ehape eettled for agee to come, just like the shape of the solid hills around. The only thing to explain their conduct is the momentum that had been produced in their own breasts. It was with them just as it is with the runner when he haR gained a. certain speed. Suppose in his headlong career he comes to a chasm, stop he cannot. Either he must clear the chasm or fall into it. The next point to he noticed is God:s treatment of them in their advance. The whole progress of affairs is exactly arra1wed so as to produce the deliverance of Israel and the destruction of Pharaoh. The very ~earness of Pharaoh and his army to the Israelites, instead of proving ruin to them, only mora effectually proves ruin to him. Some of the more timid among the Israelites might be tempted to eay, "Oh I that the watere would return, immediately the last Israelite is !\shore; let the great barrier be set between us .ind Pharaoh as soon as possible." Bu, such a course would only have eecured a present safety at the expense of a future one. Jehovah has a far better way of working than any which human panic can suggest. He lets the Egyptians go on until the whole army is in the midst of the sea, and then he who has truly proved himself a man of war opens the last decisive battle by making the chariots useless. Nay, not only were they useless; they seem to have become a hindrance and a terror. Jehovah neither hastens nor lingers; he smites at the ri;!;ht time, and therefore he smites effectually; and now we are called to listen to a re.~olution -made too late. "Let us flee from the face of Israel." If only they had been wise in time, they would not have had to flee at all. What were they doing in the midst of the Red Sea? Nay more, what were they doing out of their own country? They had trifled and trifled with danger after danger, and now they had trifled beyond escape. It is no time to talk of flight when the door of the trap bas fallen. The waters are on the point of returning; the ordinary course of nature is about to assert itself. ·why should that course be interrupted one moment longer, simply to preserve a host of proud and dangerous men. The great lesson from Pharaoh's fall is to be wise in time. Flee from the wrath to come! there is a possibility of that; but when the wrath has come, who then shall flee? (Rev. vi. 16-17). IV. NOTE THE IMPRESSION SAID TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED ON THE MINDS OF THE ISRAELITES. Ver. 31. More desirable words surely could not be spoken of any people than that they fear Jehovah and believe in him and his servants. The fear and the faith, however, must be of the right sort, arising out of a right state of the heart, and cleaving to God through all the vicissitudes of circumstance. Such unfortunately was not the fear and faith of these Israelites. We must have heart knowledge of God's character, and come to understand how necessary it is to pass through a shaking of the things that can be shaken in order that the things which cannot be shaken may rem.a.in. Then we shall fear as we ought to fear, and believe as we ought to believe.-Y.
EXPOSITION. Ver.19--22.-THE PASSAGE OF THE RED a.lone was calculated to alarm the latter, e.nd SEA. The Egyptiane had arrived in the near prevent them from stirring till near day- neighbourhood of the Israelite camp, at the break; but, the better to secure their inaction, close of a long day's march, towards evening. the pi.lla.r wes ma.de to overshadow them with Having ascertained that the fugitives were a dee_~ e.nd pretematnrn.l darkness, so that it still, es they he.d expected them to be, shnt iu became almost impossible for them to ad- between the sea and the wilderness, they were ve.nce. Meanwhile, on the side which was content, e.nd made no immediate attack, but turned towards the Israelites, the pillar pre- enco.mped over against them. Hereupon, sented the appearance of a bright flllllle, "the pillar of the cloud," which wes at the lighting up the whole enclllllpment, a.ud time in front of the Israelite co.mp-pro- rendering it as easy to make ready for the bably ne11r the point where God intended the march as it would have been by day. Thus, p88Se.ge of the see. to be effected-'; removed" the beasts were collected and lo.Jen-the from thiB position, o.nd ple.ced itself directly colwnns marshalled e.nd prepared to procee<l oehind the Israelite encampment, between in e. certain fixed order-and everything me.dd them 11Ud the Egyptians This movement ready for starting so soon e.s the bed of the z2 340 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. Lcu. XIV. 19-22.