Now when the people began to multiply, there arose another king, who oppressed the people of Israel, and commanded that the young children should be cast away. Mark well, my good friends, how did the children of Israel get into this distress, great misery and sorrow, on account of which they lamented and groaned to God? who had brought them into this? It was their father Jacob that had done it; yet with God Almighty the promise remained as firm as ever, which he had made to our father Abraham, namely, that his seed should inherit the land of Canaan; but now they were in great affliction. Now, what did all those inherit that were born there? the good and faithful land of promise? No, but they inherited bondage under the cruel King Pharaoh, and still found themselves in the land of Egypt; this is certainly the truth.
Consider now this age of the world, and those who are at the present day born unto the world; if they ascertain it from the Scriptures, who brought them into the world? Adam their father. So they now still find themselves in the spiritual dark Egypt, under Pharaoh, the devil. Mark now, my good friends, what they inherit, and how they boast in vain. They inherit a naked body when they are born, without raiment and food; for if they inherited raiment and food, there would not so many people go naked and suffer hunger. But now excellent and thankworthy gifts are proffered by the Lord. But if we will not use these excellent means according to the rule and truth of Christ, in order to get to the spiritual promised land, we must remain without; even as there are many who do not use the means for obtaining food and clothing, and must therefore go without them, suffer cold and hunger: thus, my good friends, it will also go with all those who here vainly boast of the kingdom of God.
I will now return to my previous theme. Consider now Israel, who were dwelling in Egypt; they began greatly to multiply, and wax mighty, and numbered six hundred thousand men. This great power was nevertheless beaten and compelled to labor by King Pharaoh. They groaned and complained, and though there was such a great multitude of them, yet it was not possible for them to get out of the country, and enter into the land of which they were to be heirs, as God had promised Abraham. Thus, also, my friends, it is impossible for man to get out of spiritual Egypt, and to be delivered from King Pharaoh, namely, the devil, in order to enter into the spiritual country, namely, the kingdom of God; for men universally inherit a depraved nature, and in accordance with it they act, and live after the flesh, wherefore they die, and do not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, my dear friends, when they were thus in Egypt, and had dwelt there four hundred and thirty years, and complained, groaned and sighed, it came before the Lord. And the Lord God Almighty remembered his covenant which he had firmly made with our Father Abraham, and God raised up and chose a man named Moses. Behold, my good friends, through this man God intended to deliver all the people, and he did many wonderful signs and mighty works before the king of Egypt, as we may read. Finally this Moses brought them out by the mighty hand of God; but before they left the country, Moses went many times to Pharaoh and said: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may serve me. But Pharaoh said: Who is the Lord, that I should let the people go? I will not let the people go. Now, even as the people that were in Egypt could not serve the Lord, unless they left Egypt and journeyed towards the promised land, so can now those likewise not serve the Lord, who are in the spiritual Egypt; for one cannot serve two masters at once; one must leave Pharaoh and Egypt; for Pharaoh dwells in Egypt, but the Lord God dwells in the spiritual promised land. My kind friends can now easily perceive that it is the truth what I write, that one must leave the spiritual Egypt, even as Moses by the mighty hand of God delivered the people out of Egypt, from which they went out in one day, and came to the sea, whither Pharaoh with his servants pursued them, thinking that they could not escape out of the country. But little did they know that the Lord was with the children of Israel; for Pharaoh thought to smite them. But the Lord divided the sea, so that the waters stood like walls. And thus Moses and the people of God passed through, but Pharaoh with all his servants remained in the sea, so that not one of them escaped to go and tell the tale in Egypt. Thus also, my dearest, when men want to serve God, then they forsake Egypt and Pharaoh, and when Pharaoh sees this, he bestirs him with his servants. But the spiritual Moses has gone before his people, and helps them through the sea, namely, through the wilderness of this world, and Pharaoh and his servants diligently pursue to the end, which is death.