Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-06-06
THE hand OF the Lord IL upon thy


horses. upon the asses, upon the C; M
els. upon the oxen and upon the
sheep; there shall be a very grievous
murrain."
WHAT" Numbered the king. "dars
you defy the gods OF Egypt? Know
est thou not that the spirit of the god
Osiris dwells in the sacred bull, and
Apis and Mnevis in the ram C Am
mon, the sheep of Sais and the goat
of Mendes'
Yea. Sd the Egyptians believe. but
that thou mayest know that the God
of the Hebrews is more powerful than
thy gods, the Lord will sever between
the cattle of Israel and the cattle OF
Egypt. and there shall nothing die of
all that is the children's of Israel"
The cruel, hard face OF tne king
was purple with suppressed passion
as Moses finished, and he appeared
about TO speak. but instead he s.
missed Moses with an imperious wave
OF his hand, and the latter, as he
reached the doorway, turned and said.
slowly. and distinctly: Tomorrow
this thing shall come to pass" and
was gone.
The news of Moses visit to the pal
ace and his message to Pharaoh
spread rapidly, and while the great
majority OF the Egyptians were dis
posed to assume the defiant and supe-
rior attitude of Pharaoh, there were
others who, impressed by the events
of the past few weeks, were trouD ed
AID said:
Surely the God Of the Hebrews will
consume us in His wrath If Pharaoh
longer affiicts the people of Israel.
The gods OF Egypt were never able
to perform such wonders as Moses has
wrought in the name of his God"
And they awaited the events OF the
morrow with anxiety. Even Pharaoh,
in spite OF his defiant spirit, was trou-
bled and as the night wore away and
sleep refused to come to his tired
brain, he sent and called James and
Jambres, his magicians, to him, and
the activity in the temple and the de-
parture of secret emissaries to Goshen
a few hours later indicated that some
! important plan was on foot.
But in Goshen peace and quiet pre-
vailed. What though the plaques did
devastate Egypt, in Goshen was safe
ty. What though the word of tie
Lord spoken through Moses had de-
clared that a deadly murrain was to
attack the cattle, the children OF Is
rael had naught to fear. for had not
the Lord said He would set a differ
ence between the cattle of the Egyp-
tians and the cattle OF the Hebrews?
Had not the plague of flies shown that
the God of the Hebrews was able not
only to send His plaques upon Egypt,
but preserve Goshen as in the hollow
of His hand?
Such was the faith which held the
people, but there was one Hebrew who
was deeply troubled. That morning
early two Egyptians had sought him
out and placed him in charge of herd
of Egyptian cattle which they insisted
should be kept with his own animals.
At any other time this would not
have seemed strange, for the Egyp-
tians often placed such duties upon
the Hebrew slaves, but coming just
when God had spoken curse upon
the cattle of the Egyptians alarmed
him. What could save his own cattle
now? If the murrain broke out among
the Egyptian cattle, there could be no
hope for his own herded with them.
But ne dare not refuse, and watched
the Egyptians depart with sinking
/ heart, and had he seen them as they
laughed over the clever plan of Phar-
aoh. 1t would not have helped to quiet
his rising fears. He was tempted 10
\ \
/ put his own cattle In a secure place
/ by themselves, but at last he con-
/ quered the impulse, saying over and
over to himself:
Surely the God of Israel can save
our cattle, wherever they may be
/ placed"
Thus treasured and comforted. he
watched by the side of the herd and as
the morning wore away he saw first
one and then another of the Egyptian
cattle fall and die, while his own fed
on contentedly With a distressing
moan of pain the last remaining ami
NAL Of the Egyptian herd lay down
and died Just as the Egyptians, who
| had brought the cattle early that
morning, appeared. Their quick
! glance took In the situation, and with
one frightened, troubled look they
turned and without a word FASTENED
away.
Everywhere as they went they found
the people rushing about in great ex-
/ element and distress, crying that the
( curse Of the Hebrew God was upon
| them and their cattle was dying.
Why, even Gie sacred bull Of the
/ temple has died in spite Of the des-
perate efforts OF James and Jambres
| TO save its life" exclaimed one of the
temple attendants to them as they
/ passed
And within they found James and
Jambres even then breaking the ter
rlble news TO Pharaoh. AS the latter
saw his messengers enter, he asked,
| with an eager hOupfulness In his voice.