satisfactory and overwhelming, can Moses any longer hesitate? With the Almighty arm to sustain him, can he still shrink before the difficulties which have to encounter?

he may

Strange as it may seem, he continues to dread going forward in the performance of his duty. A new obstacle rises up before him.

"O my Lord," said he, "I am not eloquent, nei ther heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

What the precise nature of this difficulty was, we have not the means of ascertaining. It may have been a natural impediment in his power of articulation, or a hesitancy and great slowness in finding words to express his thoughts. Possibly, he began to think that, to accomplish the difficult enterprise on which God would send him, in appearing before his own incredulous and degraded countrymen, on the one hand, and the haughty monarch of Egypt and his court, on the other, it would be indispensable for him to possess an alluring and overpowering eloquence; a ready and copious command of language; and that he had no skill as an orator, by which to persuade such auditors.

The forbearance of God was not yet exhausted. He condescended to show Moses how readily this new difficulty could be removed. He who formed the human body, with all its curious powers of life

and action, was able to furnish every needed aid ir this peculiar emergency. "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." Who can lack the power of persuasive speech, when God himself en gages to furnish it? Are not all the doubts and difficulties of Moses, now entirely at an end?

God promises you, my young friend, a full supply of that wisdom, and grace, and strength, which you may at any time need in the discharge of your duty. And yet, are you not inclined, like Moses, very often to make excuses, and to plead one difficulty and another, as a sufficient reason for remissness, or even actual disobedience ?

Give up this distrust of God. Put your entire confidence in him. Go to him, in the name of Christ, daily and constantly, and beseech him to make his strength perfect in your weakness. Implore, continually and earnestly, the influences of his Holy Spirit, that he would thus work in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure

CHAPTER IX.

Moses is still reluctant. God provides Aaron to assist him. He sets out for Egypt with his wife and children.

Moses, as we have seen, had the power of performing certain miracles conferred upon him, and was assured also, that he should be taught of God what to say, when he appeared before the elders of Israel and the king of Egypt. Had he any other difficulty to fear, or plea to make, why he should not immediately comply with the divine injunction?

Alas! all that God himself had declared and promised, did not yet avail to inspire Moses with resolution. He dreaded what he conceived to be so appalling an undertaking. He earnestly desired to be entirely excused from it, and have another, and more suitable, person chosen in his stead.

"O my Lord," said he, "send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send."

In consequence of this, "the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses :" and well it might be, to find in him this remaining unbelief and hesitancy, after all that had been done and said to remove his fears, and to inspire him with a pious resolution of soul. Had God taken him at his word, and entirely discarded him from the important and honorable service to wnich he was thus called,

he would only have been treated as he deserved. But the divine forbearance was even greater than the criminal unwillingness of Moses to go for ward in the course of duty. One other relief for his fears is provided. "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother?" said the Lord unto him; "I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs."

This meeting of the brothers, so long separated from each other, was soon to take place, as we shall see, on the very mountain where Moses was then receiving these divine communications. From this sacred spot, they were to set out together on their great and arduous undertaking. Aaron was to supply, by his native, ready utterance, the deficiency of Moses in this respect; while the latter was to convey to his brother, as from God himself. the instructions and directions which should, from time to time, be given to him; and the Almighty would be with both, teaching them what to do,

strengthening them for their work, and crowning their labors with success.

The faith of Moses begins to revive. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, he cherishes new hopes. He forms new resolutions. His determination is fixed. He consecrates himself to his momentous career of duty. He sets out, in the strength of the Lord, to be the deliverer of his countrymen.

He returns immediately to the dwelling of his father-in-law. He asks permission to visit his family and brethren in Egypt, to see if they are yet alive, and what is their condition. Jethro grants his consent, and bids him go in peace, invoking on him the divine protection and blessing.

There were, undoubtedly, good reasons why Moses did not make Jethro acquainted with the communications which he had received from the midst of the burning bush at Horeb, or the object for which, in obedience to the divine command, he was to go to Egypt. He might fear that his fatherin-law and family would make strong objections to it, and perhaps throw some great obstacles in the way. The news, too, of such an extraordinary undertaking might be conveyed to the Egyptians. If so, it would produce an alarm among them, and movements on the part of the king, that would rouse the whole nation to a degree of resentment which might baffle his designs. His humility kept him from making any ostentatious display of the