voice, God delivered the ten commandments, preceded by this folemn introduction, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the houfe of bondage. Exod. xx. 2.

The company who heard these words, and the ten commandments which followed them, was much greater than was neceffary for ascertaining the fact of diftinct articulation. For they must have been more than two millions, and these were not near the place from which the voice iffued, fo that if fpeaking trumpets had been then known, which no person will fay is at all probable, it would have been impoffible, by any natural means, to have produced fuch an effect; and though the mere found of a human voice may be heard to a confiderable distance, diftinct articulation cannot be perceived very far. And befides this articulate voice, and the found of a trumpet, there was thunder and lightning, and a cloud enveloping the whole mountain; and though thunder and lightning be a natural phænomenon, it was impoffible to have foreseen that fuch an ap

pearance

pearance would take place three days before hand; and certainly any thing of this tremendous kind would have interrupted, and difconcerted, any perfons who should have been placed on the mount for the purpose of speaking to the people from thence.

This appearance was fo awful, that the people feem to have removed to a confiderable distance from the mountain before they heard any articulate words. For we

read, Exod. xx. 18, And all the people faw the thunder and the lightning, and the noife of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people faw it they removed, as they naturally would, and flood afar off. They would probably keep retiring from the mountain during the delivery of the ten commandments, which was probably very flow, fo as to take up a confiderable time; and this would make the distinct hearing of them much more difficult, and extraordinary.

With this clear manifeftation of the divine presence and power the people were fully fatisfied, and no doubt remained upon their minds. Thus impreffed, they faid

unto

unto Mofes, Deut. v. 24, Behold the Lord our God hath fhewed us his great glory, and we have heard his voice out of the midft of the fire. We have feen this day that God talketh with man and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will confume us. Go thou near, and hear all the things which the Lord our God faith, and thou shalt fpeak unto us; whatever the Lord fhall fay unto thee, and we will hear, and do it.

In confequence of this, we read, Exod. XX. 21, The people flood afar off, and Mofes only drew near to the thick darkness where God was; and from the communications made to him Mofes digested the whole fyftem of the Jewish religion and polity, which is detailed in his writings; and there was then a folemn acceptance of this fyftem, and an exprefs formal covenant between God and the people of Ifrael on the occafion, the account of which immediately follows.

Exod. xxiv. 3. And Mofes came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments; and all the people anfwered

with one voice, and faid, All the words which the Lord hath faid we will do. And Mofes wrote all the words of the Lord, and rofe up early in the morning; and built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Ifrael. And he fent young men of the children of Ifrael who offered burnt offerings, and facrificed peace offerings, of oxen, unto the Lord. And Mofes took half of the blood, and put it in bafons, and half of the blood he fprinkled on the altar, and he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people, and they faid, All that the Lord hath faid will we do, and be obedient. And Mofes took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and faid, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.

After this folemn tranfaction, Mofes was again called up to the mount, and he continued there forty days, in order to receive the particulars of the future conftitution, and two tables of ftone, containing the ten commandments. While he continued there, a cloud covered the mount, Exod. xxiv.

15.

15. And this cloud, called the glory of God, which affumed the appearance of dark'nefs by day, and of fire by night (an appearance which no human art could counterfeit) covered the mount fix whole days; and on the feventh day God called unto Mofes out of the midst of the cloud, when we read, Exod. xxiv. 17, And the fight of the glory of God was like devouring fire on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Ifrael, and Mofes went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount; and Mofes was in the mount forty days and forty nights; and when God had made an end of communing with Mofes, he gave him two tables of teftimony, tables of ftone, written with the finger of God. Exod. xxxi. 18.

Thus ended this great tranfaction, the most important to the Ifraelitish nation, and eventually to the whole world, that ever was recorded. Such was the origin of that system out of which fprung Christianity as a neceffary confequence, and a part, and which we Chriftians, therefore, are equally concerned to maintain, with the Jews themselves. The foundation of our.