Vers. 12-18.-The sunshine of prosperity a greater danger than the storms of adversity. When Sennacherib threatens, when bis messengers blaspheme, when the huge battalions of the most powerful kingdom in the world have entered his territory and are about to march upon bis capital, the Jewish monarch remains firm; his faith is unshaken ; be casts his care upon God, looks to him and him only; believes in him, trusts in him, regards prayer as the only door of safety. Similarly, when disease prostrates him, when a painful and dangerous malady confines him to bis bed, and the prophet, instead of bringing him words of comfort, is commissioned to bid him "set his house in order; for he shall die, and not live" (ver. 1), his faith fails not, in God is still bis refuge, to God alone be betakes himself, and prays and weeps sore (vers. 2, 3). The blasts of calamity cannot tear away from him the cloak of faith; he clutches it the tighter the more the storm rages; nothing will induce him to let it go. But the danger past, health restored, the admiration of foreign kings attracted, his ear besieged by congratulations and flatteries, his court visited by envoys from II a far country," and at once bis grasp relaxes, the thought of God fades from his heart, his faith slips from him, and he is a mere worldling, bent on winning to himself a great alliance, and obtaining the aid of an II arm of flesh " against his enemies. And so it is and will ever be with most of us. We can bear the world's frowns, the buffets of fortune, the cruelty of oppressors, the open attacks of rivals and enemies; we can resist them, defy them, and still maintain our integrity ; but let the world smile, lot fortune favour us, let riches increase, let friends spring up on all sides, and how few of UB cnn stand the sunshine ! How few of us can remain as close to God as we were before! How few of us but drop the habits of prayer, of communing with God, of constant reliance upon him, which were familiar to us in the darker time, and substitute a mere occasional and perfunctory acknowledgment of his goodness I Alas, how few I Oh 1 mHy our cry, the cry of our heart, ever be, "In all time of our tribulation, in all tiTM of our wealth, ..• good Lord, deliver us I "
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-11.-Hezelciah's sickness. Every changing scene of life is depicted for ue in the Bible. Whatever our circumstances may be, we can get some guidance, help, or comfort from that treasure-house of wisdom and experience. We have here- L A. SOLEMN MESSAGE. "Set thine house iu order; for thou shalt die, and not live." 1. It was a solemn message for Hezekiah. Bis kingdom seemed now to be securely established. God bad helped him against the Philistines, and had overthrown them. Be was doubtless looking forward to many years of rest and quietness, when he might enjoy for himself the benefits of peace, and develop the resources of the nation, so long desolated by invading armies. How startling, then, the announcement of his approaching death 1 2. It ia a solemn message for every omi. It is a solemn thing for a human aoul to paas from time into eternity, to enter into the immediate presence of the Eternal, OH, XX, 1-21.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 413