the fancies and opinions of Men. 2. The Neceſfarinefs, Eternity, and Unchangeableneſs of his Being ; whereas all other beings once were not,an:1 if he pleaſe, they thall. be no more; and all their be- ing was derived from him, and wholly depends upon him ; and he only is by and from himſclf. 3. The Conſtancy and Certainty 0: his Nature, and Will, and Word : The ſenſe is, I am the ſame that ever I was; the ſame who made the promiſes to Abraham, 8c. and am now come to perform them ; who asI can do whar I pleaſe, ſo I will do what I h+ve ſaid. Heb. 7 ſhall be what T ſhall be. He uſeth the Future Tenſe, either, 1. becauſe that Tenſe in the uſe of the Hebrew Tongue comprehends all times, paſt, preſent, and to come, to ſignifie that all times are alike to God,and all are preſent to him, and therefore what is here, 1 jha/ be, is rendred, 1 am, by Chrilt, John 8. 58. Sec Pſalm go. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 8. Or 2. To inti- | ' mate,though darkly,acco:ding to that State and Age of the Church, the Myſtery of Chriſt's Incarnation, 7 ſhall be what 7 ſhall be, #. e. God-man ; and I who now come in an inviſible,tho glorious man ner to deliver you from this temporal: Bondage, ſhall in due tim: come vilibly, and by Incarnation, to ſave you and all my People from a far worſe Slavery and Miſery, even from your Sins, and from Wrath to come. Of this Name of God, ſee Rev. 1. 4, 8. and 16. 5. 15 And God ſaid moreover unto Moſes, Thus ſhalt thou ſay unco the children of Iſrael, The LORD T God of your fathers, the God of Abiaham, the Goc of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob, hath ſent me unto you : this is my Name tor ever, and this 15 my memo- rial z unto ail generations. + Heb. Jehovah, a word of the ſame root and fignification with This he adds, becauſe God was beit known | to the I{-2c//tes by razt Name ; and to ſhew, that though he had gi- f ven himſelf a new Name, yer he was the ſame God. z By which I wit] be. remembred, o» ned, and ſerved by my People, and di- ſtinguiſthed fiom all others, See Palm 192. 12. and 105: 13.
15 GO and * gather the Eiders of [ſrael together, and ſay unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the Cod of Abraham, of Ifaac, and of Jacob, appear- ed uricto me, ſ>ying, I have ſurely viſked you, and ſeen that which is done to you in Egypt; |
2 Either by Age, or either by Office and Authority.For though they were all Slaves to the Egyptians, yet among themſelves the; retained ſome Order and Government, an-. had doubtleſs ſome whom they owned as their Teachers and Rulers, as heads of Tribes and Families, c.
| 17 And [| have ſaid, I will bring you up out of the | affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites. l and the Hirrites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites. 1 and the Hivites, and the Jebuſites, unto a land flowing with milk -nd honey.
18 And * they ſhall hearken to thy voice, and thou ſhalt come, thou and the elders of Iſrael unto the King of Egypt, and you (balt ſay unto him, The LORD * God of the tiebrews hath met with us b ; and now let us go, ( we beſeech thee ) three days journey c into the wilderneſs that we may ſacrifice to the LOR L our God d. X
b Hath appeared to us, expreſſing his diſpleaſure for our negle&t of him, and deciaring his Will that we ſhou!d do what follows. c To Sinai, which, going the neareſt way, was no further from Egypt ; for here God had declared he wouid be ſerved, werſe 12. Left. Was nor this deceitfully and unjuſtly ſpoken, when they m- tended to go quits away from him ? An}. No ; for 1. Pharaoh had no juſt Right and Title to them, to keep them in Bondage, ſeing they came thither only to ſo ourn for a time, and by Joſeph had abundant]y paid for their Habitation there, and therefore th-y might have demanded a total Diſmiſſion. 2. My2s doth nor ſay any thing which is falſe, but only conceals a part of the truth ; k and he was not obliged ro diſcover the whole'truth to ſo cruel a | Tyrant, and ſo implacable an Enemy. 3. Moſes carnot be blamed,
borh becauſe he was none of Pharao)'s Subject ,and becauſe herein
Rev: 1:4.
% Chap. 4: 29.
Y Chap:4: 3t * Chap: 5: 3.
Es "I
; he follows the Dire&ion and Command of his Maſter that ſent him: : And God ſurei;; was nor obliged to acquaint Pharaoh with all his _* mind, but only fo far as he pleaſed. And it pleated him for wiſe
and juſt reaſoas to propoſe only this to Pharaoh, that his denial of ſo modeſt a Requeſt ( whichGod foreſaw) might make his Tyranny more manfeſt, and G-4's © engeance upon him more juſt and re- | AS. da Which they could not do freely and ſafely in Egypr, | 04.8. 26,
Or, b ; ; ya 19 © AndI am fare e that the Kite cf Egypt .wall haud. mot let you go, | no not by a mighty hand f,
DUS.
but by too many of thy own -
| AE Moſes anſwered and ſaid, But behold, they
| the firſt Sign. For Moſes did not make dumb ſhews before them, M
Chap. IV. '
e I know it infallibly before hand. f Though he ſee and feel the miraculous and dreadful Works of a Strong, yea Almighty Hand, yet he will not conſent to your going : which the Hiſtory makes good. Nor did he let them go till he could hold them no longer, till = pt hn own Life, and the clamours of his People forced hint to give way to it. And yet, after that he re- penrs of his Permiſſion, and labowed to bring them back again.
Others, but, or except by a ſtrong hand. i. e. except by my Almighty 244g he be forced to it. Both Tranſlations come to the ſame enſe.
20 And I will firetch out my hand, and ſmite Egypt with all my wonders which 1 will do in the midit thereof ; and after that he will let you go.
21 AndI will give this people favour in the ſight of che Egyptians g ; and ic ſhall come to paſs, that when ye go, ye ihall not go empty !
£ So thar they ſhall readily grant what the Iſraelites deſire. See Exod: 12: 36.
22 * Butevery woman ſhall borrow of her neigh- * Chap: bour, and of her that ſojourneth in her houſe, jewels 27. 2: of ſilver, and jewels of goid, and raiment : and ye ſhal __ OP) put them upon y©ur ſons and upon your daughters, and ye ſhall ſpoil + the Egyptians h. |
þ Whether this was juſt or no, ſee on Exod: 12: 36.
CHAP, IV.