IJ. THAT IT SHOULD DE ME'•' WITH COURAGE, ENEnGY, INTRLLIGENOE, AND PIETY, These qnalities Hezekiah was now showing. He had given way to trepidation, and ho 1111d resorted to means which were unworthy of his position and his piety (see 2 Kings xviii. 9-16). But now he was in a nobler mood. His com·age rose to the occasion (ver. 7); his c'Tlergy was manifested in the effective measures (vers. 4, 5) he took to distress im<l to disappoint the enemy; his inteUi,gence was shown in his tnking counsel with the strongest and wisest of his people, in the rapidity of the measures he adopted and in their sagacity, and also in his effort to inspire the people with confidence and security; his piety shone forth in his address to the people, calling on them to remtim her that they had not an "arm of flesh,'' but "the Lord their God," to lean upon. Let us meet any form of trouble-disappointment, loss, bereavement, sickness, or any affliction whatsoever-in this spirit and with these qualities, and it will not master us; we shall prevail over it. It will not leave desolation and ruin in its track; it will rather leave benefit and blessing behind it-. III. THAT WHEN WE .ARE ATTACKED OUR .AIM SHOULD DE TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY'S INTEl\"TION. This is not altogether the truism it may seem. 'l'oo often men think that their dut.v and their wisdom under attack is t.o reply to the enemy in the same form in which he is assailing them. But that may be most unwise. Just as Hezekiah con- sidered what Sennacherib was aiming at, and took prompt and able measures to defeat that purpose; so we should always consider, not the ki'Tld of warfare, but the "real objective," the ultimate purpose of our enemy, and should set to work t.o prevent its realization. He may only be wanting to provoke and disturb us, and we shall abso- lutely defeat his purpose by not allowing ourselves to be provoked or disturbed; he may be desirous of inducing us to take some compromising step, and we shall gain the vict.ory by refusing to be drawn in that direction; he may want to bring himself into notoriety, and we shall defeat him by quietly letting him alone, etc. Consider his aim, and move so as to thwart that. IV. THAT RECTITUDE IS THE STRENGTH OF .ANY CAUSE OR :KINGDOM. Sennacherib's multitude of soldiery was nothing whatever when he deliberately and ostentatiously arrayed them against the living God. Hezekiah's army was indifferent in size and (probably) in military equipment and training, but what mattered that so long as they had righteousness in their ranks and God for their Leader? We are not, indeed, to despise the means which we employ, but it is so much that we may say that it is every- thing to know and feel that our cause is just, that we ourselves are upright in our heart and character, and that, with perfect purity and simplicity of spirit, we can ask God's blessing on our efforts.-C. Ver. 8.-Resting upon words. "And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah." How far are we right and wise in building upon words, upon the words of another? I. THE FOLLY OF RESTING ON THE USE OF FORMUL.lE. There are some sacred forms or phrases, theological or scriptural, which have been much urged upon men, as if they had some very special potency in them; as if we could be perfectly at rest, in rei;:ard to human souls, if they did but pronounce those particular phrases with their lips. Such superstition as this is pitiable and perilous. It is utterly without warrant, and it is likely to withdraw the soul from that true trust in which life is to be found. 'l'o believe in Jesw, Christ can never be resolved into the use of any form of words, how- ever excellent or scriptural such form may be. II. THE CONFIDENCE WHICH IS FATAL, viz. to rest upon the words of those who are unworthy of our trust. How many of the children of men have lost everything that is most preciow; because they have made this fatal mistake I Of those whose words should never be built upon are : 1. The ignorant, whose range of knowledge is very small, and who have not bad the opportunity of learning the ascertainable truth and wisdom of God. 2. The prejudiced and obdurate, who will not learn, and therefore do not know and cannot counsel. 3. The superficial, who are contented with a knowledge which does not reach "the deep heart of truth." 4. 'l'he false, who only say what they think is palatable and profitable. 5. The fickle, who have one doctrine to-day, Lut may have a different one to-morrow. IlL THE T11usT WJ:ilCH is SOUND AND WISE. There are words on which we may 011. xxxn. 1-33.J TIIE SECOND DOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 389
build, When God spenks to us we know that we may rest on his Word absolutely; we know that we should heed bis warnings, and that we may build on his promises. "Heaven e.nd eRrtb Jbe.ll pass e.way," etc. But bow shall we know when Christ is spenking to us? Many speak in his name who do not speak on his authority. 1. We should pay regard to the words of those who profess to speak for him, and whose character for purity and unselfishness sustains their claim (Matt. vii. 15-20). 2. We should heed the words of those of his disciples who urge that which meets our spiritual necessities and accords with the deepest convictions of our nature. 3. We should con- sult the Master's own recorded words, always remembering that they are to be inter- preted in the spirit, and not in the letter. If we do this we shall not only be "resting on words," we shall be building on the rock, for we shall be abiding in the truth; we shall be grounded on the very wisdom of God itself, or (we may say) on the Wisdom of God himself (1 Cor. i. 24, 30).-C.