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…

My death shall not be only to send me into the throat of hell, but it shall be to bring a general overflowing over all, so that in all the land there shall be nothing but desolation. Shall the service of God then be thrown down, and shall all this be cast upon my neck because I have offended my God? Alas, and what shall this be? Let us not now think it strange if Hezekiah speak thus as we hear, but let us hold this alway that it is not the simple death which did affray him so. What then? the wrath of God, when he beheld his sins, and that God toke away from him all savour of his goodness, & turned his back unto him as if he had seen him armed against him, & lifted up his arm, as if he would bring him to nought.

My death shall not be onely to sende me into the throte of hell, but it shall be to brynge a generall ouerflowyng ouer all, so that in all the land there shalbe nothing but desolation. Shall the seruice of God then be throwen dowen, and shall al this be cast vpon my neck bicause I haue offended my God? Alas, and what shall this be? Let vs not nowe thinke it straunge if Ezechias speake thus as we heare, but let vs hold this alway that it is not the simple death whiche dyd affraye him so. What then? the wrath of God, when he behelde his sinnes, and that God toke away from him all sauor of his goodnes, & turned his back vnto him as if he had sene him armed against him, & lifted vp his arme, as if he would bring him to nought.

When Hezekiah saw that, he was so confounded that his mouth was stopped, & not without cause.

When Ezechias sawe that, he was so confoūded that his mouth was stopped, & not without cause.

Now this is right worthy to be noted, for there are many blockish persons (and the most part) which fear death, but it is not because they feel the curse of God appear to them. It is true as we have said before, that God leaveth alway this point in the conscience of man, but they have not all alike consideration thereof. Wherefore is it then that death is dreadful unto them? because every one will say, I desire to be. Truly when they speak in this manner it is as much as if they said I would be a calf, or an ass, or a dog, for the being of brute beasts is in this world, & the being of men where is it, but in this that they are joined to their God? But now we are as it were in prison, for in stead that this world should have been unto us as an earthly paradise (if we had continued in the obedience of God) now we are as in a strange country, wherein we be as locked up and banished. It is true that yet we see many times some, yea many tracks of the goodness of God, but how so ever it be, yet we do but languish here. But there are but few that know this. So much that more then ought we to note well this doctrine, which I have here before touched, that is to wit, that both in death, and in all other afflictions we are more encumbered and troubled with the wrath of God than with the evil that we can feel. If one be afflicted with poverty, so that he hath hunger and thirst, an other be stricken with sickness and suffer great torments,