things, or he will never enjoy true happiness. He must have a heart to love God and obey him; he must have faith in God and do his commandments, or he will never find true happiness in this world, or the world to

come.

So Moses thought. He knew that his wealth and honors could never satisfy the desires of his immortal soul, and therefore he sought his pleasures in serving God. He knew that this world and all things in it would be destroyed, and therefore he sought a better world, and laid up his treasures in heaven. He knew that it was dangerous to be delighted with worldly riches and honors, and therefore he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. It was his belief of what God said, that made him choose a portion in heaven, rather than a portion on earth. It was his faith, his trust in God, his firm belief that God would take care of him, and make him happy, if he would obey God and do his duty-it was this, which made Moses willing to forsake the treasures and the throne of Egypt, and go and join himself to a poor and despised people.

Moses' brethren, the children of Israel, were slaves in the land of Egypt. You remember the story of Joseph's being sold into Egypt, and of his brethren and his father's going to dwell there, when there was a famine in the land of Canaan. You remember how Joseph provided for them, and gave them a place to dwell in the best of the land. Though they were few in number when they first went down into Egypt, yet they afterwards greatly increased, so that they became a very numerous people. And after Joseph and his father and his brothers died, the Egyptians began to oppress the children of Israel. They made slaves of them. Moses was one of the children of Israel, though he had been brought up in Pharaoh's house. He saw the oppressions of his brethren. He knew how cruelly they were treated, and he was grieved with their afflictions.

But this people, though they were in bondage, and in much oppression, were the chosen people of God. They were the posterity

of Abraham, and God had promised to them the land of Canaan, as their dwelling place. All this Moses knew, and he resolved to unite himself with his brethren, though they were poor and despised, and to try to make their condition better. He forsook the palace of the King, to dwell in the cottages of the poor. He left the company of the gay and the great, to become the companion of the sorrowful and the oppressed. He forsook the ease and the treasures of Egypt, to endure the toil of forty years' wandering in the wilderness, and to be fed with manna from heaven. This showed his faith. He believed that God had spoken good concerning Israel, and therefore was willing to unite his interests with that poor and despised people. He believed that God would fulfil his promises to the seed of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and therefore he led his brethren forth out of the land of Egypt, relying entirely for food and protection, on the providence of God. He believed that the children of Israel would, at length, find a resting place in Canaan, "a land flowing with milk and honey;" and though he never entered that land himself, and only saw it afar off, yet, during forty years' wandering, he never doubted the word of the Lord, but with the eye of his faith looked forward, and saw his brethren quietly settled in the land of promise. This was faith. It was relying firmly on what God had said, and acting accordingly. This is the kind of faith which God requires, and which the Bible teaches.

In this world, where men in general are so selfish and worldly-minded, we find but few who are willing to give up great earthly enjoyments and prospects, for the sake of devoting themselves to the service of God. Most persons seek their portion in this world, and neglect the things of eternity. They choose to have their good things in their lifetime, like the rich man mentioned by the Saviour in the parable. Not so with Moses. He, as the apostle says, had respect to the recompense of the reward. He looked not for present ease, but for future happiness. He fully believed that he should have more peace of mind, and more true happiness, even in this world, if he united himself with God's people, and shared in their labors and sacrices, than he should have in all the riches and pleasures of Egypt. And he believed, too, that if he denied himself and served God, he should have a dwelling place in heaven; and this would be a "recompense of reward" infinitely richer than all the joys and treasures of earth. This made him willing to "suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." He well knew that if he left the palace of Pharaoh, and joined himself with his brethren in slavery, he must have many trials, would be persecuted by the King, and despised by his former companions, would have a life of toil, and that his rest must be sought beyond the grave. But though he knew these things, he did not hesitate. As the scripture says "he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." That is, he had rather be reproached for his religion than to be flattered for his greatness. He had rather be despised, by wicked men, for his piety, than to