years, he also "said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and will bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." And the brethren of Joseph embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt, in order that, according to his injunction, his remains might eventually be interred in the cave of Machpelah, where they had entombed their father Jacob. Thus, as the Apostle declares, "By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones."

And all that generation died: but the Hebrews "increased and multiplied greatly," and were "exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them." Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph; and he, fearing the numbers and consequent power of the Israelites, endeavoured to suppress them, and to prevent their increase by severe and cruel bondage. And he set over them taskmasters who afflicted them with their burdens, and made them build treasure cities for Pharaoh, Pithom, and Raamses (or Rameses,) and all the service imposed on them "was with rigour." And in order to exterminate the race of the Hebrews, Pharaoh issued an edict that all their male children should be destroyed. "At this time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and was nourished up in his father's house three months;" and when he could no longer be concealed there, his mother hid him in an ark of bulrushes amongst the flags by the edge of the river Nile. And the daughter of

Pharaoh went to bathe in the river, and her maidens walked along by the river's side: and seeing the ark among the flags she sent a maid to fetch it: and when she had opened it and looked on the child, "behold the babe wept; and she had compassion on him," and took him for her own son, employing his mother as his nurse. And Pharaoh's daughter had Moses instructed in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he became "mighty in words and in deeds." Egypt was then a powerful kingdom, and the honours and pleasures of a glittering court were calculated to captivate the heart of Moses; but, being actuated by faith in God, and guided by the Holy Spirit, "he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward."

CHAP. XXV.—It appears that, at an early period of his life, Moses contemplated becoming the deliverer of his brethren; and "when he was grown he went out unto them, and looked upon their burdens: and he espied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, and he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold two men of the Hebrews strove together; and he said to him that did the wrong, Why smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the

Egyptian yesterday? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known." He had "supposed that his brethren would have understood how that God, by his hand, would deliver them; but they understood not." Now "Pharaoh heard this thing," and "sought to slay Moses: but he fled from the face of Pharaoh to the land of Midian," and dwelt with Jethro, the priest of Midian, whose daughter Zipporah became his wife. "And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage; and their cry came up unto God, and God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them."

CHAP. XXVI.-"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to Mount Horeb;" a district here, as well as in some other narrations of the sacred volume, denominated "the Mountain of God:" being doubtless so called in consequence of the awfully memorable and glorious manifestations of the Almighty Jehovah, repeatedly visible there; a remarkable instance of which was now vouchsafed to Moses. For, behold, "the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And God called unto him out of

the midst of the bush, and said Moses, Moses.

And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows, and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land, unto a good land, and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayst bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God in this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say unto me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,

I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt, and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites," &c. "And thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto Pharaoh, and shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God;" and "the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand; and I will stretch out my hand, and will smite Egypt with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go."

CHAP. XXVII.—The wondrous appearance of the manifested Deity, together with the revelation to Moses of His infinite power and attributes, as recited in the preceding chapter, demands our most reverent attention; and we may profitably contemplate the circumstances indicated in this portion of the sacred history.