vehemently, in the middes of this ioy and tranquillitie which presented it selfe before his eies.
This shewes, that we must make no account to reioyce in any setled estate long, nor to lull our selues asleepe in iollitie, seeing there is nothing stable nor stedfast in this life: but we may be bereaued of all our ioyes in a mo∣ment. Therfore whilest we are in peace, let vs euen meditate of warre, aduersitie, and per∣secutions. Aboue all things, let vs carefullie seeke that peace which is grounded vpon Gods fatherlie loue and compassion, wherein our consciences may rest securely.
The second part of the verse may be ex∣pounded two waies, because the verb Chaschak signifies To loue, and sometimes To will: This sense agrees not amisse, It was thy plea∣sure to deliuer my soule: but if nothing be sup∣plied, the sense will still be perfect, O Lord, thou hast loued my soule when it was in the Sepul∣cher. It is knowne to all, that the Soule is taken for the life: but the Prophet here extols the bountie of God, who vouchsafed to loue He∣zekias though he were halfe dead.
In the next place he giues the reason of it, in bringing vs to the fountaine from whence this deliuerance issued: for otherwise, one might imagin that he hath spoken of nothing hitherunto but of bodily health. But we may now see that he looked much higher, to wit, [ 1] first vnto his guiltines before God, secondly [ 2] to the free reconciliation. He confesseth in deed that he hath receiued his life anew, but yet he esteemes his reconciliation with God more then a hundred thousand liues. Truly it were better for vs neuer to haue beene borne, then to liue long, heaping sinne vpon sinne, and so to hale downe the more hor∣rible iudgemēts of God vpon our own heads. Hezekias then reioyceth chieflie, in that the light of Gods countenance did shine clearely vpon him: for our only felicitie consists in hauing him good and gracious to vs. Yet herewithall he shewes, that we must impute the euils which God laies vpō vs to our sinnes: for such as accuse him of ouer-much seueri∣tie, doe nothing else but double their owne woe. This good King condemnes not him∣selfe of one sinne only, but confesseth him∣selfe guiltie of many sinnes, and therefore stood in neede of more then one pardon. If we then desire to be truly comforted in affli∣ctions, let vs begin heere: for if God be ap∣peased towards vs, no euill can hurt vs, seeing he delights not to haue his beloued ones lie languishing in their miseries. It fares with vs therefore as with inconsiderate patients, who neuer thinke of their disease, but only of the accidents thereof, and of their griefes which they feele: but it is more wisedome for vs to follow the counsell of the skilfull Physitian, who considers of the cause of the disease first, and aboue all things indeuors to remoue that: for they know that outward remedies are not only vaine, but hurtfull, if the inward disease be not discerned. Why so? Because remedies in such wise applied, do driue the disease further in, and so settles & augments it there, that afterwards there is no hope left for healing of it.
Hezekias therefore like a wise patient, ac∣knowledgeth the cause of his sicknes; to wit, his sinnes: which being forgiuen, he then knew the punishment was likewise remitted and ceased. Now by this we may see the sot∣tishnes of the Papists touching their distin∣ction between the fault and the punishment: for Hezekias testifies here that the one was pardoned as well as the other.
Wee are also to obserue this phrase of speech which the Prophet vseth, to wit, Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe: for his meaning therein is, that God had whollie a∣bolished the remembrance of them. As in Miche. 7.9. Thou hast cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea. And in Psal. 103.12. He separates our sinnes as farre from vs, as the East is from the West. All which sentences may assure vs that God will neuer impute the sinnes vnto vs which he hath once pardoned. If it fall out that we be corrected afterwards, he doth it not as a Iudge, but as a tender and mercifull father, that he might thereby in∣struct and keepe his children in awe. The Pa∣pists therefore deceiue themselues in drea∣ming that the corrections which follow are satisfactions or recompences, as if he would exact that at our hands, because he is loth freelie to remit all. No, Gods only purpose in correcting vs is, that he may thereby pro∣uide for our saluation for the time to come.