A. Yes: he and his brother Simeon dealt very treacherously and cruelly with them, in slaying them after they had made a covenant of peace with them, Gen. xxxiv.

75 Q. How did Jacob bear this?

A. He severely reproved them for it, and upon his death-bed, by the spirit of prophecy, pronounced a curse upon them, that they should be scattered abroad through all the land of Israel, Gen. xxxiv. 30. and xlix. 5.

76 Q. Was this curse executed?

A. Yes, in some measure, for the Simeonites as well as Levites had their possessions scattered among all the tribes of Israel; but the curse of the Levites was lightened by their having the priesthood given them, Joshua xxi.

77 Q. What is there remarkable relating to Judah? A. He dealt very basely with his daughter-in-law Tamar, and committed shameful wickedness, Gen. xxxviii.

78 Q. Did God forgive this sin?

A. Yes, God forgave it so far as not to punish his posterity for it: for the kingdom and government in future ages was promised chiefly to his family, Gen.

xlix. 10.

79 Q. What is there remarkable said of Joseph?

A. His brethren sold him for a slave into Egypt, where he became the ruler of the land, Gen. xxxvii. 27. and xlii. 6. Acts vii. 9, 10.

80 Q. Why did they sell him?

A. For envy, because his father loved him, and made him a coat of many colours, and because he dreamed that they should bow down to him, Gen. xxxvii. 3, 4.

81 Q. What was his first station in the land of Egypt? A. He was servant in the house of Potiphar, a captain of the guard, and by a false accusation of his master's wife he was cast into prison, though he was entirely innocent, Gen. xxxix.

82 Q. What was the occasion of his advancement?

A. He interpreted the dreams of some of his fellow prisoners, and when the interpretation proved true, then he was sent for to court to interpret the king's dream, Gen. xli.

83 Q. And did this raise Joseph to be the ruler of Egypt?

A. Yes; he was thus advanced, because he foretold the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, which Pharaoh the king dreamed of under two different emblems of good and bad ears of corn, and of seven fat kine and seven lean ones, Gen. xli. 39.

84 Q. How did Joseph carry himself towards his brethren in his advancement?

A. In the famine they came down to buy corn in Egypt, and bowed down to him, according to his dreams; but he treated them roughly at first as a great lord and a stranger, till their consciences smote them for their former cruelty to him, Gen. xlii. 7, 19, 21.

85 Q. Did he revenge himself upon them?

A. No, but he made himself known to them with much affection and tenderness, Gen. xlv.

86 Q. How did he manifest his forgiveness of them? A. He sent for his father, and bade his brethren bring all their families into Egypt, and he maintained them all during the famine, Gen. xlv. 4-7.

87 Q. Did Jacob die in Egypt?

A. Yes; but according to his desire his body was carried up to the land of Canaan, and was buried there in faith of the promise, that his seed should possess the land, Gen. xlix. 29, and 1. 13.

88 Q. What became of the families of Israel after Joseph's death?

A. They were made slaves in Egypt, and a new king, who knew not Joseph, sorely oppressed them and endeavoured to destroy them, Exod. i. 13, 14, 16, 22.

89 Q. Did Joseph, as well as his father, profess

any hope of his family and kindred returning from Egypt in following times?

A. Yes, he died in faith of the promise made to his fathers, that they should go and possess the land of Canaan; and therefore he required them when they went, to carry up his bones, and bury them in the promised land, Gen. 1. 24, 25.

CHAPTER III.

THE DELIVERANCE OF THE ISRAELITES FROM EGYPT, AND OF MOSES AND AARON.

1 Q. WHO delivered the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt?

A. God heard their cry, and delivered them by the hand of Moses and Aaron, Exod. iii. 9, 10. and xii. 31. Josh. xxiv. 5, 6.

2 Q. Who was Moses?

A. He was one of the family of Levi among the people of Israel, who was wonderfully saved from drowning when he was an infant, Exod. ii. 10.

3 Q. How was he in danger of drowning?

A. Pharaoh the king of Egypt had commanded every male child to be drowned; and when Moses' parents could hide him no longer, they laid him by the bank of the river, in an ark or box of bulrushes, Exod. i. 22. and ii. 3.

4 Q. How was he saved?

A. The king of Egypt's daughter found him by the river, and pitied the child, and brought him up for her own son, Exod ii. 5, 6, 9.

5 Q. Did he continue a courtier in Egypt?

A. No, for when he was grown a man he showed pity to his kindred in their slavery, and slew an Egyptian; which being known, he fled from the court of Pharaoh, Exod. ii. 11-14.

6 Q. Whither did he fly?

A. To the land of Midian, where he kept the sheep of Jethro, a priest or prince of the country, and married his daughter, Exod. ii. 14. and iii. 1.

7 Q. How did God appoint him to deliver Israel? A. God appeared to him in a burning bush, as he was keeping Jethro's sheep, and sent him to Pharaoh, to require the release of Israel his people, Exod. iii.

1-18.

8 Q. What was his office afterwards?

A. God made him the leader and lawgiver of the people of Israel, Exod. xxxii. 34. Deut. xxxiii. 4, 5, John i. 17.

9 Q. Who was Aaron?

A. He was brother to Moses, and was sent by God to meet him as he was returning to Egypt, and appointed to assist him in his dealing with Pharaoh the king, Exod. iv. 14, 27.

10 Q. What was Aaron's office afterwards?

A. He was made the first high-priest of Israel, Exod. xxviii. 1. Heb. v. 1, 4.

11 Q. How did Moses and Aaron prove to Pharaoh, and to the people, that God had sent them upon this errand?

A. They had power given them from God himself to work several miracles, or signs, and wonders, to convince the people of Israel, as well as Pharaoh, that they had a commission from God, Exod. iv. 1—10. 12 Q. What was the first miracle?

A. Aaron cast down his rod and it became a serpent; and when Pharaoh's conjurors did so too, Aaron's rod swallowed theirs all up, Exod. vii. 9-12.

13 Q. What did Moses and Aaron do further to deliver that people?

A. Upon Pharaoh's refusal to let the people of Israel go, they brought ten miraculous plagues upon the king, and upon all the land, by the authority and power of God, Exod. vii. viii. ix. x. xi. and xiv. 10, &c. Psalm cv. 26, &c.

14 Q. What were these ten plagues?

A. (1.) Water turned into blood. (2.) Frogs. (3.) Lice. (4.) Flies. (5.) Murrain among cattle. (6.) Boils and blisters on man and beast. (7.) Thunder, lightning and hail. (8.) Locusts. (9.) Thick darkness. (10.) The first-born slain.

15. Q. Were Pharaoh and his people willing to release the Israelites at last?

A. Yes, when they saw they were all like to be destroyed, for there was not a house wherein there was not one dead: then they hastened them out, and lent them jewels and gold to adorn their sacrifices and worship, Exod. xii. 29-36.

16 Q. How great was the number of the Israelites that went out of Egypt?

A. Six hundred thousand men, besides children, and all went on foot, Exod. xii. 37.

17 Q. Which way did the Israelites bend their journey?

A. Towards the wilderness of the Red-sea, as they were guided by God himself, marching before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, Exod. xiii. 18, 21.

18 Q. But did not Pharaoh and his army pursue them after they were gone?

A. Yes, they repented that they had let them go, and pursued them to the Red-sea, resolving to destroy them, Exod. xiv. 5, and xv. 9.

19 Q. How did the people of Israel, who came out of Egypt, get over the Red-sea?

A. When they were in distress, with the Red-sea before them, and Pharaoh's army behind them, they cried unto God, whereon Moses bade them stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Then at the command of God, Moses struck the sea with his rod, and divided the waters asunder, and the children of Israel went through upon dry land, Exod. xiv. 10, 16, 21, 29. 20 Q. What became of the Egyptians that followed them?