captains of war, and spake comfortably to them, saying, "Be strong and courageous; be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for the multitude that is with him; for there be more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us, and to fight our battles." (2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8.)

Now, all this was very right. It showed in Hezekiah much wisdom in using the means proper for his defence; and much faith in trusting not in those means themselves, but in God, who alone could make them of any use. still, this was not all that Hezekiah did. He wanted advice and comfort for himself, while he gave

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comfort to his people; so he sent to the prophet Isaiah, and asked him to pray to God for help and deliverance. And Hezekiah prayed too, for himself. He took the letter which Sennacherib had sent him, and went into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord; and Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying, "O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubim; thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he hath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their

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no

countries, and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore, they have destroyed them. Now, therefore, O Lord, our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only." (Isa. xxxvii. 14-20.)

And do you think that all Hezekiah's faith and prayers were in vain? No; that God who had so often defended his people in times past, was ready to help them now; and he sent to Hezekiah a message of comfort and encouragement by Isaiah. "Thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria he shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will