The Pillar of Fire; or, Israel in Bondage

by J. H. Ingraham

LETTER VI.

Midnight meeting of the elders of Israel—Jacob's well a source of superstitious dread to the Egyptians—Beautiful moonlight scene—Moses opens his errand from the Most High—Aaron unfolds the traditional promises—Unbelieving Hebrews—Terrible means used for their conviction—Korah persists in unbelief—His punishment and horror—The assembly dissolves—pp. [504]-508.

LETTER VII.

Moses goes before Pharaoh—Amazement of the Egyptian courtiers—Harshness of Pharaoh—Moses delivers God's message—Pharaoh defies the Living God—He is overcome by his emotion, but hardens his heart—New toils devised for the Hebrews—pp. [509]-513.

LETTER VIII.

The rod! the whip! the cry of the sufferers!—The Hebrews reproach Moses and Aaron—Moses appeals to the Lord—Seeks to comfort his brethren with the words of the Most High—Hope dies in their hearts—Pharaoh redoubles his worship of all manner of idols—He curses God—Sacrifices a living Hebrew child to the Nile—Sacrifices a Nubian slave to Typhon—Invokes his idol-god against the God of Moses—A secret dread—Children of Israel groan under oppression—pp. [514]-522.

LETTER IX.

Moses and Aaron again seek Pharaoh, and demand the freedom of Israel—He requires a miracle—Miracle of Moses' rod—Jambres and Jannes, the magicians—They convert their rods into serpents—Moses' serpent destroys theirs—The brothers confront the King at the river's side—He defies their God—The Nile runs blood—Goshen, the land of the Hebrews, sparkles with clear water—Jambres again appealed to—The plague of the frogs—Jambres and Jannes produce, but cannot remove them—Pharaoh relents, and the plague is stayed—The plague of lice—Jambres and Jannes disgraced—God speaks to Moses by the well of Jacob—The plague of flies—Pharaoh again relents—He hardens his heart, and God sends a pestilence upon the cattle—God again speaks to Moses beside the well—The plague of boils—Goshen unharmed—God threatens further vengeance upon Pharaoh—pp. [523]-538.

LETTER X.

Moses denounces the plague of thunder and hail against Egypt—Grand gathering of the storm of God's anger—The storm hangs over Goshen but harms it not—The purpose of God in these judgments—Terror of Pharaoh—Agrees to let Israel go—Scene of desolation and death—Pharaoh seeks to drown his terror in a banquet—In his revels curses God—Again refuses to let the people go—He vacillates—Orders Moses and Aaron to be thrust from the palace—The plague of the locusts—Despair of the Egyptians—Pharaoh acknowledges his sin—The plague ceases—Character of Pharaoh—The plague of darkness—Description of the plague—Pharaoh unequal to the combat with God—His rage against Moses—Moses denounces upon Pharaoh God's last and terrible judgment—The Egyptians deify him—pp. [539]-558.