HOMILETICS. Vers.10-12.-False imitatwm of things Divine not difficul,t of detectwn.-It is Satan's wont, in all ages and on e.ll possible occasions, to set up counterfeits of things Divine, in order to confuse men's minds, and make them mistake the false for the true. Aaron no sooner works a true miracle, a real proof that he is a prophet of God (verse 1), than Satan's instruments, the magicians of Egypt, are ready with an imitation of the miracle, on which they base a claim that Pharaoh is not to listen to Aaron, but to them. "Curiow; arts" (Acts xix.. 19) and "lying wonders" (2 These. ii. 9) were employed to discredit the genuine miracles of the Apostles. False Christa rose up in various places, soon after the lifetime of our Lord, clai.ming to be the Messiah spoken of by the prophets, who "showed great signs and wonders," capable of deceiving, if it had been possible, even "the very elect" (Matt. xxiv. 24). Apocryphal gospels were put out by the side of the true ones. A new and mystic philosophy was set up as the real "know- ledge" which the Son of God had come to reveal, and new religions, like Gnosticism and Manichreism, disputed with real Christianity the right to be viewed as the actual religion of Jesus. Fanatics, at the time of the Reformation, parodied the Reformed OH, VII, 8-14 ] THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 167
rellgion, nnd established" Churches of the True Saints," which while affectinu extreme purity fell practically into fearful excesses. Even at the present day rivals ~re set up to the revelation of God given us in the Bible-and the religious books of the Egyptians, or the Hindoos, or the Persians, or the Buddhists, or the Mahometans, are declared to be just as good, just as much from God, just as deserving of our attention ns the Old and New 'festnments. But, if men are honest and do not wish to b~ doceivcd, it is easy, with a little patience, to detect each spurious imitation. .Aaron'g rod swallowed up the rods of the magicians. It remained-they ceased to exist altogether. 'fhe " curious arts " and " lying wonders " of those who opposed the .Apostles, if examined into, would have been found either mere tricks, or weak devices of Satan, with none of the power, the dignity, the awfulness, of a true miracle. And time brought them to nought-they built up nothing-effected nothing. So with the "false Christs," and the apocryphal gospels, and the religions of Gnosticism and l\fanichreism, and the fanatical sects of the Reformation period: they took no hold on the world-the truth "swallowed them up "-they vanished away. With the spurious "revelations," if the case is not the same, it is nearly the same-if they have not, all of them, vanished., they are all of them, vanishing. Brought into contact with the truth-placed side by side with it-they cannot maintain themselves-they are "swallowed up" after a while. 'fhe ancient pantheism of Egypt perished in the fourth century; the religion of Zoroaster is almost non-existent; that of the Vedas is now crumbling to decay. in the schools of Calcutta and Benares. Mahometanism shows signs of breaking up. When Thibet and China are freely opened to Christian missions, the last day of Buddhism will not be far off. The Divine sweeps away the human-Aarori.'s rod swallows up its rivafa.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. B-14.-The rod turned into a serpent. On this sign, notice- I. ITS BIGNIFIOANCE. 1. Its distinctness from the similar sign wrought for the con- viction of the Israelites. On the meaning of the latter, see chap. iv. 1-6. There the serpent into which the rod was turned seemed to denote the power of the monarch-the royal and divine power of Egypt-of which the serpent was an Egyptian emblem. However threatening the aspect of this power to Moses and the Israelites, the sign taught them not to fear it, and promised victory over it. Here, on the contrary, the serpent is a menace to Pharaoh. It speaks to him in his own language, and tells him of a royal and Divine power opposed to his which he will do well not to provoke. 'l'he sign was harmless in itself, but menacing in its import. 2. Its relation to Egypti!!-11, magic. Qn this, see the exposition. 'l'he magicians produced an imitation of the miracle, but this very circumstance was turned into an occasion of greater humiliation to them. "Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." The truth taught was the impotence of magic arts as opposed to the power of Jehovah. Royalty, divinity, magic, all are represented as overthrown in this significant marvel. Note-God seldom destroys a sinner without first warning him. 'l'he warnings are such that, if taken in time, worse consequences may be escaped. Conscience warns, the Spirit warns, providence warns. Red danger-signals stand at the opening of every path of crime, if the deluded trarui- gressor would but take heed to them. II. lTs EVIDENTIAL VALUE, It was ordered to be wrought in answer to Pharaoh's demand for a miracle (ver. 9). Presumably, Pharaoh made the request, then the wonder was performed. Note here-I. The human mind naturally craves/or miracle as an evidence of revelation. 'l'he evidence of outward miracle is not the highest, but neither, should it be disparaged. It is the kind of evidence which minds at an inferior stage of development are most capable of appreciating, while, in connection with other circum- stances, it is a powerful confirmation to the faith even of those who might possibly dispense with it. Christ's repeated refusal of a sign was not based upon the principle that signs wore unnocessary, but upon the fact that a superabundance of signs had already been given. A faith resting merely on miracles (John ii. 23, 24) may 'be destitute of moral worth, but miracles had their value in certifying the source of the message, as well as in arousing attention, and they were themselves vehicles of moral teaching. 2. God satisfies this craving of the mind by granting the evidence required. It does not lessen, but greatly fHE BOOK OF EXODUS.