The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…

When Hezekiah received the message of death, Isaiah 38. 2, 3, he turned his face to the wall, and said, Remember, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight; and Hezekiah wept sore: O the sweetness that possessed the heart of Hezekiah, which did flow from the testimony of his conscience, that he had fully walked after the Lord with a perfect heart! the verb there, I have walked, ¹is in that Mood in the Original, that adds to the signification of it; It signifies, I have continually without ceasing walked.

When Hezekiah received the message of death, Esay 38. 2, 3, he turned his face to the wall, and said, Remember, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight; and Hezechiah wept sore: O the sweetnesse that possessed the heart of Hezekiah, which did flow from the testimony of his conscience, that hee had fully walked after the Lord with a perfect heart! the verbe there, I have walked, ¹is in that Mood in the Originall, that addes to the signification of it; It signifies, I have continually without ceasing walked.

1. 1It is in Hithpael. Continuoi•de sinenter ambulavi.

Thus Luther, who was a man ¹whose spirit was exceeding full in his love unto, and walking after the Lord Jesus Christ while he lived; and when he came to die, his spirit ⟨p. 386⟩was as full of comfort, and joy, as before it was full of zeal, and courage; these expressions brake from him; O my heavenly Father, O God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of all comfort, I give thee thanks that thou hast revealed thy Son Jesus Christ to me, whom I have believed, whom I have professed, whom I have loved, whom I have honoured, whom the Bishop of Rome, and the rest of the rout of wicked men have persecuted, and contemned; and now I beseech thee; O my Lord Jesus Christ, receive my soul, my heavenly Father; although my body is to be laid down, yet I certainly know that I shall for ever remain with thee, neither can I by any be pulled out of thy hands. The grace of Gods Spirit oftentimes appears most in the glory of it, when death approacheth, because grace and glory is then about to meet. That soul that hath followed God fully here, when it comes to depart out of the body, it only changeth the place, nor the company; which was the