SECTION XCVIII. NUMBERS XXXIII. 8. EXODUS XIV. 19, TO END. XV. 1-21. TITLE. It is more philosophical to receive Christianity with its evidences, than to reject it with its difficulties. As the Egyptians approach nearer to the Israelites, the pillar of cloud and fire is removed by the Almighty from the van to the rear, to protect the people from the advanced guard of the Egyptians. The Red Sea is divided before Israel, so that they march through the sea, as if they were on the dry ground. The Egyptians follow them. The God of Nature the God of Israel, commands the sea to return to its place. The Egyptians are drowned. The triumphant song of Moses, Miriam, and Israel. INTRODUCTION. It is customary with those who are so unfortunate as to believe in God as the Creator, but who disbelieve in any other proofs of His continued providence over His own creation, than the more uniform demonstration which we see around us, to enquire, What result has followed from the miracles of Scripture? or, in what respect is mankind now different from what it would have been, if the miracles of revelation had not taken place at all? We boldly answer, that the object of all the great miracles of the Old and New Testament was threefold. First, they accomplished a present effect on the generation among whom they were wrought; their second design was, slowly and gradually, but certainly and surely as leaven in the dough, to civilize and to religionize, by means of the Universal Church, which receives these miracles as truths, the whole corrupt mass of the apostate race of mankind; till they become on this earth one family of God, in which there shall be more good than evil; and the third great object is, the formation in the hearts of all who hear or read them, of that new and changed nature, which shall render the first nature, which was only fitted for earth, fitted and prepared for a higher state of existence.--If the soul be indeed immortal, as we all believe, it will be alive a million of years hence; and it will know and understand much better the whole mystery and object for which God created, and preserved, and redeemed man; and how it was that the whole race of Adam could only have been brought to its greatest perfection, as a race, upon earth; and how each individual could only have been fitted for its greatest perfection in its immortality, by faith in the revelation which is founded upon the miracles; that is, upon an unusual interference by the Creator, in the usual government of the world, which, by the greatest of all miracles, He created and made. When, therefore, the question is asked, what is the result and object of such a miracle as that which is recorded in this Section, the passage of the tribes of Israel through the Red Sea; the answer must be given, as if the person who replied to it was a disembodied spirit, looking back in its immortality, through the distance of many ages from the events; and surveying the whole magnificent scheme of the providence of creation, preservation, and redemption. Then the answer will be, partly from Scripture, that in the age when the miracle took place, it prepared the way for the conquests of Israel, and convinced the world of the superiority of the God of Israel over the gods of Egypt; partly from the survey of the progress of the civilization and conversion of the whole world, till the kingdoms of earth, by means of the Church, become one kingdom under Christ; and partly from the redemption of the numbers numberless, the number which no man can number, from all nations, people, and languages, who, by faith in these miracles, became the sons of God. These reflections are suggested and confirmed by the remarkable declaration in the Book of the Revelation; that when the souls of the men, who had obtained their victory over evil, are represented as celebrating their triumph; they do not merely commemorate their own personal deliverance, but they sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. They look back over all the past history of the providence of God, they remember the miracle of the Red Sea; they remember the miracles of the greater salvation, which Christ, who followed Moses, wrought for themselves and the Church, and for the human race, who by faith in these miracles, and by means of His Church, were brought safely to their joyful immortality; and they sing the song of remembrance, of gratitude, and peace. (Exod. xv. 2-5.) He, therefore, who would rightly survey and understand the causes and necessity of the miracles here recorded, must regard them from the three points of their first effect upon the age when they were wrought; their second effect upon the gradual civilization and improvement of the world; and their third effect, as it will be developed in our immortality. Of the first effect we read in the Holy Scriptures; of the third effect, what we know not now, we shall know hereafter; but of the second effect, our own eyes now at this moment convince us, in the existing civilization and religion of Europe. The Christian religion, which, in spite of all the temporary divisions among its adherents, is the religion of the most refined and cultivated portion of the world, is established on the miracles, first of Moses and then of Christ; all are truths, or all are fables. It is the result of such miracles; and we say, therefore, that the reasoner who receives the Christianity which blesses here and hereafter, upon the evidences of these miracles; is more philosophical and more wise, than he who rejects that Christianity because of some imaginary difficulties, which our imperfect knowledge alone renders mysterious, and which will be explained in the next stage of our immortal existence. He who thus considers revelation, God, the soul, mankind, and his immortality, will not hesitate to believe the wonderful truths here recorded; that the presence of the Creator and Preserver of the world and the Church, having been manifested to the people of Israel in the appearance of a pillar of cloud and fire; that cloud and fire which had led them to their present encampment, when the Egyptians began to press upon the Israelites, was seen to move from the van to the rear. (Exod. xiv. 19.) The narrative of the miracles which now began and followed is so simple, that it requires no explanation. When the cloud thus moved between the Egyptians and Israel, it gave light to the latter, so that they saw the open sea divide before them; it added to the darkness of the former, so that they saw but dimly the way which the Israelites were taking. The Israelites now came to the shore of the Red Sea. Instead of being stopped by the waters, they found only dry land before them. An east wind had been made the means of drying up the very ground beneath them, which had been, a few hours before, the bed of the sea; and the waters were so divided, that they stood up, on each side, as two walls of solid rock; while their usual property of ebbing, flowing, and falling, was suspended by the will of their Creator. (Exod. xiv. 21, 22.) So they marched from the shore of Africa, to the opposite shore of Asia, through the divided and congealed sea. (Exod. xv. 8.) The Egyptians followed. Then the same Being, who was afterwards in the fulness of time manifested in our human nature, as the Word made flesh, was now manifested, not in the flesh, but in the appearance of an awful form, through the occasional openings of the flame and of the cloud; and the Egyptians saw the angel Jehovah, as the assembled world shall one day see the same Holy God, manifested in the clouds of heaven. (ver. 24.) They were troubled at the sight, as the impenitent shall be troubled when they shall see the Son of God in His power and great glory. Their chariot wheels fell off. Brave as they were, they were terrified at the appearance of the God of Israel before them. They attempted to return; but the hour of their destruction was come, and the command was given to Moses. He stretched forth his hand. The sea returned to its channel, as the day began to dawn, and not one of the chariots or horsemen of the army of Pharaoh returned to tell the story. It is related in the Book of Revelation alone. It was witnessed by the hundreds of thousands to whom that revelation appealed. On their testimony, the existing and the next generation received it. From their testimony it has been handed down as one unbroken record; and it has been believed, and it will be believed, till after the second and better Exodus shall have taken place, when the souls of men shall be delivered by the same Saviour, from worse enemies than the Egyptians. The people believed God and His servant Moses (Exod. xiv. 31), as all the world shall one day, either from fearing judgments, or rejoicing at mercy, believe in the same Creator, and in Christ the Lord. The joy and praises of the Israelites were embodied in the Song of Moses and of Miriam, his sister; and we will make that song the foundation of our present praise, as the earnest of our future praise, when the Song of Moses shall be identified with the songs of our souls to the Saviour of the soul, the Lamb of God. So may our souls praise Thee! So shall Thine enemies perish, O Lord! The fourth journey.-From Pi-hahiroth, through the Red Sea, and the wilderness of Etham, or Shur, to Marah. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. Passage of the Red Sea. NUMBERS XXXIII. 8. 8 And they departed | wilderness, and went three from before Pi-hahiroth, days' journey in the wilderExod. 14.22. and passed through the ness of Etham, and pitched & 15. 22, 23. midst of the sea into the in Marah. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. EXODUS XIV. 19, TO THE END. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. 19 And the angel of that the Egyptians said, OR God, which went before Let us flee from the face ch. 13. 21. & the camp of Israel, removed of Israel; for the LORD 23. 20. & 32. and went behind them; and Numb. 20. 16. the pillar of the cloud went Isai. 63. 9. from before their face, and 34. 14. 2 Cor. 4. 3. fighteth for them against ver. 14. the Egyptians. 1 26 And the LORD said stood behind them: unto Moses, Stretch out1 ver. 16. 20 And it came between thine hand over the sea, the camp of the Egyptians that the waters may come and the camp of Israel; and again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. See Isai. 8. it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. d ver. 16. • Ps. 66. 6. f ch. 15. 8. Jush. 3. 16. & 4. 23. Ps. 74. 13. & Isai. 63. 12. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea m returned to Josh. 4. 18. 21 And Moses stretched his strength when the mornout his hand over the sea; ing appeared; and the and the LORD caused the Egyptians fled against it; sea to go back by a strong and the LORD "toverthrew ch. 15 1.7. east wind all that night, the Egyptians in the midst and made the sea dry land, of the sea. re ก and the waters were 'divided. 28 And the waters 22 And the children of turned, and P covered the Neh. 9. 11. Israel went into the midst chariots, and the horsemen, P Ps. 106. 11. 106.9.& 114.3. of the sea upon the dry and all the host of Pharaoh ground: and the waters that came into the sea after were a wall unto them on them; there remained not Ps. 66. 6. & their right hand, and on so much as one of them. Isai. 63. 13. their left. 29 But the children of ver. 22. 23 ¶ And the Egyptians Israel walked upon dry land 78. 52, 53. Hab. 3. 10. pursued, and went in after in the midst of 17, &c. the sea; them to the midst of the and the waters were a wall 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch See Ps. 77. i the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, | Or, and unto them on their right Ps. 77. 20. & 25 And took off their the LORD, and believed 'ch. 4. 31. & chariot wheels, || that they the LORD, and his servant Ps. 106. 12. made them to drave them heavily: so Moses. go heavily. John 2. 11. & 11. 45. BEFORE CHRIST 1491. 2 Sam. 22. 1. u EXODUS XV. 1-21. V BEFORE CHRIST 1491. Judg. 5. 30. Gen. 49. 27 Luke 11. 22. 1 Then sang " Moses and 9 The enemy said, I the children of Israel this will pursue, I will overtake, Judg. 5. 1. song unto the LORD, and I will divide the spoil; my Ps. 106. 12. Spake, saying, I will sing lust shall be satisfied upon unto the LORD, for he hath them; I will draw my sword, triumphed gloriously: the my hand shall || destroy | Or, repos horse and his rider hath he them. thrown into the sea. ⚫ ver. 21. Ps. 18 2. & 22. 62.6. & 109. 1. W sess. 10 Thou didst P blow with P ch. 14. 21. 2 The LORD is my thy wind, a the sea covered a Deut. 10.21. strength and " song, and he them: they sank as lead in 3. & 59. 17. & is become my salvation he the mighty waters. & 118. 14. & is my God, and I will prean habitation; him x pare Hab. 3. 18, 19. my father's God, and I Gen. 28. 21, z will exalt him. 140. 7. Isai. 12. 2. 22. 2 Sam. 7. 5. Ps. 132. 5. 3 The LORD is a man of 7 ch. 3. 15, 16. a war: the LORD is his 49. 19. mighty ones ? • Isai. 6. 3. 14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: ' sor- Deut. 2. 25. row shall take hold on the Joh. 2,9,1 2. 10. 5 The depths have co- thou hast guided them in Neh. 9. 11. vered them: they sank thy strength unto "thy holy into the bottom as a stone. habitation. Ps. 118. 15, 68 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in inhabitants of Palestina. 15 Then a the dukes of pieces the enemy. Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants © Josh. 5. 1. of Canaan shall melt away. 7 And in the greatness * Deut. 33.26. of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, Ps. 59. 13. which consumed them k as 16d Fear and dread shall & Deut. 2. 25. 8 And with the blast of greatness of thine arm they' Job 4. 9. thy nostrils the waters were |