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all that God had done for Moses, and how He had brought His people out of Egypt, Jethro brought Zipporah and her sons out into the wilderness to Moses, and they met very affectionately; and Moses told his father-in-law all the great things that the LORD had done for them, and all the troubles that had come upon them, and how GOD had delivered His servants out of all their trials so far.

Then Jethro rejoiced, and gave thanks, saying, "Blessed be the LORD, Who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, Who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians; now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them." And Jethro offered sacrifice and burnt-offering to GOD, and the elders came and kept a solemn festival with him.

The next day Jethro saw how Moses sat from morning to evening, judging the people, and they came the whole day long to him, so that he had no rest at all. When Jethro asked him about it, Moses said it was so always. "Because the people come unto me to inquire of GOD; and when they have a matter they

come unto me, and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God and His laws."

But his father-in-law told Moses that he was wrong to do so much; and that he would wear out if he tried to bear so heavy a burden alone, and then how the people would suffer! So Jethro advised Moses to keep to himself the office of teaching the people God's laws and ordinances, and of guiding them, and directing them, and bringing all their needs before God; but he urged him to appoint from among the people, wise men, who feared GOD, and loved the truth, and would not seek their own selfish ends; and to appoint them to be judges in all common matters; settling that all great things they should bring to Moses to decide, but that in lesser matters they might share Moses' burden. Moses did not reject his father-in-law's advice, but listened patiently, and followed all that he said. Although he was appointed by GoD to be the ruler of a whole people, and had so many wonderful gifts above other men, yet he was not proud and self-satisfied, and above receiving advice and guidance from others, and God's blessing rested on his humility in following Jethro's advice,

which enabled him to go on and govern the people much better and more thoroughly.

After this Jethro went back to Midian; but his son Raguel stayed with Moses.

MOUNT SINAI.

Ar last, three months after they had left Egypt, the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai, and there they pitched their tents before the Mount. Then Moses went up the Mount into GOD's Special Presence, and the LORD spoke to him, saying, "Thus shalt thou say unto the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey My Voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine, and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation."

Then Moses called together the elders of the people, and told them the words of the LORD; and the people answered, "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do." The LORD then told

Moses that He would come in a thick cloud, and speak unto him before all the people, that they might hear, and believe for ever. In preparation for this God desired that the people should be sanctified, that is, made holy by prayers and sacrifices,-and this also was the spiritual intention of the washing both of themselves and of their garments, and be ready against the third day, for on that day the LORD would come down upon Mount Sinai, in the sight of all the people, that is, they should see His Cloud, and His Fire, and His Glory. Moreover God gave very strict laws that none of the people should go up into the Mount, or touch even the border of it; and if anyone living, man or beast, touched the Mount, they should die.

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the Mount, and the Voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the lower part of the Mount. And Mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof

ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole Mount quaked greatly. And when the Voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and GoD answered him by a Voice. And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the Mount, and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the Mount, and Moses went up. Then the LORD desired Moses to lay upon the people very solemn orders not to attempt to press nearer to gaze, and then to return with Aaron, while He gave forth His Law.

Then God gave His people those laws which have ever since been called the Ten Commandments, and which have from that day to this been the rule of all His Church Universal, though rather in spirit than in the letter; as, for instance, it is no longer the Sabbath, or seventh day, that we keep holy, but the First, or LORD's Day. And that because One has come, Who "was counted worthy of more glory than Moses;" for "Moses was faithful in all His house, as a servant . . . but CHRIST as a Son over His own house."

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The law, as S. Paul tells us, " made nothing perfect; but the bringing in of a better hope through CHRIST "did, by the which we draw

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