Sermons of John Calvin, upon the song that Hezekiah made after he had been…Sermons of Iohn Caluin, vpon the songe that Ezechias made after he had bene…

So here this good souls Physician hath brought you where you may see lying before your face the good king Hezekiah, sometime chilling and chattering with cold, sometime languishing & melting away with heat, now freezing, now frying, now speechless, now crying out, with other such piteous pangs & passions wrought in his tender afflicted spirit, by guilty conscience of his own fault, by terrible consideration of Gods justice, hy cruel assaults of the tyrannous enemy of mans salvation, vexing him in much more lamentable wise than any bodily fever can work, or bodily flesh can suffer. On th'other side for his help, you see him sometime throw up his ghastly eyen, staring with horror, and scant discerning for pain and for want of the lively moisture to feed the brightness of their sight. You see him sometime yieldingly stretch out, sometime strugglingly ⟨image 7⟩throw his weakened legs not able to sustain his feeble body: sometime he casteth abroad, or holdeth up his white & bloodless hand toward the place whether his soul longeth: sometime with falling chaps, he breatheth out unperfect sounds, gasping rather than calling for mercy & help. These things being here laid open to sight and remaining in remembrance, (as the horror and piteous spectacle can not suffer it to fall out of a Christian tender mind) if we feel our selves in like anguish, we find that the disease is the same that Hezekiah had, and so by convenience of reason must by the same mean be healed. Then behoveth us to remember or to be informed by our diligent Physician or charitable neighbour, how we saw Hezekiah healed, whom we imagine in this Book to see, both dying, revived, and walking after health recovered. There we see the heavenly Physician anoint him with the merciful Samaritans oil, purge the oppressing humours with true repentance, strengthen his stomach with the wholesome conserve of Gods eternal decree, and expel his disease, and set him on foot with assured faith of Gods mercy, and staying his yet unsteady pace & faltering legs ⟨image 8⟩with the sweet promises of Gods almighty goodness. So learn we what Physicians help we shall use: and this medicine being offered us, we are bold to take it, because we know it will heal us.

So here this good soules Physiciā hath brought you where you maye se lyinge before youre face the good king Ezechias, somtime chillinge and chattering with colde, somtime languishing & meltyng away with heate, nowe fresing, now fryeng, nowe spechelesse, nowe crying out, with other suche piteous panges & passions wrought in his tender afflicted spirit, by giltie consciēce of his owne fault, by terrible consideration of Gods iustice, hy cruell assaultes of the tyrannous enemie of mans saluation, vexynge hym in muche more lamentable wise than any bodely feuer can worke, or bodyly fleshe can suffer. On th'other side for his helpe, you se him sometyme throwe vp his gastly eyen, starynge wyth horrour, and scant discernynge for peine and for want of the lyuely moisture to fede the brightnes of theyr sight. You se him sometyme yeldyngly stretch oute, sometyme struglinglye