nected with religion or morals, and even on such matters their advice is looked upon with suspicion. The cuckoo-cry of "priest()raft" is raised, and the spirltualty is bidden to confine itsdf strictly to its own sphere, and not to intermeddle in the ordinary politics of a nation. Hezekiah's conduct suggests a contrary lesson, seeming to teach- I. THAT THE SPIRITUALTY ARE THE BERT ADVISERS EVEN IN TEMPORAL MATTERS, For, first, they h11ve a less direct interest in such matters, 1md so are likely to give more unbiased counsel Secondly, they are accustomed to take into account remoter eventu- nlities, as well as imm<•diate results, and are therefore likely to entertain broader views than others. Thirdly, they are more keenly alive than laics to the moml aspect of political questions, which is often a most important aspect, and one thu.t deserves to have a preponderating weight in determining action. II. THAT IN CONSULTING THEM IT IS WELL TO SHOW THEM DUE RESPECT. Disrespect is the ordinary rule when the politicians of the world condescend to make any reference at all to the spiritualty. "Hasten hither Micaiah, the son of Imlah," strikes the key- note of their utterances (1 Kings xxii. 9). It is not uncommon for them even to dictate what the spiritualty shall say (l Kings xxii.13). Hezekiah was more respectful, and more wise. lle sent bis highest officers of state to the house of the prophet, and humbly asked his prayers and his advice. No doubt there is a wide difference between such a prophet as Isaiah and a modem bishop, or archbishop, or conclave of bishops. Sti_ll, if there is to be consultation of these last, a show of respect for them should at least be maintained. It cannot be expected that otherwise they will regard their advice as of importance, or apply their minds very carefully to give the best advice in their power. !I!. THAT IN THE WORST STRAITS THEY CAN GIVE VALUABLE HELP,IF NOT BY ADVICE, YET DY PRAYER. "Wherefore lift up thy prayer," said Hezekiah, "for the remnant that is left" (vcr. 4). God might not have thought fit to "reprove the words of Senna- cherib." His patience might have been exhausted, and he might have been about to allow the conquest of Judma by Sennacherib, as he afterwnrd~ allowed its conquest by Nebuchadnezzar. Hezekiah could not be sure that there was any escape. But in the worst case, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man would avail much." •It would avail t.o mitigate, if not to prevent, the sufferings of the people, to support them under misfortune, if not to save them from it. In times of national need and distress, wise kings and governments do well to ask the prayers of the Church, not that God will not hear them if they address themselves directly to him, but that he may be besieged, as It were, on all sides by prayer, and so prevailed upon to have mercy. The force of prayer is greatly augmented by the prayer being multiplied. "Where two," or more, "agree on earlh as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. xviii. 19). Vers. 14-20.-Taking ow cros, to God, and casting all our care upon him. Deep afflictions seem to pass beyond the reach of human aid. Whether it be bereavement, or sense of sin, or coming trouble of any heavy kind, the profoundly afflicted soul for the most part feels human help vain, human sympathy impertinent, and finds no refuge, no consolation, except in pouring itself out before God. We know that "he careth for us" (1 Pet. vi. 7); we know that he can understand us. It is true wisdom to fly to him, and put our griefs before him. Only let us be sure that, like Hezekiah, we" spread" the whole before the Lord (ver. 14), that we keep nothing back-no <lark corner of our heart no "secret place" of our complex nature, no hidden act of our life. Unless we be h~n«ost with God, we have no claim to his help. He hates such as "uissemble in their hearts" (Jer. xiii. 20) before him. The best human counsellor can give us little aid m,less we "make a clean breast" of our difficulties to him. So God will have ue "make a clean breast "-not for his information, since he "nnderstandeth our thoughts long before" (Ps. cxxxix. 2), but that we may be fit recipients of his grace-that his healing balms may ha1·e power to work on us and comfort us and effect our cure. Vers. 18, 19.-Faitl, neither blind to seemingly adverse facts, nor chary of admitling tl,ern. Sennacherib thoucrht to destroy Hezekiah'& trust in Jehovah by an array of facts which Le regarded ai; ha~iog the force of ai:i inducti~n. Hezekiah full)'. admitted t~e, facts (" Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid WILl!te all t~e n~t1ons, and their Cl.lunlries "), but did nut suffer his faith to be shaken by them. His faith rested upon oe. x:u.\111, 1--88.J TtlE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIA:EI. 25
another distinct sot or facts, which Sennacherib's did not and could not invalidate. The truth Is that inductions, being never complete, are never demonstrative-they do but establish a probability, and the first adverse fact that can be adduced against them upsets them, or rather upsets the genera.I conclusion that has been drawn from them. Faith, therefore, has no need to be afraid of any a.mount of seemingly 11dverse facts, drawn from the region or tho sensible. For faith's facts lie ma.inly in a different sphere, and are untouched by the facts of ccnse, however numerous. The miracle of our Lord's resurrection rests, for instance, first upon prophecy, secondly upon testimo,,y, thirdly upon vision (Rev. i. 18). No a.mount of ascertained facts that others have not risen, can touch the sufficiently esta.blitihcd fact that our Lord did rise. There is no even seeming clashing or contradiction, until the physicist proceeds to draw from his array of facts the general conclusion: "Therefore no men rise." But this conclusion is one that he has no right to draw; it is illogical; the data. do not entitle him to infer more than that" Most men do not rise," or rather, "have not yet risen." And so generally with the facts that are adduced against the dicta of faith. They are no disproof of that which they arc alleged to disprove. Faith, real faith, is always ready to admit the facts, when once they are established as facts. It disputes the illogical conclusions dra.wn from the facts, and the ingenious hypotheses projected from the brains of scien lists to account for them. •