The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 365

to stand before God. 3. It is a message which may be truly spoken to every one. " 'fhou ehalt die, and not live." 'fhere is an hour of death in store for every one of us. Somewhere in the unknown future there waits for us- " The shadow feared of man." We know not what a day may bring forth. "In such an hour aa ye think not the Son of man cometh." 4. The certainty of death suggests the necessity for immediate preparation. "Bet thine house in order." Can you say that you are prepared to meet your God? Is your heart right with God? Have you set your house in order? The time/or preparation is "now." Scripture is very clear on that point. It is nowhere said, "See that you make ready when death comes." It is nowhere said," Look forward to being prepared for death." No; that would only be deceiving us, because death might come before we were prepared, though we might intend to be prepared if we knew that death was near. No; but it is said," Be ready." It is said, "Prepare to meet thy God." " Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." II. A SOBBOWFUL KING. "Hezekiah wept sore." 1. He was not sorrowful becauBll of a guilty conscience. He had endeavoured to serve God faithfully. No doubt he had made mistakes. But his heart was right with God. "I beseech thee, 0 Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight." It is well to have a good conscience when the hour of death draws nigh. It is well when we can say with St. Paul, " Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men." Such a man is always "ready to depart." 2. He was sorrowful only because of the shortening of his life. How little we know what is best for us 1 It was after this that Hezekiah was led astray, as we shall see, by the pride of his heart. Though God lengthened Hezekiah's life in answer to his piteous request, perhaps it woulJ have been better for him if he had been content to go when God first sent for him. There is often a great mystery to us when good men seem prematurely takeu away. But God knows the reason why, and he doeth all t.hings well. Let us leave the time of our own departure, and the departure of our friends, contentedly in God's hands. III. A SPARED LIFE. The life was spared in answer to prayer; and yet this case gives no encouragement to what is commonly known as "healing by faith." Isaiah directed the attendants to take a lump of figs and lay it for a plaster on the boil, and Hezekiah recovered (ver. 7; Isa. xxxviii. 21). We believe in the power of faith and prayer to heal the sick, and yet we believe in using the means. We use food to preserve and sustain our life from day to day. There is no lack of faith in that. A.nd it shows no lack of faith if we use means to restore our life, asking all the time that God's blessing may accompany the means we use. How many of our lives has God spared? How many of us has he brought back again from the gates of death? Let the goodness of God lead us to repentance. Let the lives that he has spared be dedicated to him.-C. H. I. Vars. 12-21.-Hezelciah and the ambasaado1·s. Friendly greetings are always welcome. They are especially so after a time of sickness. Hezekiah's illness, no doubt, called forth many expressions of sympathy, and, among the rest, a message and present from Merodach-Baladan King of Babylon. The ambassadors who bore the message and the present were very ,::ourteously received by Hezekiah. Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be unduly elated by the honour done to him by the heathen king. He showed the mesfengers all the house of his precious things, and all his treasures of gold and silver and armour; " there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not." We see here- I. FooLISH PRIDE. Hezekiah's prosperity for once led him astray. 1. He gave noi glory to God. It was God who had prospered him, and crowned all his labours with success. But there is no word of this to the ambassadors. He takes all the honour and glory to himself. He might have, perhaps, excused himself, as many do, by saying that there is no use in obtruding our religion upon strangers. But why should he have been ashamed to acknowledge God's bountiful hand, if he was not ashamed to take bis bounties? Why should any of us be ashamed to confess Christ? To be ashamed ()f Cbri~t i~ pot qply weak a~d cowardly; it is unreasonable. 2, We see I.\'. so how  414 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [OH, XX, 1-21.