SERMON VII.

THE HARDENING OF PHARAOH'S HEART AND THE FIRST THREE SIGNS.

"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt." "-Exodus VII. 3.

This divine declaration, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart," will, at first sight, be felt difficult to understand by those who have a true and tender regard for God, but who may not perhaps have a sufficient knowledge of His Providence. They truly believe Him to be unchangeable and good. Now, to such I would say, however much this declaration may startle you and induce unpleasant thoughts, never suffer yourselves to swerve for a moment from the great eternal truth, that God is unutterable and unchangeable love. There are, in divine things, as there are in human philosophy, appearances which belong to the first sight, and to the imperfect knowledge of subjects, and which are rectified by more perfect observation and reflection. It seems that this solid earth on which we stand is one of the most unswerving, immovable of objects. Its hills and mountains, its valleys and plains, its rocks and buildings, all seem to be at rest; yet the fact is, that, it is in most rapid motion. It is going at the rate of thirty times the speed of a cannon-ball every hour of the day and night. The first is the appearance, the second is the reality. One who has not been made familiar with the facts of astronomy, believes that the sun rises every morning in the east, and sets every evening in the west; he will tell you that this effect has been taking place ever since he was able to observe, and that all his neighbours and friends have seen the same thing; yet the real truth is, that, the sun never stirs from his place. You see, therefore, that in these and in a thousand instances, nay, in fact in every instance that can possibly be cited, the appearance, at first sight, is something very different from the actual reality. Now it is just so with spiritual things.

In a variety of instances the Lord appears different from what He really is; but let me again urge it upon every soul within

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reach of my voice, that the eternal truth is, God is infinite love, infinite wisdom, infinite goodness, and never changes. All appearance of change, results just as in the case of the errors we have named, from our imperfect observations and understanding. When we come really to know the truth, we shall have learned, that, it has for its supreme lesson, what is often brought out in the Divine Word, both in the Old and New Testaments, "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Ps. CXLV. 9. The real truth is, as it is expressed in the 136th Psalm twenty-six times over, beginning with the first verse and passing through every succeeding verse; alike in smiting the firstborn of Egypt, (v. 10.) as in bringing Israel from among them, (v. 7.,) in slaying famous kings, (v. 18.,) as in giving food to all flesh, (v. 25.) "His mercy endureth for ever." "Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good,-for His mercy endureth for ever." How beautifully and how powerfully is this truth expressed in the lamentations of Jeremiah, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, for His compassions fail not,” (III. 22.) and in the same chapter, "out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good." This is the eternal, this is the fixed and certain fact that lies at the bottom of all real sound thought in theology. St. James expresses it in other language, but with equal clearness, when he says "Every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."-Js. 1. 17. There is no mode in which God could possibly change from His nature, which is LOVE. Such change could only happen from His having a divided nature, and this could only result from one or other of these three conditions. The greater part evil, and the lesser part good; there might be a change until the evil part had overcome the good, and made the whole evil; then there would be a rest of eternal malignity, which is not conceivable. Or, the good part might be more powerful than the evil, then there would be change until the good part had overcome the evil, and then there would be everlasting persistence in good. Or, the two might be just equal; there is no other conceivable case; and if the two were just equal, two equals like two wheels of equal power, would keep one another in check. He would not then do anything at all, which also is not conceivable. So that you will perceive that this eternal truth is, in the very nature of things, absolutely so, and it cannot be otherwise in Him there can be no variableness, nor shadow of turning. And then St. John expresses it with equal emphasis, and with equal clearness, when

he says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love." IV. 8. "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God; for God is Love."-IV. 16. Consequently, this great truth,-this important lesson for all sacred thoughts, must never be forgotten, whatever appears to contradict it, this is the great truth-hold to it. Suppose anything most strange and inconceivable possible, if you like, but never suppose that the infinitely loving God can turn against His creatures, or desire to inflict mischief upon any of them. He is the fountain of peace and love, light and joy; the unceasing Father of heaven, the source of every mercy. "I am Jehovah," He says, "I change not, therefore, Ŏ Jacob, thou art not consumed.”—Mal. III. 9.

But then comes still this declaration :-"I will harden Pharaoh's heart;" and a person may say, Pharaoh seems to have been very badly treated, that he should have been first hardened and then punished. What, then, is meant by this declaration, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart?" Allow me to draw your attention to the fact that this hardening is mentioned in three forms of speech. The ordinary way, and that of which you will find two instances in this chapter and several in other chapters, is simply to state the fact that Pharaoh's heart was hardened. But another form is that which is given in the text, "I will harden." And notice that this, "I will harden," is simply, in the original language, the future of the verb to harden; it does not express even so much as is expressed by our words in the future "I will harden," it has not in the least the idea of "I will to harden," which is frequently expressed in our use of the future tense. It is simply expressive of the fact, that the Lord's operations would be productive of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. And the third way in which the same fact is stated, is that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. You will find this expressed in the next chapter, and in other parts of the Word. In the next chapter it is in this language in the 10th verse, "But when Pharaoh heard that there was respite, he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said." We must not therefore consider that this hardening of Pharaoh's heart arose from any intention or direct influence of the Divine Being to harden it; it was owing to the obduracy of the evil state in which Pharaoh was, that the operations of God's providence and mercy had that effect upon him.

Every influence proceeding from God operates not simply according to its own nature, but according to the nature of the object upon which it rests. This is illustrated by circumstances

familiar to us all. The sun, which, in outward nature, is God's highest representative, quickens the humming-bird and revives the snake, gives the lily its whiteness, and the hemlock its poison, calls forth the fragrances of the garden, and the malaria from the swamp. The same sun which softens wax, hardens clay; not because there is any difference in the influence that flows into these two, but because their natures are different. The very same beam that is beautiful to the healthy eye is most painful to the eye inflamed. The person in agony says "the sun gives me very great pain." The occasion of the sensation is the disordered organ. The very same healthy influence which causes the flower to bloom near a carcase, makes the dead body itself to swarm with loathsome life. It is in this way, therefore, that we can conceive that the divine mercy, operating upon a good soul, softens, elevates, and refines it; the very same mercy operating upon a bad man's heart, hardens it, and makes it resist, and revolt. This is the reason why Pharaoh's hardening of his own heart increased more and more as the divine mercy flowed down; not because God will'd to harden it, but because his self-will desired to rule over everything earthly, heavenly, and divine, and the more he was spared, the more he was insolent. Besides this, we may remark, that the Divine Being is the source of all life in persons, both good and evil, and therefore, in a certain universal sense, it may be said, that, all life which enables a person to do either one thing or another, flows from God. But the life that flows into a bad man, although it is that which gives him power, even to exercise his influence against God, and against goodness, was not given to him for that purpose. In his corrupt and malig nant heart, he changes that life which flowed down purely to him; just as the sun's light in passing through a painted window becomes red or purple, or whatever the color of the glass may be, and thence-forward flows on in that condition. This is the universal sense in which it may be said that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, without, as we said, the least intention to do so, simply because his heart was of such a character as that God's love in him was turned into hate, rebellion, and obduracy.

But further, there is a special sense in which we may regard it as true, when it is said "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." Notice, that, the hardening took place in proportion as the pains and plagues were taken away; and this is a circumstance which always happens with the bad; spare them and they harden in pride. In the succeeding chapter, as we have before noticed, that is especially marked.

In the case of each of the plagues, you will find that the account of the hardening is at its completion, when the plague is removed. Then it was the Lord's mercy giving him another chance as it were, not pressing too hardly upon him, but chastising him and then withdrawing. Thus it is always with a thoroughly malignant soul that will not be amended. Each time that sorrow is removed it hardens itself and defies as before. It was thus the very mercy and loving kindness, which were exercised towards this poor rebellious king, that were laid hold upon to harden him. As the pain grew less, the rebellion and obstinacy grew stronger. It is in this way that the Lord says "I will harden his heart," that is "I shall harden Pharaoh's heart." Permit me now to direct your attention to the succeeding portion of the text, where it is said, "I will multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt." Notice the word "signs," for by this expression is not merely meant that some remarkable things were going to be done, but that they were to be "signs," and a sign is something that has a meaning connected with it. A sign has a signification. Let us endeavour to discern the signification of the three remarkable things which took place as recorded in our lesson. First, there was the throwing the rod of Moses before Pharaoh, and its becoming a serpent. There was then, the passing of the rod over the waters, and their becoming blood. And thirdly, the plague of frogs. To each of these, allow me to ask you to give a brief attention. Bear in mind that the exact rendering of the sign would be that "the rod became a water-serpent." "And the magicians did so with their enchantments;" their rods were thrown down and became water-serpents. In order to see the signification of this sign, we must bear in mind, that the serpent, whether it is in the allegorical part of the Word, or in the declaration of outward fact, is always the symbol of the sensual degree of the mind in A marvellous mass of truths are unfolded to us in the Divine Word, and elsewhere, when we see the signification of the serpent. That animal, being the one that goes nearest to the earth, is representative of that degree of the human mind which was intended also to go nearest to the earth, that is to say, the love of the senses and sensual things.

man.

It is a remarkable thing that in Egyptian hieroglyphics, whenever there is a door represented in any of the manifold forms in which such things occur, there is always a serpent associated with it; and this originated, we doubt not, in their knowledge, that the senses are the doors of access between the soul and the

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