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we shall then better see the reason, for his making mention of several of the circumstances here set down. This will account for his repeating his own words of unwillingness to go in to Pharaoh; words of which he was no doubt afterwards himself ashamed, and which he felt so much the more bound, as a true historian, to make known to the reader. This will account, on the same principle, for his setting down the near relationship between his father and his mother. For though such marriages do not appear to have been unlawful in the time of Amram, they were afterwards forbidden by the law of Moses; and he would not suppress, as if partial to himself, what might in any measure seem a blot upon his family. This was one reason for his setting down this genealogy so fully; including, besides the children of Levi, those of Levi's elder brothers, Reuben and Simeon; that we might know exactly the proper place and rank of Moses and Aaron, in the whole family of Israel. Nor must we here omit mentioning how faithfully, in the book of Genesis, he has set down the treachery of Levi in the avenging of Dinah, and the reproof which Levi met with from the dying lips of Jacob. Lastly this circumstance, that Moses was the writer of the book, will also account for his dwelling with such care on the solemn charge which God gave to him and Aaron; that we might know that they took not their office on themselves, but were duly commissioned by God.

But in saying that these things were thus written, because Moses was the writer, do we mean to say that Moses wrote what is here written according to his own will and pleasure? Do we forget that it is of the word of God that we are speaking, and not of the word of man? Far from it. Far be it from us to doubt, as to every one of these five books, that Moses was one of those holy men of God, who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1. 21. But God, who vouchsafed to use their tongues and pens, for the revelation of his will, did also press into the same holy service their natural dispositions and acquired graces. And Moses, in conveying to us what the Spirit by him revealed, no more ceased to express himself in his own style, and make manifest in his words his own character, than he ceased to speak in his own voice, or to write in his accustomed hand. Whether therefore the virtues of the saint, or the frailty of the man, are observable in the earthen vessel, by whose means the heavenly treasure is conveyed, let us in any case give God the glory. Let us thank Him for the many graces, manifest for our use, in the characters of his servants the prophets. But yet more let us thank Him for that truth, revealed by them, which whether they were weak or mighty, whether they were slow of speech or eloquent, is able to make us "wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. 3. 15.

Aaron's rod, turned into a serpent, swalloweth up the rest.

1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by great judgments.

5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded : and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD

7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore had said.

LECTURE 115.

Satan is allowed to work, but for God's greater glory. There are two questions of great interest, which are forcibly suggested by the passage of Scripture before us; first, what is it that is meant when the Lord says to Moses, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart"? secondly, how was it that the magicians of Egypt did with their enchantments in like manner as Moses? On the first subject, we must bear in mind what is written by St. James, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." James 1. 13. That is to say, He no more tempts, than He is capable of being tempted. And we must also turn to what is written by St. Paul to the Romans, of God's designing, in a case like this, "to shew his wrath, and to make his power known." Rom. 9. 22. And with the light which the New Testament thus sheds upon the Old, we shall have no difficulty

in understanding, that the heart of Pharaoh was endued with an unusual degree of obstinacy, proportioned to his own wilfulness, cruelty, and pride; by means of which God took occasion to multiply these signs and wonders, and to manifest to the Egyptians that He was the Lord. Is not this enough to make us tremble, if we persist in any one known sin? Is it not written for our warning, lest the righteous Judge of all the earth, beholding our iniquity, should thus harden our hearts also? Oh how awful is the case of those, who the more they hear of God's message, and the more they know of his mighty works, become so much the more insensible to the influence of his Gospel! Oh how hopeless is the condition of that sinner, who, living in the midst of Christian light, loves the darkness rather; in whom each wasted word of exhortation, and each resisted motion of the Holy Spirit of God, serves but to sear the conscience, and to steel the heart!

And next, of what was done by the magicians. It has been observed before, that some degree of conviction, as to the existence and sovereignty of God, has been prevalent amongst almost all mankind. It is no less true, that a belief in evil spirits has prevailed, nearly to the same extent. Both notions are founded in truth. And both have probably been derived from the experience of those early ages, when all mankind were nearly as one family; whose knowledge, on any subject of deep interest, would be spread abroad with their descendants, over the face of all the earth. Satan, who appeared to Eve in Eden under the form of a serpent, was from time to time allowed to work amongst mankind his signs and lying wonders. And those by whom he wrought them, or who endeavoured to imitate his deceivableness, by their own crafty wiliness, were known as magicians, wizards, and dealers with familiar spirits. In Egypt this kind of craft was largely practised, and highly esteemed. And as in the time of our Lord, possession by evil spirits was suffered to abound, for the manifes tation of his power in casting them out; so it is probable, that when Moses was sent to Pharaoh, the magicians were allowed to have more than common help from Satan, in order that they might be more signally defeated by the prophet of the Lord. Their rods became serpents, as well as Aaron's. And so Satan still deceives the hearts of the ungodly, by seeming to give for wages as much of present pleasure, as is offered in the service of God. "But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." So soon is all that Satan offers swallowed up, before the peace and joy of a life of faith, before the glory which awaits the righteous at their death! The more of show the prosperity of the wicked may make for a time, the greater is their fall, to all eternity. And the sufferance of Satan's artifices yields certainly, in the end, so much the more of glory to God.

The waters of the river are turned into blood. 14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. 15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

their pools of water, that they may
become blood; and that there
may be blood throughout all the
land of Egypt, both in vessels of
wood, and in vessels of stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did so,
as the LORD commanded; and he
lifted up the rod, and smote the
waters that were in the river, in
the sight of Pharaoh, and in the
sight of his servants; and all the
waters that were in the river were
turned to blood.

21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. 25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river. LECTURE 116.

19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds,and upon all

The importance of watching to glorify God.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened." God calls his attention to the fact. And Moses also calls ours, saying, "And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said." It is good for us then to dwell upon this circumstance. It is good for us to observe, how the word of God was fulfilled. It is good for us, in all this history, and in all our study of God's dealings with mankind, to have an eye to his manifestation of his own glory, as well as to the pains He takes for our happiness. We are apt to think only, or chiefly, of ourselves. We are apt to be so engrossed with what concerns our own interests, that we are perplexed when we meet

with passages of Scripture, in which God is represented as getting glory to Himself, with little reference, that we can see, to the advantage of man. But let us only one moment think who God is. Let us look abroad, and see his greatness in his works. Let us look within, and see our own littleness, our own nothingness. Let us consider how needful it is for us to view God's glory as it really is, and how apt we are to forget it, and to dwell upon our own; and we shall then understand, why He graciously condescends, to teach us to glorify Himself.

See then how well suited this miracle was, to work such an effect, on the Egyptians, on the Israelites, and on us. The river of Egypt was an object of worship to the inhabitants. And it was into this same river that Pharaoh had charged his people to cast all the male children of the Israelites. What then could be more manifestly a judgment at once on their cruelty and on their idolatry, than for all the waters of the river to be turned into blood? "And Moses and Aaron did so as the Lord commanded." They used the outward instrument, with which God had connected the miraculous power. "He lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river." They did this thing openly, "in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants." And upon their doing it, "all the waters that were in the river were turned into blood." And not only the waters in the river's channel, but all, in the many pools, and ponds, and cisterns, and all kinds of vessels, which the Egyptians supplied by communications from the Nile; all were turned into blood, so that the "fish died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt." But then lest Pharaoh should relent, Satan was allowed once more to beguile him with the delusion of a like effect, wrought by the magicians of Egypt; probably, on some of the water which they found by digging wells round about the river. As if any thing they could do with such small supply of water as could be got for them to work upon, was to be compared with this awful miracle wrought upon all the waters of a mighty river! As if it would not have been more to the purpose, if they could have turned the blood back again into water! But no; this must be left for God. He can create, and He can destroy. He can inflict the punishment, and relieve the pain. He can heal the waters, as well as turn them into blood. But though He did again restore the Nile to the Egyptians, we must not forget that a day is coming, when "the sea," as well as "the rivers and fountains of waters," shall become "as the blood of a dead man." And we must watch that we do not expose ourselves to the sentence then to be pronounced, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink: for they are worthy." Rev. 16. 3-6.

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