of tribute. The children of Israel were probably from the beginning obliged to pay a certain amount of tribute or tax to the Egyptian government for the use of their land, and this tribute was generally rendered in the form of service. This relation now became the occasion of their oppression. To afflict them with their burdens. Their feudal labor was employed in the construction of public works, such as digging canals, making bricks, building magazines, &c. The object of the tribute-masters, who were probably Egyptian noblemen, was to oversee their work, and to force as much out of them as possible, and thereby to break their spirit, and to keep their number within certain limits. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, i. e. magazines, depots of ammunition and provisions. Pithom and Raamses, i. e. Patumus and Heroopolis. They were both fortified cities, situated on the canal which anciently connected the Pelusiac branch of the Nile with the western head of the Red Sea. The object of building them was to guard against foreign invasion of the country. Raamses is the same as Rameses, the name of the Pharaoh or king here in question.

VERSE 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied." The system of oppression adopted by the king did not accomplish its object. Just the contrary result followed. Their multiplication was in proportion to their oppression. This was contrary to the law of nature, according to which national increase is in proportion to national prosperity; and shows that there was at work here a supernatural power and a supernatural law. Times of outward repression are frequently the times when the kingdom of God advances most rapidly; and times of persecution those in which the people of God multiply most rapidly. It was so in the case of the early Church. The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Church." The counsels of men can not frustrate the purposes of God. Compare Ps. ii. The king of Egypt thought his policy was a wise one. But no policy in the end is wise that rests on wrong. It is never wise to do evil. This is the reason that the plans and counsels of so many astute diplomatists come to

nought. Being based on mere expediency, without regard to righteousness, they turn out in the end to be mere stupidity and folly. Were there no God to protect the weak, and to avenge wrong, then oppression and wrong might sometimes be expedient; but as it is, the only wise policy in public or in private affairs, is that which rests on righteousness. In the case of the Egyptians kindness towards the Israelites would have been a much better policy than the system of oppression and cruelty which they adopted.

VERSES 13-14. They made their lives bitter with hard bondage. In this the Egyptians fulfilled God's prediction made to Abraham long before (Gen. xv. 13); though the prediction is not in any sense the cause of the cruelty of the Egyptians. But while the Egyptians did wrong in thus afflicting the children of Israel, the affliction answered a good disciplinary purpose. It prevented the Israelites from identifying themselves with the Egyptians, and caused in them a desire to escape from the land of bondage, and seek for liberty and happiness in the land of their fathers. Had it not been for the oppression which they suffered in Egypt, they would never have been willing to endure the hardships of their journey to Canaan. Thus all afflictions have their uses. One use of the afflictions of this world, no doubt, is to produce in us a more ardent desire and hope of heaven, and thus to prevent us from becoming too worldly. We ought to bear our afflictions, therefore, in a spirit of resignation to the will of God, knowing that "He will make, whatever evils He sends upon us in this valley of tears, turn out to our advantage." See Heid. Catechism, Q. 26.

"I WAS once very shy," said Sidney Smith, "but it was not long before I made two very useful discoveries; first, that all mankind were not wholly employed in observing me (a belief that all young people have); and next, that shamming was of no use; that the world was very clear-sighted, and soon estimated a man at his just value. This cured me, and I determined to be natural and let the world find me out."

5. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side: and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

6. And when she had opened it, she saw the child; and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

7. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

8. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

9. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and nursed it.

10. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became

her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 11. And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13. And when he went out the second day, behold two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

14. And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

15. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

Repeat the key-note. Whence is it taken? How is this Gospel related to that for last Sunday?

What is the subject of our lesson to-day? Who was the deliverer? When and where was Moses born? Who were his parents? What commandment had Pharaoh given in regard to Hebrew children? What therefore did Moses' mother do with him? verse 2. What did she

do afterwards? What is an ark? Why did she thus expose him?

VERSES 5-6. What is said of Pharaoh's daughter here? Do we know her name? What was the name of this Pharaoh? Was her coming to the river at this time providential? What did she do when she saw the ark? Whom did she find therein? How old was he at this time? How did she know that he was a Hebrew child? Was she a good woman?

7-8. Whose sister is meant? What was her name? Numb. xxvi. 59. How did she come to be there? verse 4. What did Miriam propose to Pharaoh's daughter? Did the latter accept the proposition? Whom did the maid call then?

9-10. What did Pharaoh's daughter say to the mother of the child? Was this favorable issue the result of chance or providence? Can those perish over whom God is watching? What

parallel is there in this respect between the in-fancy of Moses and of Christ? How old was the child when his mother gave him back to Pharaoh's daughter? Did the latter then adopt him as her son? What did she call him? What does Moses mean? How was Moses educated?' Acts vii. 22. Was this a benefit to him?

11-12. What did Moses do when he was. grown? Why did he go uno his brethren? Did he now openly identify himself with the Israelites? From what motive? Heb. xi. 24-26.. How old was he at this time? Acts vii. 23. What did he see now? Did the Egyptian taskmasters often beat their servants? What did Moses do to the Egyptian? How must we judge

of this act?

13-14. What did he witness when he went out. the second time? What did he say? Should we in like manner rebuke wrong? What answer did he receive? What does that imply as to the character of the Hebrews at this time? Were they yet prepared for deliverance?

VERSE 15. What did Pharaoh do when he heard of what Moses had done? What did. Moses do then? Where was Midian? How were the Midianites related to the Hebrews? How long did Moses reside in Midian? Acts vii. 30. Were these years of preparation] for his great work?

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken,

All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,

Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.

2. Perish every fond ambition,

All I've sought, or hoped,, or known;
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

NOTES. Our key-note is from the Gospel for the day, whose leading theme is the duty of the Christian to exercise mercy and kindness toward his fellowmen. In the Gospel for last Sunday, we have an exhibition of God's mercy in desiring and seeking the salvation of sinners. This mercy of God exercised toward sinners, ought to awaken in these similar dispositions toward their fellow-sinners.

In the lesson for the day we have an account of the birth and training of Moses, the deliverer of the children of Israel from their Egyptian bondage. Moses was born B. C. 1572, in the reign of Pharaoh Rameses II, in lower Egypt, and, as it would seem, not far from Zoan or Tanis, which was situated on the eastern side of the Tanitic side of the Nile, near its mouth, and was at that time the residence of the Egyptian kings. The parents of Moses are said to have been Amram and Jochebed, the former a grandson, and the latter a daughter of Levi, (Exod. vi. 20. Num. xxvi. 59).

This subject, however, is involved in difficulties connected with chronology, and with the number of male descendants of Kohath as stated in Num. iii. 27-28. If we suppose the Israelites to have dwelled in Egypt 430 years, then Jochebed, if she was really a daughter of Levi, must have been at least 267 years old when Moses was born! If on the other hand, with Josephus, we reduce the 430 years to 215, then it is hardly possible that Kohath, the reputed grandfather of Moses, should, at the time of the exodus, have had 8600 male descendants. In view of these facts it is perhaps best to adhere simply to the indefinite statement of Exod. ii. 1, only holding that Moses belonged to the tribe of Levi.

Pharaoh, seeing that the oppressive measures spoken of in our last lesson, did not accomplish their object, at last issued the cruel command, that all male children of the Hebrews should be thrown into the river and drowned. Moses was born but a short time after this decree had been issued. His mother kept him in concealment for three months; and when she was no longer able to conceal him, she made an ark or chest, of bulrushes, a species of

papyrus, which was a strong rush, something like the bamboo, and was much used by the Egyptians for making light and swift boats; and in this ark the mother placed her child, and laid him in the flags, another species of papyrus, by the river's brink, in the hope that some favorable occurrence would take place by which his life would be preserved.

VERSES 5-6.-The daughter of Pharaoh. Her name is differently given in ancient traditions. Josephus calls her Thermuthis. The Pharaoh at this time was Rameses II. Came down to wash herself at the river. What a common thing that was, and yet what mighty consequences depended upon it. It was not accident or chance, that brought Pharaoh's daughter to the river just at the right time to save the life of the future deliverer of God's people, but divine providence. Our steps are ordered by the Lord, and the most common acts of life may become the beginnings of long chains of events, which shall exercise most important influences not only on ourselves, but also on the history of the world at large. This thought ought to inspire us with serious views of life.

She saw the child. He was now three months old. She had compassion on him. In spite of the cruel command of her father, she had compassion on this outcast child, whom she knew from his abandoned condition to be one of the Hebrews' children. This woman's heart was different from that of her father. Even wicked and carnal parents may sometimes have pious and good children. Children ought never be reproached with the sins of their parents. VERSES 7-8. Then said his sister. Miriam, the sister of Moses, must have been about ten or twelve years older than the latter. When his mother placed the child among the flags of the river, she stationed Miriam at some distance to observe what should become of him. Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women? She had either been instructed by her mother, or was prompted by divine influence, to make this proposition. It was of the utmost importance that, in his infancy and early youth, Moses should be nursed and trained by his pious Hebrew mother.