2. Learn what are the duties to which you are
called —
[With respect to particular steps in life, it may be ex- tremely difficult to judge': but about a life of devotedness to God there can be no doubt. Endeavour then to ascertain what the Scriptures require of you ; and set yourselves instantly to fulfil it. Do not invent excuses to shift off your duty; but look up to God to direct you in his way, and to strengthen you for the performance of all his will.]
3. Yield not to any discouragements in the way of
duty—
[It is not to be expected that you should meet with no difficulties. You must doubtless have conflicts, and many of them severe: but "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." You may not improperly, in a view of your own weakness, say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" but you must never forget who has said, " My grace is sufficient for you." Go on then, expecting assuredly that " your strength shall be according to your day of trial ; " that the weaker you are in yourselves, the more shall " Jehovah's strength be mag- nified in your weakness;" and that " you shall at last be more than concpierors through Him that loved you."]
1 For instance, whether one should go to such or such a station ; whether one should undertake the office of a Missionary, &c.
pharaoh's impiety.
Exod. v. 2. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go ? / know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
MANY of the characters in the Old Testament are "set forth to us as examples;" and their history is recorded " for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come3." Amongst these, Pharaoh holds a very conspicuous place. When he persisted in his rebellion against God, Moses was inspired to declare to him what a monument of God's indigna- tion he should be made to all future generations, and that God had raised him up to his exalted station for that express purpose. Not that God had infused any evil disposition into his mind ; but by investing him with regal authority, and continuing him in the exer- cise of that authority notwithstanding his impious abuse of it, he enabled Pharaoh to display more conspicuously the wickedness of his heart, and to involve himself and his whole kingdom in more awful judgments than he could have done if he had moved in the situation of a private man. St. Paul quotes this declaration, in order to shew, that God disposes of men according to his sovereign will and pleasure, either converting them unto himself, or permitting them to proceed in their wickedness, in such a way as shall ultimately conduce most to the honour of his own name, and to the accomplishment of his own eternal purposes b. In this view, the passage before us is commended to us, as of singular importance. It shews us, not only what Pharaoh was, but what human nature itself is, if left to manifest its disposi- tions without restraint. I shall take occasion from it, therefore, to shew,
I. The impiety of Pharaoh —
I will bring it before you in a brief but compre- hensive way. Mark,
a 1 Cor. x. G, 1 1. b Compare Exod. ix. 16. with Rom. ix. 15 — 18.
67.] piiaraoh's impiety. 335
1. Its source —
[It arose from pride and ignorance. Because there was no man of greater eminence than himself on earth, this unhappy monarch imagined that there was none above him even in heaven. Poor foolish worm ! swelling with his own importance, whilst the plagues inflicted on him shewed how impotent he was to repel the assaults of the meanest insects. What insuf- ferable arrogance was there in that question, " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?" And what horrible impiety in that declaration, " I know not the Lord; neither will I let Israel go!" True, thou son of Belial, thou hast un- wittingly assigned the real cause of thine obstinacy: " I know not the Lordc." As St. Paul says of the Jews, " Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory d," so say I to thee : Hadst thou known what a great and holy Being thou wast resisting, thou wouldst not have dared to withstand him thus. No: thou wouldst have bowed before him, and submitted instantly to his commands. Thy profaneness was proof enough of thine ignorance.]