ship amongst the Egyptians, but plainly appeared to act at the command of Moses, in subordination to their great Creator, the God of the Hebrews. In the heavens, on the earth, and in the waters, supremacy and independency were demonstrated to belong to Him only: fire and air, thunder and lightning, wind, rain, and hail, obeyed his word: rivers became blood, and their inhabitants perished; insects and animals left their wonted habitations, to destroy vegetables or torment man: so that wherever the gods of Egypt were supposed to reside, and to exert their influences in favour of their votaries, in all places, and all circumstances, victory declared for Jehovah. Hence modern, as well as ancient idolaters, may learn not to put their trust in the world, but in Him who made, and who can and will destroy it; whose power can render the most insignificant of his creatures instruments of his vengeance, and, in a moment, arm all the elements against sinners; and whose mercy will employ that power in the final salvation of the Church; when, as the author of the Book of Wisdom expresseth it, "He shall make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies, and the world shall fight for him against the unwise:" Wisdom v. 17. 20. The curious and striking reflections which that author makes on the plagues of Egypt, in chap. xi. xvii. xviii. xix. are well worthy an attentive perusal. It is also to be observed, that St. John describes the judgments of the last days in terms plainly alluding to those poured out upon the Egyptians, "as locusts and frogs; blood and darkness," &c. See Rev. ix. and xvi. et al. Under these images are represented false teachers and erroneous doctrines, carnality and ignorance, and, in a word, whatever contributes to ravage the moral or spiritual world, to

deface the beauty of holiness, and destroy the fruits of faith. And of all the Divine judgments, these are by far the most dreadful, though generally the least dreaded.

49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Some of the Egyptian plagues having been specified in the foregoing verses, others of them are here thrown together, and the whole scene is affirmed to have been a full display of wrath and vengeance, executed upon the oppressors of the Church by 'n op, "evil angels, agents, or messengers:" whether by this expression we understand the material instruments of Divine displeasure; or angels employed as ministers of vengeance; or the actual appearance and ministration of evil spirits, suffered to torment the wicked in this world, as they certainly will do in the next. Tradition seems to have favoured this last opinion, since the author of the Book of Wisdom, above referred to, describes the Egyptian darkness as a kind of temporary hell, in which there appeared to the wicked, whose consciences suggested to them every thing that was horrible, "a fire kindled of itself very dreadful; they were scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents; and they were vexed with monstrous apparitions, so that they fainted and died for fear; while over them was spread an heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterwards receive them." Wisdom xvii.

50. He made a way to his anger: he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; 51. And smote all the first-born in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.

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The last plague was the death of the first-born both of man and beast, Exod. xii. 29; when God, having removed every obstacle that mercy had thrown in the path of justice, "made a way to his indignation," which then rushed forth like a fiery stream. An unlimited commission was given to the destroyer, who at midnight passed through the land, and gave the fatal stroke in every house. "While all things, O Lord, were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course, thine almighty WORD leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction, and brought thine unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword, and standing up, filled all things with death; and it touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth:" Wisdom xviii. 14. Pharaoh and all his servants rose up in the night; there was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt; and universal consternation reigned, inferior only to that which is to extend its empire over the world, when "the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised." May we be saved, like Israel, in that hour, through the blood of the true paschal Lamb, slain to take away the sins of the world! "When I see the blood," says Jehovah to his people, "I will pass over you."

52. But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock: 53. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. 55. He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Having related the punishments inflicted on Egypt, the Psalmist returns to those mercies experienced by the Israelites, when God overthrew their enemies, took them under his protection, fed and conducted them in the wilderness, brought them to the promised land, expelled the heathen, settled his people, and at length fixed his residence on mount Sion, which is represented as the conquest and acquisition of his own arm; since the victories of Joshua, &c. were all owing to the Divine presence and assistance. The Christian Church, after her redemption by "the blood of the Lamb," passed three hundred years in a state of minority, as it were, and under persecution, which, with allusion to what befel Israel of old, is called in the Revelation, her flight and abode in the WILDERNESS: Rev. xii. 6. At length the true "Joshua," or JESUS, "brought" her "into the possession of the Gentiles," see Acts vii. 45; and she enjoyed a temporary rest and prosperity. But no terrestrial Canaan, no secular advantages, should make us forget, as the Jews did, and as Christians are apt to do, that the Church is in the wilderness, while she is in the world; and that "there remaineth yet" another and far more glorious "rest for the people of God," after which they ought ever to be aspiring. See Heb. iv. 9.

56. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: 57. But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 58. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

The Israelites, when settled in the promised land, soon showed themselves to be the genuine descendants of those men who tempted God in

the desert. We can hardly read two chapters in the Book of Judges, but we meet with the words, "And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord." For this their frequent revolting they are compared to "a deceitful bow," which, when put to the trial, is sure to disappoint the archer, either dropping the arrow at his feet, or carrying it wide of the mark. Their zeal and love were either wholly relaxed and enervated by sensuality and indolence, or else turned aside, and misplaced on false objects of worship. Thus, in the present decline of religion, the devotion of the Romanists hath attached itself to saints, angels, and images while that of Protestants sleepeth, and must be awakened. In what manner, is known to God only.

59. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: 60. So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; 61. And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

Rebellion against God will, sooner or later, draw down his vengeance, and cause the most beloved nation to be "abhorred" by Him: He will forsake the place of his residence, "the tent placed among men," where He dwelleth by his Spirit; and the Church, by which his "strength" and his "glory" are manifested to the world, shall go into "captivity, and the enemy's hand." All this we are taught by that which came to pass in Israel, when for the sins of priests and people, the ark of God, which then abode in Shiloh, was suffered to fall into the hands of the Philistines: 1 Sam. iv. The present state of Jerusalem, and of all the once-flourishing Eastern and African Churches, speaks aloud the same awful and concerning truth. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."