APPLICATION [Thus, then, you see, Brethren, the just medium between presumption and despondency. You are no more to trifle with sin than if there were no mercy attainable by transgressors; and, on the other hand, you are no more to despair of mercy than if no judgment whatever had been at any time denounced against transgressors. Your faith must never so prevail as to exclude fear; nor is your fear ever to reign so as to prevent the exercise of faith. In the whole of your deportment, you are ever to keep in combined exercise, confidence with humility, and vigilance with composure.] CCCCXXVI. DELIGHT IN ORDINANCES. 2 Chron. xxx. 22, 23. They did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers. And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness. IN this chapter, and in that which precedes it, we are informed that Hezekiah, as soon as he came to the throne, set himself to repair the temple, which during the reign of his father Ahaz had been greatly neglected, and to restore the worship of Jehovah, which had been utterly superseded by the worship of idols. He lost no time in sanctifying the vessels which had been desecrated and defiled: and he appointed a feast unto the Lord, to be observed by all his people. Now here we have, I. A most valuable record That we may view it in all its parts, let us distinctly notice, 1. The feast appointed [It was the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread which was invariably connected with it. The feast of passover commemorated the redemption of Israel from Egypt; and the feast of unleavened bread intimated the holiness which became the people who had been so redeemed. But the time for observing these feasts was past. The passover should have been killed on the fourteenth day of the first month; and on the same day, at even, should the feast of unleavened bread have commenced but it was not practicable to get the temple ready by that time; and therefore Hezekiah applied to the nation at large the liberty conceded to individuals; in case they were incapacitated for the observance of the feast at the proper time, to observe it in the second month. Even this delay was not sufficient for all who were desirous of observing the feast; so that many came up to it without that measure of purification which the law required: and it was only in answer to Hezekiah's prayer that this violation of the law was pardoned. But the zeal of Hezekiah was truly commendable. Indeed, he was not satisfied with summoning his own subjects to the feast he sought to bring also his brethren of the ten tribes to a participation of the same holy exercises and heavenly enjoyments: and, though "his messengers were laughed to scorn" and mocked by many, there were many who accepted his invitation, and availed themselves of the opportunity afforded them of serving and honouring "the Lord God of their fathers."] 2. The observance of it [A spirit of piety prevailed to a very great extent: all, king, princes, priests and people, seemed to vie with each other in their endeavours to exalt and honour God: and in their services we behold that which gives to every service its highest value-a due mixture of humiliation with their gratitude and joy: "they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers." This is a point deserving of most especial notice. Humility is the characteristic feature of the worship in heaven: for all, whether saints or angels, fall upon their faces before the throne, whilst with united voices they sing praise to God and to the Lamb. Such was the worship of all the assembly at this time; and it was productive of the most exalted joy: for every prayer they offered entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts, and descended in blessings on the heads of those who offered it.] 3. Its continuance [According to the original institution, the feast was to last but seven days: but so full of joy were their souls, that the whole assembly took counsel, after the example of Solomon, to protract it seven more days. And not only did Hezekiah and the princes concur in this proposal, but, by their extraordinary liberality, they enabled the congregation to carry it into effect for Hezekiah gave them one thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave one thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep. During the whole of this time, even fourteen days, were the same holy exercises continued, none grudging the time that was lost to their worldly occupations, or becoming weary of an employment so foreign to their former habits.] And who does not see in all this, II. A most instructive lesson ?- 1. To the higher ranks of society [Behold the king and the princes exerting all their influence to diffuse throughout the land a spirit of piety; and not in their own land only, but throughout a nation that was hostile to them'. What an example was here to all, however exalted their rank, or powerful their authority! And can wealth or power be better employed than in such acts as these? But let it not be supposed that this example is instructive to kings and princes only: whatever be the measure of our property or influence, our obligation to improve them for the diffusion of religion is still the same; and our liberality should be "according to our power," whether it be more or less. True, indeed, if we engage with holy zeal in the service of our God, we may expect that an ungodly world will “ laugh us to scorn and mock us." But we should rise superior to such treatment, and rejoice that we are "counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's sake." Our only thought should be, How we may honour God: and, if only He be glorified, we should not regard any sacrifice which we may be called to make for so desirable an end.] 2. To the community at large [Here we see how we should perform our religious duties. Not that it would be advisable for us to protract them to an inconvenient length; or to neglect our worldly callings, for the sake of prosecuting beyond reasonable bounds the services in which we are engaged. There is a season for every thing; and every duty should be attended to in its season. We are to labour six days, so far as the necessities of ourselves and our families may require it, and to rest on the Sabbath-day: but we may, and must, carry the spirit of religion into every thing, and in that sense protract our religious services to the latest 12 Chron. xxviii. 6, 8. hour of our lives. Nor should we grudge a reasonable portion of our time to religious ordinances, whether public or private. Beyond all doubt, we should consecrate a portion of every day to the immediate service of our God; and be willing, also, to enlarge that portion, when any particular occasion may demand it: but it is the service of the heart which God now chiefly requires; and that can never be carried to excess. We must, however, especially take care to combine with every service a due measure of penitential sorrow. We must never for a moment forget that we are sinners; nor ever offer to God any sacrifice of which penitential sorrow does not form a very essential part. And now, what shall I say to you, my Brethren? Would. to God that I could see you all in the very frame in which the whole people of Israel were on this occasion! And is there not abundant reason for it? Is not the restoration of divine ordinances, after so long a suspension of them, a blessing? Above all, Is not "Christ our Passover sacrificed for us? and is not this a call to keep the feast?" Let us, then, "keep it, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Then may you hope, that "your joy, like Israel's, shall be full;" and shall be not only a preparation for future blessedness, but also an earnest of heaven in your souls.] CCCCXXVII. HEZEKIAH'S CHARACTER. 2 Chron. xxxi. 20, 21. Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. RELIGION, when set before us in the precept, is thought impracticable: but, when it is embodied in the life of some eminent saint, it commends itself to us as in the highest degree estimable, and its yoke appears to us both light and easy. In a person like Hezekiah, at the early age of twenty-five, (when the mind is too generally carried away by thoughtless gaiety,) presiding over a kingdom, with all possible means of sensual gratification at his command, it does indeed approve itself to us as lovely, and as worthy to be cultivated by every child of man. For the purpose of elevating your souls to the pursuit of it, I will propose to your consideration, I. The character of Hezekiah as here drawn Many of the saints were eminently distinguished above their brethren by some peculiar grace, which they exercised in an extraordinary degree. Hezekiah excelled in faith: "He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him." But in the passage before us, his character is drawn more at large. We behold, 1. The objects of his attention— 66 [Placed at the head of an empire, he laboured to promote the benefit of his subjects by a wise and just administration of his government. But his views were not confined to objects of temporal importance merely: he sought to repair the mischiefs of his father's reign, and to bring back his people to the knowledge and enjoyment of the only true God. He neglected not what was politically "good and right and true:" but he also strove to accomplish whatever was good and right and truth before the Lord his God." The passover, which had been instituted to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and had been ordained of God to be observed every year at an appointed time, had long been neglected. He therefore called the priests and Levites to the performance of their duty; he ordered them to sanctify the house of God, which had been profaned by all manner of abominations, and to prepare all the offerings which were necessary for the occasion; he himself setting them an example by a most munificent contribution of cattle for that end. Nor was he content with effecting this amongst his own people. He exerted his influence to bring also the ten tribes of Israel, over whom he had no control, to a sense of their duty, and to a concurrence with him in this holy work. In a word, he considered himself as a servant of the Most High God; and for the advancement of his glory he exerted all the influence which his high station gave him.] 2. The manner of his exertion [This is particularly specified; and, indeed, it deserves especial notice: "in every work that he began, he did it with a 2 Kings xviii. 5. c 2 Chron. xxix. 15, 16. b 2 Chron. xxix. 4, 5. d 2 Chron. xxx. 24, |