had so long been known to the Israelites and to their ancestors, the Lord God, the Jehovah Elohim, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.

Coming in the name, and under the authority of such a Being, the countrymen of Moses could not but receive him, and acknowledge his divine commission. Why then should he fear? I AM THAT I AM had sent him, and would prepare the way of safety and success before him.

Did you ever seriously think, my young friend, of the true character of this great and glorious Jehovah; who he is,-and of what infinite importance it is to you to know who he is, and to be suitably affected by that knowledge?

You are what you are, because God created you, and sustains you in being. And this is equally true of all beings and things except God. He is uncreated. His source of being is in himself. He is self-existent. He is now, what he always has been, and will ever be, the same Jehovah, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Think of the wisdom and power, the holiness and justice, the goodness and truth of such a Being. He requires you to love him supremely, to obey his commands, and to devote yourself to his service. He calls upon you to se. cure his favor by repentance for sin, and faith in that Saviour whom he has provided for you.

It is a thing fearful beyond conception, to incur

his just and terrible displeasure by disobedience, impenitence, and unbelief! It is an unspeakable privilege and happiness to secure his eternal friendship!

CHAPTER VIII.

God directs Moses to go to Egypt with a message to Pharaoh. Moses is reluctant to perform this duty.

Having given Moses the name which was to express the divine majesty and truth, and by the authority of which he was to act in his mission to the Israelites, God now lays upon him a positive injunction, to proceed directly in this great enterprise. He ordered him to go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them, that God had witnessed their sufferings, and would speedily rescue them from bondage, and bring them to the promised land. He assured Moses, at the same time, that they would hearken to what he should say to them; and that he and the elders must go to the king of Egypt, and deliver this message:

"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 to the Lord our God."

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God, indeed, well knew (and this he also communicated to Moses) that Pharaoh would not corsent. He wished, however, to try the king with a request which was so simple and reasonable; to disclose his real character; and to show how truly he and his people deserved the divine judgments which would, afterwards, be inflicted upon them. I am sure," said he, "that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand." He will, for a time, withstand even the terrible exhibitions of my power, but shall, at length, be constrained to yield. "And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go."

The Lord further made it known to Moses, that the Israelites, when they went out, should find favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and not go away in a destitute condition. Every woman among them was to ask, or demand, (which is the true meaning of the original Hebrew word,) of her neighbor, and of her that sojourned in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment ; and thus they would carry away with them some compensation, though a very inadequate one, for the long and laborious services that they had been

forced to render in so cruel and oppressive a manner. The Egyptians, from motives of policy or fear, would be found willing to comply with this demand, and thus the Israelites would recover a small part of their own property,—the wages due to them,— and of which they had been most unjustly deprived.

Notwithstanding these positive commands, and solemn and explicit assurances, on the part of the Almighty, Moses was still filled with doubt and apprehension. He dreaded the incredulity of his countrymen. He could not dare to hope that they would put confidence in his simple declaration, that God had given him the message, and sent him with it to them. "Behold," said he, "they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee."

God condescended to regard this hesitation of Moses with great forbearance, and to furnish him with credentials that ought to satisfy the most incredulous. He directed him to cast down upon the ground the rod, or shepherd's crook, which he held in his hand. On doing so, it became a living serpent; and Moses was so terrified at the sudden and strange appearance, that he fled from it.

God then ordered him to put forth his hand and take the serpent by the tail. He did so, and it became a rod again in his hand.

He was then directed to perform the same miracle when he should deliver his message to the

elders of Israel, that they might believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, had indeed appeared unto him.

Still another miracle was to furnish additional evidence of the divine commission of Moses. God ordered him to put his hand into his bosom be neath the foldings of his garments. He did so, and when he drew it out again, it was leprous andwhite as snow. The leprosy which had this color was of the worst kind; and the disease, as we know, was at all times a very dreadful and loathsome one. Nothing but the immediate power of God could produce so sudden and great a change in a perfectly healthy part of the body.

Another change, as wonderful as this, was to be produced. Moses was directed again to put his hand into his bosom. On doing this, and drawing it out, it was restored and became like his other flesh.

God then told him, that if the Israelites would not hearken to him, when he had performed the first miracle, they might on witnessing the second; and that if any should still doubt, he must convince such by a further exhibition of the divine power. He must take some of the water of the river Nile, and pour it upon the dry land, and it should become blood in their presence.

Furnished with proofs of being sent by God, so