agency.

"For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods."

Several different opinions exist, with regard to this passage, among learned and pious men, who have studied it deeply and prayerfully, in order to arrive at its true meaning. It would take too much time to go into the various reasons that have been adduced in support of these opinions; but it may be well to state briefly what they are.

Some suppose that, while the magicians pretended to have intercourse with invisible spirits or demons, and had deluded even themselves to expect that, by this means, they would be able to turn their rods into serpents, God permitted them thus to deceive both themselves and Pharaoh, and, by his own interposition, performed the miracle. In doing this his design was, by what immediately followed, the swallowing up of their rods by that of Aaron, to show the vast superiority of his power over theirs.

Others think, that they were actually aided by evil spirits in the performance of the miracle; and that these spirits were allowed by God to exercise this degree of supernatural agency, to give, at last, a more complete triumph to his own cause over that of Satan, and the cruel tyrant of Egypt.

A third class rely for the support of their explanation of this difficult passage, on what they pro

pose as a new, and more correct translation of it from the original language, the Hebrew, in which the Old Testament was written. "They also did in like manner with their enchantments," they say, may, with equal propriety, be rendered, "they also endeavored to do in like manner with their enchantments;" and that what follows, for they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents," may be rendered, "for they cast down every man his rod, that they might become serpents." So that, as this class of expositors maintain, no change of the rods into serpents took place. The magicians, indeed, made a great effort to accomplish it, and hoped to succeed, but were completely disappointed. Their enchantments all failed; and to render their discomfiture the more thorough and humiliating, the rods which they used were swallowed up by the one that came from the hands of Moses and Aaron.

There is still another view of the subject, which has many able advocates. What the magicians did on this and some following occasions, they conceive to have been nothing but juggling tricks, or slight of hand. They say it was not till after Aaron had cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and it had become a serpent, that the magicians were sent for. They knew what had taken place, and had sufficient time to prepare for the occasion, es. pecially as they were in the habit of doing many

wonderful things by their long-practised art, which imposed upon the senses.

The charming and handling of serpents is practised, as is well known, at the present day, in a very curious and astonishing manner, in the East. The magicians probably were familiar with this art, and needed scarcely any preparation to appear before the king. He himself suspected that what happened to Aaron's rod was only the trick of a juggler, and that the magicians could practise their slight of hand with similar success. The issue of the contest proved the fallacy of his conjecture. No slight of hand could cause the rod of Aaron, converted into a serpent, to devour, before the eyes of all who were present, the other serpents which had been cast down so dexterously by the magicians. The famous magic of Egypt was thus shown to be a mere imposture, and the interposition of divine power, to prove that Moses and Aaron came with a message to the king from the true God, placed beyond all doubt.

Among these various opinions, the latter, as the author thinks, has the strongest reasons in its favor, and is attended with the fewest difficulties.* He

It is this latter opinion which the Rev. Dr. Dwight adopts in his "Theology." "The truth is," says he, "the magicians wrought no miracles. All that they did was to busy themselves with their enchantments, by which every man now knows that, although the weak and credulous

would recommend, however, his youthful reader to the instructions of those who are more immediately concerned in leading his mind to the knowledge of divine truth; hoping that, under their direction and the guidance of that Spirit from whose inspiration the Sacred Oracles have proceeded, he may be led to the correct import of this portion of them.

God has left some parts of his word, just as he has left some things in his works of nature and of providence, involved in a degree of obscurity, to let it be seen what manner of spirit we are of, in attending to his instructions. By this means, it will appear whether we are docile and humble; anxious to know the truth in its purity and simplicity; sen sible of our own weakness in attempting to disco ver it; and looking to the Spirit of Truth for light and guidance.

Endeavor, my young friend, always to have such a state of mind in your inquiries after divine truth, and when you read and study the Holy Scriptures. Use the various helps and instructions within your reach, carefully and wisely. But, above all, pray that the Holy Spirit himself may be your teacher. You will thus be taking the only safe course by

may be deceived, miracles cannot possibly be accomplished. That this is the real amount of the history given by Moses, any sober man may, I think, be completely satisfied by reading "Farmer's treatise on miracles." Conclusion of Sermon - LX. On the miracles of Christ.

which to avoid every hurtful error, and to understand all that you need to know to secure the favor and friendship of God, and to be prepared for his service in promoting the cause of the Redeemer.

CHAPTER XIV.

Pharaoh does not relent. Another message is delivered to him. The waters of Egypt are turned to blood.

The miracles which had been wrought in his presence, had no effect upon Pharaoh, to induce him to let the Israelites go. Its influence was quité the contrary. It called forth his decided and more confirmed opposition to the will of Jehovah, as made known to him by Moses and Aaron. He would not hearken unto them. The very means which, through their instrumentality, God had employed to manifest his power and authority, and which ought to have satisfied Pharaoh, and led him to do his duty, only roused the more strongly his resistance. So that, in this way, as we read in the Bible, God hardened Pharaoh's heart; but not se as to interfere, in the least, with his accountability. or diminish his guilt.