*

Pharaoh and the Red Sea, and of selling himself peculiarly obnoxious to that stern, them to the foe. A high and responsible si- unrelenting tyrant, and must have been tuation is far from being an enviable one. If among the first victims of his resentment. things go well, the conductor of the under- But the pressing danger of Moses did not taking receives but a divided, a mutilated arise from Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, but praise. If an enterprise fail, the whole from an intimidated, distracted multitude, blame of the miscarriage is imputed to him. who were ready to wreak their vengeance The astonished multitude dare not directly on whoever might first meet their resentattack God himself. No: the cloudy pillar ment, or could be most plausibly charged as hangs over their heads, ready to burst, in the author of their misfortunes. The comthunder and fire, on the man who presumed posure of Moses, in such circumstances, is to aim his shafts so high. But their impiety therefore justly to be considered as an inseeks the pitiful shelter of a subterfuge; stance of uncommon heroism and magnanimithey murmur against Moses, because they ty. But why do we talk of heroism? the imagine they can do it with impunity; and man who fears God knows no other fear. In think to escape the resentment of the master, the confidence of faith, though he knew not though they are wounding him through the yet which way God was to work deliverance sides of his servant. Mark yet again the for Israel, he thus attempts to diffuse the folly and unreasonableness of fear. "Because hope, which he felt irradiating his own soul: there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou|“ Fear ye not; stand still, and see the salvataken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." What were they afraid of now? A grave in the wilderness. What do they put in comparison with, and prefer to it? A grave in Egypt. It was a grave at the worst. Their wretched lives had got at least a short reprieve. If they died now, they died at once; and died like men, defending their lives, liberty, and families: not pouring out life, drop by drop, under the whip of a taskmaster. But slavery has broken their spirit. They are reduced to the lowest pitch of human wretchedness; for this, surely, is the last stage of it. "It had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."

tion of the Lord, which he will show to you to-day, for the Egyptians which ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

Let me entreat you to observe, that the agent in this great transaction is also the historian of it; and that the resolution and spirit of the one is to be equalled only by the modesty and simplicity of the other. In the hands of one of the eloquent orators of Greece or Rome, what a figure would this passage of the life of the Jewish legislator have made, could we suppose them entering into the situation of a stranger, with the warmth which they feel in delineating the characters and conduct of their own heroes, and embellishing the dignity of modest merit with the glowing ornaments of rhetoric? But scripture says much, by saying little. And the meek reserve, the unaffected conciseness of the sacred historian, infinitely exceed the To this abject view of degeneracy and de- diffusive and laboured panegyrics of profane jection, two objects are placed in contrast-poetry or history. We have already, perthe calmness and intrepidity of Moses, and the majesty and power of God. In contemplating the former of these, as one great object of these Lectures is to unfold human character, and to hold up to imitation and applause praiseworthy conduct, let me endeavour to fix your attention upon the more obvious features of the great man, who is here drawing his own portrait.

haps, deviated too far from that beautiful simplicity; and diminished instead of magnifying our object, by multiplying words. We hasten therefore, with our author to contemplate an object of infinitely higher consideration than himself; to which he constantly brings his own, and instructs us to bring our tribute of praise.

Behold the obstructions, which nature, and All the great interests of Moses were em- art, and accident have assembled to distress, barked, with those of the commonwealth of to discourage, and to destroy the church of Israel. His lot was cast into the common God! An impassable ridge of mountains upon lap. He had made a sacrifice unspeakably the right hand and upon the left; the roargreater than any individual of the congrega- ing sea in front; a powerful, exasperated, tion had done. His prospects, for either revengeful enemy following close behind; himself or his family, were neither brighter internal weakness, irresolution, and dissennor more flattering than those of the obscur- sion: the voice of sedition loud; Moses on est Hebrew among them. If there were his face before God. In such a situation as danger from the pursuing host of Pharaoh, this, Omnipotence alone can save. No voice his share, most assuredly, was not less than but that of a God, is worthy of being heard that of any other man. He had rendered Be silent then, O heavens, and listen, O

earth, it is God who speaks. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward!" What sublimity, simplicity, and force was here! "Go forward!" What, into the raging billows? Great God, thy commands declare thy name and thy nature! What power except thine own, but must have been exposed and disgraced, by assuming such a high tone of authority! But what obstacle can oppose Him, who said, "Let there be light, and there was light!" "who spake, and it was done, who gave commandment, and it stood fast?"

regular succession and change taking place! Do the waters of the earth thus certainly feel, or seem to feel the various appearances of the moon? Then it cannot be without the design and interposition of an intelligent and powerful cause, which never misses its aim, is never off its guard, is never thwarted or defeated by unforeseen obstacles. Then, that invisible, unknown, incomprehensible power, may exercise a discretionary influence over the stream of a particular river, over the billows of a particular sea. He may, with or without apparent second causes, make the current overflow its banks, or the channel to become dry.

My heart is agitated with a mixture of fear and joy as I proceed. "The Lord God Or, to make another appeal to common has given the word-Let the people go for- observation and experience, when the sun is ward." When lo, the conducting pillar in- in such a certain position with respect to our stantly changes its position, and solemnly earth, and the wind blows in such a direcretreats to the rear of the Israelitish host. tion, the water in that lake will be liquid and The word given clears all the way before transparent, and the smallest, lightest pebble them, and the glory of the Lord becomes will sink to the bottom. But let the elevatheir rere-ward.' Now, behold the double tion of the sun be changed to an angle someeffect of this symbol of the divine presence! what more acute, and let the wind shift into To Israel, the cloud is all light and favour; the opposite quarter, then, beyond all doubt, to the Egyptians, all darkness and dismay. the selfsame water shall become solid as the To those, night shineth as the day-to these, rock, lose its transparency, and become cathere is obscurity at noonday! "And the pable of sustaining any weight that can be angel of God, which went before the camp put upon it. How easy had it been for Him, of Israel, removed, and went behind them; who produces regularly these changes in the and the pillar of the cloud went from before course of every changing year, to have given their face, and stood behind them. And it the globe such a position, as would have rencame between the camp of the Egyptians,dered the hoary deep one vast mountain of and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud ice, all the year round, or have prevented of darkness to them, but it gave light by night a single drop of water from ever being to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night." Awful distinction! Where shall we find the solution of the difficulty? where, but in this, "He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will he hardeneth."*

congealed. And "wherefore should it be thought a thing incredible," that such an one, willing to make his power known, and his grace felt, should at his own time, and in his own way, do that in a particular instance, which he could have done perpetually and universally. Grant me the usual appearances and operations of nature, and I am prepared for all the uncommon, miraculous phenomena, with which the God of nature may see meet to present me. We come, accordingly, to the history of dividing the Red Sea, perfectly convinced that he who made it at first, can make of it whatever he pleases; and thoroughly satisfied that the occasion of such a notable miracle, as it is related by Moses, was entirely worthy of it.

To prepare us for the history of the miracle which follows, give your attention, for a few moments, to what every man and woman among you may have observed a thousand and a thousand times. Go to the bank of the river, go to the shore of the sea, and twice in every twenty-four hours, as certainly as light proceeds from the sun, what is now dry land will be covered with water, and what is now overflowed shall infallibly become dry ground. Farther, when a little wandering star, called the moon, is in this If it be a just rule in criticism, that a Dedirection, or in this, the whole waters of the ity is never to be introduced but when his globe, in the ocean, in the seas, in the rivers, interposition is necessary, and on occasions are elevated or depressed to such a certain becoming his dignity, the Mosaic account of degree. Let that planet be in an eastern or this wonderful event stands fully justified in a western direction, the tide is precisely at point of taste as well as authenticity. The the same pitch of height or depth. After powerful rod is once more stretched out. we have made this remark, which is obvious The east wind blows: the sea retires; and a. to the notice and level to the understanding safe and easy passage is opened for Israel, of a child; the question will naturally occur, through the channel of the deep. "This also What, does this never fail? May we de-cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, which pend and act upon the certainty of such a is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in

we are unkindly dealt by, when Providence | the miscarriage is not chargeable to our own promotes not, or crosses our inclinations. Let perverseness or folly. It is a dreadful, it is a us show cheerful and unreserved compliance; two-edged evil, at once to lose our aim, and and be the issue what it may, whether our incur the just displeasure of God by disobe. wishes be opposed or succeed, we shall at dience. "Thy will," O Father, "be done on least have the consolation of reflecting, that earth, as it is in heaven.” Amen.

HISTORY OF MOSES.

LECTURE XLVII.

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my Father's God, and I will exalt him.-EXODUS XV. 1, 2.

upon our ear. "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots, and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone." How wonderfully suited to each other, the event and the celebration of it!

To no one man has the world been so much the mind. We forget the distance of three indebted for rational pleasure and useful thousand years. We feel ourselves magicalknowledge, as to the inspired author of these ly conveyed to the banks of the Red Sea. sacred books. Moses, as he is the most an- We join in the acclamations of the redeem cient, so he is by far the best writer that evered of the Lord, as this song of Moses swells existed. Never in one and the same character were united talents so various, so rare, and so valuable. He may without hesitation be pronounced, the most eloquent of historians, the sublimest of poets, the profoundest of sages, the most sagacious of politicians, the most acute of legislators, the most intrepid of heroes, the clearest sighted of prophets, the most amiable of men. The qualities of his heart seem to strive for the mastery with those of the understanding: so that it is difficult to determine whether, as the reputed son of Pharaoh's daughter, as a voluntary exile from the splendour of a court, as the sympathizing friend of his afflicted brethren, as the bold protector of virgin innocence, as the contented shepherd of Jethro's flock, as the magnanimous assertor of Israelitish liberty, or finally, as king in Jeshurun, ruling the thousands of Israel with meekness and wisdom-he most challenges our admiration and praise. Had the world never been favoured with his works, or were it now to be deprived of that precious treasure, the loss were inconceivably great. Who does not shuddering; in the view of pointing out a few of its at the thought? What a fearful gap in the history of mankind! What a blow to take, what a blank in science, what an impoverishing of the public stock of harmless pleasure, what an injury to the dearest, the best, the everlasting interests of mankind!

The venerable man, who has for so many evenings past condescended to delight and instruct us by the relation of events the most singular, interesting, and important, assumes this night a new character; and in strains the sweetest and boldest that bard ever sung; in verses the loftiest that the imagination of poet ever dictated, rouses, warms, transports

In fulfilling the promise made in the conclusion of the last Lecture, and executing the business of the present, three objects are proposed. First, to attempt a vindication of the history of the passage of the Red Sea, from some objections which have been made to the credibility or miraculousness of it. Secondly, to make a few criticisms on the sacred hymn which was composed on the occasion, and now, in part, read in your hear

more striking beauties. And, thirdly, to make a few remarks on sacred poesy in general, tending to evince its superior excellency; and to point out the delicacy and difficulty of attempting to amplify or imitate what the inspired poets have written, as helps to devotion. In the first I shall, without ceremony or apology, borrow the assistance of the pious and learned author of Dissertations, historical, critical, theological, and moral, on the most memorable events of the OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT history,-James Saurin, late minister of the French church Exodus xv. 1. 19, 5.

at the Hague. In the second, I shall sub-| And this concession is important, when we mit to be instructed by an ingenious, pious, consider that it comes from the mouth of an and eloquent professor of rhetoric in the un- enemy. versity of Paris, who has made choice of this passage, expressly for the purpose of exemplifying the majesty, beauty, and simplicity of the scripture style. And in the third, I shall do little more than transcribe from an elegant, penetrating, and instructive moralist of our own age and country. To return:

If we collect the several circumstances of this wonderful piece of history, it will readily be acknowledged, that there is here pre-thing like an insinuation that the passage of sented to the mind, one of the greatest, or rather a series of the greatest miracles, which the hand of Omnipotence ever wrought in behalf of any nation. It is not therefore to be wondered at if the enemies of revelation have endeavoured to sully their lustre, and impeach their credibility.