hat he would excel all men in
virtue, and obtain a glory that would be remembered through all ages.
Which thing was so feared by the king, that, according to this man's
opinion, he commanded that they should cast every male child, which was
born to the Israelites, into the river, and destroy it; that besides
this, the Egyptian midwives [19] should watch the labors of the Hebrew
women, and observe what is born, for those were the women who were
enjoined to do the office of midwives to them; and by reason of their
relation to the king, would not transgress his commands. He enjoined
also, that if any parents should disobey him, and venture to save their
male children alive, [20] they and their families should be destroyed.
This was a severe affliction indeed to those that suffered it, not only
as they were deprived of their sons, and while they were the parents
themselves, they were obliged to be subservient to the destruction
of their own children, but as it was to be supposed to tend to the
extirpation of their nation, while upon the destruction of their
children, and their own gradual dissolution, the calamity would become
very hard and inconsolable to them. And this was the ill state they
were in. But no one can be too hard for the purpose of God, though he
contrive ten thousand subtle devices for that end; for this child,
whom the sacred scribe foretold, was brought up and concealed from
the observers appointed by the king; and he that foretold him did not
mistake in the consequences of his preservation, which were brought to
pass after the manner following:--

3. A man whose name was Amram, one of the nobler sort of the Hebrews,
was afraid for his whole nation, lest it should fail, by the want of
young men to be brought up hereafter, and was very uneasy at it, his
wife being then with child, and he knew not what to do. Hereupon he
betook himself to prayer to God; and entreated him to have compassion
on those men who had nowise transgressed the laws of his worship, and to
afford them deliverance from the miseries they at that time endured,
and to render abortive their enemies' hopes of the destruction of
their nation. Accordingly God had mercy on him, and was moved by his
supplication. He stood by him in his sleep, and exhorted him not to
despair of his future favors. He said further, that he did not forget
their piety towards him, and would always reward them for it, as he had
formerly granted his favor to their fore