in the creation as enables them to contemplate his wondrous works, and to hold communion with Him on earth; and who enjoy a well founded hope that they shall, after death, be happy in his presence for ever in heaven!

Water is bestowed by the bountiful CREATOR in such abundance, that few experience the want of it to a distressing degree; but let us imagine to ourselves what would be our unhappy condition, should this element, so necessary to our comfort and refreshment, be suddenly changed into blood, or taken from us! We learn, from this section before us, that the CREATOR has power to alter it as he sees fit, and he can as easily take it away; let us then be very careful not to provoke GOD, to deprive us of so invaluable a blessing, or turn it into a curse; and let us reflect on the numberless benefits we derive from water, that we may be thankful for GOD's goodness in bestowing it.

SECTION LXII.

THE PLAGUES OF FROGS, LICE, AND FLIES.

From Exodus, Chap. viii.

And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs.

And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and inte thy bed-chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house

of

of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs.

And the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt: and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.

And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only.

And he said, To-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know, that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.

And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried unto the LORD, because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

And the LORD did according to the word of Moses: and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

And they gathered them together upon heaps: and

the

the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them as the LORD had said.

it

may

And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so: for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man and in beast: and the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

And the magicians did so with their enchantments, to bring forth lice, but they could not so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them: as the Lord had said.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh: (lo, he cometh forth to the water :) and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people, go, that they may serve me :

Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to-morrow shall this sign be.

And the LORD did so: and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants houses, and into all the land of Egypt; the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.

and

And Pharaoh called for Moses, and Aaron, and said, Go ye sacrifice to your GOD in the land.

And Moses said, it is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our GoD; lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

We will go three days journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our GOD, as he shall command us.

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and rom his people, to-morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more, in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.

And the LORD did according to the word of Moses: and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people: there remained not

one.

And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The same that has been said respecting the changing of the water may be applied to the plague of frogs. It is manifest, that neither the magicians nor their idols possessed miraculous power, or it would have been displayed in driving the frogs, flies, and lice away; but instead of their being useful in this respect, Pharaoh was under the

necessity

necessity of intreating Moses and Aaron to supplicate the LORD, in order to obtain deliverance, yet he shewed no signs of repentance. He gave way to the power of the LORD, only because he was at that instant sensible of his own comparative weakness; but he felt no remorse or sorrow for his wickedness and presumption.

What a triumph had Moses and Aaron! The haughty tyrant, who a few days before had commanded them to work as his slaves, now becomes a supplicant to them for mercy!

By hearkening to the prayer of Moses, in behalf of Pharaoh, the LORD greatly honoured his minister. Well might Moses say ironically, to Pharaoh, "Glory

over me.”

The LORD was pleased to suffer Pharaoh to name the exact time at which the plague of frogs should be removed; and it is observable, that the king did not entreat that it might immediately cease, but mentioned the morrow; from which may be inferred, that he was unwilling to owe any thing to the LORD, supposing that the frogs would go of themselves by that time. The event agreeing with Pharaoh's own appointment, proved that all was the work of GOD. If Pharaoh had not had" a mind void of judgment," surely these wonders would have convinced him, that there is none like unto the LORD GOD.

By the dust, we may understand those light particles of earth, which being raised imperceptibly by the air, are only to be seen in the sun beams: and which, as they fall, lodge on every substance that is in the way to receive them; even these, changed into vermin, must have been very tormenting; and how wonderful was the transformation! Who but the CREATOR could effect it?