the usage of the Egyptians in their Typhonian sacrifices of human victims; while it converted another of their elements, and of their gods, the air, or ether, into an instrument of their chastisement. And now THE LORD for the first time "hardened the heart of Pharaoh," after he had so repeatedly hardened it himself, "and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses." Though Pharaoh probably felt the scourge of the boil, as well as his people, it did not soften nor humble his heart. And when he wilfully and obstinately turned away from the light, and shut his eyes against the luminous evidences vouchsafed to him of the supremacy of the GOD OF THE HEBREWS, and had twice broken his promise, when he was indulged with a respite, and dealt deceitfully, he became a peculiar object of just punishment, and the hardness or obduracy of his heart increased. And such is the usual and the righteous course of his providence: when nations or individuals despise the warnings of Heaven, abuse their best gifts, and resist the means of grace, God then delivers them over to a reprobate or undiscerning mind," work all uncleanness with greediness," Rom. i. 28; Eph. iv. 19; Exod. ix. 8—12. "to THE SEVENTH PLAGUE. This plague was announced to Pharaoh and his servants, with unusual solemnity. Moses was charged to make his wonted demand, which he did in these emphatic words: "Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until At the time appointed, "the morrow," Moses lifted up his rod towards heaven, and the predicted storm of hail, accompanied with fearful thunderings and vivid lightnings, the flames of which ran along the ground, commenced. The now." storm was so heavy, and the hailstones of such prodigious size and weight, that they killed man and beast, shattered the trees, and destroyed the crops of flax and barley. These effects had been intimated, and the prediction was mercifully coupled with the advice that those who believed, and feared the Lord, should place their servants and cattle under shelter before it took place; and the effect which had been produced upon the minds of the Egyptians is shown by the fact, that many of Pharaoh's servants did believe, and caused their servants and their cattle to "flee into the houses," lest they should be destroyed. Seeing that rain is exceedingly rare, and hail almost unknown in Egypt, so fearful a storm as this must have been one of the greatest marvels to the Egyptians. And it must have appeared more striking, since the land of Goshen was totally exempt from its effects. The obdurate heart of Pharaoh was, indeed, struck with awe at this visitation: he called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, "I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer." Moses, well acquainted with the monarch's character, plainly intimated that he placed no reliance on his promise; nevertheless, he engaged to obtain an immediate cessation of the storm. The storm ceased, and Pharaoh, when he saw there was respite, "hardened his heart, he and his servants; neither would he let the children of Israel go," Exod. ix. 13—35. THE EIGHTH PLAGUE. Another demand was made, and upon Pharaoh's refusing compliance, the arrival of an army of locusts was announced, which should destroy every green thing that had escaped the destroying effects of the hail. In announcing this visitation, mention is made of one very important object of this and the ensuing plagues: this was, that the faith of the Hebrews themselves might be confirmed. The army of locusts came, and they completed the havoc begun by the hail. The sacred historian says, they "went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt." Now, although locusts are very common in Arabia, they very rarely appear in Egypt; the Red Sea forming a barrier against them, as they are not formed for crossing seas, or for long flights. On the present occasion, however, they were enabled, by a strong east wind, to cross that sea from Arabia, which is another remarkable circumstance, as the prevailing winds in Egypt, blow six months from the north, and six months from the south. The plague must, therefore, have appeared to the Egyptians altogether preternatural. As such they looked upon it, and such was its powerful operation, that Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and avowed his fault, and begged for one reprieve more. "And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind," (which blew from the Mediterranean Sea, in a north-westerly direction,) " which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea," so completely, that "there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt." But when relief had been given, Pharaoh would not allow the Hebrews to take their families and flocks, though he was still willing that the men should do as they desired, Exod. x. 1-20. THE NINTH PLAGUE. ་ This obduracy on the part of the Egyptian monarch brought a new and most extraordinary plague upon Egypt. In that land, where a dark cloud seldom throws an obscuration on the clear blue face of the skies, for three days there was utter darkness-a darkness which, to use the sacred writer's own emphatic words, "might be felt," and which prevented the people from seeing one another. This phenomenon must have been not only astounding, but humiliating to the Egyptians, since their great deity, the sun, and darkness, another of their deities, were made the instruments of their punishment. Their consternation thereat is strongly represented by their total inaction. Petrified with horror, no one rose from "his place for three days," and Pharaoh, compelled to relax, offered to let the men and their families go, but he wished to keep the flocks and herds, as security for their return. Moses represented that, as they were going for the express purpose of offering sacrifices to Jehovah, it was necessary that the cattle should go with them; and he peremp torily declared, that "not a hoof" should be left behind, Exod. x. 21-27. But the proud monarch determined not to relinquish this last security which would remain to him, and Moses, perceiving his obstinacy, proceeded to predict another visitation. THE TENTH PLAGUE. The account of the last and most severe plague is best given in the emphatic words of Scripture:-" Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out." Such a threat, delivered in so high a tone, both in the name of the God of Israel and of Moses, exasperated the haughty monarch, and he answered, in sentences rendered abrupt by passion: "Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die." Moses withdrew from the monarch's presence, and finally from the court, to join the Hebrews in the land of Goshen, Exod. x. On that night, while the Jews were celebrating a newly instituted feast, the passover, which had reference to the coming event, the destroying angel went forth in a pestilence, and smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, as predicted. Throughout the whole country, there were lamentations and bitter weeping, for there was not a house into which death did not enter. The monarch himself rose up in the night, with his nobles, and the Egyptian people, in great sorrow; and he sent to Moses and Aaron a message to this effect: "Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also." The Egyptian people also, "were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men,” Exod. xi., xii. The Israelites obeyed the mandate, but the haughty monarch soon repented of what he had done; and, by a strange infatuation," he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him," and pursued after them. He overtook them, encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, (the mouth of the ridge,) over against Baal-zephon. When the children of Israel beheld him marching after them, they were alarmed, and were disposed to submit without resistance to their oppressors. "Let us alone," said they, "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." Moses did not deign to remonstrate with them, but meekly replied, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.' The Lord did interfere, and fight for Israel. At the lifting up of the rod of Moses, he opened a passage for them across the Red Sea; and the host of Pharaoh, presuming to follow after them, when the Hebrews were safely landed on the opposite shore, were involved in one common destruction. Again the prophet stretched his dreadful wand: The pride of Egypt was overwhelmed; "there remained not so much as one of them," Exod. xii., xiii., xiv. Manetho, and the Egyptian writers, says Dr. Hales, have passed over in silence this tremendous visitation of their nation. An ancient writer, however, Artapanus, who wrote a history of the Jews about B.c. 130, has preserved the following curious Egyptian traditions: "The Memphites relate, that Moses, being well acquainted with the country, watched the influx of the tide, and made the multitude pass over the dry [bed of the] sea. But the Heliopolitans relate, that the king with a great army, accompanied by the sacred animals, pursued after the Jews, who had carried off with them the substance of the Egyptians. And that Moses, having been |