vation of Moses; his flight into Midian; his call and mission to Pharaoh; the miracles performed by him and Aaron; the ten plagues, in which the supreme power of Jehovah was shown, in striking contrast, with the absolute weakness and contemptible meanness of the gods of Egypt.

The name of this book signifies "going out ;" and the manner in which the Israelites "went out,” is particularly described; as also their passage through the Red sea; the destruction of the Egyptian army; Israel's triumph, travels, idolatry, and punishment; the giving of the law on Sinai, and the institution of that form of worship which prevailed among the Jews until the time of Christ.

The circumstances attending the plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians, which are recorded in this book, are fully treated upon by Mr. Bryant, in his learned treatise upon this subject, from which the following particulars are extracted by Mr. Horne :

"As many of the Israelites were followers of the idolatry that surrounded them, these miracles were admirably adapted to display the vanity of the idols and false gods adored by their oppressors, the proud and learned Egyptians.

1. By the plague of water turned into blood, was demonstrated the superiority of Jehovah over their imaginary gods. The Nile was religiously honored by the Egyptians; they valued it much upon the excellence of its waters, and esteemed all the natives of the river as in some degree sacred. When, therefore, the Nile was turned into blood, how must these idolaters have abhorred that which had so long been the object of their reverence.

2. In the plague of frogs, the object of their idolatrous worship, the Nile, was made an instrument of their punishment. Frogs were esteemed sacred by the Egyptians, but now they are their annoyance, and the waters of their sacred river become a second time polluted, and the land is equally defiled.

3. The plague of lice reproved their superstition; they thought it would be a great profanation of their temples if they entered into them with any animalcula of this sort upon them. The priests never wore woollen garments, but only linen,* because that is least apt to produce lice. The judgment inflicted by Moses in this plague, was so proper, that the priests and magicians immediately perceived from whose hand it came, and confessed that it was the finger of God.

4. The plague of flies, which was inflicted in the midst of winter, and not in summer, when Egypt swarmed with flies, would show the Egyptians the folly of the god they worshipped, who was supposed to have power to drive them away in summer, but could not now prevent their coming in winter.

5. The plague of murrain, (a contagious disease among cattle,) destroyed the living objects of their stupid worship. The sacred bull, the cow, or heifer, the ram, and the he-goat, fell down dead before their worshippers. In this the Egyptians not only suffered loss, but beheld their deities sink before the God of the Hebrews.

6. As the Egyptians were celebrated for their

*How often do we read of the "fine linen" of Egypt, in many parts of Scripture!

medical skill, (of which the art of embalming dead bodies is still a proof,) and their physicians were held in the highest repute, the infliction of boils and blains, (boils that bred worms and burst,) which neither the deities could avert, nor the art of man alleviate, would farther show the vanity of their gods. The Egyptians had long been in the practice of sacrificing human victims, by burning them on a high altar, and at the close of the sacrifice, taking their ashes and scattering them in the air, for the good of the people. Now Moses and Aaron take ashes from the furnace, and scatter them abroad, but with a different intention, and to a more certain effect.

7. The plague of rain, hail, and fire, demonstrated that neither their god Osiris, who presided over fire, nor Isis, who presided over water, could protect the fields of Zoan" from the rain, hail, and lightning of Jehovah.

8. The devastation produced by the plague of locusts, must have convinced these idolaters that the gods in whom they trusted could not deliver them from the power of the God of the Hebrews. They trusted much to the fruitfulness of their soil, and to their deities Isis and Serapis, who were the conservators of all plenty. But, by this judgment, they were taught that it was impossible to stand before Moses, the servant of the true God. The very winds which they venerated, were made the instruments of their destruction; and the sea, which they regarded as their defence against locusts, could not afford them any protection.

9. The plague of darkness, would confirm the

Egyptians still more, if confirmation were necessary, in the belief of the impotency of their gods. They considered light, and fire, the purest of elements, to be proper types of God. They regarded the sun as an emblem of his glory, and the soul of the world, and considered the sun and moon as the Creators, conservators, and rulers of all things.

10. The destruction of the first-born, was a just retribution; for after the Egyptians had been preserved by one of the Israelitish family, they had, contrary to all right, enslaved the people to whom they were so much indebted; had murdered their children, and made their bondage intolerable." The book of Exodus presents us with several types of Christ, such as Moses, Aaron, the Paschal Lamb, the Rock in Horeb, the Mercy Seat, &c.

The next book is called LEVITICUS, because it treats of the laws, ordinances, and offices of the Levitical priesthood. This book throws considerable light upon many passages of the New Testament, which would be quite unintelligible without it; and the Epistle to the Hebrews, in return, is the best comment on this book. The things herein described, are shadows of better things to come, even of Christ, and of redemption through him. The Old Testament gospel is well expressed in the following lines, by Cowper :

Israel in ancient days,

Not only had a view
Of Sinai in a blaze,

But learned the gospel too.

The types and figures were a glass,
In which they saw a Saviour's face.

The paschal sacrifice,

And blood-besprinkled door,
Seen with enlightened eyes,

And once applied with power,
Would teach the need of other blood
To reconcile the world to God.

The Lamb, the dove, set forth
His perfect innocence,
Whose blood of matchless worth,

Should be the soul's defence;
For he who would for sin atone,
Must have no failings of his own.

The scape-goat on his head
The people's trespass bore,
And to the desert led,

Was to be seen no more,
In him our surety seem'd to say
Behold, I bear your sins away.

Dipt in his fellow's blood,
The living bird went free,
The type well understood,
Expressed the sinner's plea,
Describ'd a guilty soul enlarg'd,
And by a Saviour's death discharg❜d.

Jesus, I love to trace,

Throughout the sacred page,

The footsteps of thy grace,

The same in every age:

O grant that I may faithful be,

To clearer light vouchsafed to me!"

Whoever attentively examines the ceremonial laws of Moses, will see, if not feel, the justice of the following remarks: