Remark the First; Hezekiah distributes the Offices of the Priests, that every one might know, not only what was his Office, but also what was his time to be present at the Temple, ver. 2. which is fitly compared to a Camp, (saith Junius) for the Watch and Ward there kept, &c.
Remark the Second; He reviveth those Laws for the Ministers maintenance, which his Father Ahaz had null'd; that those Godly, Priests, being plentifully provided for, (after a long famishing Persecution) might serve the Lord without Distraction, 1 Cor. 7.35. and therefore out of his Princely bounty, he bestows liberally of his own proper Goods and particular Cost, unto this Publick Fund, ver. 3, 4, 5. that so his Peo∣ple (who had been much polled and peeled in his Fathers Days) might be the more eased, yet do as he did, according to their Ability; which they did likewise, not pinchingly but abundantly, to make great Heaps of Tythes, with Voluntary Vows also, ver. 6, 7, 8.
Remark the Third: When Hezekiah, &c. saw the huge Heaps of Free-will Offer∣ings, besides the Tythes appointed by Law, then he blessed the Lord, both for his giving such a plentiful Harvest in this Year of Reformation, and for his giving such a pious and liberal frame of Spirit to the People in bringing in so much, as Store-houses must receive what at present was not spent; as Azariah (who had withstood Ʋzziah, saith Lyra) inform'd and advis'd Hezekiah, ver. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
Remark the Fourth: So great was the abundance of the Offerings, through the Peo∣ples Bounty and the King's Devotion, that there was Maintenance Allotted and Allow∣ed (saith Moses Flacherus) in a Geometrical proportion, not only to the Priests and Levites, but also to their Wives and Children from Three Years old and upwards, ver. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. for their Males were brought so young (saith Osiander) to learn the Worship of God, and to do some small Service in the Temple. N. B. The Liberality of the People here, both in their ordinary and extraordinary Oblations, in making such an heap'd-up plentiful provision for their Priests and Levites, and for their Wives and Chil∣dren also at this time: but how Cold and Gasping is our Devotion in this Day? In for∣mer and Darker Days our Fore-fathers made the Statute of Mortmain to restrain the People from giving any more to the Church, finding they stood more need of a Bridle than of a Spur (as hath been said before) but, alas, now there needeth no such Restrain∣ing Statute, the Springs of Peoples Bounty being like Jordan, run Retrograde, and needs a Spur more than a Bridle.
Remark the Fifth: The High and Honourable Character given to Hezekiah here, ver. 20, 21. for his Sincerity, Zeal in God's Service, &c. is more distinctly Amplify'd in 2 Kin. 18.5, 6. where he is commended for his Confidence in God, for his Courage in Reformation, (caused by his Confidence) and for his Constancy therein, cleaving close to God unto the end; so that after him there was none like him, that could outdo him in Devotion, N. B. no not Josiah himself; for he did not fall immediately upon Reforming in the first Year of his Reign as Hezekiah did, outdoing all his Predecessors in Removing the High-places, whereas Josiah did only follow Hezekiah's Example, 2 Kin. 22.1, 3. nor did he Die as Josiah did in War.
Remark the Sixth: The Lord blessed Hezekiah with a famous Victory over the Philistins, (a Warlike People) yet recovering from them not only what his Father had lost, 2 Chron. 28.18. but much more also, 2 Kin. 18.8. great Cities as well as small, Watch-Towers bordering on them, say Junius and Piscator; yea in all other Cases ('tis said) he behaved himself wisely, even in that of casting off the Yoke of the Assyrians, which his Father's wicked Covenant had impos'd upon Israel, and which Refusal, that King call'd Rebellion in Hezekiah, 2 Kin. 18.7. with 16.7. tho' Hezekiah himself con∣fesseth it an Offence, 2 Kin. 18.14. yet was it probably no Sin in its own nature, for God gave an Independent Soveraignty to the House of David, which Ahaz had sordid∣ly Alienated, but no way obliging to his Son: Had his casting off the Yoke been Sin, God would not have own'd him in it, but would rather have Reproved him for it by Isaiah (who was sent to him about it) than Assist him in it, and Deliver him from it, as he did, 2 Kin. 19.20, &c.