صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy that thou shalt be cut off from

people with pestilence; and the earth. is And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: and he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither

16 God had preserved Pharaoh during the plagues, which would else have cut him off, and had forborne to execute instant vengeance; that the king might either repent, or, if impenitent, might be a more conspicuous example of pride overthrown.

25

25 They perished by fire and water, the elements which they worshipped as gods perished by the very means they had presumptuously looked to

for defence! Vain are his defences who rejects the help of God,

shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD's. But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God. And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rye were not smitten: for they were not grown up. And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

Thus it too often happens that the soul, having turned to God in the season of sickness and sorrow, no sooner finds the sorrow removed, than it returns to its former course of vanity and wickedness, and forgetfulness of God. The cloud is no sooner past, than the salutary fear of the Lord, which dread of it excited, passes away also. The world again claims and wins its own. O God! let me be delivered from evil by faith in thy threats of punishment! Let me be won over to good by faith in thy gracious promises of reward.

EVENING. EXODUS X.

1 AND the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh : for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD. And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast and they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field and they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day

'Though Pharaoh's sin was his own, its time, place, and circumstances were so ordered, that it was turned to the honour of God. It gave occasion for a display of his supreme power; strengthened the faith of his people, encouraged their obedience, and animated their hope.

And

13 The wind and the sea, which they used to consider their defence, and therefore which they worshipped, now saved them not; for the locusts were brought by the wind, and borne from the East, not

that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh : and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD. And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD. And the LORD turned a away the locusts, and

15

For

into but over the Red sea.

15 The fruits of the earth are always liable to these ravages: blessed then be the mercy of a gracious Providence, who so rarely permits such destruction, but preserves to his creatures the fruits of the earth

in their season.

mighty strong west wind, which took

cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: 23 they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. 28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast again no more.

23 Thus showing the folly of their sin in worshipping the heavenly host. Where now the light which they deified? What a striking symbol of intellectual and moral darkness! of ignorance and wickedness!

28 How awful the imprecation! how marked its retribution! Moses did not see his face again-yet the victim of death was not the persecuted, but the persecutor.

spoken well, I will see thy face

With what care should we guard against contriving or wishing evil to others! we know not but that the very evil itself we design or expect for others may eventually fall upon ourselves.

2

Easter Day.

MORNING. EXODUS xii.

2 If God notes our time for us, with what watchful care should we strive so to number all our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom!

AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month. shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every

11

[ocr errors]

5 A type of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, without spot of sin or blemish, slain from the foundation of the world.

6 Thus the whole assembly of Christians should join in the Christian sacrifice. Let none be absent.

man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: and if the houshold be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 'and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste it is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordi

15

nance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened

11 Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. We should eat it as pilgrims; our thoughts fixed upon our home in heaven: ready for our journey-this world laid aside *.

15 May I have grace to put away all leaven of malice and wickedness, and keep the holy feast with the

Wise are they who thus are ever watchful, girding up the loins of their mind, shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and with the word of God in their hands as a rod and staff to guide and comfort them, patiently take their course onward, through the wilderness of life, to their promised heavenly Canaan.

« السابقةمتابعة »