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time;

vanity of this world, you open them to behold that which you hoped for here, and which you then obtain, because you patiently waited for it. Oh, happy, then, “ is the man that trusteth in the Lord.”

May the Lord increase in us this blessed hope. This should be the constant subject of our prayers. Methinks, my brethren, that the more I see what we have to expect here below in the way of trials and conflicts with the world and the flesh; the more I discern the near approach of those last times predicted in the word of God—those times of great tribulation and great conflict with Satan, who is "come down, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short

the more I see the storm gathering in the distance; the more that “

wars and

rumours of wars, and earthquakes in divers places," and all the other signs of the times reach my ears like the sullen and fearful noises which betoken the coming tempest, and summon us to prepare for its approach,-methinks, I say, the more do I feel pressed to invite you, as well as myself, to take advantage of the time which remains to strengthen our confidence in the Lord. When the sky is becoming red and lowering, and the tempest threatens; when the eagles are gathering together to the prey; when the chastisements of God are ready to be poured out upon the carcass of Christianity, in the bosom of which lives the infidelity of nations calling themselves Christians; this is the moment to hearken to the voice of Jesus, who is our from the storm," and who would “gather us together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” This is the moment to see that we be rooted and grounded in him, that in the day of trial we may be like the house against which “the floods came, and the rain descended, and the winds blew, and it fell not,

“ refuge

because it was founded upon a rock." May our hearts be strong, resting upon the Almighty; then we may advance, so to speak, with our eyes shut, having our hand clasped in the hand of our God. If passing through obscure path-ways, where we see not the end, we are sometimes tempted to ask him, like a child afraid in the dark, My father, where art thou going, and whither art thou leading me? The voice of his love will answer us, "Be not afraid, neither be discouraged; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Jos. i. 9. "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." Isa. 1. 10.

I conclude, by praying with the apostle," Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." I would recommend you to read the eighty-first Psalm, that you may be cheered by the promises of protection in times of affliction, which are there made to those that trust in the Lord, and love him with sincerity.

MEDITATION II.

THE TRIAL OF HEZEKIAH'S TRUST.

"And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes; because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them. Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the trea. sures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent Tartăm and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem: and they went up and came to Jerusalem. - And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field. And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest ?

Thou sayest,

war.

(hut they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the

Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it : so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem ? Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen ? Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it ? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language : for we understand it; and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall. But Rab-shakeh said unto them, hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words ? hath hè not sent me to the men which sit on the wall? Then Rab-stakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria : Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you : for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not unto Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern: until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil-olive and of honey, that ye may live and not die : and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria ? Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand ? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand ?" 2 KINGS, xviii. 7-35. In the preceding meditation, we considered the nature of Hezekiah's trust, the reformation which it led him to undertake, and the success with which it was crowned.

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We shall now proceed to consider the trial to which it was subsequently exposed.

Hezekiah having effected the religious reformation which he had projected, next undertook to deliver his subjects from the external enemies which oppressed them; and among others, “he smote the Philistines even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.” It appears

that he was generally successful in his warlike enterprises ; for it is said, that “the Lord was with him, and that he, prospered whithersoever he went.” But the Almighty, with a view, no doubt, to try the faith of his servant, and probably also to punish the people for their idolatry during the preceding reign, allowed him to be defeated in his war with the king of Assyria. Though the divine historian, in relating this part of Hezekiah's life, tells us that he rebelled against the king of Assyria, yet it does not follow that he intended to censure this war as a culpable revolt. The tribute which Hezekiah's father had engaged to pay to the Babylonian monarch was, at the same time, a punishment for his idolatry, and an effect of the perfidy of that prince who took advantage of his weakness to oppress him. Ahaz being closely besieged by the Syrians, and having no trust in the God of Israel whom he had forsaken, engaged the king of Assyria, by presents, to come to his assistance. But, as it generally happens, when we lean upon an arm of flesh, and endeavour, by improper means, to extricate ourselves from difficulties, he only involved himself in greater embarrassments than those from which he sought to escape, and found that the false supports to which he had recourse turned to his confusion. “The king of Assyria,” we are informed, “came to Ahaz, but strengthened him not.” We cannot then think that Hezekiah acted wrong in shaking off the

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