THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT.

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VIII.

DID THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT PERFORM MIRACLES

BY SATANIC AID?

REMEMBER that I am addressing many who

believe the miraculous narrative in Exodus ; but I am in the presence of some who will say, "We do not believe that any miracles were wrought at all. You need not trouble yourself to prove that the Magicians performed no miracles by the aid of the devil. We are not dotards. We see no cause to believe that any of the 'ten plagues' were miracles."

Yet, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery has been commemorated for ages -the separate and peculiar existence of the Jews is known to us all-and the history, as recorded in the Book of Exodus, is so striking an instance of the reality of God's moral government in the world, that I know nothing in history better worth

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HOW THE NARRATIVE BEGINS.

believing if we feel that the existence of an Almighty Moral Governor is of any worth to us.

Besides, I wish to enable those who hear me to see how easy it is, by paying strict attention to the Scripture narrative, and reading it naturally—as we read other books-to clear out of our way what Bishop Colenso and others have so boldly stated to be inexplicable difficulties and impossible relations.

Let us, therefore, look fully and fairly at the Scripture history of the "Plagues of Egypt," and of the deliverance of the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage. I want you all to look at what I conceive to be the real meaning and purpose of the history. I feel sure that that will not only be the best means of convincing yourselves that the Magicians were not assisted by Satanic power, and that all they did was to play the part of low, paltry dissemblers and jugglers-but that some reflection on the history of the deliverance from bondage of the children of Israel will be of solid value to us all, as creatures amenable, ourselves, to the moral government of God.

Turn to your Bibles, and read, in the third chapter of Exodus, how Moses beholds the burning bush,

GOD COMMISSIONS MOSES.

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hears the awful voice of God, and is told to put off his shoes, for the place on which he stands is holy ground. Moses hides his face, and God declares that He has seen the affliction of His people, and will send Moses to bring them forth out of Egypt. "Who am I," says Moses, "that I should go unto Pharaoh, and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? and when I am come unto them, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they shall say unto me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?" And when God has declared His Name to be "I AM "the name indicating that none has sole, underived, necessary existence but Himself-Moses is directed to go and gather the Elders of Israel together, and declare to them how God has determined to deliver His people.

Moses still refuses and hesitates, and is then commanded to cast down his rod, and it becomes a serpent, and again becomes a rod-to put his hand into his bosom, and it becomes leprous, and again it is restored. Moses is then told that if neither of these signs convince the Elders, he is to take of the water of the river-the

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MOSES BEFORE THE ELDERS OF

Nile and pour it on the ground, and it shall become blood. Aaron meets Moses, by God's direction, and Aaron learns how the Almighty has appeared to his brother; and, together, they go. and gather all the Elders of the children of Israel together.

It would seem that the heads of the tribes lived in some degree of state and honour during the period of bondage. Most likely they exercised a sort of limited magistracy over their own people. It would hardly have been possible to keep so many millions of people in a state of slavery, unless certain political expedients had been used by the Egyptians. The "Elders" would thus have great importance in the eyes of the tribes, and would be an unquestionable authority in their decisions.

The words in which the behaviour of the Elders is related are so important that I quote them literally : "And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the Elders of the children of Israel : and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

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of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped."

The first great necessary step in the enterprise God has committed to Moses is now accomplished. He is received by the Elders-the heads of the tribes of Israel. They believe the signs displayed before them to be God's seal that the mission of Moses is true. They hear the account of God's condescension and goodness, and they gratefully bow their heads and worship. They acknowledge that they have witnessed God's power, and they accept Moses and Aaron as God's appointed leaders of their long-expected deliverance.

And now it is easy to see what would naturally follow. The Elders would solemnly and authoritatively announce the good news to the people, and bid them prepare for leaving the land of bondage. The people would circulate the good news-the hearts of the millions of captives would be filled with the inspiration of hope and the exultation of confidence; nor would they be able to restrain themselves; the Egyptians would soon learn how confidently their captives expected speedy deli