September 4

Exodus v. — 1. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

2. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord; neither will I let Israel go.

3. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.

4. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? Get you unto your burdens.

5. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8. And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Egypt had gods for every district, every city, every season, and for almost every object in Nature and every want of man. But Jehovah was a new name to Pharaoh; and, as divinities were estimated by the state of the people who worshipped them, this "God of the Hebrews" — a servile and helpless race — seemed to him of no account. Religious pilgrimages on a great scale, like the early caravans for Mecca and Jerusalem, were common in ancient times; and the Egyptians themselves had temples in the desert of Arabia Petraea. But Pharaoh feared that a holiday given to such a multitude would furnish occasion for conspiracy and revolt.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Oh! grant us grace, Father in heaven, to hear thy Word, and to obey it. We would make haste, and delay not, to keep thy commandments. Thou hast a right, O Lord! to our time, our gifts, our hearts, our persons; to all that we are, and all that we have: for thou hast created us, and hast redeemed us with the precious blood of thy Son. We would begin this sabbath in thy fear: help us in all things to please and honor thee.

We give thee thanks for the mercies of the night, and for all the mercies of our past lives, — for home and its blessings; for friends, and all the ministries of love; for health, knowledge, comfort, and prosperity; but, above all things, for thy grace in the

10. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh: I will not give you straw.

11. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it; yet not aught of your work shall be diminished.

12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

13. And the taskmasters hastened them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?

15. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

16. There is no straw given unto thy servants; and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

17. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.

18. Go therefore now, and work: for there shall no straw be given you; yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

Bricks made of Nile-mud mixed with chopped straw, and dried in the sun, were early used in Egypt, and are found in some of the oldest buildings. A picture in a tomb at Thebes represents the whole process of brick-making: and taskmasters are standing over the workmen, with whips to urge on their tasks. The violence of Pharaoh led the children of Israel to complain of Moses as the cause of their new troubles; and even he was almost driven to despair of God's intervention. But faith and patience must have their perfect work, that God may show forth the fulness of his power.

Prayer.

[Nos. 129, 146, 149.

gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we ever be ready to acknowledge him the Son of God, the Saviour of the world! May men in the high places of power and influence consecrate themselves to him! may the poor and lowly trust in him! may children sing hosannas to the Son of David! Show forth this day, O Lord! thy glory in the sanctuary. For all thy mercies in the gospel, we bless and magnify thy glorious name; humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for His sake who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us, — thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom be glory and dominion, world without end. Amen.