adventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.

V. 18. But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red-sea. The regular route was towards Gaza and the other cities of Palestine, which were a portion of Canaan, and at no great distance from the borders of Lower Egypt. But God would not permit them to take this course, though compendious and easy. For he knew their refractory spirit, and how prone they were to disobey; and the proximity of this country to Egypt would lead them, upon the first difficulty, to return. Of this we may be assured from what did happen, when, upon some disappointment, they gave vent to their evil wishes. Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, and when we did eat bread to the full. Exodus, ch. xvi. ver. 3. Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword? -Were it not better for us

to return into Egypt?

And they said one to

another, let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Numb. ch. xiv. ver. 2, &c.

The Encampment upon the extreme Point of the Red-sea.

We are told, that the children of Israel pur sued their journey, from Rameses and Succoth, till they came to the border of Etham, a wilderness at the top of the Red-sea. This wilderness extended from this border to the west of that sea towards Midian and Edom eastward, and southward towards Paran; and upon the edge of it they encamped. Pharaoh had ordered his chariots and his horses to be got. ready, and was now pursuing after them. But they would have escaped, for they had full time to have got into the wilderness of Etham, and secured themselves in its fastnesses. They would never have been pursued in such a region, when they had so far got the start. But Moses gave up this advantage; and, stopping short, led them out of the way into a defile, through which there was no outlet. Pharaoh therefore might well say---They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. Exod. xiv. 3. When the enemy's army came at last upon them behind, they were every way inclosed, without possibility of escape.

If

Moses acted for himself, as a man, how can we reconcile this proceeding with human prudence? It is contrary to common sense, and incompatible with the knowledge and experience which he had acquired. The necessary consequence of this ill conduct must have been the immediate resentment of the people; who, left to themselves, would not have scrupled to have stoned him: they accordingly upbraided him in bitter terms: ch. xiv. ver. 11. Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou, say they, taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us? V. 12. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. This would have been very justly urged to Moses, as a man, if he had acted upon his own authority, and if these difficulties had been owing to his conduct. But as the people had been witnesses to the repeated interposition of the Deity in their favour, and knew by whose direction their leader proceeded, they shewed a shameful diffidence; and betrayed that rebellious spirit, which marked their character throughout. Hence

may be farther perceived their attachment to Egypt, and their degeneracy in preferring bondage to liberty; and we may be farther assured of the propriety, in not suffering them to be carried the direct way northward to Canaan; but appointing them to be led at a greater distance, and in a different direction, through the wilderness. For even here they would, in all probability, have turned back, had the enemy made the least overtures, instead of pursuing them with terror, and driving them through the sea. If we consider this as the operation of the Deity, who is superior to every difficulty, and can save out of the greatest distress, the whole will appear consonant to divine wisdom as well as justice; as it tended to promote the great end which God had proposed. This was, to manifest his power by punishing the Egyptians; and to make use of their perfidy and baseness, to cure his people of their prejudices, and to break off all connections with Egypt.

Their preservation, as we are informed by the sacred writer, was owing to a miraculous passage through the sea. Some have thought

Of this we may be assured from their behaviour more than once afterwards. See Exod. xvi. 3.

that there was nothing preternatural in this occurrence; though it is said, that the waters, contrary to the law of fluids, rose up perpendicular; so that they were a wall to the people on their right hand, and on their left. Let us then for a while set aside the miracle, and consider the conduct of Moses. He has, after many difficulties and alarms, conducted his people, by some favourable means, to the other side of the sea; where he might have been some days before without any perplexity distress. And what is his object now? undoubtedly, after this signal deliverance, to take the shortest course to Canaan. No, he sets out again in a quite contrary direction, southward towards Paran; and having led the people through one barren wild, he brings them into another, still more barren and horrid. And, what is very strange, they reside in this desert near forty years, where a caravan could not subsist for a month. There must therefore have been an over-ruling power from above, which directed these operations; for no strength or sagacity of man could have accomplished what was done. Neither the mode nor the means were according to human pru

! Exod. xiv. 22.