II.

progrefs to purity and final beatitude, might CHAP. form no inconfiderable portion of this wif dom. But, whatever it might be, we are told, that Mofes was learned in the whole of it. Now the effects of a profound knowledge of philofophy are very feldom enthusiasm and fuperftition. Knowledge makes a man flow and cautious in judging; unwilling to determine without the most fatisfactory evidence; and, above all things, averfe from rash and headlong meafures knowledge therefore muft neceffarily be incompatible with enthusiasm, which is the natural offspring of igno

rance.

was

The Jewish Legiflator moreover brought up amidst the luxury and refinement of a court; but fuch a mode of education is obviously far from being favourable to enthusiasm. An enthufiaftic courtier, especially when that enthusiasm respects a fancied call from heaven, is certainly, at least in these our days, no very common character.

Another confiderable argument, to prove that Mofes was not an enthufiaft, may be deduced from the actual ftate of his mind,

II.

SECT. at the time, when he is faid to have received his divine commiffion. A perfon under the impulfe of a fanatical enthufiafm fees no difficulties, and fears no dangers. Instead of starting any objections, he rushes eagerly forward, full of confidence in his own powers, and impreffed with the most lively affurance, that fuccefs will finally crown his endeavours. But was this the cafe with Mofes? Let us confult the hiftory.

"The angel of the Lord appeared unto "him in a flame of fire out of the midst "of a bufh: and he looked, and behold "the bush burned with fire, and the bufh

was not confumed. And Mofes faid, I

will now turn afide, and fee this great

fight, why the bush is not burnt. And "when the Lord faw, that he turned aside "to fee, God called unto him out of the "midft of the bufh, and faid, Mofes, "Mofes. And he faid, Here am I.-And "the Lord faid, I have furely feen the af"fliction of my people which are in Egypt, "and have heard their cry by reafon of "their task-mafters-Come now, there

c Exod. iii. 2.

"fore,

"fore, and I will fend thee unto Pharaoh, CHAP. "that thou mayeft bring forth my people, 11. "the children of Ifrael, out of Egypt. And "Mofes faid unto God, Who am I, that I

66

Should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should

bring forth the children of Ifrael out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be "with thee: and this fhall be a token "unto thee, that I have fent thee, when "thou haft brought forth the people out "of Egypt, ye fhall ferve God upon this "mountain. And Mofes faid unto God, "Behold when I come unto the children of Ifrael, and fall fay unto them, The God of your fathers bath fent me unto you, and "they shall fay to me, What is his name? "what shall I fay unto them ?"

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To this interrogation, God replies by his proper name of Jehovah; and gives Mofes the most gracious and encouraging affurances of his fuccefs. All however is infufficient to excite in him a proper degree of courage for fo arduous an undertaking.

"Mofes anfwered and faid, But behold they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will fay, the Lord hath "not appeared unto thee."

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SECT.

II.

In order to difpel thefe apprehenfions, God was pleased to confirm the faith of his prophet by two miracles; and to promife, that he would enable him to convince the Ifraelites of his divine miffion, by a no less extraordinary fign, than that of taking water out of the river, and changing it into blood before them. Notwithstanding this, we find that Mofes prefently starts another difficulty.

"And Mofes faid unto the Lord, O my "Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, "nor fince thou haft spoken to thy fervant; " but I am flow of Speech, and of a flow "tongue. And the Lord faid unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who "maketh the dumb, or the deaf, or the

feeing, or the blind? Have not I the "Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be "with thy mouth, and teach thee what "thou fhalt say."

Mofes at length openly acknowledges his averfion from the tafk, and befeeches God to appoint another :

"O my Lord, fend I pray thee by the "band of him whom thou wilt fend."

d Exod. iv. 10.

Such

Such lukewarmnefs juftly provokes the CHAP. Almighty, and Mofes ultimately is con- II. ftrained to fubmit. Let any candid inquirer now judge, how far the Jewish Legiflator can be thought to have acted under the impreffions of enthusiafm.

2.

Or by fan

cying cer

tain natu

mena to be

2. But it may be objected, that Mofes might poffibly mistake fome of the more wonderful phenomena of nature for mi- ral phenoracles. Thus, in the middle ages, thofe miracles. curious experiments, the principles of which are now known, were thought to be the effects of magic, and the perfons, who performed them, to be inchanters.

A mistake of the ordinary operations of nature, for miraculous appearances, can only arise either from enthusiasm, or from ignorance. In the cafe of Mofes, it could not have proceeded from enthusiasm, because it has already been shewn, that he was no enthufiaft; neither could it have originated from ignorance, because, such a supposition runs directly counter to the affertion, that the Jewish Legiflator was learned in all the wifdom of Egypt. Hence it follows, that he could not have laboured under any fuch mistake.