THE RESCUE OF MOSES.

BY REV. A. D. GILLETTE, A. M.

FAR away in the interior of Africa is Ethiopia, whose valleys and hill-sides are refreshed with plenteous showers of rain, swelling a thousand rivulets which course their meandering way; converging, until unitedly they form the full current of the Nile, Egypt's renowned river.

This benevolent arrangement of the Creator sends vast supplies of water, where showers of rain are seldom known to fall; and causes the driest and most sandy soil to becone the richest and most fruitful country in the world. In the kingdom of grace, Jehovah is as wise and bountiful as he is in the kingdom of nature. When Egypt, the most enlightened, refined, and powerful nation on the earth, was given up to idol worship, God withheld rain from a pious, pastoral people in the land of Canaan, and sent them in great distress down to Egypt, to buy

corn; for they and their little ones were famishing. The haughty Egyptians soon enslaved them, for there arose a new king who knew not Joseph, who, jealous of the religious and political influence of the Israelites, oppressed and sorely taxed them.

By means of the worship which the Israelites observed, their cruel king and task-masters were taught the knowledge of the true God, and that he was the only proper object of worship. But they slighted the offers of his grace, adhered to their idolatry, and so judged themselves unworthy of eternal life-God pursued a course of providences which most effectually chastised them for their sin, while it restored to himself, and his worship, a nation excelling in piety and true zeal for the honor of his glorious name.

The first and most essential event in the movement of the Governor of nations, in this great transaction, was the "Rescue of Moses," as recorded in the first ten verses of the second chapter of Exodus.

Human history overlooks the origin and progress of the servants of God, as if they were unworthy of notice. The world has thought best to hate and persecute them in all ages, but never to record their virtues. Warriors, statesmen, philosophers and

poets, are held up to view as deserving immortal honors, while the servants of the most high God have their names and memorials consigned to oblivion.

God's history proves, however, that while the world loves its own, he loves his own, and keeps them in all their ways. In his annals he notices as slightly the earth's mighty names, as man's history does the sons of the holy and blessed One. If he exhibits the earth's nobles at all, it is in their undisguised ferociousness; coming up on the whirlpool of human ambition, ravenous to devour, divide, and bear rule, conspicuous only for their violence and rapacity; or their hideous contrast with those of whom the world was not worthy. Among this honorable class, stands titled by heaven and high in true greatness, "Moses the servant of God." In his infant life he was Jehovah's peculiar care, and ever after his devout worshipper.

The whole history of the rescue of Moses is as follows.

A man of the house of Levi married a daughter of Levi. This man's name was Amram, son of Kohath, grandson of Levi; and the bride of his choice, was his cousin Jochebed. Their union was one of mutual love, and the third pledge Jehovah gave

them of their union was an exceeding fair and beautiful son.

The Jews say his form was like an angel's.

Heathen writers say, his handsome features commended him to all who saw him, and engaged their hearts to him, and made his parents and relatives the more anxious to preserve him from falling a victim of their cruel tyrant. They hid him three months, and when he could no longer be safely concealed from the officers, whose cruel duty it was to destroy all the male offspring of the Israelites, his mother took some light reeds which grew on the lowlands of Egypt, and made an ark, and rendered it impervious to water, by covering it with pitch. In this frail vessel she put her lovely babe, and then placed it in the still water among the rushes, that grow luxuriantly along the river banks. This was a mother's act, no doubt assisted and seconded by his father if alive.

What will not a mother do, rather than yield the darling of her heart to cruelty and death? Mother, is a sacred name; Jesus spake it and said, "Mother, behold thy son;" and the very use and union by him of two such words won to her bosom as her own son, the beloved disciple John.

This young and anxious mother gave the ark of

her heart's treasures to the waters, doubtless praying and trusting, that ere it would be carried away by the current, some one would find it, and have pity upon the child and save him from a watery grave. This was the best that she could do. Think not that the babe was for a moment forgotten, or neglected, though it was perilously exposed, by maternal hands. A mother's was aided by a sister's love.

Miriam, now about eight years old, loved her infant brother, and lingered on the shore to know the worst of his fearful history. She watched the ark that contained his little form, "to see what would be done to him."

The daughter of the king with her maidens came to the river side to bathe at an early hour, as an act of ablution and an honor to the deity of the Nile. This was a train of lovely young females, whose hearts a licentious court had not yet taught to throb without feeling for the poor and afflicted. Pharaoh's daughter saw the ark among the flags, and sent her maid to fetch it. On opening it, she beheld the babe, and it wept.

That feeble wail

pierced the young princess's heart, for she had compassion, and said, this is one of the Hebrews' chil

dren.