In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death.
Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery
I. The great contrasts in the events of life.
II. The suddenness with which these events happen.
III. The distress with which they are often attended.
IV. The wonderful deliverance which God can grant. (James Wolfendale.)
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him--
A ruler’s sin
I. An undoubted truth; that sins of the rulers and the people ruled, are so intimately connected, that one invariably involves the other (Zechariah 10:3).
II. The intelligible motive. God gives us in the present order of things a large share in one another’s punishments, that He may make us take a deeper interest in one another’s duties. All are deeply interested in all. The government of every Christian country is intimately connected with the transgressions of the people; and the governed are closely involved in the sins of the government; so that each has an important duty to perform to the other. The government, apart from all political considerations, to curb and repress the immoralities and the wickedness of the people; and the people, firmly though mildly, to warn and caution and speak plainly to the government, lest by partaking silently and voluntarily of other men’s sins, they become partakers in other men’s pains. (H. Blunt.)
Hezekiah deserted
I. The person here spoken of.
1. His personal character.
2. His peculiar necessities.
II. The dispensation here described.
1. The suspension of grace.
2. The withdrawment of comfort.
III. The purpose of that dispensation.
1. To discover sin, with a view to its cure.
2. To conduct to greater happiness and honour.
IV. The issue of the trial--he sinned.
1. Wherein was the sin? He neglected an opportunity of proclaiming the true God, and indulged in a vain self-seeking.
2. How small in comparison with the sins of others--of ourselves.
3. How soon repented of.
4. How severely visited. (J. C. Gray.)
Ingratitude to God an heinous but general iniquity
Among the many vices that are at once universally decried and universally practised in the world, there is none more base or more common than ingratitude; ingratitude is the sin of individuals, of families, of Churches, of kingdoms. None of us can flatter ourselves that we are in little or no danger of this sin when even so good and great a man as Hezekiah did not escape the infection. In order to make you the more sensible of your ingratitude towards your Divine Benefactor, I shall--
I. Give a brief view of his mercies towards you.
II. Expose the aggravated baseness of ingratitude under the reception of so many mercies. (S. Davies, M.A.)
A rendering for mercies
I. That those that have received mercies must be careful to give in answerable returns or render according to what they have received.
1. There must be a rendering. There is a reflection upon God from all His works. Hell-fire casts back the reflection of the lustre of His justice and the power of His wrath. The world is round, and the motion of all things circular; they begin in God, and end in God (Romans 11:36).
(1) We must be effected with the mercies.
(2) Solemnly praise God for them.
(3) Renew the remembrance of them (Psalms 111:4).
(4) Improve them to some good use. We must improve them to--
(a) Greater trust in God.
(b) Greater love to Him (Psalms 116:1-2).
(c) Fearing Him more, lest we should offend so good a God (Hosea 3:5).
(d) More complete obedience.
2. This rendering must be proportionate.
(1) Real mercies require real acknowledgments.
(2) The acknowledgment must answer the proportion of the mercy.
(a) If the acknowledgment be in word, it must be taken notice of in a more than ordinary manner (Psalms 150:2).
(b) If in deed, some notable thing must be done for God (Esther 6:3; 2 Samuel 7:2).
3. This reproves--
(1) Those that instead of rendering according, render the quite contrary; who the more God hath blessed them, grow unthankful, proud, sensual, dead formal in prayer, less in communion with God, more licentious in their actions. They are like tops never well but when they are scourged; abuse their mercies to the contempt of God, as the Israelites took the earrings of gold and silver, which were the spoils of the Egyptians, and made a golden calf of them. As the sea turneth all the sweet dews and influences of heaven into salt water, so they turn all their mercies into occasions of sin.
(2) Those that do not render ought at all. There was a law in (Ezekiel 46:9). He that went in at one gate was not to go out at the same gate, but an opposite; some say, lest he should turn his back upon the mercy-seat.
(3) Those that render something but not suitable.
(a) We must be first reconciled to God before we can do anything acceptable.
(b) Awaken the heart to the work.
(c) Search out the works of God (Psalms 111:2).
(d) Consider what the world gaineth by every discovery of God.
(e) Desire God to give you the heart to render (Psalms 51:15).
(f) Reason and argue from your experiences to your duty (Ezra 9:13).
II. That it is a sign we are unthankful under mercies when the heart is lifted up upon the enjoyment of them.
1. Because God can never be rightly praised or exalted while the heart is proud (Isaiah 2:17). God is exalted in the creature’s self-abasement.
2. A proud heart cannot be rightly conversant about blessings. It doth not give them their--
(1) Due rise, as David (2 Samuel 7:18).
(2) Due value (Psalms 78:20; Esther 5:13; Malachi 1:2).
(3) Due ends.
3. How shall we know when the heart is lifted up? It is mainly shown--
(1) In security. Men live as if they were above changes. God is neglected, or but coldly owned, as if we now had no more need of Him (Lamentations 1:9).
(2) In insolency. This is manifested--
(a) By contention. When we are delivered, then we revive old quarrels; as timber warpeth in the sunshine.
(b) By insultation over enemies.
(c) By oppression and violence.
4. Use.
(1) Take heed of secret thoughts of merit (Deuteronomy 9:4).
(2) Take heed of ascribing to your wisdom, power, and conduct (Heb 1:16; Deuteronomy 8:14; Deuteronomy 8:17).
3. Take heed of the pride of self-dependence.
Conclusion:
1. A special recognition and recalling of sins is not unseasonable (Ezekiel 36:30-31).
2. Meditate upon the changes of providence (Psalms 39:5). Belisarius, a famous general to-day, and within a little while forced to beg for a halfpenny. Things and persons are as the spokes of a wheel, sometimes in the dirt and sometimes out. (S. Manton, D.D.)