The Conjecture of the learned Sir John Mar fham feems to be the best grounded, who fuppofes it to be the Name of a King, and used in the Genitive Cafe. For Diodorus tells us, that the third part of all Egypt belonged to the King, and therefore 'tis all one as if Mofes had faid, that part of the Lands belonging to the Crown was granted to Jacob and his Family. The abovementioned ingenious Author has proved out of Syncellus, that Rameses Tubaetes reign'd at that time in Egypt, upon Sæ. cul, VII. Differtation 319 Differtation XIII. Concerning the Paffage of the Ifraelites thro' the Red Sea. 1. The Occafion of this Differtation. II. The Divifion thereof. III. An Explication of the Words of Mofes, and an Enquiry into the Time when the Wind, which divided the Sea, began to blow, that the Ifraelites might go over the Sea in a fhort time. IV. That the Wind encreafed the Reflux of the Sea towards the Ocean, and divided not the Waters, fo as to heap them up on both fides, as 'tis commonly believed. How eafily this could be done. V. That the Wind, which drove the Waters towards the Ocean,was a North-Wind. VI.That Jofephus understood it fo, when he compared the Paffage of the Ifraelites with Alexander's Paffage through the shores of the Sea of Pamphylia; to which he might have added a noble Exploit of P. Scipio. VII. This Opinion is confirm'd by the Circumstances of the Death of the Egyptians. VIII. The Memory of that Pallage, " Paffage, preferved among the Itchthyophagi. 1. EN are fo fond of Prodigies, as to Mbelieve often without any Realon, that God alter'd the ordinary Courfe of Nature; of which I have given a pregnant Inftance, inmy Differtation concerning the Statue of Salt. Tho' fuch an Opinion ought not to be approv❜d, because it fills the Minds of Men with a fuperftitious Credulity, expofes the Sacred Hiftory to the Contempt and Laughter of Prophane Men, and makes them disbelieve true Miracles and Prodigies; yet we ought to bear with those who entertain it, because if they add something to the Scripture, they take nothing from it; and because their Opinion arifes from a Mind inclin'd to afcribe whatever is Great and Wonderful to the Divine Power. But those who put a falfe Interpretation, upon true and manifest Miracles, and dare afcribe every thing to the ordinary Courfe of Nature, can't be endured, for they came by this Opinion out of Obftina. cy and Pride, which Vices allow them not to admire any thing, or believe any that's unusual and extraordinary. It may be faid further, that because they dare not openly deny fome Facts grounded upon very good Reasons, and undeniable Teftimonies, they endeavour to under mine mine the belief of them, whilft they can hardly confefs, that any thing happens above the ordinary Course of Nature. Omitting for the prefent what may be faid concerning Prodigies and Miracles in general, I shall endeavour to vindicate one of them from the Cavils of fome Men, by giving a clear Explication of it. I mean the Paffage of the If raelites through the Red Sea upon the dry Ground, as Mofes relates it, Exod. 14. Thofe who affirm, that all this happened according to the ordinary Courfe of Nature, fay, that Mofes, who knew that Country well, obferved the time of the Tide, and that the Sea retiring back, as it is wont to do, he might easily go from one Shoar to another upon the dry ground; and that being a Cunning Man, he vented among the ignorant Multitude, as a Prodigy what happened according to the ordinary Laws of Nature. Were it not fo, fay they, the Egyptians had not gone boldly into the Sea as as well as the Ifraelites; and they had not been fo bold as to follow them, if they had seen the Sea divided by a Miracle, left he who had divided the Waters of the Sea, only for the fake of the Ifraelites, fhould bring them back into their Channel, to destroy the Egyptians. They add, That perhaps the Wind favoured by chance, the Design of Mofes, and wonderfully encreased the Ref of the Sea, as the Writer. of that Hiftory intimates, when he observes, Y that that The Lord caufed the Sea to go back by a strong Wind. II. 'Tis not my business at present, to vindicate the veracity of Mofes; it will be fuffici ent to fhew, that their Affertion is contrary to his Words; for these Men are fo confident of their Ability as to think, that they can maintain their Opinion by the very words of the Scripture. Wherefore I fhall firft explain the words of Mofes, and before I fhew how far the Power of God was concerned in this matter, I'll enquire into what could be done by the Power of Second Causes; and then I'll fhew what what God himself did towards it, and what was done by the Second Caufes; Laftly, I shall anfwer the Objections of our Adversaries. III. God fpeaks thus to Mofes, Exod. 14. 16. But lift up thy Rod, and stretch out thine hand over the Sea, and divide it: and the children of Ifrael fhall go on dry ground through the midst of the Sea. It appears from Verse 20, 21. That Mofes received those orders towards the Evening. Then Mofes obeying God's Orders, fmote the Sea, but it was not presently divided; for thus we find Verfe 21. And Mofes ftretched out his hand over the Sea, and the Lord caufed the Sea to go back by a strong Wind all the Night, and made the Sea dry Land, and the Waters were divided. When therefore Mo fes fmote the Sea, there arose a strong Wind, which divided the Waters by degrees; for Mo Jes |