III. NoTIOE THE THOROUGH WICKEDNESS OF THESE MAGICIANS. They know thnt their wonders are lying wonders. Powers great by nature, trained and increased with the utmost ingenuity, and which were intended to be ann might have been for the good of their fellow-men, they turn without any compunction into instruments for the promotion of their selfish glory. They know that, whatever their pretences may be they are not acting in a straightforward and humble service of supernatural power'. 'l'hey know that when Pharaoh puts confidence in them, he is putting confidence in a lie. Furthermore, they must have known that there was something in the transformation of Moses' rod which wanted accounting for. Magicians understand each other's tricks quite well, and it must have been evident to them that Moses was no magician, They know in their consciences that he is greater than themselves; but what can they say? Co=itted to lies, they must go on with them. They must pretend to have as much power as Mosos c,en if they have it not; and thus the induced necessities of their dark and secret art~ compel them to hide the truth from Pharaoh, Nor was it any real excuse that Pharaoh was willing to be deceived. His destruction ultimately came from his own perversity• but he also presents the melancholy spectacle of being surrounded by those who if only they had been truthful, might have interposed some obstacles in his downw~rd wav. IV. NOTICE THE STATE IN WHICH PHARAOH WAS LEFT, EVEN AFTEK THE COMPLE- TION OF THE MIRACLE. When Aaron's rod had swallowed up the others, he still remained unimpressed. It seems as if he had allowed his attention to be fixed on one part of the miracle, while another he regarded but carelessly. When his magicians seemed to produce serpents from rods, this was just according to his inclinations, and he made much of it. Moses could do nothing more than the magicians could do. But when their serpents were swallowed up-well, it was not a. very encouraging sight-but still it might be accounted for. And so we are in danger of depreciating the significance of God's works by not looking at them in every part. Every part is to be regarded, if we are to get the full impression of the whole. If the magicians did what Moses did, it was equally evident that Moses did what the magicians did. A child could see that his power was at least equal to theirs. If Pharaoh had not been blinded by vanity and by traditional reliance on his magicians, he would have 9-emanded that these magicians should do something more than Moses had done. What an illustration we have here, of how, when a man gets a.way from right thoughts of God, he soon comes to call evil good and good evil (Isa. v. 20). Pharaoh believes his lying magicians, though he will not believe the truthful servant of a true God. He has no discriminating power to find the difference between things, which. however they may resemble each other outwardly, are yet inwardly quite opposed. He thinks that he has power enough with his gods to meet whatever power has yet been brought against him. It has been already made evident that there is no sense of pity or justice in him ; and it is now made plain that. he is not to be reached by the exhibition before him of a. significant symbol of pain and destruction. Phara,oh m'/1,St be touched more closdy still---must be made to suffer, and suffer most dreadfully, before he will con.sent to let Israel go.-Y.
EXPOSITION. Vers. 14-21.-TBE FIBET PLAGUE. The the river stink, and the Egyptians loathe to first miracle had been exhibited, and had failed. drink of the water of the river (vers.15-18). It had been a mere" sign," and in no respect Pharaoh not yielding, making no sign, the 11 "judgment." Now the" judgments" were threat is to be immediately followed by the to begin. God ma.n.ifestB himself age.in to act. In the sight of Pharaoh and his court, Moses, &D.d gives him exact directions what he or at e.ny rate of his train of attendants is to do. He is to meet l'hs.raoh on the banks (v.ir. 20), Aaron is to stretch his rod over of the Nile, 8.11.d to warn him that a plague is the Nile, and the water is at once to become conung upOll all Egypt on account of his blood, the fish to die, and the river in a short obstilla.cy ; that the wat.ers of the Nile will be time to become offensive, or, in the simple and turned to blood, eo that the fish will die, and direct language of the Bible, to stink. The mr. vu. H--10.) THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 171