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MOSES SENT TO PHARAOH.

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Charles. I observe, mother, that you call all the kings of Egypt by the name of Pharaoh.

Mother. That was a common appellation by which their sovereigns were distinguished in those days, and, in the Egyptian language, signified king. He who now wore the crown was hardened in iniquity, and the consequent suffering of the Israelites became intolerable. Their prayers and complaints ascended to the God of their fathers, and the period approached when they should be delivered, and their unfeeling oppressors receive a just retribution.

(B. C. 1491.) Preparatory to this grand event, whilst Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, on a memorable day, at the foot of mount Horeb, he was surprised by the appearance of a Bush in flames; and continuing to burn, yet not consumed! While he gazed on the phenomenon, a voice proceeding from it, commanded him to put off his shoes, for he stood on holy ground.* "I am," continued the speaker, "the God of thy fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob-I have seen the affliction of my people, and am come down to deliver them. I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring my people out of Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey." Astonished at the presence of the Deity, and humbled by a sense of his own insignificance, yet encouraged by the gracious communication, Moses exclaimed, "Who am I that should go to Pharaoh and bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt ?"- Certainly I will be with you," said the great Supreme; "and thou shalt say to the children of Israel: I AM (that is, whose existence is not derived) hath sent me unto you, and when thou hast brought them forth, thou shalt worship in this mountainGo, gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, "The Lord God of your fathers has visited you, and will bring you out of affliction, into a land flowing with milk and honey;' and they shall hearken to thy voice, and ye shall say to the king, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met us, let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey

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*A ceremony in the East to this day; in some circumstances a token of respect, equivalent to uncovering the head among us.

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MOSES GOES TO THE ELDERS.

into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.' I am sure he will not let you go, and I will smite Egypt with all my wonders, and after that he will let you go.

"And that he may believe that the Lord God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent thee, cast the rod that is in thy hand on the ground." Moses obeyed, and it became a serpent. “Put forth thine hand, and take it up,”—he did so,—and it became a rod in his hand.

These, and other manifestations of transcendent power, ought to have silenced the timid Hebrew, yet, perhaps, remembering that his brethren had once rejected his offered friendship, he hesitated. "I am not eloquent neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant, but am slow of speech." Nor did he obey till he was reassured, that the Lord would be with him, that Aaron his brother, "who could speak well," should be associated with him, in the mission to the king, and that he might visit his father's house securely, for those who sought his life were now dead.

His fears thus graciously removed, he took his wife and his two sons, and immediately began his journey. In the wilderness on his way, he was met by his brother, already instructed in the great work on which they were about to enter; and communicated to him the awful interview to which he had been admitted, at the foot of Horeb.

Empowered by supreme authority, and enlightened by divine inspiration, a short conference matured their plan. They proceeded into Egypt, gathered the elders of their people together, and laid before them the command they had received, performing in their presence several miracles, the signs and the seals of their mission.

Catherine. What kind of an officer was an Elder of Israel at that time?-A people completely subjugated, having authority at all, seems to be a paradox.

Mother. Though their condition in Egypt had become very discouraging, and might almost preclude every ray of hope, yet many of them would doubtless confide in the promise, that they should in due time become an independent nation. To this end it was necessary, that they

DEMANDS THE LIBERATION OF ISRAEL.

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should be held together by some peculiar regulations, otherwise they must have been lost in the course of several centuries among the natives of that country. These would naturally be dictated by the heads of their tribes, or principal families, who were, in all circumstances, honoured and obeyed in ancient times. They are here called Elders, and were the representatives of their nation, when they acknowledged the goodness of God, in sending Moses and Aaron to their relief.

The acquiescence of the chiefs being secured, the ambassadors repaired to the king, and demanded in the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, the liberation of His people, that they might go into the adjacent wilderness to sacrifice. But the demand was rebellion! Possessed of abso

lute power, and satisfied with his own sufficiency, the king of Egypt recognized no authority in the voice of Jehovah! "Who is Jehovah," said the imperious despot, "that I should obey his voice?" Vainly then did Moses and Aaron repeat His command, and urge the necessity of obedience a sacrifice was but a pretext to indulge the idleness of the Hebrews, and their advocates were the instigators of insurrection! New burdens were, therefore, added, and their tasks were increased beyond the possibility of performance.

From the circumstance of their being "tasked in making bricks" and employed in the "erection of cities," there seems reason to believe that this oppressed people were now labouring in the erection of the pyramids, those stupendous monuments of Egyptian greatness. They had hitherto been furnished with straw, a necessary ingredient with them, in the manufacture of bricks, of which a certain number had been required daily at their hands: but now they were obliged to gather straw for themselves, whilst yet the usual number of bricks was exacted! To enforce the impracticable order, measures of the severest rigour were used by the overseers, until the anguish of the sufferers broke out into passionate complaints against Moses and Aaron. The monarch still deaf to entreaty, they saw no prospect of the promised liberation, and in the ambassadors of Heaven, only the odious cause of accumulated evils!

PLAGUES OF EGYPT.

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Repeated interviews with the king of Egypt, and reiterated demands for the freedom of the afflicted Hebrews, producing nothing but contumely and defiance, the arm of Moses was now stretched out and sustained and directed by the God of nature; miracle upon miracle, astonished the infatuated monarch, and overwhelmed with distress his devoted subjects. Their waters were turned into blood, and frogs and vermin infested the whole land. Their cattle were swept off by disease, and the people groaned under the anguish of loathsome boils. Tremendous storms of thunder and hail destroyed vegetation, and the beasts of the field. Swarms of locusts covered the whole face of Egypt; and impenetrable darkness obscured the light of the sun for three whole days!

Charles. Did the Egyptians endure all this, without interposing for their own relief?

Mother. They did not. They besought Pharaoh to "let the people go." "Knowest thou not yet (said they) that Egypt is destroyed?" But they entreated in vain! Deceived by the arts of his magicians, who were permitted to imitate some of these preternatural effects, his proud heart was hardened. Sometimes overpowered by the cries of his people, and his own aggravated sufferings, he was ready to submit to the Hand that inflicted them, and expel the people for whose sake it was displayed, with all that was required. But again exasperated by seeing the district of Goshen, their habitation, exempted from these accumulated horrors, he detained them, and withstood the plainest manifestations of the Divine will.

One judgment remained- —one more severe than had yet tried the obdurate king. The angel of death stretches out his destructive arm over their whole land- and the silence of midnight was disturbed by the cries of grief and horror! The cup of anguish is now indeed filled to the brim-loud lamentation proceeds from every house, and parental love discovers one tangible nerve even in the inflexible heart of Pharaoh; for the heir of his throne is laid low, undistinguished among the dying multitudesthe first-born of every family, from the palace to the prison !

Touched on this tender string, he now felt that there

HEBREWS LEAVE EGYPT.

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was a power capable of subduing even him! And uncertain where the angel would stay his destroying hand, he called hastily for Moses and Aaron, who were employed with their brethren in the celebration of a solemn feast, and turned them out of his dominion. "Get you forth," cried the distracted prince, " from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; serve the Lord, as ye have said; take your flocks and your herds, and begone, and bless me also."

Charles. Pharaoh then was truly humbled, when he would condescend to ask for the prayers of his enemies? Mother. His own heart was still his greatest enemy. You will presently see, that his transient submission was extorted by his fears alone, and was not the effect of ge. nuine faith and repentance.

Fanny. The feast of which you just now spoke, I believe was the Passover?

Mother. The feast of the Passover, (of which you will hear, when we come to speak of the Mosaical institutions) was first appointed on that memorable night, and handed down to successive generations, as the memorial of their deliverance from the "house of bondage."

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Whilst the Hebrews were engaged in this act of obedi ence, they were urged to depart from a place upon which every moment of their stay seemed to bring additional evils. Before the day appeared, therefore, without time to prepare food for their journey, they were obliged to set This deliverance, however, was not altogether unexpected. The gracious promise given to their fathers, had led them to look for the appointed time. In full confidence of its arrival, the body of Joseph had been embalmed and kept in a coffin, and was now, agreeably to their engagement, carried with them out of Egypt. (B. C. 1491.)

Charles. Their coffins must have been of more durable materials than ours; otherwise, they could not have removed the remains of Joseph, perhaps a century after his burial.

Mother. Nearly a century and an half had elapsed, since his death. I follow our common translation in using the word coffin, but we must not associate with it the idea

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