288 THE KING'S MIRROR 



Here is still another instance that points to the same 

 result. Hezekiah was the name of a good king in the 

 land of Israel; he fell ill and meditated deeply about 

 his case, whether God intended to bring him through 

 this illness or to let him die. Then God sent Isaiah His 

 prophet to him; and God said to the prophet that Heze- 

 kiah should die of this malady. Isaiah went to the king 

 and said to him: " Take good heed and set your house 

 in order and all your affairs, for God has said that you 

 shall die of this illness and not live." As soon as Isaiah 

 had spoken these words to the king, he departed; but 

 the king turned his face to the wall and prayed for de- 

 liverance in these words: "Remember, O Lord, how 

 steadfast I have been in Thy service, for I have always 

 opposed Thine enemies, and this people that Thou hast 

 given into my keeping have I turned from much wicked- 

 ness which many of them practiced before I came to the 

 kingship. And there are three reasons why I am loath 

 to die so suddenly now of this illness. The first, which 

 I fear the most, is that I may not have kept Thy com- 

 mandments fully, and if I die in a state of sin I may 

 look for Thy vengeance in my death. The second is that 

 I have not yet turned all Thy people wholly away from 

 their evil ways; and I fear, if I die suddenly now, that 

 they will soon return to their old abominations. The 

 third, which I fear much, is the victory of Thine ene- 

 mies over Thy people, seeing that my son is a child; and 

 his power to defend the people against Thine enemies 

 may prove less than is required. But if Thou wilt hear 

 my prayer, O Lord, and add a few days to my life, all 

 these things may be brought into a better state than 



