11 hears it from the top of the mount, from the presence of Jehovah. It calls him thither, and he "Go down," said the Lord, "charge the goes up. people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themthem." selves, lest the Lord break forth upon And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai," (they will not be "for thou chargedst so presumptuous as to do it,) us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee; but let not the priests and the people break through, to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them." Moses obeys. He makes known the Divine injunction to the people, and re-ascends the mountain with Aaron. It is the fiftieth day since the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Preserved by the goodness of God, they are assembled before him. They have witnessed the awful tokens of his presence, and heard his voice. Such stupendous miracles are necessary to rouse their sluggish attention, and to establish for ever in their belief the divine mission of their leader. How can they, and their descendants, ever forget, or doubt, the reality of the scenes at Sinai, and of the presence there of Jehovah! 15 What God is thus doing, he does not for them alone. He shows himself in such terrible majesty, as the Moral Governor of the world. His law is about to be promulgated. It is for the Israelites ;it is for all men ;-that they may learn to fear him all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. The eyes of the multitude follow with intense gaze the forms of Moses and Aaron, as they ascend the mountain. Who but heaven-inspired men would presume to approach the awful presence of Jehovah, amid scenes like these! But he has called them, and they are safe. They go up still higher. They are seen no more. clouds which they have entered. They are approaching the summit; and on that spot the attention of the assembled millions,-deep, silent, and awe-struck,-is riveted. They are lost in the The mountain still burns with fire, unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. Jehovah speaks out of the midst of the fire. They see no similitude; but they hear the voice of words : I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water or under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. "Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it. : "Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou 17 shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's." Have you ever considered, my young friend, how often you have broken these commandments ? They were intended, you know, to reach the internal feelings, as well as to regulate the external conduct. They must be kept in their true spirit. God looks on the heart, and there demands obedience to his laws. Must you not plead guilty to the charge of having violated these laws? Think of the majesty and justice of that Being who gave them. Forget not the terrors of Sinai. The Lord will come in more awful grandeur at the last day, in the person of Jesus Christ, to take vengeance on all his enemies. Our final Judge is now our only Saviour. He invites us to escape the curse of the law which we have violated, by faith in his atoning sacrifice. Is this your security? Have you indeed made it such? Happy beyond expression, if this is the case! To those who have, God presents no aspect but that of mercy, and of unchanging love. Part 2 18 Communications from God to Moses. Moses descends "The voice of the words" is silent. The Eternal hath spoken. The Divine Law is given. Let man fear and obey it. Again the vivid lightnings gleam, and the mountain smokes. The thunders roll, deep and terrific. Amid their awful peals, the noise of the spirit-shaking trumpet is heard. What is yet to come! What is to be the fearful issue of these prodigies! The multitude shrink back from the scene. They remove, and stand afar off. They cry out to Moses, who had come down from the top of the mount, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let And Moses not God speak with us, lest we die. said unto the people, Fear not for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your And the people stood afar faces, that ye sin not. off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness And the Lord said unto Moses, where God was. Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. An |