borrowed of the Egyptians the jewels of filver, and gold; and also raiment. And the Lord gave the people favour in the fight of the Egyptians, fo that they lent them: and they Spoiled the Egyptians. Ver. 36. In this manner they were by the king's order fent away, together with their flocks, and herds, and with their women, and children: for upon this * Mofes had previously insisted. The words of Pharaoh were, † Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both you and the children of Ifrael. The whole of Ifrael was collectively fent away: They were thruft out of Egypt. From hence, I think, it appears manifeft, that they were not expected to come back. If fo, what is stiled a‡ loan, must have been a gift; and no return defired. But, not to infift upon this, let us confider the process of the history. The children of Ifrael, in full confidence of the king's affurances, fet out upon their march; and about the third day arrive upon

* Exod. x. 10. xii. 37.

+ Exod. xii. 31.-So Exod. xi. 1. He fhall furely thrust you out bence all together.

According to the Greek verfion, the Ifraelites asked for these things, and they were given.

$ 4

the

the border of the Red Sea.

Pharaoh, contrary to his faith given, collects-* fix bundred chofen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of themand he pursued after the children of Ifrael:

-and found them encamping by the fea. The alarm was great: for their fituation was fuch as prevented all opportunity of escaping. Death was inevitable to the greater part: and to those, who might furvive, a renewal of Egyptian bondage. In these difficulties it pleased God to order the Ifraelites about midnight to pass forward through the fea which parted, and gave them a free paffage to the other fide, whither they arrived in safety. Their enemies blindly pursued after them: when the waters returned to their original bed; and the Egyptians were overwhelmed in the abyss, The people the next morning faw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

Such was the fituation of the Ifraelites, who had borrowed filver, gold, and raiment: which it is faid, that they ought to

* Exod. xiv. 7, 8,

have returned. But to whom? to the
Egyptians, who had purfued them? They
were all dead, which rendered it impoffible.
Befides, if any thing were really due, Pha-
raoh and his people by breach of faith had
cancelled the obligation. But let us fup-
pofe, that the Ifraelites, after having per-
formed their purposed facrifices, had re-
turned to Egypt with a defign to give back,
what is faid to have been lent. They muft
have been idiots, if, after all they had fuf-
fered, they did not come to a compromise.
The address at the first interview, according
to strict justice, muft have been to this
pofe: We are come back in order to make
proper reftitution of the things you lent us.
But before we return, what we borrowed from
you: be pleafed to restore, what you previously,
and illegally, took from us. Pay us for the
fervices, unjustly demanded of us, and of our
fathers, for above an hundred years. Pay us
for the vaffalage, to which we were unduly
fubjected, and the bondage, under which we
groaned: when you took us from our legal
poffeffions, guaranteed to us by your ancestors,
and Scattered us over the face of the country.

pur

When

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When you exacted a fevere task, and gave us not the requifites to perform it. Make returns for the loss of our liberty; for the stripes and indignities, which, though a free people, you obliged us to endure. Laftly, make a proper retribution for the murder of our innocents, whom you either ftrangled at the birth, or elfe threw into the river. When your accounts have been properly stated, fee on which fide the balance lies. To thefe arguments no anfwer could be given. When therefore fuch an estimate is made, it will be found to turn out greatly in favour of the Ifraelites. How then can a perfon be blamed for not returning a mina, who has a demand of a talent? or not paying ten pounds, where he is owed a thousand? The prior and greater obligation is first to be confidered. But all the gold, and silver, and all the precious things, of Egypt could not atone for the injuftice done to the Ifraelites. Befides, as I have before faid, if there had been any thing due, Pharaoh and his people by their breach of faith cancelled all obligation. Their injurious attack drove the Ifraelites away, and precluded all re

*

turn,

turn.

And after all we may be certain,

that no return was expected.

Of the Negroes.

Another objection to the veracity of the scriptures has been founded upon a notion, that the negroes are a feparate race of men: and therefore could not poffibly be derived from Adam, or Noah, as we are taught by Moses. In answer to this I recur to my former pofition, that we should not yield to any idle doubts, after our faith is well founded. In confequence of this I afk, if the authenticity of the scriptures, and the truth of the Chriftian religion, have not been sufficiently proved? If so, we fhould not fuffer any foreign and precarious article to disturb our peace of mind. Let the Negroes fhift for themselves. And after all the whole is merely a furmife; for there is not the least authority for the notion. It may therefore appear unneceffary to refute it. But as a confutation may ferve to fhew the weakness of these arguments, and how wrong we are, after our faith is determined, to admit fuch undue influence,

I will