[Sickness and death were originally introduced by sin : and in many instances have they been inflicted in token of God's displeasure on account of sin. The leprosy of Miriam was a visitation on account of sin, as was that also of Gehazi. And the worms which preyed on the vitals of King Herod received their commission from an offended God. Even the Christian Church is exposed to the same kind of correction from the hand of an angry Father : for, on account of the abuses which obtained among the Corinthians at the Lord's supper, " many were weak and sickly among them, and many had fallen asleep0." Not unfrequently were temporal judg- ments inflicted with an express view to prevent the necessity of inflicting far heavier judgments in the world to comed.
Now it seems evident that Hezekiah viewed his sickness in this light, namely, as a judgment sent from God on account of some iniquity which he had committed. As the enemies of David said in his sickness, " An evil disease, that is, a disease judicially inflicted, cleaveth fast unto hime ;" and as the enemies of the Lord Jesus accounted him to be judicially " stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted f;" so did Hezekiah judge re- specting himself at that time : he thought that God was now " calling his sins to remembrance g," and punishing him on account of them.
With such views as these, we cannot wonder that during the continuance of the affliction he should " have great bitterness;" and that in the removal of it he should find such an occasion of joy and gratitude. And it is worthy of observation, that the Psalmist speaks of the removal of temporal judgments from the people of Israel in terms exactly similar to those which Hezekiah uses in reference to his recovery from sickness : " Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land : thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob : thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people : thou hast covered all their sin : thou hast taken away all thy wrath : thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger h."
This then shews us why the pious Hezekiah so grievously complained of his sickness, and so earnestly implored a re- storation to health. This explains those words of his, " Like a crane or a swallow, so did I twitter ; I did mourn as a dove : mine eyes fail for looking upward : O Lord, I am oppressed ; undertake for me."]
2. The state of his soul —
[When he complains of God having, " like a lion, broken
c 1 Cor. xi. 30. d 1 Cor. xi. 32. as also 1 Cor. v. 4, 5.
e Ps. xli. 8. t lSai. liii. 4. s 1 Kings xvii. 18.
h Ps. ixxxv. 1—3.