the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people. Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs, and they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

Note.-1. The great honour that God expressly puts on prayer, “I have heard thy prayers." 2. Here is one of the deep mysteries of prayer-the Lord in answer to prayer changing the thing that he had spoken.

Isaiah for the shadow to go back. Answered immediately.

2 Kings xx.-8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day 9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? 10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

Note.-Prayer prevailed equally as to miracles and what are accounted ordinary providences: but it was

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by express divine warrant and impulse that prayer was made in reference to miracles.

Isaiah because of the words of the book. Answered immediately.

2 Kings xxii. 10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book; and Shaphan read it before the king. 11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, 13 Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.-18 But to the king of Judah, which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, as touching the words which thou hast heard: 19 because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. 20 Behold, therefore, I, will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which

I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Note.-A prayer-hearing God marks and interprets the actions of mourning penitents, and deals with them as if they were prayers addressed to him.

1 CHRONICLES.

Jabez. Answered immediately.

1 Chronicles iv.-10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

Note. It is verily good to have such a sense of our dependence on God as will find daily expression in a prayer like this.

The Reubenites in the battle. Answered immediately.

1 Chronicles v.-19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. 20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; because they put their trust in him.

Note. In our spiritual conflicts trust in God, and prayer to him, will assuredly give us the victory.

David regarding the Philistines. Answered immediately.

1 Chronicles xiv.-10 And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. 11 So they came up to Baal-perazim ; and David smote them there.

Note. It is well to have God's sanction in every thing that we do.

David regarding the Philistines. Answered immediately.

1 Chronicles xiv.-13 And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley. 14 Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees. 15 And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle for God is gone forth before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.

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Note.-1. Let us be prepared to expect repeated assaults from our spiritual adversaries; and 2. Let us in all difficulties carry the matter by prayer to God.

David-a general prayer.

1 Chronicles xvii.-16 And David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 17 And yet this was a small thing in

thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God. 18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. 19 O Lord, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 O Lord, there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? 22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, Lord, becamest their God. 23 Therefore now, Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. 24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee. 25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. 26 And now, Lord, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 27 now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever for thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever.