they were in distress or difficulties, instead of putting their trust in God, they murmured with impatience, and reproached Moses. The Almighty, however, manifested his power and goodness frequently in their favour ;-by sweetening the waters of Marah ;-by causing great quantities of quails to fall among them ;-by sending them bread from heaven, called manna;-by bringing water out of a rock at Rephidim ;-and by giving them a complete victory over the Amalekites. Thus, by a continued course of miracles, he conducted them to Mount Sinai.

This mount was a part of the great mountain Horeb, on which Moses had attended Jethro's flocks; but was distinguished, upon the return of Moses, by the name of Sinai, on account of the bush, which stood on it, in which the Lord had appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire.

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CHAPTER XIX.

THE LAW GIVEN FROM MOUNT SINAI.

THE Israelites had not long pitched their Christ camp before Mount Sinai, when the glory of 1491. the Lord appeared upon the mountain with thunder, and lightning, and the sound of a trumpet; and God, having called Moses to the top of the mount, made a covenant with the Israelites, that if they would obey his voice, they should be a peculiar treasure unto him, above all people. He then gave them the Ten Commandments, which contain the sum and substance of the moral law, written on stone; the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven on the table.. The First teaches, That there is but one God, and that we are to worship him alone, and have him for our God.

The Second teaches, That we are not to worship God in an unworthy manner; by bowing down to a picture or image, or making any representation of him; and, consequently, that we are to worship him in spirit and in truth.

The Third forbids all oaths, not only perjury, but common swearing, and using the holy name of God upon trifling occasions, and without a becoming seriousness and reverence.

The Fourth directs us to rest from all labour, and lay aside all worldly business on the sabbath-day; and to keep it holy by reading and meditation, by public and private prayer.

The Fifth, That we should honour and obey, love and comfort, our parents; and behave with proper respect to all who have a lawful authority over us.

The Sixth, That we should not wilfully and unlawfully take away the life of any person, nor do any kind of hurt to others, nor bear any malice or hatred in our hearts; but study, on the contrary, to live peaceably with all men.

The Seventh, That we should keep ourselves in temperance, soberness, and chastity, avoiding all indecencies of behaviour and conversation, and whatever has a tendency to corrupt and defile the mind.

The Eighth, That we should not deprive any person of his right and property, either by force or fraud, but should be just and honest in all our dealings, and give to every man his due.

The Ninth, That we should not injure the reputation of others, either by false evidence in a court of justice, or by slander, backbiting, and tale-bearing, in common conversation.

The Tenth forbids all unlawful wishes and unjust desires; and is a fence and security to the other commandments, by directing us not to envy what others enjoy, but to be fully contented with our own state and circumstances.

Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these Thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee!

The Almighty was pleased to deliver also to Moses several directions for the better government of the people, and to establish what is called the Ceremonial Law. He commanded him to erect a

tabernacle for public worship, and gave him particular instructions concerning the building, and the utensils thereof; concerning the office of High Priest, and the separation of the Levites for the performance of divine service, and concerning the burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

There was a material difference between the moral and the ceremonial law: the former was far more excellent and valuable than the latter, The moral law is in its own nature good and excellent, and carries with it an intrinsic obligation; it is invariable, and must continue the same for ever. But the ceremonial law received all its efficacy, and all its power of obliging, merely from its being positively commanded; it was only of a temporary nature, and given to a peculiar people; it was the shadow of things to come, and to continue no longer than till the substance actually appeared.-The end and use of it was partly to distinguish the Jews, and, as it were, fence them against the idolatry of the neighbouring nations: partly by their purifications. and washings to remind them of purity of heart, and oblige them more strongly to the practice of all moral duties; but chiefly, by their offerings and sacrifices, to cherish a lively faith and hope in that great Deliverer, whose soul should be made an offering and sacrifice for sin. The law was a schoolmaster to the Jews to bring them unto Christ.

CHAPTER XX.

THE WANDERING IN THE DESERT CONTINUED.

When Moses had delayed for several days to come down out of the mount, (for he continued there forty

days and nights,) the people required Aaron to make them some gods; and they prevailed upon him to form a golden calf, as a god for them, to be the object of their worship, and their guide and conductor.

How weak and blamable was Aaron in yielding to the importunity of the people, and becoming a partaker of their sin! Yet, alas, how apt are we all to give way to the humour and opinion of the company we keep, even against the light of our minds, and the conviction of our consciences ! The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.-As they were paying adoration to their new idol, and singing and dancing round it, Moses came down from the mountain and was so exceedingly moved with anger at their behaviour, that he threw down the tables of the law, which he had in his hand, and brake them. He then destroyed the image; and commanded the sons of Levi to slay those who had been principally guilty of this idolatry. He afterwards returned to the Lord, and made intercession for Aaron and the people: the Lord was pleased to forgive their wickedness, and commanded Moses to write the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone.

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The people, however, soon gave way to the natural corruption of their hearts; they offended God again and again, and many of them suffered the just effect of their obstinacy and impiety. Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire from heaven, for disregarding the fire of the Lord upon the altar, and bringing common fire into the tabernacle, which he commanded them not.-Many were destroyed at a place called Taberah (that is, a burning, because the fire of the Lord burnt amongst them) on account of their impatient repinings. Many died of a plague at Kibroth Hattaavah, (that is, the graves of lust,) because they complained of their food, and lusted for flesh to eat. One man was stoned for blasphemy; another was stoned for

breaking the Sabbath; and Miriam was stricken with leprosy for murmuring against Moses.

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When they had proceeded farther in the wilderness, and drew near to Canaan, Moses sent twelve men to take a view of the land and its inhabitants; who brought back an evil report, saying, " The land eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people are giants, and we were in our own sight but as grasshoppers. The Israelites were so disheartened and terrified with this account, that they again reproached Moses, and resolved to go back into Egypt. God was highly displeased with them for this contumacy and hardness of heart; and declared that, for a punishment, they should wander in the wilderness forty years, and that none of the people who were above twenty years of age, except Joshua and Caleb, should go into the land of Canaan,-the land flowing with milk and honey, and abounding with all good things.

They were distrustful of that power and goodness which had been so often and so wonderfully manifested in their favour; and despaired of getting possession of that land, which God had promised to give them. So it is with us in our way to the heavenly Canaan; our lusts are the enemies which oppose our entrance; and we are apt, like the Israelites, to look upon them as giants, and upon ourselves as grasshoppers. But be strong in the Lord, and go forth in the power of his might; in cheerful dependence on his victorious aid, bid defiance to all your enemies, and labour with renewed diligence and vigour to enter into the complete and eternal rest of God, that you may not fall after the same example of unbelief and disobedience.

Afterwards Korah, one of the heads of a tribe, and many other persons of considerable dignity, upbraided Moses and Aaron for lifting themselves above the congregation, and excluding others from any share of honour and power; and attempted, by a seditious tumult, to deprive them of their autho