appeareth in the threatning of the Niniuites,* 1.7 Ionae. 1 and of the king of Gerar. Genes. 20. which afterwarde by their re∣penting and turning to God was altered, and so was it here with Ezechias.

I will put fiftene yeares moe vnto thy life.* 1.8 And deliuer thee and the Citie also, &c.

Beholde the effect of earnest prayer, and the readie and mercifull goodnesse of GOD towarde them that call vpon him, who doth not onely heare his prayer, but also confirmed his promise thereof by a notable and straunge miracle.

A thankesgiuing which Ezechias king of Iuda wrote,* 1.9 when he had beene sicke, &c.

This good king Ezechias would not passe ouer with silence the great benefite that God shewed in restoring him to his health, and by his Example teacheth, what all good men should doe, when they feele the great mercies of God wrought in them: that is, not onely to make it knowne to them that we liue withall, but also to cause it to remaine in remembrance to posteritie, that Gods name ther∣by may be the more glorified,* 1.10 and other the better comforted. Thus did * Moyses, this did * Anna Sa∣muels mother, thus did * Dauid * Ionas * Zacharie, * Simeon, and the blessed virgine * Marie. In the first part of this praier he rehearseth the pensiue & sorowful cogitations that he conceyued in his hart in time of his sicknesse, through the feare of death & hell. In the latter, he acknowledgeth the migh∣tie worke of God & yealdeth prayses for the same.

I thought I should haue gone to the gates of hell when mine age,* 1.11 &c.

By these wordes it maye appeare in what sort Ezechias did beholde death, and whye he shewed himselfe so pensiue therein: that is, because hee thought himselfe out of the fauour of GOD, and therefore in daunger of hell fire. For death in deed is terrible to them that in such sort consider it: but to them that in strength of * fayth beholde it ioyned with the fauour of God,* 1.12 it is very pleasaunt, and therefore sayde Paule. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ.

Mine age is folden together and taken from me like a sheepeheards cottage,* 1.13 &c.

By this maner of speech he signifieth that God had determined to take this worldly life from him, in short time, & to transferre him to another place, as the maner of sheepeheardes in that countrey is to remooue their Cotes from place to place, as they chaunge the Pasture, and place of feeding theyr Cattell.

I thought I should haue liued till the mo∣row,* 1.14 but he bruised my bones, &c.

I was, sayth he, in so great dispaire of my life, that at night I was in doubt, through the vehe∣mencie of my sicknesse, whether I should liue vn∣til the morning. Yea I was so farre past as I was not hable to speake distinctly, but vttered a confuse chattering like the noise of a Swallow or Crane, and a mourning like the noyse of a Doue.

Thou it is O Lorde that hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe.* 1.15 &c.

Here Ezechias plainely confesseth, what the cause was of his sickenesse and of his restoring to health.* 1.16 * Sinne was the cause of his sickenesse, and the mercy of God forgiuing the same and tur∣ning them from his sight was the cause of his de∣liuerance. Wherefore it cannot be thought, when before he sayth, he walked in truth and a stedfast heart before God, that he sought thereby to be iu∣stified in the sight of GOD, but rather as I haue sayde before, that he vttered those wordes in com∣fort of himselfe, that he was not vtterly reiected of God, albeit he were then punished.

For hell prayseth not thee,* 1.17 death doth not magnifie thee, nor they that go down, &c.

The Sense of this verse is vtterd in many of the Psalmes,* 1.18 as in the. * 6. the. * 87. and the. * 117.

The deade shall not prayse thee, nor all that go downe into the pit. &c.

By which wordes and the like, neyther Dauid nor Ezechias denie that the spirite of the dead haue their actions before God to his glorie, or affirme that they perish together with the bodie: But they signifie, that those that be deade, buried and layde in the graue, ouerwhelmed wyth earth, haue no longer their bodily Actions in the Church of God here in this worlde, nor cannot set forth among men liuing here the clemencie, mercie, and good∣nesse

of God toward them, to the prayse and glorie of his name in this worlde, like as the liuing may. The dead, as touching their body, are in y^• graue, as touching their soules, they are in heauen, but so as they cannot* returne into the worlde to preach,* 1.19 declare, and set forth to men the maiestie, iustice, and mercie of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 1.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 33. d. 19 Actes. 14. d. 22 Iacob. 1. a. 2
• * 1.3

  Vers. 2.
• * 1.4

  Vers. 3.
• * 1.5

  1. Tim. 1. d. 19 2. Cor. 1. c. 12 Act. 23. a. 1
• * 1.6

  Vers. 4.
• * 1.7

  Ion. 1. a. 1. &c Ge. 20. a. 3 &c
• * 1.8

  Vers. 5. 6. 7. 8
• * 1.9

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.10

  Exod. 15. a. 1 1 Sa. 2. a. 1 &c 2. Reg. 22. a. 1. Io. 2. d. 1. &c. Luke. 1. g. 68 Luke. 2. e. 29 Luc. 1. e. 46
• * 1.11

  Vers. 10. 11.
• * 1.12

  Prou. 14. d. 32 Phil. 1. d. 23
• * 1.13

  Vers. 12.
• * 1.14

  Vers. 13.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 17.
• * 1.16

  Iohn. 5. c. 14 1. Cor. 11. 30.
• * 1.17

  Vers. 18.
• * 1.18

  Psal. 6. a. 5 Psal. 87. c. 11 Psal. 117. c. 17
• * 1.19

  Luke. 16. f. 27