cians could turn water into blood, was not convinced by this miracle, and so refused to part with the Israelites. Some time after Moses and Aaron came again to him, requiring the dismission of the people, and withal assuring him, that if he did not grant it, they should bring a great plague of frogs upon all the land; and in order hereto, Moses directed Aaron to stretch his rod again over the waters, upon doing which there came up abundance of frogs, so as to cover the land of Egypt, and to swarm in the houses, bed-chambers, to purify themselves every morning, by washing in the river. Virgil represents Eneas as thinking such a parification necessary, before he might touch the Trojan sacra, having polluted himself in battle; he says to his father Anchises, Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu, patriosque penates; Attrectare nefas, donec me flumine vivo Abluero. VIRG. EN. 2. v. 717. but the Egyptians used these purifications twice every day, says Herodotus, δις της ημέρας εκάςης, και δις εκάςης νυκίος. lib. 2. c. 37. Chæremon says, thrice every day (απελύοντο ψυ χρω αποτε κοιτης, και προ άξις, και προς υπνον. ap. Porphyr. Teps amox. lib. 4. § 7.) when they came from bed in the morning, just before dinner, and at night when they went to sleep. Moses was here directed to go to Pharaoh in the morning, at his going out to the water; so that Pharaoh was here going to perform the morning purification. upon the beds, in the ovens, and kneading troughs of the Egyptians; but here it likewise happened that the magicians also produced frogs, so that Pharaoh was not much influenced by this miracle." e There were several other miracles wrought by Moses and Aaron in Egypt after the same manner. The swarms of lice; the murrain upon the Egyptian cattle; the plague of the flies; the boils inflicted not only upon the Egyptian people, but upon the magi cians also; the terrible rain and hail and fire mingled with hail; the plague of the locusts, and the darkness for three days; all these things being caused at the word of Moses, exceedingly perplexed the king. He found that all the powers, art, and learning of his magicians could not perform these miracles; - nay, upon attempting one of them, they themselves confessed to him, that it was done by the finger of GOD; and in the plague of the boils, the magicians themselves were afflicted," and could not stand before Moses, because of the boil; for the boil was upon the magicians, and all the Egyptians. The king's heart was several times almost overcome. the Israelites leave to sacrifice to the LORD their Gon, provided they would do it in Egypt; but to this Moses answered, that religion was SO their He offered i m different from the Egyptian, that were they to perform the offices of it in Egypt, the people would be so offended as to rise against them and stone them.* Afterwards Pharaoh would have permitted them to go out of Egypt, provided the adult persons only would go, and that they would leave their children behind them as pledges of their return; but upon Moses' insisting to have the people go, with their young and with their old, with their sons and with their daughters, with their flocks and with their herds; Pharaoh was incensed against him, and having severely threatened him, ordered him to be turned out of his presence. Afterwards, Pharaoh was willing that all the people should go, only that they should let their flocks and their herds stay;" very probably knowing, that they could not go far without sustenance, and that if they left all their flocks, and their herds, they must soon return again; for what nation would receive or maintain with their own product and provisions so numerous a people? or how, or where should they subsist, if their flocks and herds were left behind them? So that the leave of departing, which Pharaoh offered, would soon have been of no service; therefore Moses rejected it, and required that their cattle also should go with them, and not a hoof be left behind. But upon Moses' requiring this Pharaoh grew exceeding angry, and charged him to get away, and never attempt to see him more; for that if he did, he would certainly put him to death,PI Thus was this unhappy prince, by the obstinacy of his heart, carried on through many great misfortunes to himself and his people, at length to his ruin. He had all along sufficient means of conviction. When his magicians' rods were turned into serpents, and Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods, how would a circumstance, far less remarkable and extraordinary, have moved him; if what Moses required had not been disagreeable to him? In several of the plagues, which were inflicted upon him and his people, Pharaoh was compelled to make application to Moses, to intreat the LORD his GOD to remove the evil; and in others, the king himself was nice and exact in enquiring, whether the Israelites did suffer in them with his people or not; and found, upon examination, that God had distinguished the Israelites from the Egyptians, and that they were not partakers in the remarkable calamities inflicted upon the land. I might add the particular confession of the magicians, that Moses' works were the finger of GOD; and observe how the magicians themselves suffered in the plague of the boils; and how Moses was able, at any time or hour, to obtain from GoD a removal of the plagues, P Exodus x. 28. 4 viii. 8, 29. ix. 28. & x. 17. Id. viii. 21. ix. 7, 26. & x. 23. upon Pharaoh's address for it. How could the king, if he attended at all to these circumstances, not be entirely convinced by them? Yet I do not see that we have any reason to think that he fully believed that Moses was realy and truly sent from God to him upon the message which he had delivered. There were many of the servants of Pharaoh, who regarded not the word of the LORD, but left their servants and cattle in the field, when Moses had threatened the rain and the fire, and hail to destroy them. Undoubtedly, after all that had been done before this, these men did not believe, that any such storm would happen; and after this, and after the inflicting another plague, the Egyptians only thought that Moses was a snare to them;" a snare, from which Pharaoh seemed to think he might perhaps free his people, if he put him to death. All the effects which Moses' miracles seem to have had was, not that the power of GOD was at last revered, or acknowledged by Pharaoh or his people; but the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people; they admired the man as far superior to their own magicians; but what he had done had no true influence for the end for which it was intended. For we may reasonably suppose, that when Pharaoh, and his army pursued the Israelites to the Red Sea, though they were terri X Exodus ix. 21. - Ver. 28. " x. 7. Chap. xi. 3. |