which God saw fit to manifest himself. Nor is the opinion which many have held, to be regarded as resting on slight grounds, that this Angel, or visi ble manifestation of Jehovah, was no other than the Son of God," the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person;" the eternal Word, ee who was in the beginning with God, and was God;" and who, taking upon himself the nature of man, afterwards appeared in our world as the Messiah, the Redeemer of our lost and ruined race.

The voice continues, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters; for I know their sorrows. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me; and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

This was a momentous undertaking, attended with many and great difficulties; and it appeared

to Moses the more so, thus to be intrusted to the agency of a single individual. Besides, he regarded himself as among those who were the least qualified to assume its weighty responsibility and duties. With unfeigned humility he replied, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

God assured Moses, that he would be with him, and impart all needed wisdom and strength; and bade him consider the miracle of the burning and unconsumed bush which he witnessed, as a convincing evidence of the certainty of this. He also told him, that he would yet live to see this encouraging promise fulfilled in the striking fact, that, after he had delivered the Israelites from their bondage and brought them out of Egypt, they should serve God upon the very mountain where

he then was.

But the obstacles to be removed rose up, in all their formidable array, before the mind of the fearful Moses. He began to anticipate the doubts which his countrymen might feel with regard to the fact of his being really sent by God to them. There is reason to think, too, that many of them had fallen into gross ignorance respecting the religion of their fathers, and been influenced, in some degree, by the false notions and idolatrous practices of the Egyptians. They would have, it was

to be feared, quite imperfect views of the character of that Almighty Being in whose name their professed deliverer would come, and of his power to carry into effect his gracious designs.

"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them?"

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

"And God said, moreover, unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."

What higher assurance could they want, that Moses had come from the ever-living and true God? The simple and sublime name which he gives to himself, would show this. Unlike the false, temporary, and changeable deities of the heathen, he claims the character of eternal self-existence. He is the immutable Jehovah, the same yesterday, today, and for ever,-in whose never-varying power and truth the most implicit confidence can be placed.

And to this he adds the appellation by which he

had so long been known to the Israelites and to their ancestors, the Lord God, the Jehovah Elohim, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.

Coming in the name, and under the authority of such a Being, the countrymen of Moses could not but receive him, and acknowledge his divine commission. Why then should he fear? I AM THAT I AM had sent him, and would prepare the way of safety and success before him.

Did you ever seriously think, my young friend, of the true character of this great and glorious Jehovah; who he is,—and of what infinite importance it is to you to know who he is, and to be suitably affected by that knowledge?

You are what you are, because God created you, and sustains you in being. And this is equally true of all beings and things except God. He is uncreated. His source of being is in himself. He is self-existent. He is now, what he always has been, and will ever be, the same Jehovah, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Think of the wisdom and power, the holiness and justice, the goodness and truth of such a Being. He requires you to love him supremely, to obey his commands, and to devote yourself to his service. He calls upon you to secure his favor by repentance for sin, and faith in that Saviour whom he has provided for you.

It is a thing fearful beyond conception, to incur

his just and terrible displeasure by disobedience, impenitence, and unbelief! It is an unspeakable privilege and happiness to secure his eternal friendship!

CHAPTER VIII.

God directs Moses to go to Egypt with a message to Pharaoh. Moses is reluctant to perform this duty.

Having given Moses the name which was to express the divine majesty and truth, and by the authority of which he was to act in his mission to the Israelites, God now lays upon him a positive injunction, to proceed directly in this great enterprise. He ordered him to go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them, that God had witnessed their sufferings, and would speedily rescue them from bondage, and bring them to the promised land. He assured Moses, at the same time, that they would hearken to what he should say to them; and that he and the elders must go to the king of Egypt, and deliver this message :

"The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with