and spoke his master's message in the Jews' language, before all the people, in hopes of persuading them to rebel against their king, and to yield up Jerusalem into the hands of Assyria without giving them the trouble of a long siege.

E. What did Rabshekah say, mamma?

M. He asked them in the name of his master, and in the most insulting manner, how they could be so foolish as to attempt to hold out in a siege against Sennacherib, and entreated them not to be persuaded by Hezekiah to give themselves over to famine and thirst, under the vain idea that the Lord their God should deliver them out of the hand of the king of Assyria. “Know ye not,” said he, “ what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands able to deliver their land out of mine hand ? No god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand ?” And Sennacherib's servants spake yet more against the Lord, and against his servant Hezekiah. He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “the Lord God of Hezekiah shall not deliver his people out of mine hand.” Now all these words were spoken, as I said, “in the Jews' speech, to trouble them and to affright them, that they might take the city; and they spake against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hand of man.” They had even the boldness to tell Hezekiah that the Lord his God had desired Sennacherib to come up against Jerusalem to take it.

E. What did Hezekiah do, mamma, when he heard all this?

M. He was greatly distressed, Edward, and shocked at the wicked blasphemies of the king of Assyria. But he knew where to look for true comfort under all his trials; he felt that God, and God alone, could compose his troubled mind, and he made known all his griefs to him in fervent prayer. The letter which had made him so unhappy, he took up with him to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord, that is, before the holy place where his glorious presence dwelt. You would like, I dare say, to hear the beautiful prayer which Hezekiah used on this occasion.

E. That I should, mamma ; pray tell me what he said.

M. He prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims; thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear and hear; open, Lord, thine eyes and see, and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he hath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.” Such, Edward, was the prayer of this holy man, and the reward of it was great. The prophet Isaiah immediately came to him,

saying, “ Thus saith

a very delightful one: we have seen how great his piety was, how he trusted in God, and prayed to him, and kept his commandments; and though his troubles were many and great, we have reason to think that the Lord delivered him out of them all.

But Hezekiah was only a man, and, like other men, he came into the world with a nature prone to sin, which he had not quite rooted out. You cannot be too often reminded, my love, that there has never been any man in the world quite perfect but our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone was without sin. All the rest have gone astray; and even the best men have had reason to mourn over the corruptions of their own hearts, and their great natural inclination to evil. Even the good Hezekiah was once taken by surprise, and for a moment forgot the Lord who had done so great things for him.

E. When was this, mamma?

M. It was soon after his recovery from his sickness; a neighbouring king, the king of Babylon, sent to rejoice with him on this occasion, and to enquire, most likely, about the great work which God had wrought for him. When the messengers of the king of Babylon came, Hezekiah went and showed them all his treasures ; his gold and silver, his spices and ointments, and all his precious things; his armour, too, and all those stores on which kings are apt to pride themselves; for Hezekiah at this time had exceeding much riches, so that he had made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels: store-houses, too, for corn and wine, and oil; and stores for all manner of beasts,