The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

l62SERMONS.in this part of Britain is tck> high. Our people, liketlie Ifraelites, are forced to make brick without'itraw.The method vv'hich Pharaoh took to afflict the'Ifraeliteswas this :" He cornmanded the t'afk-mafterscf the people, ::ind their ofncers, faving, Ye fliall nomere give the people flraw to make bricks as hereto--fcfe, let them go ?nd gather draw for themfclvcs j•and the tale of the bricks -vi'hich they did make heretofore,you (hall lay upon them, yc ihall not diminifiiought thereof, for they be idle ;let there more workbe laid upon the men that they may labour therein ;and let them not I vain words." The taficmafters,that is, th^ c.-niiiTionerSj the fte wards, orfac't-ors, of that agCi'^ebeyed thefehard and peremptoryorders. ^^ They fpyke to the people, faying,Thus faith Pharaoh, I will not give you ftraw ;go,get you llra\y where you can find it, yet not ought ofvour work fhallbe dimimfhed." So the people werefcattered abroad tlnoughout all-the land cf Egypt togather ftubble inflead of ftraw ; they were \viiiing,but not able, to do -what they were commanded:But " the' tuik-mafters hafted them, faying, Fulfilyour works, your daily talk, as when there wasItraw." The ofiicers, the overfeers, or conftables,which were of the children of Ifrael, were beatenand quellioned, ^< Wherefore have ye not fulfilledvour tajfk, t>oth yefterday and this day, as heretoforer" '©nefe officers were forced to remonfhrate tothe king," that- the people could not furnifh the talcof the bricks except ftraw were given them. Butthe anlwer tliey received was :" Ye are idle, ye areidle ;get you to yeur burdens 5go therefore nowand work^ for th^i^* Ihall no ftraw be»given you, yetfhall ye deliver -the- tale of the bricks."Egypt a ftrik-Is -not t^at which was tranfa^led ining picture of what is now fo generally done in thiscountry ? The peremptory order of the proprietor, or