“Come away from Hezekiah. Trust him not; he is blind; he is incapable. Leave him, and I will tell you what the king of Assyria will do for you.” And he held this out to them: “I will come and take you away to a land like your own land--a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and of honey--that ye may live, and not die; and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying: ‘The Lord will deliver us.’” It is but an empty saying: “Come, and I will give you a great Canaan!” Sometimes it does seem as if the enemy had the best of it. Every thing lies so handily to him. He says: “I will get you through this difficulty. I know a lie that would deceive a king. I can instruct you in a policy that would blind a judge. I could get the money for you; you need have no difficulty about that. Why, I say, in confidence, I can let you have it now!” What can the preacher do in the presence of such a Rab-shakeh? Or, he may not offer temptation in that direction, but in another. He may say: “All these arguments I could answer, if I cared to do so. Who wrote the Bible? Who has seen the original manuscripts? Who has ever seen God? It is utterly impossible to know the infinite. Come, and I will make you rich at once in real, solid, practical things. I can give you work instantly, and wages immediately the work is begun. I can give you something in advance. Leave the preacher, the altar, the Bible and the church. Come and work in the open streets, and be doing something that you can handle and about which there is no manner of doubt.” People begin then to wonder. They should adopt the policy which was imposed on the children of Hezekiah: “But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word, for the king’s commandment was: ‘Answer him not.’” Nothing is to be got out of wordy controversy. Live the Christian life; grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. While the controversialist is contemning you, taunting you and smiting you, show to him that you are growing broader, more massive in character, more tender in disposition, more benevolent in every aspiration and desire and purpose, and thus by well-doing “Put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” Defend your Christianity by the eloquence of your life. The servants of Hezekiah said to him: “What Rab-shakeh has said may come to pass. Let us go to Isaiah and tell him all.” Hezekiah himself thought that perhaps there might be something in it, after all. There he and his servants fell into a state of incertitude. “So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.” They came to the right man. Standing up like a king, he said: