is li"ht and li"ht continually streams forth from him; and without him the minds of men°a.r; in de~ darkness a.s to all that is best in knowledge and most substantial in ohope for the time to come. When_ we co~ider_ how much is said abou~ sp~itual light fl.Ild spiritual darkness in the Scnptures, 1t will be seen how appropriate 1t was that before Jehovah closed his earthly dealings with Pharaoh he should bring his land under this impenetrable cloud. It was a fitting scourge to come upon a king and people whose minds were so darkened to the perception of God. '!'he light and truth which break forth from God vainly struggled to shine through into Pharaoh's heart. This plague was a sort of approach to the rrimal chaos, a movement towards dissolving the cosmos Cll, X, 20-20.] THE DOOK Oll' EXODUS. 243
into tho formless, unillumincd mnss from which it sprang. God's first great Word in making ordor Will! to say, "Let there he light"; now we almost imagine a corre- s1mnding word," Let there be darkness." The sun, though it may paes over Egypt as usual, no longer rules tho day ; not a ray penetrates to accommodate and cheer the bowilderod land. 2. The degree of this darlcness. Jehovah tells Moses it will be a darkness which may be felt. Not that it was literally palpable, but rather that the darkness was so dense, so utterly beyond all experience, that it could not possibly be described by language taken from the use of the sense of vision. It was not enough to say, as with respect to the hail and the locusts, that there had been no such experience in Egypt since it became a nation. A new sort of darkness required a. new mode of expression to indicate it; and thus by a bold figure the darkness is introduced as affecting not only the usual sense of sight, but the sense of touch as well. The priva- tion of light was in the highest conceivable degree. .A.nd here it is surely well to dismiss from our minds all attempts, however well intended, to find a natural basis for this plague. That Jehovah might have made a darkness, and a. very terrible one, by increasing and intensifying natural elements and causes is quite true; but somehow, such a view of this plague does not satisfy the demands of the strong terms which are used. Far better is it to suppose that in some mysterious way light lost its radiating power when it ea.me into the Egyptian atmosphere. Doubtless even artificial lights proved useless. If the sun could not pierce into Egypt, little lamps and earth-lights were not likely to succeed. 3. The duration of it. lt lasted for three days. In this duration lay its peculiar severity. Even a darkness that might be felt would not be much if it was a momentary visitation. But when it extended for three days, dis- arranging and pa.ralyzing all work, then the II1J1.,,,"Ilitude of the visitation would fully appear. It was indeed a. plague more terrible in reality tha.n in threatening, and in continua.nee than in its first embrace. In itself it was not a painful thing; it did not irritate like the frogs, the gnats, a.nd the flies ; it did not destroy like the murrain, the nail, and the locusts. It simply settled down on the land, and while it lasted made one of the most informing a.nd gla.ddening of the senses utterly useless. Even those who loved the darkness because their deeds were evil, would feel, after three days of it, that they were having too much of a. good thing. It was just the kind of pl~crue that by the very continuance of it would grow in horror, a.nd at last precipitate a panic. Darkness is the time favourable to all terrifying imagina.tions. 4. 7.'he exemption of the Israelites. The district where they dwelt had light in their dwellings. Here was, indeed, a more impressive and significant sepa.ration than a.ny Jehova.h had yet made; a.nd that he should thus separate between Israel a.nd Egypt, as between light and the deepest darkness, was a thing to be expected, considering how soon the Israelites were to go out of the land altogether. II. CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENT PROPOSITION BY PHARAOH A....'ID THE RECEPTION OF IT BY MosEs. After three days of the darkness that might be felt, Pharaoh is again brought to his knees, suing for mercy, a.nd, as usual, he offers something which formerly he ha.d refused. Only a. little while ago he ha.d set his face aga.inst liberating the little ones of Israel. Now he ha.s got so far as to sa.y all the people may depart-a.11 the human beings-but the flocks and herds must stay behind; and these, of course, were the very substance of Israel's wealth (Gen. xlvi. 31 ; xlvii. 6). .A.nd not only so, but at present they would look a.II the more considerable in comparison with the murrain- swept flocks a.nd herds of Egypt. If Pharaoh can only get this request, he thinks he will both serve his dignity a.nd do something to retrieve his fortunes. What a difference between this la.st interview with Moses and the first ! Pharaoh, who began with refusing to yield anything, nay, who by way of a.nswer made the existing bondage even more oppressive, is now, .after a course of nine plagues, willing to yield everything-every- thing but the property of Israel. This, indeed, has been a great way to bring him, but it has all been done by a kind of main force. Pha.raoh's ignorance of J ehova.h's character and demands remains unabated, amid all his experience of Jehova.h's power. He cannot yet understand that Jehova.h is not to be bargained with. He ,,-a.nts the .flocks und herds, as if it were a. small matter to keep them back, whereas just one reason why the flocks and herds are so abundant is that there may be enough for sacrifice. Jehovah h,td a use and place for every Israelite, the oldest and the youngest, and all their belongings. It was au answer of Moses, profoundly suitable to the occasion, when h B 2 244 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. [011. x. 21-29,