either the receding shadow or the overthrow of Sennacherib, the fame of which had spread into that distant country. In the opinion of some, however, the chief motive for the embassy was to cultivate a closer connection with the king of Judah, and gain his coöperation against the Assyrians, from whose dominion Merodach-baladan was at that time in meditating revolt.

66

Flattered, perhaps, by this attention of a distant prince, Hezekiah manifested more vain-glory in the treatment of his ambassadors than we should expect in so good a man in such circumstances. He "showed them the house of his precious things, the silver and the gold, and the spices and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that. was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not." It is probable that many of these precious things" were gathered from the spoils of the Assyrians, or were presents to Hezekiah" after their overthrow, 2 Chron. 32:23; for otherwise it would be difficult to account for such abundance so soon after the heavy exactions of Sennacherib. The orientals were in "the practice of exhibiting the curiosities and riches of a palace to distinguished visitors;" but we could scarcely conceive that the Hebrew king would thus expose his treasures for any other purpose than a grateful commemoration of the mercy and power of Jeho

66

vah, if the sacred narrative did not indicate a far different motive. Hezekiah, it appears, exhibited his wealth and magnificence, and the resources of his kingdom, for his own aggrandizement, and as many suppose for the sake of impressing on the minds of the ambassadors the value of his alliance. Such weakness and folly in a man of eminent piety would be surprising, if the historian had not added, "God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart."

When the attention of Hezekiah was drawn to this subject by the inquiries of the prophet, how must he have been overwhelmed with grief and shame, that he had made the special bounties of heaven an occasion for ostentatious display, instead of making them an occasion for exalting, in the presence of these idolaters, the majesty of Jehovah and the blessedness of trusting in his guardian care. That he should suffer his heart to be "lifted up" in consequence of distinguished mercies, and in the view of Gentiles who seek after the vanities of the world, appear to regard "the pride of life" with so much satisfaction, must have been a source of deep mortification and penitence; and when Isaiah, with a countenance and voice expressive more of sorrow than of anger, asked, "What said these men; and whence came they? What have they seen in thy house?" Hezekiah must have felt that this denunciation was deserved: "Behold, the days come that

all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon nothing shall be left, saith the Lord." The punishment in this case, as it often does under the divine government, corresponds with the offence. "As the Babylonians had seen all, they should one day take all; as nothing had been withheld from them now, so nothing should be withheld from them hereafter."

How impressively does this incident appeal to "him who thinketh he standeth," to "take heed lest he fall!" Hezekiah little thought, when the prophet returned to his sick chamber to announce his recovery, that he should so soon hear from the same lips a message of woe incurred by his own folly. How could he anticipate among the firstfruits of a life miraculously prolonged, these bitter clusters of ingratitude and pride? Who would not fear to offer the supplication, " Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts," if he could not, with humble confidence in the divine mercy, also pray to be led "in the way that is everlasting."

There are few severer trials of temper or of character than reproof for sins or faults of which one knows he is guilty. In such a case, even good men sometimes become angry, and attempt for a while to justify their conduct. If high in rank or station, they are specially prone to hide their chagrin and

hush the accusations of conscience by terming the reproof impertinence, or by retorting the charge of some real or pretended fault on the reprover. If in the public ministrations of God's house, a sin is rebuked which they habitually practice, they complain of personality, and are far more eager to get rid of their pastor than of their darling lust. this state of mind they sometimes rush into courses in which they suffer a melancholy loss of comfort, character, and usefulness. "He that hateth reproof shall die;" but "he that heareth the reproof of life, abideth among the wise."

In

Hezekiah showed the sincerity of his faith, as well as his good sense and candor, in his manner of receiving the message from heaven. He manifested no angry feeling, he attempted no justification of his conduct, he offered no excuse for his pride and ostentation, the existence of which in his bosom he seems not to have been fully aware of before the rebuke of the prophet. . He felt that the threatened punishment was just and mild, and meekly submitting to it, exclaimed, "Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken." Hezekiah would not desert the service of Jehovah because his sins had been rebuked, nor withdraw confidence from his venerable friend and guide, because he had faithfully spoken "the word of the Lord."

While Hezekiah owned the sentence denounced was righteous, he gratefully acknowledged that it

was tempered with mercy. 'He said, For there shall be peace and truth in my days." He was thankful that his lengthened pilgrimage on earth was not to be passed amid the alarms of wars and invasions, that the worship of the true God would continue through his reign, and that the great work of his life would not be ruined by his unfaithfulness. This was a proper subject for thanksgiving; and to withhold an expression of gratitude because the remission of punishment was not extended to his posterity, to insist on suffering with them if they must suffer for his misconduct, would savor more of rebellion against the divine government than of true religion, and better become a hero of romance than of the Bible.