How happy those people are who serve the Lord with all their hearts! God's service ought to be our greatest pleasure. When we are praising him, we are doing what happy spirits do in heaven. But we cannot now serve God as we should wish. We often grow tired and weary; and we have worldly business, and cares, and troubles, which prevent us from praising God as we ought to do. we shall praise him for ever. be tired there.

But in heaven We shall never

CHAPTER XXIV.

SENNACHERIB'S ARMY DESTROYED.

WE have been reading about Hezekiah's happiness, now we must read about his troubles. All people in this world must have trouble sometimes; God's people, and wicked people too. But when God sends trouble to his people, he sends it in love. He sends it to teach them to trust in him more, and to love him more; and he can comfort them in all their sorrows, and deliver them if he pleases.

But what was Hezekiah's trouble? There was a king of Assyria, named Sennacherib. He was a very wicked king, and he did not like Hezekiah to enjoy his kingdom in peace. Sennacherib wished to take possession of Judah, and to reign over it himself. So he made ready a large army, and sent it against Jerusalem, with Rabshakeh his captain. When Hezekiah saw the army coming, he sent some of his great men out to speak to Rabshakeh, and ask him why he was come. Then Rabshakeh told them his master's message, and a very wicked mes

sage it was.

"Thus saith the great king of Assyria; I am come to this land to destroy it. Who can deliver you from my hand? Can the king of Egypt? Do you trust in him? He has no power to help you. Does your king Hezekiah tell you to trust in God? Does he say, the Lord will deliver you? Do not attend to Hezekiah. God cannot deliver you. I have fought against many nations, and conquered them. Their gods could not save them; and how can your God save you? Attend to me; serve me, and do not hearken to Hezekiah.”

The men of Judah heard Sennacherib's message, but they made no answer; for Hezekiah had told them not to give an answer to Rabshakeh, but to come back directly. When Hezekiah heard the message, he was very much troubled. He rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, as signs of his great sorrow, and went into the house of the Lord, and told all his troubles to God. Hezekiah knew that God was stronger than Sennacherib, and that he was his friend, and could hear his prayer, and deliver him from his enemies.

When Hezekiah had prayed to God, he sent to the good prophet Isaiah, to ask for advice

from him. Hezekiah's messengers came to Isaiah covered with sackcloth, and full of sorrow. They said, "Thus saith Hezekiah, this is a day of trouble and sorrow. The king of Assyria has sent Rabshakeh to speak blasphemy against God. But it may be, the Lord will hear the wicked words of Rabshakeh, and deliver his people; and we ask thy prayer for those who are left." God had told Isaiah what to say to Hezekiah; he had a message of comfort for these poor, sorrowing people. Isaiah said, "Tell your master not to fear the words of Rabshakeh. God himself will deliver you from this great army. The king of Assyria shall not hurt Jerusalem; he shall not shoot an arrow there, nor come against it with shields. God will defend the city, and smite the Assyrian army, and make their king return to his own land; and there he shall fall by the sword."

Then the messengers returned, and told Hezekiah what Isaiah had said; and Hezekiah believed in God, and trusted all to him, and was comforted. And was the army of Assyria destroyed? Yes; but not by Hezekiah, nor by his soldiers, nor his people. They all waited quietly that night for God to deliver them.

And, in the night, God sent out his destroying angel to the army of the Assyrians. These wicked men were all asleep in their camp, little. thinking of the punishment that was coming. They did not care for God; they laughed at his power, and at his people, and thought they were safe, and feared nothing. But while they were lying asleep in their camp, the destroying angel came down from heaven, and went from tent to tent, and smote all the soldiers of that large army; 185,000 were slain, without time to repent, and ask for pardon!

The people of Judah arose in the morning, and looked towards their enemies' camp. What did they see? No cruel enemies were there now; no wicked Rabshakeh speaking blasphemy against God. All was quiet. The bodies of the Assyrians were lying dead upon the ground; their souls were gone to appear before the great God whom they had despised and blasphemed. Sennacherib himself returned to his own country, but he did not live there long. Soon after, when he was worshipping in the temple of his idol god, his sons rushed in, and smote him, and killed him. What a sad end of Sennacherib and all his army! How