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hundreds, some over fifties, and some over tens, with proper authority to hear and determine all common affairs, reserving all difficult cases and high concerns for his own decision. Moses followed this advice, and as soon as Jethro saw his plan put in execution, he took leave of his son-in-law, and departed into his own country. Jethro shewed himself to be, not only a good, but a wise man ; for the directions he gave to Moses, furnish excellent hints for the choice of magistrates, and officers of justice in general.

SECTION LXXII.

THE LAW GIVEN BY GOD FROM MOUNT SINAIMOSES ASCENDS THE MOUNTAIN-BOUNDS PRESCRIBED TO THE PEOPLE,

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From Exodus, Chap. xix and xx.

In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai,

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For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desart of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

And Moses went up unto God, 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 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 an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

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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 together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken, we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day : © for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount, shall be surely put to death: There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through: whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day.

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 that was in the camp, trembled.

And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with GoD, and they stood at the nether the mount.

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And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire, with thousands of his angels*: 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.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the 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 themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargest 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.

So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

And GoD spake all these words, saying,

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, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or

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that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water 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 shewing 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 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 man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the 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.

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Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may

be long upon 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 thy neigh

bour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings

lightnings, and heard the noise of the trumpet, and beheld the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear but let not GOD speak with us, lest we die.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear not; for GOD is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where GoD was.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

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Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall make unto you gods of gold.

Behold, I send an angel before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into 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 bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites : and I will cut them off.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

What a wonderful event is here recorded; It is impossible surely to read it, without being filled with the

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