The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 349

fell on prepared ground, and he eaid that whenever he did not do ao, he did not get at all so much benefit from the eervice. "What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins e.nd grief~ to bear I What a privilege to carrv Everything to God iu •prnyer I Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, whe.t needless pa.in we bear, All bcne.use we do not carry Everything to God in priiyer I" Hezekiah's confidence in God had two results. (1) It encouraged others. He gathered the captains of we.r together in the street, and said to them," Be strong and couraaeous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that ie with him: for there be more with tJ,S than with liim: 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. xx.xii. 7, 8). And so great was the confidence which the words of the king inspired, that we are told that all the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah King of Judah. What a power the quiet influence of one believing man can exercise I What a power it gives us to live near to Godl (2) Their confidence was not misplaced. God's people never trust in him in vain. Hezekiah's prayer was answered. '!'hat very night the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyria.ns a hundred and eighty-five thousand men. "'Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen : Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, That host on the morrow lay wither'd and strown. "For f.he Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of tLe foe as he pass'd; And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, And their hearl.5 but once hef\vcd, and for ever were still I "And the widows of Asshur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal ; And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like anow in the glance of the Lord I " Let us learn from this lesson that there is nothing too hard for God. Let us ask hfs help and guidance in every undertaking and event of life. Let us abide in his presence continually. Let us cling closer to the Rock of Ages. And then, come weal or come woe, come sickness or come health, come adversity or come success, we shall always be resigned to our Father's will, and shall possess within our hearts the peace which passeth all understanding.-C. H. I. Vere. 1-37.-.A nation', calamities, counsellor, and God. "And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes," etc. Our pmpose in our sketches on this book ha.s not allowed us to inquire into all the minute particulars of the characters or events recorded, or into the :mthorship of the hook, or into the right- of the prophet or prophets so frequently to say, "Thus saith the Lor,l," but simply in the briefest way to develop for practical purposes the truths either expressed or suggested. In this chapter we have three momentous events recorded-the terrible caiamity to which Jerusalem was exposed; the utter destruction of the Assyrian army; and the death of Sennacherib the Assyrian despot. 'l'he whole should be read in connection with Isa. xxxvii. We have here for notice four subjects of thought-the exposure of a nation t.o an overwhelming calamity; the blessing to a nation of a ruler who looks to Heaven for help; the advantage t.o a nation of a truly wise counsellor; and the strength of a nation that has the true God on its side. L THE EX.POBUBE OF A NATION TO AN OVEBWHELHING OALAHITY. 1. The nature of the threatened calamity. It was the invasion of the King of Assyria. '!'his was annoUDced in startling terms and in a haughty and ruthless spirit by the messengers OlI. XIX. 1-37.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 397