journey of a few days-this, I say, is far more incredible than any among the miracles said to have been wrought by the hand of Moses in Egypt; and to those who receive the one and reject the other, we may fairly apply the words of Christ, that they "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel 1."

Taking into consideration, then, this awful array of miracle, marshalled and set forth for the declared purpose of effecting Israel's deliverance, we shall be able to form some estimate of that obduracy which is ascribed to Pharaoh ; who could behold all these things, and suffer all these things, and yet refuse to acknowledge the power of Jehovah, or to let the people go. It has sometimes been questioned, whether the Almighty actually interfered to effect that hardness of the heart, which, by calling forth these prodigies, might also exhibit his own

1 This argument is pursued at great length, and most convincingly, by Dean Graves in his Lectures on the Pentateuch.

Omnipotence. This opinion, opposed as it is to every attribute of God, to every proceeding of his ordinary government with which we are acquainted, seems yet to be countenanced by the mode of expression used in the narrative. Thus it is directly asserted, that "the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the people go." And still more strongly in the following passage; "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." We know, however, that God is continually and most properly said to do, what he only permits to be done, or even what he merely does not prevent. Now, as we must allow Scripture to be the best expositor of Scripture, these expressions, adverse as they are to the positive declarations of other parts of Scripture', are

1 St. James i. 13-15. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man,

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of little weight in upholding a supposition so much at variance with his known attributes and character. But there is another remarkable circumstance, serving materially to refute this opinion, which is, that though the Lord declares "He will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall not let the people go 1;" yet, the expression is not repeated until seven miracles have been found in vain: in all the intermediate instances, it is said, that "Pharaoh hardened his heart," or that "the heart of Pharaoh was hardened." Indeed, when God first declares the event to Moses, he merely says, "I am sure," that is, I know from my own perfect and absolute foreknowledge, "that the king of Egypt will not let you go; no, not by a mighty hand."

This hardness of heart, then, was not caused by the direct intervention of irre

but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived," &c.

1 Exodus iv. 21.

sistible power, in which case Pharaoh would have been in no wise culpable or accountable, but by simple abandonment : -not, by supplying a stimulus to evil, but by withholding the assistance necessary to do good:-not, by urging and impelling the soul in its descent to the abyss of iniquity, but by withdrawing the power which alone could enable him to rise from it. It is not a miraculous, but a natural effect. It is not an extraordinary act of vengeance, inflicted upon one individual, but it is strictly and truly the ordinary course of God's dealings with all mankind. Grace is given to every man, and knowledge is given, and mercies and warnings are given, and time, and opportunity, the talents of the heavenly householder, are bestowed, and messengers are employed to declare his will to men, and to remind them that he demands the usury of his own. Yet if these talents are buried, if we refuse his messengers, despise his warnings, reject his mercies, and do continual despite to the Spirit of grace, are we not taught to

expect that he will withdraw them all ? that he will remove the light from those who close their eyes to its influence? that he will seal up the fountains of his grace to those who neglect or corrupt them ? that at a certain point in the progress of transgression, his Spirit will cease to strive?

And it is not only just, but even merciful, that it should be so. We have reason to believe that the punishments of eternity will be proportioned to the opportunities abused in time, in the same manner as the rewards of immortality will be adjusted according to the degree of holiness attained in life '. Is it not, therefore, merciful, to prevent the soul from "heaping up wrath against the day of wrath," and accumulating for itself greater damnation ?" For who can tell what the ethereal spirit can bear? who can estimate what that unknown being,

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1 1 Cor. xv. 41, 42. “For one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead."