[Pharaoh was a proud and haughty monarch : and, while he exercised a most arbitrary and oppressive power over his subjects, he disdained to respect the authority of Jehovah, who was " King of kings, and Lord of lords."
God, if he had seen fit, might have prevented him from mani- festing these corruptions. He might have struck him dead upon the spot ; or intimidated him by a dream or vision ; or have converted him, as he did the persecuting Saul, in the midst of all his malignant projects : but he left him to himself, pre- cisely as he does other men when they commit iniquity ; and suffered him to manifest all the evil dispositions of his heart.
This is no other conduct than what God has pursued from the beginning. When men have obstinately " rebelled against the light," he has " given them up to follow their own hearts' lustsb:" and we have reason to expect that he will deal thus with us, if we continue to resist his willc.]
2. He suffered such events to concur as should
give scope for the exercise of those corruptions —
[He raised Pharaoh to the throne of Egypt, and thereby invested him with power to oppress d. By multiplying the Jews, he made their services of great importance to the Egyptian empire. The labours of six hundred thousand slaves could not easily be dispensed with; and therefore the temptation to retain them in bondage was exceeding great. Besides, the request made of going to serve their God in the wilderness must appear to him frivolous and absurd ; for, why should they not be con- tent to serve him hi the land ? Moreover, the success of his magicians in imitating the miracles of Moses, would seem to justify the idea, that Moses was no more than a magician, only perhaps of a more intelligent order than those employed by him. The frequent and speedy removal of the judgments that were inflicted on him, would yet further tend to harden him, by making him think light of those judgments. Thus the unrea- sonableness of his opposition would be hid from him ; and he would persist in his rebellion without compunction or fear.]
3. He gave Satan permission to exert his influence over him —
[Satan is a powerful being ; and, when the restraints which God has imposed upon him are withdrawn, can do great things. He cannot indeed force any man to sin against his will : but he can bring him into such circumstances, as shall have a strong tendency to ensnare his soul. We know from the history of Job, how great things he can effect for the distressing of a most
b Rom. i. 24, 26, 28. Ps. Ixxxi. 11, 12. 2 Thess. ii. 10—12. » Gen. vi. 3. Lev. xxvi. 27, 28. Prov. i. 24 — 30. d Rom. ix. 17.
GOD HARDENING PIIARAOIl's HEART. 349
70.]
eminent saint : much more therefore may we suppose him to prevail over one, who is his blind and willing vassal e. We do not indeed know, from any express declarations, that Satan interfered in this work of hardening Pharaoh : but, when we recollect how he instigated David to number the people ; how he prevailed on Peter to deny, and Judas to betray, Ins Lord; how he filled the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira that they might He unto God ; and finally, how expressly we are told that "he works in all the children of disobedience ;" we can have no doubt respecting his agency in the heart of Pharaoh.
Thus, as far as respects a withholding of that grace which might have softened Pharaoh's heart, and a giving him an opportunity to shew his malignant dispositions, and a per- mitting of Satan to exert his influence, God hardened Pha- raoh's heart : but as being a perfectly free agent, Pharaoh hardened his own heart : and this is repeatedly affirmed in the subsequent parts of this history.]