Seventh Sunday after Trinity.

KEY-NOTE: "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto life

everlasting."

LESSON XXXI.

Moses and the Magicians.-Exod. vii. 8-17.

QUESTIONS.

NOTES. For an explanation of the key-note, read the Collect for the day in the Order of Worship, which will at once show its relation both to the Gospel and the Epistle for the day.

course, that Pharaoh demanded a mir-
acle. And Aaron cast down his rod.
The rod, though it really belonged to
Moses, is said to be Aaron's, because he
was the one that handled it. It became
a serpent. That this phenomenon was
not the result simply of a "fixed idea
or "confident expectation," is evident
from the fact that it occurred before
Pharaoh and his servants, who did not
expect it Still it is not necessary to
suppose that the rod was literally trans-
muted into a natural serpent. The seat
of the miraculous influence was, not in
the wood of the rod, but in the eyes of
the beholders. This view, while it does
not explain the miraculous influence-
we can not explain a miracle-yet
serves to make the miracle conceivable.

The first application to Pharaoh for the liberation of Israel, even for the simple purpose of making a journey into the desert to celebrate a feast unto Jehovah, resulted in an increase of burdens. The effect of this upon the people of Israel was exceedingly depressing, so that when Moses again spoke to them, they would not hear "for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage." (Exod. vi. 10). Even Moses himself lost courage; and when he was commanded again to appear before Pharaoh, he said, "Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pha- VERSES 11-12. And Pharaoh also raoh hear me?" But in the first part called the wise men and the sorcerers. of chapter vii. Jehovah encourages Wise men are men skilled in magic arts. him by unfolding His purposes in re- Sorcerers (literally mutterers of prayers ference to Pharaoh, and by assuring him or magic formulas) are persons who of the certainty of the final deliverance. pretend to produce supernatural effects This brings us to the lesson for to-day. by the repetition of certain forms of VERSES 8-9. Shew a Miracle. A words. When Pharaoh perceived the miracle is an occurrence that could not miracle performed by Moses, it ocbe produced by the operation of the or- curred to him that Moses might dinary forces and laws of nature. The only be a wise man or sorcerer like the miracle-worker, therefore, must be Egyptians; and, therefore, in order to clothed with supernatural, divine power, test his power still farther, called his and Moses, by performing a miracle own magicians to the scene. The word would demonstrate his divine commis-magician is a general term comprehendsion. Pharaoh was a believer in mirac'e'. He was not an atheist; he believed in the existence of the gods, and in their power over the forces of the natural world. Only in Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, the true, living God, he had no faith; and he would, therefore, be likely to demand of Moses a miracle, to demonstrate both the power of Jehovah and the commission which he held from Jehovah. The servants of God are not now furnished with the miraculous power which Moses possessed, but they can always prove their divine calling by a pure, holy life and conversation. Take thy rod, &c. This rod or staff belonged to Moses, and was the one that had already been changed inte a serpent in Horeb (Exod. vi. 2-3). From this time forth it served as the mysterious wand by means of which all the miracles were performed.

VERSE 10. And Moses and Aaron ....did so, &c. It is to be supposed, of

ing the wise men and sorcerers just spoken of, and indicating also their profession or occupation: they were sacred scribes, a class of priests who were devoted to the study and writing of hieroglyphics. According to a Jewish tradition preserved by the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. iii. 8), the names of these magicians who withstood Moses, were Janues and Jambres. They also did in like manner with their enchantments (magic arts). They also cast down their rods, and they became serpents. These feats may have been performed through diabolical influence; or perhaps more probably they were, either mere tricks of legerdemain, or perceptions resulting from "fixed expectations" or "dominant ideas," like the phenomena of modern Mesmerism and Spiritualism. At any rate they were not true miracles. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. This signified that Aaron's God was more powerful than the gods of Egypt,

and that the power of Egypt must yield to the power of Israel; and this should have convinced Pharaoh that further resistance would be perilous.

of such a nature as to lead to opposite moral results according to the manner in which they were apprehended. Why was not this first miracle at once of such a nature as to compel the assent of Pharaoh, and exclude the possibility of any opposite result? For the plain reason that Pharaoh was a free, moral being, and must be treated as such. His will must not be determined by the overwhelming influence of outward miracles, but must be left free to determine itself. From the case of Pharaoh we learn how dangerous it is to disregard even the faintest intimations of the divine will either in Scripture or the conscience. Compare Ps. xcv. 7-8, and Heb. iii. 715.

VERSE 14. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart. The verb in the original here is intransitive, and the sentence therefore should read: And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. But the thought expressed in the common translation occurrs frequently elsewhere (Exod. iv. 21. vii. 3. ix. 12), and is therefore not incorrect. Indeed it is said just as of ten that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, as it is said that Pharaoh hardened his heart, or that his heart was hardened. By hardening of the heart is meant, in Scripture, a persistence in evil until evil has become a second na- VERSES 14-15. Get thee unto Phature, making sin a necessity and good raoh.... stand by the river's brink. Moan impossibility. Compare Isa. vi. 9-ses had now had two audiences with 10 and Matt. xiii. 15. The formation Pharaoh, and it is not likely that be of habit may illustrate this process of would have been admitted to the palace hardening. The frequent repetition of again for the purpose of having another. an act, whether physical or mental, Hence he is commanded to meet him at leads at last to a habit which, if per- the brink of the river, whither he was sisted in to a certain point, becomes in- coming perhaps for the purpose of worresistible. Take as examples the use of ship; as the Egyptians were accustomed tobacco and the use of intoxicating be- to pay divine honors to their famous verages. In what sense, then, can God Nile. be said to harden men's hearts? Only VERSES 16-17. Let my people go, in the sense of maintaining the laws of that they may serve me in the wilderness. their moral nature, and affording the Observe again the allusion to the coveconditions of the activity of these laws.nant (my people); and remember that God has so framed our moral nature that a certain course of conduct leads at last to a state of confirmation either in good or evil, according to the character of the conduct. God, moreover, affords the necessary outward conditions for the development of our moral nature. These conditions are intended to lead us to a state of confirmation in goodness; but they may also have the opposite effect, according as their influence is received by the will; just as the heat of the sun may have opposite effects, hardening .some things and melting others. Now

when it is said that God hardens one's heart, this simply means that He does not suspend the moral order of the world in order to prevent the legitimate effect of sin. But because sin is the free choice of the will, the sinner must be said properly to harden his own heart, as Pharaoh is said to have hardened his heart. The miracle of Moses and the counter-miracles of the magicians were

the first request to Pharaoh was simply to give the Israelites an opportunity to perform their duty to their God. In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord (Jehovah.) Pharaoh had by this time gotten some idea of the meaning of Jehovah as the supreme God; but he might now doubt whether the God claimed by the Hebrews as their God, was really Jehovah. The miracle now announced was intended to satisfy him on that point. I will smite the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. This miracle should have proved to Pharaoh Jehovah's power at least over the "divine Nile." The execution of the threatened miracle or plague is recounted in vers. 20-21. All the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. This does not mean that the water was changed literally into blood in the chemical sense, but simply that it presented the appearance and some of the effects of blood.

natural side of these occurrences, and became more and more blind to the supernatural power which was manifest therein. Do we not commit the same mistake when we fail to perceive, in the phenomena of nature and the events of history, any thing but natural forces?

Jerusalem.

This miracle was connected with the natural conditions of the river. At the time of the annual overflow, about the middle of June, the water of the Nile is always of a reddish color; which has been supposed to be due to the red earth carried down from Senaar, while according to Ehrenberg it is due to the presence of Microscopic cryptogams and infusoria, such as sometimes give rise to the phenomenon of red snow. Perhaps both causes co-operate, while in the plague of Pharaoh the latter probably played the more important part. The plague then consisted simply in the miraculous enlargement of a natural occurrence. If this be a correct explanation, then this plague occurred in the latter part of June, giving us a period of about eight months from the commencement of the plagues to the exodus. This view explains also the fact that the magicians were able (probably on a small scale) to counterfeit the miracle; wherefore its effect upon Pharaoh was simply to harden his heart still more, and make him refuse to yield to the demands of Jehovah for the li-ionally clean, and the aqueduct from the beration of His people.

A wonderful change has taken place in Jerusalem of late years, and it is probably now a more comfortable residence than ever before in its history. Mr. Schick, who holds the appointment of Surveyor of Buildings in the holy city, has lately issued a very instructive report. He tells us that ruined houses have been restored or rebuilt by individuals or companies, and buildings on the Peabody plan have been erected by associations. The streets are now lighted, kept, for an eastern city, most except

Pools of Solomon has been restored, and Only after nine more plagues, in in- water brought thence to the city. Tancreasing severity, had been brought neries and slaughter-houses have been upon the land of Egypt, was Pharaoh removed outside the town. The Saniwilling to consent to the departure of tary Department is under control of a the people of Israel. The following is German physician. Bethlehem and the order of these ten Egyptian plagues: Nazareth are emulating the progress of (1) Blood, Exod. vii. 20-25; (2) Frogs, the capital. In the latter place windows Exod. viii. 5-15; (3) Lice, Exod. viii. are becoming quite frequent. It is as16-19; (4) Flies, Exod. viii. 20-24; serted that there is a fixed resolution on (5) Murrain, Exod. ix. 5-7; (6) Boils the part of thousands in Prussia to make and Blains, Exod. ix. 8-12; (7) Fire that country as hot as possible for Jews, and Hail, Exod. ix. 22–25; (8) Locusts, and it is not unlikely that this may in a Exod. x. 12-15; (9) Darkness, Exod. measure increase the already considerx. 21-23; (10) Death of the first-born, able number now returning to Palestine, Exod. xi. 4-7; xii. 29-30. These more especially as the German Jews alplagues were all connected with the na- ready are a power in Jerusalem. The tural conditions of Egypt: the first improvements are further likely to refour with the periodical rising and fall-tain many Europeans wintering there. ing of the Nile, the remaining six with the location and climate of the country. On a small scale some or all of these phenomena are witnessed every year. But they now occurred on a scale that was absolutely beyond the capacity of nature. This was the divine, the miraculous element therein. Here, then, were circumstances that might soften or harden the soul according as they were viewed. Pharaoh looked only at the

-N. Y. Times.

A DARKEY, who was stooping to wash his hands in a creek, didn't notice the peculiar actions of a goat just behind him; so, when he scrambled out of the water, and was asked how it happened, he answered: "I dunno 'zactly; but 'peared as if de shore kinder h'isted and frowed me."