habiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

12 י,

Miriam was restored to the camp, and doubtless she was restored also to a better mind; she came back, we may believe, cleansed, not only from leprosy, but also from a proud and envious spirit. "He restoreth my soul "13 is the description of one part of the Shepherd's work. This work He is continually doing; and, in great measure, by means of chastisement. It is grace alone that restores— the grace of God, the care and love of the Shepherd, the work of the Spirit-but it is when humbled by chastisement that the heart becomes submissive, and is willing and glad to be restored. There is no backsliding so grievous, but that God can bring back the backslider; no fall so great, but that He can lift up the fallen. And when the fallen is raised, and the backslider returns, how joyfully and lovingly are they welcomed by all who love God!

Here, though she lived for forty years more, the history of Miriam comes to an end. She was with the children of Israel all through their wanderings in the wilderness; but her history is henceforth merged in theirs, and we meet with her name no more till we come to the mention of her death.14

This happened in the desert of Zin, in Kadesh, on the borders of Edom, very near to the promised 13 Ps. xxiii. 3. 14 Numb. xx. I.

12 Isa. lvii. 15.

land. Though the names are so much alike, this is quite a different place from the wilderness of Sin, to which the Israelites came soon after leaving Egypt. Like her brothers, Moses and Aaron, Miriam came near to the promised land, but never entered it. She died in Kadesh, and there she was buried.

Twice only do we find her name afterwards in Scripture. In his parting charges to the people, the year after her death, Moses made mention of her chastisement: "Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.' "15 And, seven hundred years after, the prophet Micah, in the name of the Lord, spoke of her thus: "I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam." 16 Thus the people were put in mind both of her mission from God, and also of her fault and its chastisement. We also are to remember both. She was highly gifted and greatly honoured; yet she fell, and was chastised. Let us, on the one hand, watch against envy and self-seeking; on the other, let us cultivate every talent and opportunity, and count it the highest honour to use all in the service of God.

15 Deut. xxiv. 9.

16 Micah vi. 4.

THE GOD-FEARING SERVANTS

OF PHARAOH.

E must not be misled by the word servants. We find a distinction made between the servants of Pharaoh and his people. These servants were not of the common people. They were not in fact such as we call servants, but rather the great men of the kingdom who were about the court, courtiers, or even nobles. They had their own estates- their houses and fields and cattle; and were masters rather than common servants. Yet servants they were, Pharaoh's servants. They attended on him, and obeyed his orders, and doubtless their property, and even their life was subject to his will. If in some measure they might do as they would, it was much to their interest to please their king, and to do as he did.

When first we read of Pharaoh's servants, they are spoken of all together, as if they formed but one class, and were all of one mind. Moses "lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of

his servants." 1 The king saw the waters of the river turned into blood by the stroke of Moses' rod, and his courtiers stood round and saw it too.

But day after day passed, and each day brought a new wonder. At the word of Moses the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt; and when he entreated the Lord, they were taken away. The dust of the land became lice, swarms of flies filled every house, a grievous murrain attacked the cattle, boils and blains broke out upon man and beast. Of most of these plagues warning was given before, and the servants of Pharaoh heard the warning; not one of them touched the children of Israel, and some were taken away as suddenly as they came, and by the same word. All this the servants of Pharaoh saw and heard; and from all these various plagues they suffered in person; "the swarm of flies came into his servants' houses,' ""all the cattle of Egypt died," "the boil was upon ... all the Egyptians."

After this came a warning from God. He would "cause it to rain a very grievous hail," such a hail as never before had been in Egypt. "To-morrow, about this time," the very next day-it should come; the very hour was foretold. More than this. Not only was the warning given, but they who heard it were told what to do in order to escape; in this case, a door of safety was opened. "Send therefore now, and gather thy

1 Exod. vii. 20.

cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die." The words were spoken to Pharaoh, but his courtiers also heard them.

And now appeared a difference. The servants of Pharaoh no longer formed one class. They now divided themselves into two classes- those who feared the word of the Lord, and those who regarded it not. "He that feared the word of the Lord, among the servants of Pharaoh, made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: and he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field." What followed? Just what had been threatened. Moses, at God's command, "stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground: and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast.' But nothing is said of that which had been gathered into the houses. That was not smitten. Those servants and cattle were as safe as were the children of Israel in the land of Goshen, where there was no hail. The same Almighty power preserved both; those who were in the midst of the storm, and those whom it