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Monster of a Man prefume to trifle with the Almighty; who, thereupon, immediately afflicted his Kingdom with fuch an exceffive Darkness, that as the Scrip-. ture emphatically expreffes it, it might be felt.

In short, fo dreadful was this Judgment, and of fo uncommon a Nature, that, as we are affured in the Book of Wisdom, no Power of the Fire might. give Light; whereof, indeed, we are partly informed by the Words of Mofes, who fays, They faw not. one another, neither rofe any from his Place for three Days. So that this Darkness feems to have been of the Nature of thofe Damps that rife fometimes in. Coal-Pits and Mines, which will not fuffer a Candle or Fire to burn, but immediately extinguish them; for could they have had either the Light of Candles or Fire, there was no Neceflity for their confining themfelves fo long to their Beds. Neither was this all; for, in the fame Book of Wisdom, we are likewife informed, that they were terrified with ftrange Vifions, and dreadful Noifes, fo that it was. no Wonder, at the End of three Days, that Pharaoh, in order to be relieved from that uncomfortable and horrid State, fent for Mofes, and confented at laft, to let them and their Children go, demanding only to have the Flocks and Herds left behind.

This, however, was not a fufficient Conceffion for the Almighty; who expects an intire and punctual, not a partial Obedience to his Commands; accordingly, Pharaoh is told, peremptorily by Mofes, that not fo much as an Hoof fhould be left behind; with which pofitive Anfwer, the haughty Tyrant is fo greatly exafperated, that going farther, than he had ever done yet, he proceeds to threaten the divine Meffenger, bidding him get away, and fee his Face no more, for, if he did, he fhould die for his Prefumption; to which Threat, Mofes, without any Concern

Concern, returns this cold Antwer, Thou haft spoken well, I will fee thy Face again no more.

;

In effect, the Time was now come, when the Almighty intended to vifit them, with the laft and moft grievous of the Plagues; and accordingly, Mofes denounces it very plainly unto them, that about Midnight, all their First-born fhould be destroyed, even to the First-born of their Cattle; that not one of the Ifraelites fhould perish; that there fhould be a great Cry throughout all the Land of Egypt, fuch as there never had been, nor fhould be any like it and that afterwards, they should even bow down to Him, and court and intreat Him, and his People, to be gone as fast as poffible. Now, what is most remarkable, in this laft Judgment, is, that before it came, though Pharaoh and his People had begged to be delivered from the Plague of Locufis, and from that of Darkness after, we do not find they defired to be delivered from this Judgment, though the heaviest and feverest of all; but for this the Scripture partly accounts, by faying the LORD had now hardened Pha raoh's Heart. The Confequence of this was, the fulfilling the Prophecy of Mofes in every Point; the First-born were destroyed; not an Ifraelite fuffered; and the Egyptians even urged the People by Night, to be gone as fpeedily as could be, being apprehenfive, as well they might, the next Judgment would be, a total Extermination of every Soul in the Kingdom.

One would imagine, all these heavy Scourges, were more than fufficient, to humble the moft obdurate Sinners; and yet, foon after, we find Pharaoh, and his Servants, being now no longer afleted with any Plagues, repent of their having fuffered the Ifraelites to go, and lofing the Fruit of their Labours; though. they were at first enflaved wrongfully, having come into the Land, in a Time of Famine, only as Stran

gers,

gers,and having even been invited thither by the King himself. Well then, the Egyptians being told the Children of Ifrael were fled, and repenting, as was before obferved, their having fuffered them to go, refolve upon purfuing them, and either bringing them back to their former Slavery by Force, or deftroying them. But, how vain is the Appointment of Man, if God does not fay Amen thereto !

Enraged then, at having permitted fuch vaft Num bers of useful Slaves, from whofe exceffive Toils they daily reaped fo confiderable a Profit, to efcape out of their Hands, they determined to pursue them; never reflecting, that they were, in effect, fighting against GoD; or thinking, that the fame Almighty Being, who had compelled them, by fo many various and heavy Judgments, to confent to the Depar ture of thofe, they had fo long injuriously held in cruel Bondage, and who had undertaken the Protection of his People, might ftill be able to defend them, and to bring down, upon the Heads of their Enemies, that Deftruction, they intended for those poor trembling Ifraelites. But, to fay the Truth, this was of the LORD; who had now judicially infatuated and blinded the Egyptians, with Defign to take fevere Vengeance on them, for all their manifold Sins and Iniquities; and especially for their unjuft Oppreffion of, and unparalelled Barbarity to, those wretched Strangers, whom, having come into their Country in Confidence of Protection, in Violation of all the Laws of Hofpitality, they had cruelly enslaved.

In fhort, as they had impioufly and injurioufly undertaken the Parfuit of a People, to whofe Servitude they had not the leat Shadow of Claim, the Almighty, who abhors Violence and Oppreffion, foon made them fenfible, when it was too late, that he was ftill equally able to defend them in the Wilder

nels,

nefs, as in Egypt, and alfo to chaftife their Enemies. Thrice happy the Nation who have the God of Hea. ven for their Guard! And wretched that People, who have provoked the Eyes of his Glory, and rendered him their Adverfary! This was then the different Cafe of the Ifraelites and Egyptians: Would we could fay it is now that of ourfelves, and our Enemies! But alas! we have all the Reafon ima ginable to dread the contrary.

Well, the now infatuated and obftinate Egyptians, purfuing clofe after their former Slaves, had now almoft overtaken them, as they were encamped, with the Sea before them, and the Wildernefs on each Side: And already had they swallowed them up in their Imagination, there being no Poffibility of an Efcape. Nay, in fuch a Strait they were, fince there was no Appearance, humanly speaking, of being either able to advance, or retreat, that the trembling Ifraelites, terrified to Distraction at the Sight of their old cruel Oppreffors, torgetful of all the Miracles, GoD, a little before, had wrought for them, and even of that constant one, they had then before their Eyes, in the Pillar of a Cloud, and that of Fire, which attended on them as their Guide, began to murmur against Mofes, crying, Because there were no Graves in Egypt, haft thou taken us away to die in the Wilderness? Wherefore haft thou dealt thus with

us,

to carry us out of Egypt? Is not this the Word that we did tell thee in Egypt, faying, Let us alone, that ve may ferve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to ferve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the Wilderness.

Amazing Unbelief, and Ingratitude to their Di vine Protector! In this more inexcufable, than the Egyptians themselves! And aftonishing Condefcenfion and Goodness in their great Creator! That he not only did not deliver them up a Prey to their

Enemies,

Enemies, but even vouchfafed to remove their unreasonable and impious Fears. And Mofes faid unto the People, Fear ye not, ftand fill, and fee the Salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you Today: For the Egyptians whom you have feen Today, ye foall See them again no more for ever. The LORD fhall fight for you, and ye fhall hold your Peace. And, indeed, accordingly, their infinitely gracious GoD immediately, gave them a Proof of his almighty Affiftance, by the Removal of the Pillar of the Cloud, which was before their Camp, to their Rear, whereby it effectually feparated, and fecured them from their Enemies ; over whom it diffufed a thick Darkness, whilft it gave fufficient Light to the Ifraelites.

But now, the Measure of the Egyptians Iniquity being quite full, approached that dreadful and aftonishing Hour, which never had its Equal, nor never will; the Children of Ifrael are ordered to march forward, though the Sea lay immediately before them. But the Commands of Heaven are not to be difputed; if the LORD enjoins it, a Way shall either be made through the Deep, or the Waves fhall become firm, and ftable as the Land, for whomfoever he pleafes to pafs over. Accordingly, no fooner did Mofes ftretch out his Wonder-working Rod over the Sea, than the obedient Billows retire, ftand on Heaps, and form a Wall on the Right and Left of the raelites as they pafs: Thus did thefe Favourites of Heaven march in Safety, and dry fhod, through the midft of the Sea.

But far differently did it fare with the wretched Egyptians; who ftill impioufly refolving to purfue their expected and deftined Prey, madly and defperately attempt a Paffage, the fame miraculous Way; thus running headlong upon that utter Deltruction and Defolation to which they were now devoted,

and

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