God had revealed himself to Israel, and dwelt in glory above the mercy-seat whereon stood the cherubim, that Hezekiah had come to the temple to offer up this supplication. Communion with God rests on God's revelation of himself to man. Only as God has revealed his Being to us, and dwells among us in mercy, are we able to approach him. An unknown or unknowable God can call forth no trust. (2) He is the God of provi- dence. "Thou art tho God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth." This is involved in the name Jehovah, which denotes God as the Being who is, and remains one with himself in all that he thinks, purposes, and does. His rule is unlimited; all events, great and small, are under his control ; his counsel is the one stable factor in history. This conception of the supremacy of God in providence is involved in the knowledge he has given us of himself in grace. (3) He b the God of nature. "Thou hast made heaven and earth." This again is involved in the truth of God's unlimited rule in providence, for only the Maker of the world can be its absolute Ruler. Revers- ing the order of thought-only because God is the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, is he the Lord in providence; and because he is Lord in nature and providence, he can do all things for us in grace (Ps. cxxl. 1, 2; cxxxv. 5, 6). 2. .An exposure of Sennacherib's fallacy. Hezekiah does not dispute the facts recited by Sennacherib, nor does he attempt to belittle them in any way. "Of a truth, Lord," he says, "the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands." No good can come of refusing to look facts in the face. It bas often happened in apologetics that the attempt has been made to deny, explain away, or minimize the force of facts which were supposed to conflict with religious truth-facts of geology, e.g., or facts of history or human nature which did not square with religious doctrine. This procedure is unwise, and invariably recoils to the injury of religion. We are entitled to ask for proof of allegeu. facts, and to suspend our judgment till such proof is given; but when the facts are established, they should be frankly admitted, and our theories widened to find room for them. Truth in one department can never conflict with truth in another, and religion, resting on its own strong foundations, can afford to deal fairly with every class of evidence. Hezekiah did not dispute Sennacherib's facts; but he put his finger at once upon the fallacy of Sennacherib's argument. The Assyrians had indeed conquered these many nations, and cast their gods into the fire; but why? Because they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they had destroyed them. It was different when they had to deal with the true God, the Maker of heaven and earth. The error of modern unbelief is distinguishable from, yet kindred with, the error of Sennacherib. Sennacherib attributed a reality to his gods; unbelief allows none. Yet it agrees with Sennacherib in denying to Jehovah his true character as the one living God of nature, providence, and grace. Faith, coming to God, believes "that he is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. xi. 6). Denying this truth, unbelief scoffs at religion, at the Bible revelation, at prayer, provi- dence, miracles, redemption. It treats the confidence of Christians in their God as illusory, anticipates the downfall of their system, and mocks at their hopes of immor- tality. Its arguments, often cogent enough if there is no living God, lose all force the moment faith in God reasserts itself. 3. An argument/or God's interposition. Having shown his grounds for the belief that God can interpose, Hezekiah urges two reasons why he should interpose. (1) The first is the honour of his own Name. The fact that Sennacherib had in his pride and ignorance thus "reproached the living God" was a reason why God should reveal himself in his true character for Sennacherib's discom- fiture. The blasphemous pride of the creature exalting itself against the Creator should be brought low. (2) A second reason was that, by saving his people from Sennacherib, Jehovah would give a. grand lesson of his sole Deity to all the nations of the earth: " 'l'hat all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord GQd, even thou only." It is God's glory which Hezekiah puts in the foreground. He had no plea of merit to urge, either his own or the nation's; therefore he can but ask God to be merciful to them for his own Name's aake.-J. 0.
Vere. 20--34.-Isaiah's oracle. God is the Hearer of prayer. As in the case of Daniel (Dan. ix. 20), while Hezekiah was still speaking, an answer was sent to him through Isaiah the prophet (of. oh. xx. 4). Thus also answers to prayer were sent in the cases of Paul (Acts ix. 10-18) and Cornelius (Acts x. 1-8). Ist\iah was the one II, KINGS, 2 D 402 THE SECOND IlOOK OF THE KINGS. [oR. XIX, 1-37.