The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-07

OPENING wORDs.-The lesson COM
mttcc evidently supposed that the events
to be studied to-day occurred after the
invasion Of sennachcrib. SO the Scrip
In this opinion many scholars concur.
There are others who would place tho
Invasion last In point !, nf time. !. Among
Rod es Gasn II p snh the
chronology cannot be determined. and.
perhaps. It Is unlmportant. Whichever
| came first the passages are In striking
contrast. One represents a man whose
Kingdom was imperiled by a foreign
foe. The other the same man whose
a personal danger are encountered, and
BY the same means. II the personal
came nrst It was preRara1oh
the lives and fortunes OF others were
involved. Men are made ready for off,
cial station by the discipline that comes
PROSPECTIVE DEATH Verse 10
/ Sickness came to Hezeklah The king
was subject to disease as truly as tho
levelers-all men are mortal But what
\ does this sickness mean? Was over
any man laid aside who did not soberly
consider the possible outcome? II pain
i
not peer into the future and consider the
prospect Of dissolution? Sober thoughts
and oppressive fears would thus arise.
Most men are left in total suspense EN-, dur, dur.
until the end is near, and cherishing that
old comfort. while there is life, there
is hope" But Hezeklah had I,.,,Ile
duty it was to Instruct the, ruler and TO
serve his country, came with definite
word. which. he had received from the
SSS.,s = rIot,B rfJnr
up and adsJst all matters OF family
i and state nature flor thou shalt die and
not liTe.'bnIt was just such advice as an
attending physician would give In our
day, based then not on bodily symptoms,
but upon tho Divine word.
i PRIVATE. (Verse p The king accept
ed the words OF the prophet as message ss.1 e
spratlon, not to be turned aside as
i coming from a man. With what atten-
tion and respect those In high station
ances Of those who were the mouth-piese
i of God, there are many interesting u
Illustrations IN The sacred writings O. San, San
S n fshpons es Esnuns ees
Hezekah Immediately sought the Lord
knowing that in this way only might
he come into harmony with the Divine
purpose. He did not 80 up to the Lords
a house as on another occasion HI Kings
4 xix .14), when the interests Of the nation
were involved. and when. as public SER
want. he needed to be In the public place
as an encouragement and example. It
was purely personal matter which
3 must be presented to God, and for that
secrecy was necessary (Matt. y.:6) Ho
haps. ne was not strong enough for that;
e but he turned his face toward the wall
PLEADING GOODNESS (yerge 3).---The
! preserved and published to the world at
z least ,one sentence of 1t. or an epitome
OF 1t. No one knows or needs 70 know
" tho sacred volume. but there 1t Is; It
) lives to-day and will live forever. There
are petitions Of immediate concern only,
q s RetsGas sort
! God to remember his past life, how he had
I walked "in truth with a perfect heart
and had done good. There was saa no % goa d;d
the same (Neh. xiil:1D. It was merely
/ an effort to learn how much estimate ms
Almighty placed upon good man. Shal
: sin, whore wicked men abound. Is there
, any work for such man? There has
ever been a conviction that the good
r Hezekiah's heart clung to the possiblltie:
. Of service and, as he prayed he weep
! at tho thought of ending his career. ~
pRoLoN S os Larg vS pn;s sodS xhs
. shall not die at this time. The Lord hat
yet something for him to do. He shall
: have fifteen years for service, IN whicf
= time he may complete what he has be-
= gun and undertake some new measures
That time. added to the years alread,
passed would g!ye hin I'm. reign Of 1 .Wen
:, prolonged life with a fixed and announced
limit would naturally awaken high pur
! pose and summon every power. Perhaps y!
] king into the very precincts of the grave
o that he might seriously consider thu
past and then draw himself back again
the future. The remainder OF life woult
be more distinctly considered as God
gift to be used for his glory. It Is a.
hs ne Used hs propo
w NAT Tses M.'f p / Is S. WE
II did God permit Hezekiah to live? wa
!. II because he prayed? Does God chang
y y his purpose and plan 70 .mset the w l,ars
), good bad and indifferent will be m mad .
Ass he p sssssoHss 0 az ss
! longed lie, one fact Is brought our tha .
deserves special notice The X k,ng goy u
~ live as king, His lie must t,,, PC aey ro;s
s mighty. Hezekiah must be the or OF
through whom and under t whom s .he e,1
\ T Fiji in ad Hst that 81. smith vas rlK
in putting Soma cterlb's invasion afte
tho sickness Hezekiah returns to W
and Continues on the throne to be a wi!
ness OF Gods projections. This shed
light on ms conduct , during l the s'e e
cn,,sn he had been assured that Go
would deliver. and he pleaded the prom
'S PhsioFFEREp PLEDGE Verse D-Tl
i neased i 10 dismiss his fears all Mt ons
when assured that he should live, II
most hopeful do, not easily fortget q
crvation OF life as against a. death Sol
tence implies that some gupernatnr
power must be brought In. n power .,,ssI III tn
cess and change the course of thlni