Contemplations. L1s.XX. ofthat death, which fome.rc;.folute Pagans have encmaincdwith I miles~ Certain. A ly,the beft man cannot ftrip himfelfoffome fldh; andwhtlcs nature bath an undcniablelbare in him,he cannot but retain Come !match of the fw<ctncffe of life, of the horror ofdi!folution;Both thefewcre in Htr-tki•h, neither ofthem could tranfporc him into this paffion: theywere higher rcf~tts that fwayed with fo holy a Prince;a tender careof the gloty ofGod, a care!ull piry ofthe Church of God· His very tears faid;O God,thou ~noweft thatthe eyes ot the world are bene upon cr:e, as one that bath ~bandoncd their Idol_acry and reftored _thy fincere worfhip; I !land alone in the mtdft ofa wteked and tdolarrous generanun , that looks thorough all my aClions,aUmy evemss Ifnow they !hall fee me fnatcht away in the midi\ of my daycs,what wtllthefe Heathen fay; how can thy great name but fulfcr in thismy un· timely extinction ? B Bdidcs,what willbecome ofthy poore Church, which I !hall leave feebly re• ligious,and as yet fcarce warm, in the courfe of a pious reformation ~ how foon !hall it be mifcrab!y over-grown with fuperftition, and heathenifme; how foon !hall the wilde Boar ot Ajfjri• root upthis little vineyard of thine~ What need I befeech thee,O Lord,to regard thy name,to regard thine inheritance~ Whatone teare of HtZ!kiAh ~an run ~afte? What can that good King pray for, unheard,unanfwcred~ Se,.ehmb came ma proud confidence to [wallowup hls city and people: prayersand tears fend him away confounded : Death comes to· fwal: low up his pet!on.(and that not without authority;)prayersand tears fend him away difappaimed. Before Ifti•h was gone out imo the middle Court, rhe word of the Lord c2mero him, laying, T•rnt •g•i~~<, ••d ttU HtZ!KiAh theC•pt•inof m7 ptDflt; C Th111 fAith tht LmJ,tbt GodpfDA'fJidthJ f•thtr; 1hAvt h<Ardthypr.ytr,lhAvt {ttMthy tears; hthold I wiOh<Ait thtt; On tht third d•y thou fb•lt got up to t4t h••fe oftht LmJ 1 •ndJwiOadJttothy d•J" fifteen yt•rts • 1 What!hall wef,y then, 0 God;haft thou thus loon changed thy purpofe ~ w~ it notthy true mdf.1ge which thy Prophet, even now, delivered to Htztki•b? Is fdme,vhat falne out that thou fore. faweft not? or d~ft thou now decree fomewhat thou meaneftnot? The very thought ofany ofthefe were no better then blafphe. mous impiety. Certainty, HtZ!ki•h could not live one day longer , then was i\tcrn,lly dccre<d; The decree of Gods eternal! counfcl! had trom everlafling dcterlnined him fifteen yearrs yet longer: Why rhen doth God [Jy, by his Prophet, Thou fh•ltdit ,AIIdn•tllvt? Heis not asman that he lhould repent; themelfage is changed, D thewill is not changed 1 yea rather rhemelfage is explicated, not changed; For the fijlnifled will ofGod,though it found abfolurely, yet m.uft be underftood with condition; that re!I• Htu ki•h what he mu!lexpeafrom the nature of his difeafe, what ,vou!d befall him, without his deprecathns : There was nothing bur death in rhe fecond caufes,what ever fecret purpofc there was in the lirft; and that purpofe fh1!1 lie hid fora rime,under a refcrved condition: The fame decree that fayes, Ninhu fbal! be dcftroyed , munes, if Ni11iv t repent , it !hall not be deftroyed 1 he that findes good reafonro [Jy,HtZ!kiAb !halt dy, yet !lilt meancs, itrhe quickned devotionof HtZ!kiAh fhall imporcune mee for life, it fha!l be prorraded. And the fame God that bath decr<cd this addition of fifteen yeares, )lad dec~eed to !lirre up rhe fpirit of HtZ!kiAh, to that vehement and weeping importunity, which ,E fbou!d obtain i·. 0 God, thou workeft rhy good pleaf•re in us , and with us; and by thy revealed will moveft us in thofe wayes .._ whereby thou elfetteft rhy fccr•twill. · · Howwonderfull is this mercy~ Htztki•hs teares are not dty upon his cheds, yeahi• breath isnor palfed his lips, when God fends him a comfortable anfwer. How carefull is the God of compa!lions, that his holy fervant fhould not languifh one hour<, in the exped arion of hi• denounced death~ What fpeed was here, 35 io rhe errand, fo in the 3Cl of recovery~ Within rhree day~~ !hall Htaki•h be upon his fw ; yea his feet fha!I ftand in the Courrs of Gods houfc; he that now in his bed,fighesand groanes and-weeps out a petition,fball rhen fingouca rhankfgiving in theTemple. 0 thou that heareft the prayer, unto thee fba!l all f!dh comr: With
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