heart became firm, or was hardened, as the fame words which are in the Hebrew are afterwards tranflated. Nor is there in this laft paffage, or the context, any perfon mentioned who hardened his heart.

It hath been obferved before (in answer to the queftion, Why we believe the fcriptures to be the word of God?) that although the magicians could imitate Mofes in fome of the wonders which he wrought, yet his works were evidently fuperior to theirs, and that their powers were fo reftrained by that power by which Mofes wrought, that at length their enchantments could prevail no more, and therefore they were forced to fubmit and acknowledge the finger of God, or the effect of his power *.

There is another circumftance in this hiftory not to be omitted, namely, the Ifraelites borrowing jewels of filver, and gold, and raiment, and spoiling the Egyptians, which was no injuftice; for what they did herein was according to the word of Mofes, or as an appointment from God', who hath a fupreme right to all things, and might justly transfer the right of the Egyptians unto the Ifraelites, as fome recompence for their flavery and labours for fo many years, and as a punishment for the tyranny and inhumanity of the Egyptians (fo the reafon is given ", Te fhall Spoil the Egyptians)

1 Exod. xi. 2.

And fo is the Hebrew phrafe rendered by Ar. Montanus, & roboravit fe cor Pharao. and by the feventy kai katichufen ae kardia Pharao. And by the vulg. Lat. induratum eft cor Pharaonis, which is according to the Chaldee. i Verse 22. * Exod. viii. 18, 19. and chap. ix. 11. and chap. xii. 35, 36. Ipfe Deus pleniffimum Dominium habet, ut in res noftras, ita in vitam noftram, ut munur fuum, quod fine ullâ caufâ, & quovis tempore, auferre cuivis, quando vult, poteft. Grot. de Jur. Belli, lib. II. chap. xxi. fect. 14. Exod. iii. 22.

tians) who alfo at length feemed willing to purchase their own fafety with the lofs of their goods; for it is faid, The Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them off the land in hafte; for they faid, We be al dead men. Further,

Pit is faid, that a mixed multitude went up alfo with them, or as in the Hebrew, a great mixture : It is not mentioned what they were, whether fome of the Egyptians who married the Ifraelites, or ra. ther profelytes to the religion and worship of the true God 9.

Note here, that although God had promifed Abraham, that his feed, or pofterity fhould enjoy the land of Canaan, yet withal he had told him, that it should not be till after the expiration of four hundred years, when the fins of the Amorites would be full; but, till then, thofe people must have mercy fhewn them: And befides, there was time to be given to the Ifraelites to multiply, that fo they might be able to till the land, which was defigned them, and to be for a while under the dif cipline of affliction in Egypt, that they might fet the greater value on their redemption and their fettlement in Canaan: But when the fet time was accomplished, they were to be put in poffefsion of the promised land: And fo it came to pass; for, according to the beft computation, from Abraham's receiving the promife to Jacob's going down into Egypt, was two hundred and fifteen years, and the whole abode of the children of Ifrael in Egypt was two hundred and fifteen more; fo that, from God's covenant with Abraham, and his firft coming into Canaan, to the Ifraelites going out of VOL. I.

• Exod. xii. 33. Extranei quoque multi.

Bb

P Exod. xii. 38.
Gen. xv. 13.

Egypt,

Fagius in Exod. xii, 43, and Dr. Hammond in Acts vii. 4.

Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years; all which time they were firangers and fojourners, first in Canaan, and afterwards in Egypt. Probably Egypt is mentioned and not Canaan, in the place laft cited, because their greatest affliction and hardfhip was in Egypt, and their fojourning there was later than the other ".

W

When the time came for the children of Ifrael to go, and take poffeffion of the promifed land, God did not lead them the common way to Canaan, by the Philistines country, which from Egypt was not above ten days journey; but brought them round by the wildernefs, wherein they wandered backward and forward for the space of forty years: One reafon of which is given ", to humble them (with the tedious wanderings) and to prove them whether they would become better, and to know what was in their heart; which indeed God knew perfectly before; but here, according to the first general rule for interpreting of the holy fcripture, the fcripture fpeaks after the manner of men, as we often know upon making trial: Befides, the people, fo long ufed to flavery, and having no warlike difpofitions, might be terrified by a fudden war with the Canaanites: Not but that God could have raifed their courage, or could have made the Philiftines favour them (as the Egyp

u

tians

Exod. xii. Compare Pfalm ev. 9-14. The land of Canaan, in the Samaritan Pentateuch, is mentioned as well as Egypt (which the feventy follow) as Grotius obferves; yet that ought not to leffen the authority of the Hebrew text, chiefly, because the Chalde Paraphrafe, the vulgar Latin, the Arabic, and other approved versions, agree with the Hebrew; and the most ancient Jewifh, as well as Chriftian commentators, explain this paffage according to the Hebrew text. Vid. Hottinger. Thefaurus, lib. i. chap. 2. queft. 4. p. 148. ▾ P. Fagius, in Exod. xii 17. * Deut. viii. 2. * Mentioned chap. i. fect. 19. aforegoing.

tians did at first) but he obferved the rule of his ordinary providence, and defigning they fhould overcome the Canaanites, he would have them, as it were, inured and trained for fome time. This fecond reafon of their not being led by God the neareft way from Egypt, is fet down, left peradventure the people repent when they fee war.

It is further obfervable, that in their journeying in the wildernefs, God led them by a pillar, which ftood ftill when they were to reft, and moved forward when and which way they were to march. This pillar appeared as a cloud in the day, keeping off the fcorching heat of the fun; and as a fire by night, to give light; whereby it was manifeft the Divine Prefence was always with them: For this pillar of a cloud and fire was doubtlefs the fame with the hechinah, or the glory of the Lord before-mentioned, and that which was upon the tabernacle, a cloud by day, and the appearance of fire by night 2. It appears that fometimes the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle a confiderable time in the fame place, as a month, or a year . In fome places they abode feveral years; for in thirteen years space there are reckoned but feventeen encampings.

As for their cloaths, they were miraculously preferved from decaying, and wore not out in forty years; d; and the cloaths of children, as they grew up, might be kept for fucceeding children; fo alfo the cloaths of thofe who died might ferve their children when they grew up to their ftature. Bb 2 Their

Pentateuch.

y Exod. xiii. 17. See the fifth general Remark on the a Exod. xiii. 21, 22. and chap, xiv. 24. 37. 38. Numb. ix. 15. to the end. b Num. ix. 22.

and chap. xl. 36, Pfalm cv. 39.

computes, Annal. A. M. 255.

So Bihop Uther

d Deut. viii. 4•

Their food was chiefly man, or manna, which God gave them from heaven f. There is indeed a fort of manna now gathered in Calabria in Italy; but this fweats out of the branches and leaves of the afh tree, and is thickened and hardened by the heat of the fun, and has none of the qualities of the Ifraelites miraculous manna; as to fall on the ground, to be like coriander-feed, and to tafte like wafers made with honey. Further, becaufe they journeyed in a dry wildernefs, God miraculously provided water for them, which Mofes ftruck out of a rock, and which feems to have continued flowing like a fream or river, and following them from place to place along the wildernefs, till the last year of their travelling, when water again failing, it was renewed after the fame manner as before *.

Here, by the way, we may take notice, that the whole people of Ifrael, and that which befel them, were types or figures of Chrift and his church, as we learn from the apoftle. Their redemption from Egypt was a type of our redemption from fin; the barren wilderness, through which they paffed, of the afflictions of this life; Mofes, their captain, of Chrift; Canaan, of heaven; the Red-Sea, of baptifm; manna, of the bread which Chrift brought down from heaven, his doctrine of falvation, which nourishes to eternal life, &c.

CHAP.

Moft probably from Manah, (unde Minnah in Piel. Dan. i. 10.) which fignifies to appoint or order a diftinct fhare or portion. Hence Præparatus Cibus for manna, in Wif. xvi. 20. Buxtorf. et Paquin apud Robertfon. Thefaurus Linguæ fanctæ. f Exod. xvi. 33. Ray's Hift. Plantarum in h Exod. xvii. 1, &c. iFfalm lxxviii. 16, 20.

Fraxino.

I Cor. x. 4. beginning.

k Numb. xx. 2-13.

I Cor. x. at the