nigh unto God." CHRIST "taketh away the first-that is, the Law of Moses-that He may establish the second, even His own Gospel, which is love and liberty.

Not such a liberty as that we may be careless, and please ourselves; for S. Paul also tells us, "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy . . . and of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the SON of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace ?"

Perhaps some may think that, if they had stood before Mount Sinai, and had seen that blackness, and darkness, and fire, and had heard that mighty trumpet, and that awful, mysterious Voice of GOD, they could never have been careless any more, or have ever forgotten and neglected those Commandments. But such

persons must be told that a much more solemn and greater law of love is upon us Christians, who are under the Gospel; for "we are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the Living GOD, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an

umerable company of angels, to the general

assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven; and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to JESUS, the Mediator of the New Covenant."

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

THEN the LORD "talked face to face out of the midst of the fire" to His people, and said, "I am the LORD thy GOD, Which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

"Thou shalt have none other Gods before Me.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath 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 thou shalt labour, 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 manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm therefore the LORD thy GOD commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

"Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy GOD giveth thee.

"Thou shalt not kill.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery.

"Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against

ghbour.

"Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's wife. "Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour's."

When the people heard the trumpet and the thunder, and saw the lightning, and the smoke, and the mountain burning with fire, they were afraid; and they went farther off and said to Moses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not GOD speak with us, lest we die. But go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our GoD shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it."

Then that Merciful, loving FATHER heard the words of the people, and said to Moses, "O that there were such an heart in this people, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!"

Moses remained near the thick darkness, and God gave him many more precepts for the people, and said, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared.

Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions, for My Name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For Mine angel shall go before thee. ... and and ye shall serve the LORD your GOD, and He shall bless thy bread and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. I will send My fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee."

THE GOLDEN CALF.

AFTER this the LORD desired Moses to come up with Aaron, and two of his sons, Nadab and Abihu, and with seventy of the elders of Israel. These were all to worship afar off, and Moses alone was to go near to GOD. So early in the morning Moses offered sacrifices and peace offerings to the LORD, and read the words of GOD's covenant to the people, and they made answer, "All that the LORD hath said will we and be obedient."