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fing him to be one of the hebrew children, called S ERM. for an hebrew nurse, to take care of him, who, as the providence of GOD had ordered it, proved to be the child's own mother. As he grew up, Pharaoh's daughter took care of his education in all princely qualities, and adopted him for her fon; and Pharaoh (as Jofephus tells us) being without fon, defigned him heir of his kingdom.

Mofes refused this great offer. But why did he refuse it, when it feemed to be prefented to him by the providence of GOD, and was brought about in fo ftrange a manner; and when by this means he might probably have had it in his power to have eafed the Ifraelites of their cruel bondage, and perhaps have had the opportunity of reducing that great kingdom from the worship of idols to the true God? why would he refuse a kingdom which was offered to him with fo fair an opportunity of doing fo much good?

That which feems to have prevailed with Mofes, was this, that he could not accept the offer without forfaking GOD, and renouncing his religion; for confidering how ftrangely the Egyptians were addicted to idolatry, he could never hope to be accepted for heir of that kingdom, unless he would violate his confcience, either by abandoning or diffembling his religion.

And how unlikely it was, that he fhould prevail with them to change their religion, he might eafily judge by the example of Jofeph, who, tho' he had fo much authority and efteem amongst them, by having been fo great a benefactor to their nation

yet

SERM. yet he could never move them in the leaft in that matter.

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Now feeing he had no hopes of attaining, or enjoying that dignity, without finning grievously against GOD, he would not purchase a kingdom at fo unconscionable a price. And as for the deliverance of his people, he was content to truft the providence and promife of GOD for that; and in the mean time was refolved rather to take a part in the afflictions of God's people, "than to enjoy the "pleasures of fin for a feafon."

From the words thus explained, I fhall take occafion to confider these four things.

I. Mofes's felf-denial, in preferring and choosing a state of afflicted piety, before any finful enjoyments whatsoever, before the greatest earthly happinefs and profperity, when it was not to be attained and enjoyed upon other terms than of finning against GOD.

II. I fhall confider thofe circumstances of this felfdenial of Mofes, which do very much commend and fet off the virtue of it.

III. The prudence and reasonableness of this choice, in preferring a state of afflicted piety and virtue, before the greatest profperity and pleasure of a finful course.

IV. Suppofing this choice to be reasonable, I fhall enquire how it comes to pafs, that fo many make another choice.

I. We will confider Mofes his felf-denial, in preferring a state of afflicted piety before the greatest earthly happiness and prosperity, when it is not to be

enjoyed

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enjoyed upon other terms, than of finning against SERM. GOD. He was adopted heir of the kingdom of Egypt, (one of the greatest and most flourishing kingdoms then in the world ;) but he could not hope to attain to this dignity, and to fecure himfelf in the poffeffion of it, upon other terms than of complying with that nation, in their idolatrous religion and worship.

Now being brought up in the belief of the true GOD, the GOD of Ifrael, by his mother, to whom Pharaoh's daughter had committed him, he could not, without great violence to his confcience, and the principles of his education, renounce the true GOD, and fall off to the idolatry of the Egyptians : and for this reafon " he refufed to be called the fon "of Pharaoh's daughter, choofing rather to fuffer "affliction with the worfhippers of the true God," than to have the temporary enjoyment of any thing that was not to be had without fin; for fo the word ought to be rendered, ἤ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν, ¿ókavo," than to have the temporary enjoy"ment of fin." So here was Mofes his felf-denial, that he chose rather to fuffer affliction with the worshippers of the true God, than to gain a kingdom, by the renouncing of GoD and religion.

II. We will confider thofe circumstances of his felf-denial, which do very much commend and fet off the virtue of it.

1. What it was he refused to be called; "the fon "of Pharaoh's daughter;" that is, to be the heir of one of the greatest and most flourishing kingdoms in the world: a temptation fo great, that the devil

him

SER M. himself could not find out one much greater, when he

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set upon the son of God to tempt him to fall down and worship him.

. And when we confider for what inconfiderable things fome men fell their religion and their confciences, we fhall think it no finall temptation which Mofes here refifted. Si violandum eft jus, regnandi caufâ violandum eft; " If a man would do any unjust thing, and violate his religion and confcience, he "would not do it for lefs than a kingdom; and it "would be a very hard bargain, even upon those

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"terms.

2. Confider not only what he refused, but what he chofe in the place of it; a state of great affliction and fuffering. Had he refused a kingdom, and chofen the quiet condition of a fubject of middle rank (beneath envy and above contempt) his felf-denial had not been fo great; nay, perhaps he had made a wife choice, in the account of the wifeft men, in preferring a plentiful and quiet retirement, before the cares of a crown, and the burden of publick govern

ment.

But it is very rare to find a Man that would choose rather to be oppreft and perfecuted, than to be a prince, and to have the sweet power to use others as he pleased.

3. Confider how fair a profpect he had of enjoying this kingdom, if he could but have come up to the terms of it. He did not reject it, because he despaired of attaining it: for he had all the right that a good title could give him, being adopted heir to it; and yet he refused it.

Τα

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To which I may add, that his breeding was fuch SER M. as might easily kindle ambitious thoughts in him. He was brought up in Pharaoh's court, and was the darling and favourite of it; exceeding beautiful (as Jofephus tells us) "and learned in all the wifdom "of the Egyptians;" than which, no two qualities are more apt to puff up and fwell a man with big thoughts of himself.

They that are bred in a low condition, never think of a kingdom; men not being apt to afpire to things which are remote, and at a great distance

from them.

But nothing is more rare in perfons of great and generous minds, than fuch a felf-denial as this.

4. Let it be confidered, in the last place, that this was a deliberate choice, not any rash and sudden determination made by him when he was of incompetent age to make a true judgment of things. And this the apostle takes notice of in the text, as a very memorable circumftance, " that when he was come to

years, he refused to be called the fon of Pha"raoh's daughter." And St. Stephen tells us, that he was full forty years old when he made this choice, Acts vii. 23. "When he was full forty years "old, it came into his heart to vifit his brethren the "children of Ifrael." When he was of ripeft judgment, and in the height of his profperity and reputation, he made this choice; for it is faid in the verse before, "that Mofes was learned in all "the wisdom of the Egyptians, and mighty in “ word and deed;" that is, he was in great reputation for his wifdom and valour.

VOL. IV.

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