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Her strength was exhausted. A few more words spoken could not be understood.

The mother sank down unto the side of the bed. Twice Emma opened her eyes but recognized no one, and the tender mother's anxious inquiries brought no answer.

Up to this point this infidel father and husband had shed no tears but the quivering of his lips, the expression of his face, the nervous movement of his right hand, as though he was trying to grasp something, evidenced his intense mental suffering. Neither could he leave the bedside of his dying child.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, he rolled off his chair and in greatest agony and despair cried, "God!" and after a pause said: "Wife pray for me!"

Curtain down! What happened in that house, in that sickroom, by the side of that dying daughter, only angels may record. But learning that Emma's last prayer, as they thought, was for the salvation of her wicked, infidel father, so melted that ice-cold heart that he wept like a child. And while the husband wept the tears of repentance, his wife wept the tears of rejoicing and thanksgiving.

The father did not go to work the following day. Emma, though weak and mostly unconscious or unconcerned about everything about her, lingered until in the afternoon. The transformation could be noticed. Several times she wore a smile, and her face had never presented such sweet appearance as now.

"O that I had a chance, just one chance, to assure that sweet darling child that her last prayer for wicked father has been heard and that he will keep mama company now to meet our darling in heaven," sighed the father. “And I want to have her forgiveness for the sorrow I have caused her by my wicked teasing and mockery-O, my God, just one chance would lift off a great burden.”

The prayer and privilege were granted. Emma opened her eyes and recognized father and mother and some friends who were present. The father rushed to her side and said: "Emma, darling, your prayers are heard; your father will meet you in heaven. Forgive me

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That was all he could say, for Emma stretched out her hands, looking upwards and said, "Jesus, blessed Jesus * * * Yes, I'm ready now * * too indistinct to be understood.

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A few more words were uttered, but

Both hands stretched upwards as in an attempt to embrace some one, a long breath, a few short faint breaths, hardly perceptible, and

* * *

Yes, she left with the assurance that her prayers were answered and that dear papa will meet her in heaven.

Who was right? Which side is the safer to be on in the hour of death? On which side would we rather have our dear soldier boys as they descend into the trenches? Which braces up and infuses courage to meet the enemy and face death in the highest degree, this mother's religion and church or the father's infidelity and his club?

CHAPTER XXV.

Sennacherib's Message—Hezekiah's Prayer.

Rabshakeh's Insolence.

185,000 Slain in a Night.

Invasion of Judah. 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 the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rasaris and Rabshaken from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem.

"And when they called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah * * *

"And Rab-shakeh said unto them: Speak ye now to the king Hezekiah: Thus saith the great King, the King of Assyria: What confidence is this, wherein thou trustest?

"Thou sayest (but they are but vain words): I have counsel and strength for the war.

"Now, on whom doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? *

*

Am 1

"But if ye say unto me: We trust in the Lord now come up without the Lord against this place? "The Lord said unto me: Go up against this land and destroy

it.

Rabshakeh's Further Insolence.

"Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria:

"Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hands:

"Neither let Hezekiah MAKE YOU TRUST in the LORD, saying: THE LORD will surely deliver us: This city shall not be delivered in the hand of the king of Assyria.

"Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the King of Assyria, make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every man of his own vine, and every man of his own fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern

"Hearken not to 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?

"Who are among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hands, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hands?

* * *

* *

"Then came Eliakim and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh."

Hezekiah's Message to Isaiah.

"And it came to pass, when the king Hezekiah heard it, that

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"Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and four score and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses."Isaiah, 37:36.

he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

"And he sent Eliakim and Shebna, the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sack-cloth, to Isaiah, the prophet.

"And they said unto him: * * * This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

"It may be the Lord, thy God, will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to REPROACH THE LIVING GOD; and will REPROVE the words which the Lord, thy God hath HEARD, wherefore LIFT UP THY PRAYER for the remnant that is left.

"So the servants of the King Hezekiah came to Isaiah."

Isaiah's Answer.

"And Isaiah said unto them: Thus shall ye say to your master: Thus saith the Lord: Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

"Behold, I will send a BLAST upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by sword in his own land."

Sennacherib Defies the God of Hezekiah-Retaliation.

"So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the King of Assyria warring against Libnah; and when he heard it he sent

* * *

messengers to Hezekiah, saying;

* * *

"Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah, King of Judah, saying: Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying: Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the King of Assyria.

"Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and 'shalt thou be delivered?

"Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gosan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar.

"Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Hezekiah's Prayer.

"And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the House of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.

"And Hezekiah PRAYED before the Lord, saying,

"O Lord God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.

"Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear.

"Open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to REPROACH THE LIVING GOD.

"Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations, and the land,

"And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

"Now, therefore, O Lord OUR GOD, I beseech THEE, save THOU US from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that THOU art the LORD GOD, even THOU ONLY.”

Jehovah's Answer.

"Then Isaiah sent to Hezekiah, saying: thus saith the LORD GOD of Israel, that which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib, king of Assyria, have I heard.

"This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him; the virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. "Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

"By thy servants thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said: By the multitudes of my chariots I am come to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof: and I will enter into the heights of his borders, and into the forests of his Carmel

* * *

"Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put MY HOOK into thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest * * *

"For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this * * *

For I will DEFEND this city to save it, for MINE OWN SAKE, and for my servant David's sake."

The Assyrian Army Destroyed.

"Then the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred and eighty-five thousand: and when they arose in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses."

Death of Sennacherib. The Assyrian king returned and dwelt at Nineveh. "And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch, his god, that two of his sons murdered him with a sword, and escaped into the land of Armenia."

Thus ended the career and the life of this blaspheming and boasting king of Assyria.

But the PRAYING and TRUSTING king of Judah was saved, and with him his city and his people.

"The battle is the Lord's," said David, when he met Goliath. And here the Lord effectively demonstrates the truth of David's contention.

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