and by them acknowledging his offence, entreated him
to withdraw his army, promising to submit to what terms
he pleased. The haughty Assyrian monarch demands
thirty talents of gold, and three hundred talents of
silver; which Hezekiah with much difficulty, raised; for
in order to do it, he was forced to strip the temple and
his own palace. The base Sennacherib, having received
the money, refuses to stand to the agreement; and, in-
stead of raising the siege, or withdrawing his army, sent
away a large detachment under the command of three
generals, Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshekeh, to take pos-
session of Jerusalem; where Rabshekeh, in the name of
his master, and in great contempt of the God of Israel
and king Hezekiah, demanded the surrender of the city.
Hezekiah had sent three of his ministers to parley with the
three Assyrian generals, viz. Eliakim, comptroller of his
household; Shebna, the secretary, and Joab, the recorder.
To these Rabshekeh, addressed himself in a most insolent
manner, in the Jewish language, which he continued to
repeat, that the people, hearing his proud threats, and
vain boastings, might be intimidated, and induce the king
to yield to their insolent demands. The three ministers re-
turn to Hezekiah in a very mournful manner, and relate
to him what had passed between the Assyrian com-
manders and themselves; upon which, the king sent
Eliakim and Shebna to Isaiah, to desire him to consult
the Lord for them, who, not in the least dismayed at the
arrogance of the blasphemous king of Assyria, returned
this short and comfortable answer to the king of Judah;
"Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which
"thou hast heard, with which the servant of the king of
Assyria hath blasphemed me. Behold I will send a blast

46

Thirty, &c. At four thousand five hundred pounds each, thirty talents of
gold amount to one hundred and thirty-five thousand pounds.

+ Three, &c. Three hundred talents of silver, at three hundred and seventy-five
pounds each, amount to one hundred twelve thousand and five hundred pounds.
In all, two hundred and forty-seven thousand, five hundred pounds: a prodigious
sum in those days.

upon him; and he shall hear a rumour, and shall re"turn to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the "sword in his own land."

Rabshekeh having summoned Jerusalem to yield, and receiving no answer, returned to his master, who was encamped before Libnah. Here it was that Sennacherib heard the rumour, which God threatened by Isaiah; which was, that his country was invaded by Tirhakah king of Ethiopia. In consequence of this intelligence, he resolved to return home with all speed; but before he departed, he sent a second summons to Hezekiah, as blasphemous and as insolent as the former. Hezekiah having read the letter, went into the temple, and spreading it before the Lord, he prayed to him for deliverance from the haughty king of Assyria. Hezekiah had no sooner offered this prayer than the Lord returned him an answer by the prophet Isaiah, containing an assurance of speedy deliverance; and telling him that the king of Assyria should not attack Jerusalem, but return without doing any injury. This was soon verified; for in that same night the angel of the Lord came into the camp of Sennacherib, and slewt a hundred and eighty-five thousand,

* Answer. See 2 Kings xix. 20.

+Slew. What manner of death these men died is not mentioned in the text, so that there is room for a variety of conjectures. Though most agree that it was a sort of suffocation, perhaps occasioned by lightning.

"Mr. Boswell, in his life of Dr. JOHNSON, informs us, that it was a subject of conversation between them, in what manner so great a multitude of Sennacherib's army was destroyed. We are not to suppose,' says the doctor, in reply, that the angel went about with a sword in his hand, stabbing them one by one, but that some powerful natural agent was employed; most probably, the Samyel.' Whether the doctor had noticed some picture in which the angel was thus employed; is uncertain; but it should seem, that this idea is current; and even Dr. DoDDRIDGE appears to have conceived of the angel, as of a person employed in slaughter; for he says, on the passage where our Lord mentions that his Father could furnish him twelve legions of angels: How dreadfully irresistible would such an

who were all choice men. Sennacherib,* the next day, seeing such a slaughter of his people, hastened with the remainder of his army into his own country, and took up his residence at Nineveh; where he had not long been, when, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch,t his god, his two unnatural sons, Adrammelech and Sharezar, assassinated‡ him; who escaping into Armenia, made way for Esarhaddon, their brother, to ascend the Assyrian throne.

After this defeat of Sennacherib, Hezekiah was highly respected by all the neighbouring princes, several send

army of angels have been, when one of these celestial spirits was able to destroy 185,000 Assyrians at one stroke!"

The Samyel, or Simoom, referred to by Dr. Johnson, appears from Mr. Bruce's Travels, and from other writers, to consist of a meteor, "appearing like a thin smoke, and passing with a gentle ruffling wind. It is peculiarly fatal to persons sleeping. It is felt, and is compared to a suffocating fire. Its extent is some. times considerable; and it often happens in the night." From this description, and from the expression used in Isa. xxxvii. 7, " Behold I will send a blast upon him" (Sennacherib,) it appears rather probable, that the Symoom was the agent which God employed in the destruction of this immense number of

men.

See more on this subject, in Fragments, No. iv. p. 10.

* Sennacherib. He being the principal offender in this case, and his people but as subjects obeying him, it may be asked why he escaped in this great slaughter? To which interpreters answer, 1. That he might be sensible of that great power which he had so insolently blasphemed. And, 2. That after he had seen the slaughter of his people, and shamefully fled, he might die a more scandalous and ignominious death, by the hands of his unnatural sons.

+ Nisroch. Some take this god to be the figure of Noah's ark, others of an Eagle. The seventy call him Mesrach; Josephus calls him Araskes. The Hebrew of Tobit published by Munster, calls him Dagon.

‡ Assassinated. The cause of this parricide is not mentioned in the sacred text. But Dr. Prideaux, in his Introduction to the Reading of History, p, 154, gives this plausible account, When Sennacherib reached home, with the loss of so great an army, he demanded of some about him, what the reason might be, that the irresistible God of heaven so favoured the Jewish nation? To which he was answered, That Abraham, from whom they were descended, by sacrificing his only son to him, had purchased this protection to his progeny. Whereupon the king replied, "If that will win him, I will spare him two of my sons, to gain him to my side." Which, when his two sons, Sharezar and Adram.melech

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ing him presents; so that he became exceedingly rich and powerful. In the midst of all which he was seized by a mortal disease, and to assure him it was so, the prophet Isaiah, in the name of the Lord, came to advise him to settle his affairs, for he should die; and then withdrew. Hezekiah knew no other way to deprecate this sentence, than by applying directly to his God, whom he thus addressed: Remember me, O Lord, I beseech thee; how "I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect "heart; and have done that which is good in thy sight."* This short prayer was so prevalent with God, that before Isaiah had got into the middle of the court, the Spirit of the Lord bade him return and tell Hezekiah that he had heard his prayers and seen his tears; that he should recover in three days, and that he would add fifteen years to his life; giving him at the same time an assurance of his care and protection of him and his people. Hezekiah, in surprise at the sudden reverse of his doom, asked the prophet by what sign he might know he should recover. Isaiah informed him, that he might take his choice; either to have the shadow on the sun-dial go ten degrees forward or backward; and he chose the latter, which accordingly came to pass. Then the prophet ordered a lump of dry figs to be laid upon the king's ulcer, and he recovered,

heard, they resolved to prevent their own death by his. To these times may be referred those prophecies of Isaiah which are contained in ch. x. and in ch. xiv. 25, and ch. xxxi. 8, and that of Micah, ch. iii. 6.

Sight. The fear of death which seems to have prevailed in good Hezekiah may appear, at first sight, surprising: but we are to remember that in the Old Testament days, "life and immortality" were not so fully revealed as in these gospel times; and, even now, if Christians are not favoured with a lively view of eternal happiness, and their own title to it, through the righteousness of Christ, we are not to wonder, if, for a time, they shrink from the approach of dissolution. But the interest of the nation which he governed, and which seemed to be so much connected with his continuance on the throne, may well account for the earnestness of his desire to live. We may add, that his son and successor, Ma. nasseh, was not then born.

Immediately after his recovery, he drew up a pathetic memorial of his affliction upon the expectation of his death, and a grateful acknowledgment of his recovery; which he committed to writing.* The fame of this cure, and the miracle attending it, spread so far, that it reached the ear of Morodach Baladan, king of Babylon,† who sent ambassadors with letters and presents to congratulate him on his recovery. Hezekiah, thinking he could not more honourably return the compliment, than by shewing them the grandeur of his kingdom, very indiscreetly‡ gave them a view of all his strength and treasure. For which Isaiah, by the order of God, reproved him severely, and foretold, that the day would come, when all the treasures he had gathered, and his children also, should be carried into Babylon. Hezekiah having erred through human weakness, not stubbornness, humbly bowing to the judgment, replied, "Good is the word of "the Lord which thou hast spoken, seeing there shall be peace and truth in my days."

From this time to the end of his reign, he continued steadfast in the practice of righteousness, increasing in power, riches, and honour. All his undertakings for the

*Writing. See Isa. xxxviii, 9, &c.

+ Babylon. At that time Babylon was tributary to the Assyrian monarchy, and though Morodach Baladan is called king, he is thought to have been no more than viceroy.

Indiscreetly. Such actions have cost nations dear; and have been often the occasion of drawing the barbarous people into the Roman empire.

Reproved him. The sacred historian informs us, 2 Chron. xxxii. 31, that, in this particular instance, "God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart." It is probable that Hezekiah, though a pious man, knew not that there was so much pride and vanity in his heart as this interview with the ambas sadors discovered. "His heart was lifted up"-the distinguishing favours conferred upon him had produced an undue conceit of his own importance, and he had perhaps an unjustifiable dependance on his wealth and arms, which he ostentatiously displayed to these foreigners, that they might conceive more highly of him. But God reproved him by his prophet, and no doubt, he became more humble and diffident.