190 of the Lord passed through the land, and smote all the first-born of Egypt. So sudden and fearful a stroke struck Pharaoh and his people with awe; Then did Jehovah, in the year of the world, 2513," with a high hand,” lead his people out of Egypt. Thus with ten wounds The river-dragon tam'd at length submits The river-dragon is an allusion to the crocodile, in the river Nile, and to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. Ezek. xxix. 3. the sea Swallows him with his host, When the tyrant learned the course which the Israelites had taken, he considered them as a prey fallen into a snare, and pursued them. Then the people dispirited, upbraided Moses, saying, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, go hast thou taken us to die in the wilderness? had it not been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we die in the wilderness? And Moses said, Fear not: stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Jehovah gives the command, 65 forward," and the miraculous column removes from the front to the rear of the camp, between the Israelites and the Egyptians. When Moses lifting up his rod, a violent east wind arose, and clave the waters in the midst, through which they all went dry shod. No sooner were the Israelites landed, than the Egyptian host were thrown into disorder, their hearts misgave them, and they attempted a retreat in vain, the rod was again stretched, the watery mountain rushed together, and whelmed the impious Pharaoh, his chariots and horsemen, in the mighty deep. Moses, as he contemplated the terrible power and goodness of the Lord, broke out into a rapturous song of thanksgiving. "Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters." 227 God from the mount of Sinai, whose grey top Shall tremble, It was indeed a sight so terribly magnificent, that the man of God himself said, "I exceedingly fear and quake. Heb. xii. 21. The ten commandments were delivered with all this grandeur from the summit of a mountain, in the presence of all the people, with the sound of trumpet, to denote the immutability and universality of the love of God. The judicial and cërëmonial statates were given privately to Moses, because they were of limited duration; the moral law was proclaimed aloud, to show that it concerns all men, and that it is of perpetual duration. Who sees not in Moses, while standing thus between God and the people, a lively type of him who in the fulness of time came to fulfil the law and the prophets; and to offer up in his own person an atonement for the transgressions of his people?" 235 + It is said that after the people had done sacrificing to their idol," they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose up to play," Let us leave the guilty multitude in the valley, and ascend the holy sanctuary on Mount Sinai" The Lord said unto Moses I have seen this people, and behold it is a stiff-necked people; Now, therefore, let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation." Exod. xxxii. 9, 10. But Moses was above all selfish considerations, and his regard for Israel, notwithstanding the base ingratitude which he had experienced, was paternal, Again did Moses ascend the holy mountain, where he prayed, confessing the sins of the people, and with earnestness soliciting the Divine forgiveness. The mediation of Moses in behalf of his people was not only effectual for their pardon, but also the continuance of Jehoyah's presence with them as their conductor; a favour which they had justly forfeited by their idolatry. Jesus Christ, who called Moses from the bush, and who conducted the people in the wilderness, when he came in the flesh to open the way to eternal life for us, endured not only the contradiction of sinners, but the treachery of friends, and when mocked by the infatuated multitude, his prayer was, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." As a punishment for their infidelity, the Israelites were obliged to remove from the border of the promised 8 land, and to return again into the Arabian Desert, towards the Red Sea. Moses in figure bears Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. Acts iii. 22. 249 By his prescript a sanctuary is fram'd Of cedar, overlaid with gold: And they shall make an ark of shittim wood; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt put in to the ark a testimony which I shall give thee. And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. Exod. xxv. 10. over the tent a cloud Shall rest by day, And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout their journeys. Exod. xl. 35. 259 Conducted by his Angel, to the land ་ Promis'd to Abraham and his seed: Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass, that the Lord spoke unto Joshua, Moses's minister, saying, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, in three days ye shall pass this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess Though the Almighty ordained that his people should enter and possess Canaan, he would not allow them to gain it without great exertions. The first place that presented itself against them → was Jericho, a city of great strength. Jericho was entirely destroyed, and Joshua pronounced a curse, in the spirit of prophecy, upon the man who should rebuild it. Another strict regard of Joshua for justice was in the case of the Gibeonites. This people being greatly alarmed at the progress it. * of Israel, and sensible that there was no chance of escaping the destruction about to fall upon the |