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them by twenties and by tens. And let there be one commander over each number, to be nominated from the number of those over whom they are rulers; but such as the whole multitude have tried and approve* of, as being good and righteous men; and let these rulers decide the controversies they have one with another; if any great cause arise, let them bring the cognizances of it before the rulers of a higher dignity; and if any great difficulty arise, that is too hard for even their determination, let them send it to thee. By these means two advantages will be gained; that the Hebrews will have justice done them, and thou wilt be able to attend constantly on God, and procure him to be more favourable to the people.

This was the admonition of Raguel, which Moses received very kindly, and acted according to his suggestion: nor did he conceal the invention of this method, nor pretend to it himself, but informed the multitude who it was that invented it; nay, he has named Raguel in the books he wrote, as the person who invented the ordering of the people, as thinking it right to give a true testimony to worthy persons, although he might have obtained reputation by ascribing to himself the invention of other men; whence we may learn the virtuous disposition of Moses; but of that disposition we shall have occasion to speak in other places.

CHAP. V.

OF MOSES'S ASCENT TO MOUNT SINAI; AND OF THE DIVINE LAWS WHICH HE RECEIVED FROM GOD, AND DELIVERED TO THE HEBREWS.

TOW Moses called the multitude together,

NOW

and told them that he was going unto *This manner of electing the judges and officers of the Israelites by the testimonies and suffrages of the people, before they were ordained by God or Moses, deserves to be carefully noted, because it was the pattern of the like manner of the choice and ordination of bishops, presbyters, and deacons, in the Christian church. See Constitut. Apost. VIII. 4, 16, 18.

† Since this mountain Sinai is here said to be the highest of all the mountains in that country, it must be that now called St. Catharine's, which is one third higher than that within a mile of it now called Sinai, as Monsieur Thevenot informs us, Travels, Part I. chap. xxviii. page 168, 169. The other name of it, Horeb, is never used by Josephus, and perhaps was its name among the Egyptians only, whence the Iraelites were lately come, as Sinai was its name among the Arabians, Canaanites, and other

mount Sinai, to converse with God, to receive and to bring back with him a certain oracle. But he enjoined them to pitch their tents near the mountain: and prefer the habitation that was nearest to God, before one more remote. When he had said this, he ascended up to mount Sinai, which is the highest of all the mountains,† that are in that country, and is not only very difficult to be ascended by men on account of its vast altitude, but because of the sharpness of its precipices. Nay, indeed, it cannot be looked at without pain to the eyes; and besides this, it was terrible and inaccessible on account of a general rumour that God dwelt there. But the Hebrews removed the tents, as Moses had bidden them, and took possession of the lowest parts of the mountain; and were elevated in their minds, in expectation that Moses would return with promises of the good things he had proposed to them. So they feasted, and waited for their conductor, and kept themselves pure for three days, as he had before ordered them to do. And they prayed to God, that he would favourably receive Moses in his conversing with him, and bestow some such gifts upon them by which they might live well. They also lived more plentifully as to their diet; and put on their wives and children more ornamental clothing than they usually wore.

Two days passed in this way of feasting; but on the third day, before sun-rise, a cloud spread itself over the whole camp of the Hebrews; such an one as none had before seen, and encompassed the place where they had pitched their tents. And while all the rest of the air was clear, there came strong winds that raised up large showers of rain, which became a mighty tempest. There was also such lightning as was terrible to those that nations. Accordingly, when 1 Kings, ix. 8, the Scripture says that Elijah came to Horeb, the mount of God, Josephus justly says, Antiq. VIII. 13, that he came to the mountain called Sinai and Jerome, here cited by Dr. Hudson, says, that he took this mountain to have two names, Sinai and Choreb. De Nomin. Heb. age 427, (Edit. Benedict.)

Exod. xix. 16.

That fire and lightning should attend the presence of God is a notion so frequent in the most ancient and Oriental theology, that it might possibly give occasion to the worship of fire among the Chaldeans and Persians; to the magi, among the Cappadocians, called Purrethi, which Strabo mentions, and to the vestal fires among the Greeks and Romans, as well as the ancient Britons..

saw it; and thunder, with its thunderbolts, were sent down, and declared God to be there present in a gracious way to such as Moses desired he should be gracious. Now as to these matters, every one of my readers may think as he pleases: but I am under the necessity of relating this history as it is described in the sacred books. This sight, and the amazing sound that came to their ears, disturbed the Hebrews to a prodigious degree; for they were not such as they were accustomed to. And then the rumour that was spread abroad how God frequented that mountain, greatly astonished their minds; so they sorrowfully remained within their tents, as both supposing Moses to be destroyed by the Divine wrath, and expecting the like destruction for themselves.

While they were under these apprehensions, Moses appeared joyful and greatly exalted. When they saw him they were freed from their fear, and admitted more comfortable hopes as to what was to come. The air also was become clear and pure of its former disorders, upon the appearance of Moses; whereupon he called the people together, in order to their hearing what God would say to them. And when they were assembled, he stood on an eminence, whence they might all hear him, and said, "God has received me graciously, O Hebrews, as he has formerly done; and has suggested a happy method of living for you, and an order of political government, and is now present in the camp. I therefore charge you for his sake, and the sake of his works, and what we have done by his means, that you do not put a low value on what I am going to say, because the commands have been given by me; nor because it is the tongue of a man that delivers them to you. But if you have a due regard to the great importance of the things themselves, you will understand the greatness of Him whose institutions they are; and who has not disdained to communicate them to me for our

Ηνίκα βλέψης μορφής απερ ευιερον πυρ
Δαμπομένον σκιρ ηδον ολα καλα βενθεα Κοσμε
Κλύθι πυρὸς φωνην

say the Chaldaic oracles; and as for earthquakes, or shaking of mountains, this is no more than what all nations suppose have ever come to pass upon God's manifesting himself at any time: for it is not only the Psalmist who tells us, that the earth shook, and the heaven dropped, at the presence of God; but in the description which Virgil

common advantage. For it is not to be supposed that the author of these institutions is barely Moses, the son of Amram and Jochebed, but he who obliged the Nile to run bloody for your sakes, and tamed the haughtiness of the Egyptians, by various sorts of judgments; he who provided a way through the sea for us; he who contrived a method of sending us food from heaven, when we were distressed for want of it; he who made the water to issue out of a rock, when we had very little of it before; he, by whose means Adam was made to partake of the fruits of the land, and of the sea; he, by whose means Noah escaped the deluge; he, by whose means our forefather Abraham, of a wandering pilgrim was made the heir of the land of Canaan; he, by whose means Jacob was adorned with twelve virtuous sons; he, by whose means Joseph became a potent lord over the Egyptians; he it is who conveys these instructions to you by me as his interpreter. And let them be to you venerable, and contended for more earnestly by you than your own wives and children; for if you will follow them you will lead a happy life, you will enjoy the land fruitful, the sea calm, and the fruit of the womb complete, as nature requires; you will also be terrible to your enemies; for I have been admitted into the presence of God, and been made a hearer of his incorruptible voice; so great is his concern for the welfare of your nation."

When he had said this, he brought the people, with their wives and children, so near the mountain, that they might hear God himself speaking to them about the precepts which they were to practise; that the energy of what should be spoken might not be hurt by its utterance, by that tongue of a man which could but imperfectly deliver it to their understanding. And they all heard a voice that came from above; insomuch that none of those words escaped them, which Moses wrote in two tables; and though it is not* gives us of the approach of Phoebus, he does in a manner translate the words of Moses:

Tremere omnia visa repente,
Luminaque, laurusque Dei: totusque moveri
Mons circum, et mugire adytis cortina reclusis.
Vide Nicholl's Conference, part 2. B.

* Of this and another superstitious notion of the Pharisees, which Josephus complied with, see note on II. 12.

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lawful for us to set them down directly, we will declare their import.

The first commandment teaches us, that there is but one God, and that we ought to worship him only. The second, commands us not to make the image of any living creature to worship it. The third, that we must not swear by God in a false matter. The fourth, that we must keep the seventh day, by resting from all sort of work. The fifth, that we must honour our parents.* The sixth, The sixth, that we must abstain from murder. The seventh, that we must not commit adultery. The eighth, that we must not be guilty of theft. The ninth, that we must not bear false witness. The tenth, that we must not admit of the desire of any thing that is another's.†

Now when the multitude had heard God himself giving those precepts which Moses had discoursed of, they rejoiced at what was said; and the congregation was dissolved. But on the following day they came to his tent, and desired him to bring them besides other laws from God. Accordingly he appointed such laws, and afterward informed them in what manner they should act in all cases; which laws I shall mention in their proper place: but I shall reserve most of them for another work: and make there a distinct explication of them.

When matters were brought to this state, Moses went up again to mount Sinai, of which he had told them beforehand. He made his ascent in their sight; but when he had been absent from them forty days, fear seized upon the Hebrews, lest he should have come to any harm. Nor was there any thing that so much troubled them, as the idea that Moses had perished. Now there was a variety in their sentiments about it; some saying that he was fallen among wild beasts; and those that were of this opinion were chiefly such as were ill disposed to him; but others saying that he was departed and gone to God. The wiser sort were led, by their reason, to embrace neither of those opinions with any satisfaction; thinking that as it was a thing

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* As disobedience to parents is, by the law of Moses, threatened to be punished with death; so, on the contrary, long life is promised to the obedient; and that in their own country, which God had peculiarly enriched with abundance of blessings. Heathens also gave the very same encouragement, saying, that such children should be dear to the gods, both living and dying. So Euripides.

that sometimes happens to men, to fall among wild beasts and perish that way, so it was probable enough that he might depart and go to God, on account of his virtue; they therefore were quiet, and expected the event; though they were exceeding sorrowful upon the probability that they were deprived of a governor, and a protector; such an one, in deed, as they could never recover again. Nor would this suspicion give them leave to expect any comfortable event about this man; nor could they prevent their trouble and melancholy upon this occasion. However the camp durst not move all this while: because Moses had commanded them to stay there.

When forty days and as many nights were expired, Moses came down; having tasted nothing of food usually appointed for the nourishment of men. His appearance filled the army with gladness; and he declared to them, what care God had of them, and by what manner of conduct they might live happily: telling them that, during his absence, God had suggested to him|| also that he would have a tabernacle built for him, into which he would descend when he came to them; and how they should carry it about with them when they removed: and that there should be no longer any occasion for going up to mount Sinai; but that he would himself come and pitch his tabernacle amongst them, and be present at their prayers. As also that the tabernacle should be of such measures and construction as he had shewed him; and that the work must be immediately begun, and prosecuted diligently. When he had said this, he shewed them the two tables, with the Ten Commandments engraven upon them, five upon each table, and the writing was by the hand of God.

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