Oh, the mighty power of unbelief. By faith we resist the devil, and drive him from us, so

By unbelief we redrive Him from us,

that he cannot harm us. sist the Holy Spirit, and so that He cannot save us. How earnestly should we pray-" Lord, grant me that faith which faileth not: Lord, increase in me true faith continually."

There is one expression that occurs twice in the last few verses of this wonderful twelfth chapter of Exodus, to which, before I conclude my observations upon it, I would request your special notice. It is the new name given by God to the children of Israel. "THE HOSTS OF THE LORD!" "THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL!"

--

Thus we read, "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day it came to pass, that all the HOSTS OF THE LORD went out from the land of Egypt. a night to be much observed unto the Lord

It is

FOR BRINGING THEM OUT from the land of Egypt. The Lord did bring the children of Israel out of Egypt BY TIIEIR ARMIES." Wonderful words! HOSTS OF THE LORD! ARMIES! ARMIES, WITH JEHOVAH FOR THEIR LEADER ! And who are these hosts? who are the soldiers that compose these armies, and that are honoured with such noble titles? They are THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL! "The Lord led THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL out by their armies."

It is most true! The very same children of Israel who but a little while ago were in the horrible pit and the miry clay-slaves to Pharaoh and the Egyptians; the very same who, but a little while ago, were set to the impossible service of making bricks without straw, and who, because they failed, were beaten; the same, in short, who, but a little while ago, were the type of all that was hopeless and degraded-these children of Israel cried unto the Lord, and He sent them His Word, and declared to them His way of sal

vation; they believed it, and acted on it; and in that instant-not the next day, or a week, or a month afterwards-but "on the very same night," from the most abject amongst men, they were at once exalted to the noblest place amongst the nations. Soldiers-soldiers comprising the armies of the living God! hosts of the Lord, commissioned to fight His battles, under the banner of the Lord of hosts, their leader!

WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE MAY BE OURSELVES A PICTURE.

The Destruction.

XII.

The Deliverance.

ET us now go on to the 14th chapter of this book of Exodus. We read,

"And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: and he took six hundred chosen chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And he pursued after the children of Israel, and overtook them encamping by the sea. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians marched after them; and they

were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.

"And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and 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.

"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

"And the Egyptians pursued, and went in