same God who delivered them from Pharaoh, deliver them from the Philistines? Most undoubtedly; but this was not his plan. Because the Lord was with his people, they were not, therefore, to tempt dangers; the Lord proportions the trials of his people to their strength and as their bodies had been enervated, and their spirits broken with long and severe slavery, they were now ill prepared to engage in war. "The Lord

worketh wonders," and had done so in Egypt; but he always chooses his own time and way; and it was proved in the issue, that the way the people were led, though not a near way, was "a right way to their city of habitation." Nor would, in fact, any victory that might have been miraculously given them, have equally displayed the glory of God as the cloud and the pillar which now attended them, and the passage of the Red sea, which now lay before them.

18. RED SEA. The Red sea. This sea has Egypt on the west, Arabia on the east, and a little of Idumea, or Edom, on the north. The original name of the sea was that of Edom, which in the Hebrew signifies red, and was given to Esau, because he sold his birthright for a mess of red pottage. But the Greeks, not knowing the reason, instead of calling the sea, in their language, as it ought to have been, the sea of Edom, literally translated the word Edom, and called it the Red sea. From this, some have supposed it had a red appearance; but this is not so. This sea is also called in Scripture by a Hebrew word, which signifies the weedy sea, or reedy sea; but the name was not descriptive, for it is not at all a weedy sea.

HARNESSED. Arranged in a kind of military order.

19. STRAITLY. Strictly. Joseph had made the Israelites take a solemn oath to take his bones with them. Gen. 1. 25.

20. ENCAMPED.

Pitched their tents.

ETHAM. A name given to a part of the wilderness of Shur which lay nearest to the Red sea.

21. PILLAR OF A CLOUD. A column made of a cloud.

S

The Lord went in this. In the night the Lord, made it light, so that they could march by its light.

As to the pillar of the cloud, it appears calculated for two ends-their direction and protection; the former by passing usually before them, and directing them in their way: and the latter by removing occasionally behind them, and protecting them from their enemies, as we shall see in the next chapter. The cloud, however, protected them in another way; for it shaded them from the scorching sun, and occasionally afforded them refreshing dews.

REFLECTIONS.

29. The judgments of God are sure to come, no matter how long they are delayed; and when they do come they will be found to be terrific indeed. 1 Peter iii. 3-12.

30. Death always occasions a great cry. It is one of those dispensations intended by God to make the survivors feel his hand, and prepare to meet Him.

31-33. Pharaoh and his people were now really frightened, but they had no sincere desires to repent. They let the people go, because they were afraid. How many sinners are terrified by God's judgments, and yet are unwilling to give God their hearts.

37. God's people became a great multitude, notwithstanding all opposition; and so it ever will be: the people of God must increase; none can hinder. Ps. xi. the whole.

32. The providences of God ought always to be had in grateful remembrance. See Rom. xii. 1, 2.

Chapter xiii. 17, 18. God's way is always the best. It may not be the shortest to accomplish our wishes, but always the safest and the best.

19. No promise that it is lawful to make ought ever to be broken. Moses knew this.

20-22. "Those whom God brings into a wilder

ness He will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to lead them through it. Only trust in God."

God is his people's guide by day or by night. Serve the Lord and fear not. God will never forsake those who love him.

"Fear not, O Israel; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil." (Ps. cxxi. 6, 7.)

LESSON 38.-Exodus xiv. 5-9, 10, 19-23, 26-31.

5. TOLD. Some one gave the king information. FLED. Instead of returning after the three days which they required, they went on rapidly, really intending never to come back.

HEART OF PHARAOH AND HIS PEOPLE WAS TURNED. Their minds were altered as to the expediency of having let the people go. They had before been anxious that they should go, but now they regretted it, because they would for ever lose their services.

WHY HAVE WE DONE THIS? We have been frightened unnecessarily. We have been very foolish to give up our servants.

LET ISRAEL GO. The people of Israel.

FROM SERVING US. Being our slaves. The great reason why the Egyptians were displeased with themselves was, that in consequence of the departure of the Israelites, they would have to work for themselves. Their selfishness and avarice got the better of their judgment, and induced them even to forget the calamities they had endured in consequence of keeping Israel in bondage.

6. HE MADE READY. Ordered to be prepared.

HIS CHARIOT. The chariot which he rode in when he went out to war.

HIS PEOPLE. Under absolute monarchs, all the peo

ple are liable to be called upon for military duty. He took them as soldiers.

7. CHOSEN CHARIOTS. The very best that he had. The war chariots of the Egyptians. We have some accounts of the war chariots of the ancients. Sometimes they were drawn by two, and sometimes by four horses. Each of these chariots generally carried three persons. One was to drive, and was called the charioteer: he very seldom fought. Another was employed with a shield, to defend the charioteer: and the third was the one that did the principal part of the fighting. Among some ancient nations they had scythes fastened to the axletrees of these chariots, which must have been very dreadful and destructive.

SIX HUNDRED. The ancient monarchs used to have an immense number of chariots for war. We read in other parts of Scripture of the immense number of chariots employed in the wars of the people. See Judges iv. 3.

8. HARDENED THE HEART. In judgment for his wickedness, let him have his own way.

PURSUED. Followed after, anxious to overtake. Took the same route.

WENT OUT. From Egypt.

HIGH HAND. Were fearless and unconscious of danger; rejoicing. They had departed with the permission of Pharaoh, and therefore did not expect any pursuit.

The

9. OVERTOOK. Came up in sight of them. ENCAMPING. To encamp, is to place tents. meaning of the word, in the original, is in the plain. Armies usually sought the plains to pitch their tents in, and thus we have the word encamp.

BESIDE PI-HAHIROTH. This word means "the mouth of the ridge." It was an opening, therefore, in the chain of mountains which line the western coast of the Red sea. There was a valley which extended itself from the wilderness of Etham to the Red sea. The road which the Israelites took is impossible to be accu

tately ascertained; though, from the minuteness of the circumstances, it may be rationally conjectured. There are two roads which conduct from the part of Egypt where they were, to the Red sea. One of these roads runs through a remarkable break in the mountains, and then gets into a valley, which runs quite to the sea. This valley is called Boadeah, and is bounded on the north by a range of mountains called Attackah, and on the south by another called Gerroubee. These mountains both jut out into the sea, and form what are called promontories.

The situation of the Israelites, then, was very peculiar, when Pharaoh overtook them. They were in this narrow valley. On the left hand, they had the mountain called Attackah; on the right hand, the mountain called Gerroubee; in the front, they had the Red sea, which was here twelve miles wide, and behind them they had the army of Egyptians. This was the situation in which God saw fit to bring them, that their deliverance might appear the more signally as his work. This place is called by the Arabs to this day Fiah-Beni-Israel, which means, the road of the Israel

ites.

BAAL-ZEPHON.

The lord, or master, of the watch. This was either an idol temple, or most likely a kind of light-house.

10. SORE AFRAID. Very much alarmed.

CRIED. Prayed. They did not pray in faith, or else they would not have wickedly murmured against Moses, and against God, as they immediately did.

13. THE ANGEL OF GOD. The angel who all along had accompanied them in the pillar of the cloud and of fire. See chap. xiii. 21. This angel is called the Lord.

20. CLOUD AND DARKNESS TO THEM. It prevented the Egyptians from seeing the Israelites, or coming near them.

IT GAVE LIGHT BY NIGHT TO THEM, It enabled the Israelites to see just as well as if it had been day. The