other who made the moon, and another who formed the earth. Nay, reason could not ascertain whether' these useful orbs were not the Gods who made the world!

With regard to the moral qualities which are essential to the existence of society, reason had been taught by experience to appreciate them with tolerable accuracy; but it was no slight thing to have all that reason ascertained concerning them confirmed by express revelation. And as to the method appointed by God for the pardon of sin, and the justification of transgressors, it is evident that it could never have been discovered by other means than immediate communications from the Divine Being. Let us then with humility adore and reverence that goodness and mercy which, in compassion to our infirmities, vouchsafed, by the splendour of revelation, to lend assistance

assistance to reason's feebler beam Had not this revelation been given in splendour, it would have failed of producing its effect. But we shall in examining the circumstances be sensible that however aweful, however sublime or magnificent, neither the terrors nor the magnificence displayed, were more than was demanded by the occasion.

In the third month from the period of their departure from Egypt, God intimated to Moses what were the peculiar designs of his providence with regard to the people whom he had so miraculously delivered from a foreign yoke.

They (the Israelites) were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched their tents in the wilderness before the mount. "And Moses went up "unto God (i: e. to worship God in 'prayer), and the Lord called unto

"him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus shalt thou say to the house of "Jacob, and tell the children of Is"rael. Ye have seen what I did un"to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought

you unto myself. Now therefore "if ye will obey my voice indeed, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, FOR ALL THE EARTH IS MINF, and, ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”

Here we see that God leaves it to their free choice to refuse or to accept the terms proposed; and that this choice might be entirely uninfluenced, the proposal is made in the most simple manner, unaccompanied by any of those circumstances which on other occasions struck the senses and the imagination with the profoundest

awe.

"And

And Moses came, and called for "the elders of the people, and laid "before their faces all these words

which the Lord commanded him; "and all the people answered toge"ther and said, All that the Lord "hath spoken, we will do.”

After the people had thus solemnly and deliberately engaged themselves to serve the Lord, he whom they had thus engaged to serve vouchsafed to give such evidence of his power and of his presence, as should leave no doubts upon their mind. No sooner bad Moses made to him a declaration of the solemn resolution entered into by the people, than this gracious message is returned: " Lo, I come to "thee in a thick cloud, that the peo

ple may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever!" That there might be no possibility of mistake, the day and manner of this appearance

appearance is appointed; and in the manner, and on the day foretold, it did accordingly take place. For

"It came to pass on the third day, in "the morning, that there were thun"ders and lightnings, and a thick "cloud upon the mount, and the "voice of the trumpet exceeding "loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And "Moses brought forth all the people "that was in the camp to meet with

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God, and they stood at the nether

part of the mount; and Mount Si"nai was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it "in fire; and the smoke ascended CC upon it as it were the smoke of a "furnace, and the whole mount And when the

quaked greatly.

"voice of the trumpet sounded long, "and waxed louder and louder, Mo