the Lord, by these civil accomplishments, fitting him in part for the government whereunto he reserved him. In the words we have, First, his intellectual perfections. He was learned and instructed; together with the object of that learning," All the wisdom of the Egyptians.' Secondly, His civil, moral, and religious perfections; “a mighty man for elocution, a mighty man for action." He improved and put forth his intellectual abilities for the good and service of others; laid up all his power to do good to his brethren, in due time, when God should call him thereunto. Moses was "learned," or instructed and instituted (it noteth' acquired knowledge' by the benefit of learned education)" in all the wisdom of the Egyptians."-That nation was anciently famous for wisdom. From thence, some think, that the Grecians derived their learning: for we read in Diodorus Siculus ; and others, that Orpheus, Homer, Pythagoras, Plato, Lycurgus, Solon, and others, did travel into Egypt for institution. But Cadmus, who first brought letters into Greece, was a Phoenician, -as Eusebius, and, after him, other learned men have fully proved. Therefore from the Egyptians, the Greeks did not primitively derive their learning. What this wisdom of the Egyptians was, wherein Moses was learned, is by Philo, in the life of Moses,-by Diodorus Siculus, (lib. i. c. 2) by Sixtus Senensis, (Biblioth. lib. ii) and others, described; viz. mathematics, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, music, natural philosophy, physic, symbolical and hieroglyphical writing, civil and political knowledge, for which that people seemeth to have been. famous. (Isa. xix. 11-14) I shall not here inquire into the most ancient rise or original of learning, or seat thereof; which some carry beyond the flood, and tell us of pillars with Hebrew inscriptions and characters, set up by Enoch and Seth. Nor shall I inquire whence the Egyptians derived their learning, which some ascribe to Joseph, and the people of the Jews living there : others' to Abraham, of whose being in Egypt we read, Gen. xii. 10. It is sufficient for us to know, that, at this time, • Diod. Sicul. 1. 1. d Euseb. de præp. Evang. 1. 10. sect. 5. Bochart. Geograph. sacr. 1. 1. c. 19, 20. e Joseph. Antiq. 1. 1. f Alex. Pol. Hist. apud Euseb. de præpar. Evang. 1. 9. c. 17. there was learning there; and that Moses was brought up, and proved excellent in it. Now we may here observe, First, The great care of the king's daughter, to bring up Moses in all kind of good literature, that thereby he might be fit for such great services, as his so near relation to a prince's court might probably have brought him unto. And truly so wise hath been the care of wise heathens in this particular (as we read of the Lacedæmonians, Persians, and others), as may justly put to shame many Christians, who breed up their children many times so loosely, so ignorantly, so sensually, to gaming, sporting, and excess; as if an inheritance did serve to no other purpose, but to make the heir of it useless and good for nothing. And as we see, many times, good ground grow mossy and barren, for want of culture; so is it with good wits, which, being neglected, do usually become more vicious, than those of less hope and pregnancy. The foundations of an honourable and comfortable age, are laid in the minority of children. If the plant be not kept straight at first, the tree will be crooked incurably at the last. No doubt but David had special care of the education of Solomon: for quickness of parts, without special culture, would hardly have arrived at so great a pitch of learning, especially in a disposition, as the event proved, by nature sensual enough :—and therefore he maketh mention both of his father and mother's teaching him. (Prov. iv. 1, and xxxi. 1) It is as great a folly to lay up estates for children, and to take no care of themselves who must enjoy them, as to be curious for a handsome shoe, and then to put it upon a gouty foot. And the greater men are, the greater should their care be for free and honourable, learned and religious, education of their children. First, Because it is a very incongruous mixture, greatness of estate, and meanness of understanding; the one will be a perpetual blemish and reproach unto the other. Secondly, Because there will be the more fuel of lust, if learning and piety be not laid up to season a full estate. We see nothing grow upon a fat heap of muck, but weeds and trash. Therefore we find, what great care Theodosius had, to have a good tutor to shape the minds and Niceph. 1. 12. manners of his children, viz. the famous Arsenius. And Josephus telleth us, that Moses had a special care of the education of children in good literature; and we find some evidence of it in the scripture, where he commandeth the people to teach the words of the law diligently unto their children. (Deut. vi. 7) And herein must our care exceed this of Pharaoh's daughter; we must so provide to breed up our children unto wisdom, as that we forget not the chief thing,-to have them seasoned with the knowledge and fear of God, which is the only true wisdom. (Job xxviii. 28) Julian the apostate had great scholars, Merdonius and Maximus, to his tutors: but being profane heathens, and scoffers at Christian religion, they laid the foundations of that desperate apostasy, whereby he fell from Christ to the Devil. He that begets a fool, or by careless breeding maketh one, hath been the author of his own sorrow. "A wise son maketh a glad father."—" If thine heart be wise," saith Solomon, "I shall rejoice." (Prov. xxiii. 15) It is very sad for children to have wicked parents, who wholly neglect their education; and of whom Cyprian tells us they will cry out at the last day, "Parentes sensimus parricidas," our parents have been our parricides. Now then, by this important duty, we learn, 1. To set a high value upon such wise, learned, and religious tutors, as, at any time, we enjoy for the discharge of this great work. And, 2. To bewail it as a more than ordinary loss, when men whom God hath every way fitted with learning, industry, piety, and fidelity for so excellent a work, are, by a sudden stroke, taken away from us. We have considered the care of the king's daughter, for the education of Moses-let us, in the next place, consider the blessing of God upon it, in that thereby Moses was "learned in all the learning of the Egyptians." Where, first, it is very observable, the different end which God had in his providence, and she in her particular care. She intended, no doubt, the service of Pharaoh; God intended to qualify him the better, to be a ruler and a deliverer of his people from Pharaoh :-she intended the good of Egypt; God intended the good of Israel. Many times, the wise and Joseph. contr. Apion. 1. 1. Eunapius, in Maxim. Sozom. lib. 5. c. 2. : holy providence of God useth the diligence of one man to bring about effects for the good of others, which he never intended as we see in Joseph's brethren; and Haman's dictating the honour which was conferred upon Mordecai at that time, when he came to beg him for the gallows which he had erected. God useth the counsels of men, to effect things by them which they never thought of. had his work, and God had his. (Isa. x. 6, 7) after money; Caiaphas and the high priests, after interest and revenge; Pilate, after Cæsar and his favour; but God's end was the salvation of the world by the death of Christ. "In re una quam fecerunt; causa non una, propter quam fecerunt." God and Christ did it in caritate;' Judas and the Jews, in proditione.' The Assyrian 2. We may here observe, that as Moses, that great prophet, whom the Lord did after speak unto, mouth to mouth, (Num. xii. 8) is commended for his skill in the learning and wisdom of the Egyptians, a profane nation; even human, secular, and exotick learning is a noble gift of God, and a very great ornament and honour unto the most excellent men. As it was mentioned for the honour of Daniel and his three companions, that God "gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom," Dan. i. 17; meaning, as appears, ver. 4. the learning of the Chaldeans. Not as if they were soothsayers, as the Wise men of Chaldea were ; or Moses, a magician and sorcerer, as the Wise men of Egypt were, and as heathen writers charge him to have been: -for the great miracles which Moses did,-and the interpretations of dreams and visions by Daniel,—were from God; and not from the Devil, by the help of any magical enchantments. In like manuer, Bezaleel and Aholiab are commended by God for that wisdom and understanding, which they had in all manner of cunning workmanship. (Exod. xxxi. 3-6) And it is mentioned for the honour of Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal Cain, that they were the first inventors of some particular useful arts for the good of human society. (Gen. iv. 20, 21, 22) And of Solomon, that he spake of trees from the cedar tree in Lebanon, unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; k Vid. Aug. in Psalm. 75 et 39. et tract. 7. in ep. 1. Johannis, et epist. 48. ad Vincentium. 1 Plin. 1. 30. c.1. and that he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. (1 Kings iv. 33) The high esteem which the heathen had of the first inventors of liberal sciences and necessary arts and manufactures, is noted as one principal cause, by Diodorus Siculus and others, of the divine titles and honours which were given unto them. And Paul mentions it amongst other his privileges, that he was brought up a scholar at the feet of the learned Gamaliel. (Acts xxii. 3) Yea, by that apostle, the Lord hath given so much honour unto human learning, as three times to make mention of heathen poets," and their sayings: Aratus, Acts xvii. 28, toũ yàp καὶ γένος ἐσμεν: Menander, 1 Cor. xv. 33, φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρῆσθ ̓ ὁμιλίαι κακαί.—Εpimenides, Tit. i. 12 ; Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεῦσται, &c. Truth is God's, wherever it is found. "Res fisci est, ubicunque natat ;” as a mine of gold or silver is the king's, in whose ground soever it be discovered. "Christianus Domini sui esse intelligit, ubicunque invenerit, veritatem," saith Austin;" A Christian knows that truth belongeth to Christ, wheresoever he finds it. And again, "Tibi serviat," saith he, “quicquid utile puer didici."-As Israel took of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold; as David consecrated the spoils of the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and all nations whom he subdued, to the Lord; (2 Sam. viii. 11) as the crown of the king of Rabbah was set upon the head of David; (2 Sam. xii. 30) so the spoils of all secular learning are to be dedicated unto Christ, and the use of his church, who is said to take from "Satan all his armour, and to divide the spoil;" (Luke xi. 22) for so, in triumphs, the enemies were disarmed, and the spoils carried in state before the victor's chariot. P Such spoils did Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Justin, Cyril, Lactantius, Jerome, Austin, Basil, Nazianzen, Arnobius, &c. take from the gentile writers, and devote them to the service of the church of Christ. It is noted of Theodosius the emperor, that when he destroyed the temples of the heathen idols in Alexandria, -yet all the vessels and statues of gold and silver he converted to the use of the Christian churches. Yea Petrus Erodius, a learned civilian, out of Procopius telleth us, Lib. 3. cap. 5. et lib. 5, cap. 15. n Justin. Apol. 1. Doctr. Christ, 1. 2. c. 18, 39, 43. Confes. 1. 1. c. 15. • De P Liv. dec. 4. 1. 9. |