Yet they were fufficient to teach the inhabr tants of Goshen, that there was no illufion in these mighty operations: which perhaps they might have fufpected, had they not feen and felt, and born fome fhare in the evil. On the other hand Pharaoh and his fervants, when they faw God's people involved in the fame calamities with themfelves, might have fancied, that there was nothing particular in the judgments; and in 'confequence of it not fo diftinctly feen, to whom they were directed. Hence the scope of Providence would have been defeated. It therefore pleased God in the plague of flies, and in those, which came after, to separate the land of his own people: and preserve them from these evils.—' I will fever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no fwarms of flies fhall be there; to the end thou mayeft know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. And I will put a divifion between my people and thy people: to-morrow shall this fign be.-The Ifraelites * Exod. c. 8. v. 22. The land of Goshen was part of that nome, called afterwards Heliopolis, which had been deferted Ifraelites having experienced the former evils must have been more intimately affected with this immunity, by which they were distinguished. And they must in confequence of it have been more ready to follow their great leader; who was the immediate agent of Providence both to punish, and to preferve. The Fifth Plague. MURRAIN OF BEASTS. EXODUS, Chapter ix. V. 1. Then the Lord faid unto Mofes, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus faith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may ferve me. V. 2. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them ftill, deferted by the fhepherds, and lay vacant, when the children of Ifrael came into Egypt. It was a tongue-like piece of land, where the Nile first divided at a place called Cercafora. Said, or Upper Egypt, lay above: and Mesre, or Lower Egypt, was in a line downward. Nothing but a miracle could have preferved this intermediate land from flies, which fwarmed both above and below. V. 3. Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horfes, upon the affes, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the Sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. V. 4. And the Lord fhall fever between the cattle of Ifrael, and the cattle of Egypt: and there fhall nothing die of all that is the children's of Ifrael. V.5. And the Lord appointed a fet time, faying, To-morrow the Lord fhall do this thing in the land. V. 6. And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Ifrael died not one. This judgment fo precifely foretold, and fo early carried into execution, must have had a great effect upon the minds of the Egyptians. And when they found, that the cattle of the Ifraelites were exempted from this evil, they could not but perceive the hand of God manifeft throughout the whole operation. In confequence of which they must have been more ready to let the Ifraelites go, and to affift them at their departure, as soon as the the obdurate heart of their prince was finally foftened. It must likewife have rendered the Ifraelites more willing to depart, and to leave the gods of the country; to which they undoubtedly had before an 'attachment. And here we may obferve a particular scope and meaning in this calamity, if we confider it in regard to the Egyptians, which would not have existed in refpect to any other people. It is well known, that they held in idolatrous reverence the lion, wolf, dog, cat, ape and goat. As they bordered upon. Lybia they must have been vifited by wild beasts, all which they esteemed facred. Έεσα δε Αιγυπτος ὁμερος τη Λιβύη δεν μαλα θηριώδης εςι. ταδε εοντα σφι άπαντα ἱρα νενομιςαι. Herod. 1. 2. c. 64. p. 134. Porphyry likewife tells us εις θεοποιαν παρελαβον παν ζωον. P. 372. όθεν και ὁ λεων ὡς θεος θρησκευ * See Ezekiel, c. xx. v. 8. 3 2 The tiger, dubber, or ahena are still to be found: but not common. Pocock. Egypt. p. 207. Probably fince the use of fire-arms they have been kept at a distance. So I fhould read, as the context seems to require, instead of ov. H 2 ASHMOLEAT OXFORD MUSLUM ται. Tai. ib. P. 373 -μετα ταυτα και παντα τα Zwα-σεCxon. p. 374. They admitted every animal as a representative of their gads.— Hence the lion is by them worshipped as a deity and together with thefe specified they worship every living creature. Hence Virgil very truly mentions -Latrator Anubis Omnigenûmque deûm monstra. Lucian accordingly with much wit ridicules the inconfiftency of their worship by fhowing how little any temple among them correfponded with the object, which it contained. Κακει γαρ αυτος μεν νεως, καλλιςος τε και μεγιςος, λίθοις τοις πολυτελεσιν ησκημένος, και χρυσῳ και γραφαις διηνθισμένος, ενδον δε ην ζητης τον Θεόν, η πιθηκος εςιν, η Ιβις, η τραγος, η αίλερος. In Egypt the temple itself is found to be beautiful, and ample in its dimenfions: built with choice ftones: and ornamented with gilding and hieroglyphics. But if you pry within to find out the god, you meet with a monkey, or a crane or elfe a goat, or a cat. But they had gods, which were held in ftill greater P. 955. EMOVES. v. 2. p. 12. See alfo Oswv Exxλnoia. V. 2. reverence, |