Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they should dwell.

GOD told Moses that he and the elders should go to the King of Egypt, and ask that the people might be allowed to make three days' journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices unto their GOD. But the LORD told Moses that the king would not let them go, until He had put forth His Hand and smitten the land of Egypt with very terrible judgments. Still Moses was somewhat afraid-he thought that the Hebrews would not believe him, or that God had really appeared unto him. So the LORD gave him power to work miracles, such as should convince the people if they doubted. Moses had a rod in his hand, and the LORD bade him cast it upon the ground, and it became a serpent, and when Moses took it up, at God's bidding, it again became a rod. Furthermore, the LORD bade Moses put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out again his hand was covered with leprosy, and all white with that disease, but upon putting it back again the leprosy departed, and Moses' hand became once more whole.

Then GOD told Moses that if the people would not believe these two signs, he should

take water from the river and pour it upon the ground, and it should become blood before their eyes.

But even all these wonderful gifts did not satisfy Moses; he was afraid of not knowing what to say to the people. "O, my LORD," he said, "I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant, but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

Then the LORD reminded Moses that he was not going to speak in his own name, or with his own words, saying, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

It would seem as if Moses now let his humility and fear get the better of his obedience and faith-for once more he made a difficulty, so that the LORD's anger was kindled against him. Yet even in His displeasure, God was full of mercy, and He told Moses that he should take his brother Aaron with him, and that Aaron should be as his mouthpiece in speaking to the people; and once more the LORD promised to be with them, and to "put words into their mouth."

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MOSES RETURNS TO EGYPT.

MOSES was now fully satisfied as to his call into Egypt; and further GOD told him that the people from whom he had fled were all dead, and there was no danger for him in returning. The first thing that Moses did was to speak to his father-in-law Jethro, and ask his consent to their return into Egypt to see after his brethren. Jethro bade him go in peace. So Moses took his wife and his children, and with the rod of GOD (by which he was to work miracles) in his hand, he set forth. The future ruler of Israel and his family made their entrance into Egypt humbly riding on an ass-which reminds us of the entrance of a yet greater and holier, but as lowly a family into Egypt; when in obedience to the word of God, Joseph took the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant JESUS, and setting them upon an ass, fled into Egypt.

On the way GOD once more spoke to Moses, and bade him show all those signs and wonders to Pharaoh, but at the same time He told Moses that they would be in vain, the King would not let the people go. The last message

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he should give to Pharaoh was to be direct from God, “Thus saith the LORD, Israel is My son, even My first-born: and I say unto thee, Let My son go that he may serve Me; and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born.”

Meanwhile the LORD spake to Aaron, and bid him go and meet his brother Moses in the wilderness. So they met in Mount Horeb, and embraced one another, and Moses told Aaron all that God had said to him, and all the signs and wonders He had trusted to him. Then the two brothers went into Egypt, and called together the elders of Israel, and told them all that God had said, and showed those wonderful signs and miracles before all the people. Then the people believed that Moses and Aaron were really sent by the LORD, and they were comforted to know that He had looked in pity upon their affliction, and they bowed their heads and worshipped the God of their fathers.

MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH.

THE next thing to be done, in obedience to GOD's commands, was to ask the King to let

the children of Israel go into the wilderness to worship their GOD. So Moses and Aaron went to him, and said, "Thus saith the LORD GOD of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness."

But Pharaoh answered very scornfully, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His Voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." And when they urged GOD's commands, he rebuked Moses and Aaron for making the people idle, and bid them go back to their work. So far from granting the people any indulgence, the king made this request an excuse for adding to their burdens: he bade the overseers who were set over them, to make the people gather their own straw in future; but required the same quantity of bricks from them as before, saying that this outcry about going to sacrifice to their GOD, was only because they were idle; and that if they had more to do, they would not have time to talk.

So the people had to go all about the country gathering straw; and because they could not make as many bricks as before, when the straw was given them, the foremen who were set over their brethren, were beaten and ill-used.