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In time," when he was grown," being "full forty years old," the Spirit of God moved him to his intended work. Seeing one of his Hebrew brethren oppressed and illtreated by an Egyptian, he became an avenger, and slew the oppressor, "for he supposed," as we read in the Acts, "that his brethren would have understood how that God would deliver them." Again, on the

next day he saw two of them striving together, and expostulated with him who did the wrong, and would have made them friends. But the injurious and angry man rejected his interference, and tauntingly asked him, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us! intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian ?" Thus, whatever Moses himself had " supposed," it was evident that " they

understood not" that he was to be their deliverer. The thing became known. It reached the ears of Pharaoh, who therefore sought to slay him. Moses fled with haste from the face of the king and the land of Egypt, and went and dwelt in Midian, where

he remained in comparative obscurity and

inactivity during another similar space of

forty years.

Now all this, as the inspired writer of the epistle to the Hebrews informs us, was done in faith. These are his remarkable words,

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By faith Moses, when he was come to years, 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 in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of reward." The mother of Moses doubtless told him to what people he belonged by birth, and instructed him in the promises which had been made to them. He believed the promises and acted upon his belief. He renounced all his rank and wealth, and great expectations in Egypt, both the honours and pleasures which he was actually enjoying in the court of the princess, and the prospects of still greater distinctions; for tradition says, that she even intended him to be her successor on the throne. Be this as it may, for on

tradition we depend not, great were the sacrifices which he made under the influence of faith, that he might have his portion with the people of God. What his precise view was of the recompense of reward to which he had respect, or what his knowledge of Christ, whose reproach he esteemed greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, we presume not to determine; but they were both such as powerfully to influence his mind, and to decide his choice; and thus the faith of Moses was as severe in its trial, as mighty in its operation, and as evident by its fruits, as even that of Abraham, who through faith was made ready to offer up in sacrifice his only and beloved Son.

We too, my brethren, must be ready to renounce, nay, we must actually renounce, the pomps and vanities of the world, and all the pleasures of sin, or we have none of that faith of these fathers of the church of Christ. We must be willing to suffer affliction with the people of God, for the people of God are still a despised and often-afflicted people; we must esteem the reproach of Christ, for yet

the offence of his cross has not ceased, better than all the honours and riches which the world can offer us; we too must come out of the world, and be separate, as well knowing that the friendship of the world is enmity with God, well knowing also that the world lieth in wickedness, and is appointed to destruction; yea, we must have no enjoyment in the pleasures of sin, no not even for a season, no not for the shortest moment; sin we must utterly renounce as an abhorred thing, as the accursed thing, which has wrought all our woe, and continues to work it, and will, if not repented of and forsaken and washed away in the atoning blood of Christ, and subdued and killed in us by the grace of his Spirit, give to us a final recompense of reward far different from that to which Moses had respect. God grant us his grace, that in us also all these genuine fruits of a lively faith may abundantly appear.

SERMON V.

THE BURNING BUSH.

EXODUS III. 2.

And 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.

THE time came, after the sojourn of Moses for forty years in the land of Midian, when God would actually employ him in the great work for which he had providentially saved his life, and for which he had been preserving and preparing him. During this intervening period, Moses had married Zipporah, one of the daughters of the Priest of Midian, and had been the keeper of the sheep of his father-in-law, like David, who had followed the same occupation, when he

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