them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

15. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

17. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

18. And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the Lord.

19. And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

20. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

21. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

22. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

23. They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

24. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.

25. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.

26. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither.

27. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

28. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

29. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

Of the two additional judgments inflicted upon Pharaoh, of which we have just read, the latter is, perhaps, the most astonishing (though not the most dreadful) of all the ten plagues, under which that rebellious monarch suffered. In proof of this, we may observe, that in the enumeration of these "signs and wonders," made by David in the 105th Psalm, he commences with this plague, although the last but one of those which were inflicted, for he begins by saying, “He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen; they showed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made it dark;" and after thus selecting this, he continues to narrate the remaining nine plagues in the exact order in which they occurred,

There was evidently something so strikingly above nature, in this miracle, that we are not surprised that it brought Pharaoh nearer to an absolute and unconditional surrender, than all that had preceded it. He now gives full permission for the Israelites to go not only into the land, but into the wilderness; not only they that were men, but their "little ones," also, may go with them; in fact, he appears to be upon the point of conceding every thing, when the avarice of the monarch again interferes, and he cannot consent to the loss of the cattle, as well as the slaves; and therefore destroys every concession he has made, by adding, "Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed.” Again, how do we trace the similitude be«

tween the hardened king, and the sinner bargaining with God! "I will give up every thing; I will yield all that God demands," says the terror-smitten conscience; only let this one sin be excepted, only this one criminal indulgence be left behind, and all the rest shall be yielded at God's summons, all that remains shall be given up for Christ. Alas! this worthless reserve: "Only this," which Satan induces him to keep, has utterly destroyed the imperfect sacrifice; he has just kept back enough to cost him his life, and Satan is perfectly satisfied; God may have all the rest. Well has St. James written, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."* So was it with Pharaoh; he contends for keeping the cattle, Moses insists that not "a hoof shall be left behind," and the contest terminates by an increase of Pharaoh's obduracy, and a greater and wider alienation than ever between him and his Almighty Maker. He is no longer content to drive Moses indignantly from his presence, but carrying his hostility one step farther, he exclaims, "Get from me: take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face, thou shalt die.” So quickly, where there is the power, is contempt for God's messengers succeeded by persecution; for thus invariably has "the seed of the serpent" treated "the seed of the woman," in every age in which the arm of power has been wholly uncontrolled by truly Christian principle, or coerced by divine authority.

The most affecting and interesting portion to the Christian, of this last plague, is the simple declara

* James ii. 10.

tion, that while there was a thick darkness that might be felt, over all the land of Egypt, which so penetrated the houses, evidently to the extinction of artificial lights as well as natural, that "none rose from his place for three days," "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." How beautiful an instance of the tender compassion and discriminating love of our heavenly Father; and how often manifested even at the present day, and amidst his lesser visitations. Witness a season of great commercial trial, or of extensive individual ruin, or of dark and dreary family affliction-how wonderfully does the Lord still put a difference between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not! The houses of the latter are, indeed, filled with darkness and consternation; the only light that guided their course, the pole star of the world, has failed them, and they know not where to look, or whither to fly; they can only sit in sullen, silent sorrow, until despair shall have done its cruel, and not unfrequent work, or time shall have brought its usual slow and heartless remedy. Whereas, let the external darkness be what it will, "even the darkness which may and must be felt," all the children of God have light in their dwellings; they have, as David expresses it, "the lantern" of the written word, the lamp of a Father's unfailing love, the light of the Sun of righteousness, continually shedding around them calmness and hope. Why should they despond? All is dark without, but all is bright within; and though there may be momentary exceptions and transient clouds, their light shall continue, until the joy and peace of the Chris

tian's home on earth is exchanged for the far brighter light and holier joy, and more enduring peace, which await him in the many mansions of his Father's house.

EXPOSITION XXVIII.

EXODUS xi. 1-10.

1. And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

2. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

3. And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyp tians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

4. And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

5. And all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the first-born of beasts.

6. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

7. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast; that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

8. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great unger.