World want fuch Inftances, to confirm their Faith in

Him.

TH

EXODUS.

HE Children of Ifrael being multiply'd in Egypt to a very great Nation, GoD now propos'd, according to his Promise to Abraham, to deliver them out of their fevere Bondage.

THIS He did by a mighty Hand, by wonderful Miracles and Judgments; by which he ferved many Defigns of his Providence.

HE convinced all well-difpofed People in that, and in the neighbouring Nations, that the GoD of the Ifraelites, was the true and only LORD GOD, and to be feared and worshipped.

Hв prepar'd the Ifraelites themselves, who were too prone to Idolatry, to receive fuch Laws and Ordinances as he should give them, to keep them from that Sin.

And lastly, He laid this Foundation of all Religion, He fhew'd the World that He, and He only, was able to reward and punish fuch as fear'd or difobey'd him; and that no other Power could hinder him from doing fo.

EXOD. CHAP. I. You will here obferve the wonderful Providence of GOD. He fuffer'd his People to be cruelly and unjustly opprefs'd, that they might more willingly leave a plentiful Country, and more thankfully accept of a Deliverance.

CHAP. II. In order to this, the firft Miracle of Providence was to be wrought upon Mofes, who was to be the Inftrument of their Deliverance. Not

only

only in his wonderful Prefervation from Death, but in the mighty Change of Heart which GOD wrought in him, when in the midft of the Temptations of a luxurious Court, where he had all the Honour, Power, Riches, and other Idols, which the World dotes on: When in these Circumftances, GoD put it into his Heart to vifit, and take part with his Brethren, a poor and defpifed People.

THESE Miracles of Mercy, God often works in the Converfion of Sinners, and they are not regarded.

CHAP. II. You must not imagine, that Mofes, in defending his injur'd Brother, flew the Egyptian rafbly or unjustly (for then sure he would have concealed fuch a Crime, which he himself had been guilty of) but GOD, who has the Sovereign Power of Life and Death, fo order'd it, not only that his Brethren might know (Acts vii. 35.) that he defigned him to be their Deliverer; but also that upon their rejecting him, GOD, for their Blindness and Ingratitude, might give him an occafion of withdrawing himself for fome time from them.

CHA P. III. Mofes, to fave his Life, having fled out of Egypt, was himself kept under Difcipline in' a ftrange Land, until GOD, that is the Son of GoD, appeared to him in this moft wonderful manner, and requires him to return again to his opprefs'd Brethren, in order to deliver them out of their miferable Bondage.

CHAP. IV. You obferve how Mofes would have excused himself from fo great a Burden, on account of his Incapacity; and begged of GOD to fend by bim, whom he would fend; meaning, in all probability, by Him, that is, the Promifed Seed, who was to be the great Redeemer of Mankind; intimating that neither Mofes by his own Confeffion, nor the Law of Mofes, were able to do that great Work.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII. When GOD faith, I will harden Pharaoh's Heart; you must not understand it, as if GOD caused this ftrange Obftinacy; for in the following Chapter, he is faid (v. 32.) to harden bis own Heart; that is, he would not be convinced by the Miracles and Judgments which he faw, nor by the Confeffion of his own Magicians; that a Power above that by which they acted, controlled them and theirs. GOD therefore left him to himself, and gave him up to a Mind void of Judgment; what we call a reprobate Mind, and hardness of Heart.

CHAP. IX. 34. As prodigious as this is, to harden his Heart after fix Plagues, yet the fame has been too often feen, and even to this Day; wicked Men relent, and promife to return to their Duty, but foon return to their Sin.

CHRISTIANS from hence fhould dread the very Beginnings of Sin, left it fhould lead them to fuch an hardness of Heart, that neither the Patience, nor the Judgments of GOD, will be able to bring them to a Senfe of the Danger they are in.

CHAP. XI. In this Chapter, GoD direas the Ifraelites to demand, (for fo it ought to be tranflated) not to borrow jewels of Silver and Gold of the Egyptians, not only as he is the great Proprietor of the World, and can without Injuftice take any Man's Goods away by what Method he thinks fit, and does fo every Day by Fire, Wars, &c. But he might here with great Juftice give them unto the Ifraelites, as fome fatisfaction for their unjuft Bondage, &c.

CHAP. XII. This Paffover was ordained by GOD, to be observed by every Ifraelite at the Peril of Excommunication, at every return of this Day of the Year, not only because it was to be a standing Proof

to

to all future Ages, of this their Deliverance, but allo a ftanding Figure or Type of a much greater.

AND fo adorable are the ways of GoD, that Chrift Jefus, the true Pafchal Lamb, and of which this was but a Figure, did, fifteen hundred Years after this, by his moft precious Blood, deliver all Mankind from the flavery of Sin, and Death, and Satan, and this upon the fame Month, the fame Day, and the very fame Hour, that this Pafchal Lamb was first inftituted and flain.

CHAP. XIV. Take efpecial notice of the Order GOD gave Mofes, that the Ifraelites fhould encamp before Baal-zephon; this was one of their Idol Temples; and it was proper to convince the Egyptians, that their Gods could not help them; and the Ifraelites, that all the Gods of the Heathen were nothing but Vanity.

THIS amazing Miracle of fix hundred thoufand People, paffing thro' the Sea, and the Overthrow of Pharoah and his Holts, was defigned to convince all the Nations of the Earth, that the GOD of Ifrael was the only GOD, and to be feared above all other Gods.

AND no doubt, it had this Effect upon others, as well as upon the Ifraelites; who upon this are faid to Believe, and to Fear the Lord, and his Servant Mafes.

CHAP. XV. 23. Within three Days, GoD thought good to try their Faith, which they had fo lately profeffed. He brought them to the bitter Wa ters which they could not drink of; immediately they diftrufted GOD, and murmured againft Mofes, fo that he was forced, by a new Miracle, to heal the Waters.

CHAP

CHAP. XVI. Here are feveral Things worthy of your Remembrance.

THAT fuch as murmured against the Ministers of GOD, are faid to murmur against GoD himfelf.

THAT the Manna, or Bread from Heaven now given them, was continued, by a perpetual Miracle, for forty Years, till they came to the promised Land. THAT this Bread was given them Day by Day, to keep in their Minds their Dependance upon GOD. AND laftly, That the Law of the Sabbath (ver. 22, 23.) was well known to all this People, before the Law given on Mount Sinai.

CHAP. XVII. Here are recorded two other Miracles, to prepare them to receive the Law with greater Submiffion.

A SPRING of Water, at Mofes's Prayer, that follow'd them; and a complete Victory over their Enemies, by Mofes's holding up his Hands in Prayer; which prevailed more than the Sword of fobia, and that of his Army.

CHAP. XIX. 8. WE WILL DO ALL THAT THE LORD COMMANDS US.

THUS People, at this Day, and after fo many fad Miscarriages, are apt to imagine, that Reafon and Free will are fufficient to carry them thro' all the Duties required of them; and therefore the Aids of Grace are fo feldom asked and depended on.

CHAP. XX. You will always remember that thefe Laws, as explained in the Gofpel, are ftill in force; and by them the whole World will be judged at the great Day: For they are part of the Law of Nature, and were commanded from the Beginning; but Wickedness (as it always will do) blurr'd and blotted them out of Mens Minds: fo that GoD