Israelites for the extraordinary descent of Jehovah upon the mountain on the third day, in the sight of all the people. And Moses was directed to set bounds around the mount, and to forewarn the people, that whoever touched the mount should die; and whether it were man or beast it should either be stoned or shot through. And Moses sanctified the people according to the command of God; "and on the third day, in the morning, there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount; and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that were in the camp trembled. 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." Again, God gave express orders that the people should keep themselves within the prescribed limits, and not break through to gaze; otherwise, they would bring swift destruction upon themselves; "and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron, but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord; lest he break through upon them." It is difficult to determine who are to be understood by the priests mentioned here. We know that the Aaronic priests were not yet consecrated, and we never read of any other priesthood among the Israelites. It may, however, be argued with great probability, that wherever there are sacrifices there must be priests; and it is reasonable to suppose, that there existed a set of men appointed to this service. And there occurred a fact in the sequel of the history which confirms this idea; where Moses directed the young men to offer sacrifices, before Aaron was consecrated.

But

From the midst of the darkness, in a voice of thunder, God now spoke all the words of the ten commandments of the moral law. When the people heard the tremendous voice of God speaking to them, and saw the thundering and the lightnings, and heard the voice of the trumpet, 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.' Moses encouraged them not to fear, though at the first he was himself so terrified, that he said, as the apostle informs us, "I exceedingly fear and quake." These words are not recorded here, but it is remarkable, that in one instance it is said that Moses spake, but what he said is not mentioned. After this the Lord spake only to Moses, and he communicated what was said to the people. The first solemn message related to the worship of idols. The words are remarkable as showing that

images and idols were first used as a means of worshipping Jehovah. "Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold." Directions were then given to make an altar of earth, and to sacrifice thereon burntofferings, and peace-offerings, sheep and oxen. And then this important promise was given, which is in force to this day: "IN ALL PLACES WHERE I RECORD MY NAME, I WILL COME UNTO THEE, AND I WILL BLESS THEE.' It was also ordained, that for the sake of decency, they should not ascend the altar by steps. From what is here said, it appears, that burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, were the two kinds of sacrifices in use, before the institution of the Levitical ritual. The first of these was entirely consumed by fire on the altar, and among the Greeks obtained the name of holocaust, (entirely consumed:) the peaceofferings were presented on the altar, but only a small part of the flesh was consumed, and the remainder furnished a feast for the worshipper and his friends. In every case, however, the blood was entirely drawn from the animal, and partly sprinkled on and around the altar, and partly poured on the ground, at its foot.

The next communication related to Hebrew servants; directing, that in no case, should they be obliged to serve more than six years: if the servant, however, preferred his master's house to liberty, he might remain, but in token of perpetual servitude, he was to have his ear bored to the door post; but this transaction was ordered to take place before the judges; that there might be no injustice done.

SECTION XIII.

LAWS RESPECTING MURDER-LEX TALIONIS-MISCHIEF BY AN OX-OPENING A PITPENALTY FOR STEALING AN OX OR A SHEEP THE KILLING OF A THIEF GOODS IN TRUST-ANIMALS BORROWED-SEDUCTION-IDOLATERS-WITCHES.

It was ordained, that in all cases, wilful murder should be punished with death: but for him who slew a man unintentionally, a refuge from the avenger of blood should be provided.

It was also capital for a child either to strike or to curse his parents; and the person who stole a man and sold him was also punished with death. The man who inflicted a bodily injury on his neighbour, so that he was rendered incapable of work, was bound to pay all the expenses of his cure, and his wages for the time of his confinement.

And it was specially ordained, that a man who killed a servant, by striking him with a rod, should by no means be permitted to escape condign punishment; but if death did not immediately ensue, and yet the servant should die after several

days, it was to be presumed, that the death was owing to another cause, since men would not be apt to destroy their own property.

The rule prescribed to the judges in apportioning punishments to crimes, was the most just that could be conceived. It was what has been called, "the law of retaliation.' "Life for life; eye for eye; tooth for tooth; hand for hand; foot for foot; burning for burning; wound for wound; strife for strife." But if a man deprived a servant of his eye or his tooth, he was to be deprived of his services, and the servant received his freedom.

An ox that gored a man was directed to be slain; and the owner of an ox, known to push with his horns in time past, if being forewarned to keep him up, he neglected to do it, and the ox kill a man, the ox shall be put to death, and also his owner: but in this case, he was permitted to redeem his life by paying a fine. And where the ox killed a servant, his owner was bound to pay for his loss, and the ox, as before, was to be stoned.

He who opened a pit and left it uncovered, was responsible for all the injuries which might ensue; and where the ox of one man killed that of another, the law was, that both should be equally divided, the living ox by being sold, and the dead ox also; but if the offending ox was known to push in time past, and his owner kept him not in, then he was bound to pay for the slain ox, and take his carcase to himself.

For the stealing an ox, the penalty was, to restore five for one; and four sheep for a sheep.

In the day time, it was reckoned murder to put the thief to death, if apprehended in the act; but not so in the night; because death is not the proper punishment for theft, but restitution; and yet the law of self-defence will exculpate a man for killing a thief when found breaking into his house in the night.

The same principle of responsibility recognized in the law respecting a noxious ox, is applied to fire. This being a dangerous element, when not carefully guarded, the man who lets out fire which destroys his neighbour's property, is liable for all the injury suffered; so also, if a man put his cattle into another man's field; out of the best of his own he was bound to make restitution.

If money or other property were committed in trust to any one, and was stolen, the person from whom it was stolen, was required to take an oath before the judges, that he had not put his hand to his neighbour's goods.

An animal borrowed, if it died when the owner was present,

the borrower was not bound to make it good; but if he was not present, then the borrower was responsible.

It was a law, that the man who seduced a woman should certainly marry her; unless the father of the woman utterly refused, and then a fine was imposed, equal to the dowry of a virgin.

A witch was not to be suffered to live.

Idolaters, and persons guilty of unnatural crimes, were to be punished with death.

SECTION XIV.

PROVISION FOR THE POOR, THE STRANGER, WIDOW, AND ORPHAN-LOANS TO A BROTHER-PLEDGES-SPEAKING EVIL OF RULERS-FIRST-FRUITS-ANIMALS TORN BY WILD BEASTS-SLANDER FORBIDDEN-DUTIES TO ENEMIES-SABBATICAL YEARANNUAL FESTIVALS-THE PASSOVER-FEAST OF TABERNACLES-AND FEAST OF HARVEST OF PENTECOST-LEAVEN FORBIDDEN IN THE SACRIFICES-OTHER LAWS.

A SPECIAL provision was made for relief to the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless. The very words of this law are worthy of our consideration. "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow nor fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.'

Money lent to a brother who was poor, was to be without interest or usury.

When a neighbour's garment was taken in pledge, the law required, that it should be restored before the going down of the sun.

It was expressly forbidden to speak evil of judges or magis

trates.

The firstlings of the flocks and herds, the first fruits of the field, the garden, and the wine-press, were the Lord's.

The flesh of animals torn by wild beasts was forbidden to be eaten by the Israelites.

Slander and false witness are expressly prohibited.

And it was forbidden to follow a multitude to do evil; and especially not to advocate an unrighteous cause, to decline after a multitude.

Neither were they permitted to countenance a poor man in his cause; that is, when it was unjust; neither might they wrest the judgment of the poor.

No enmity of another can exonerate us from the obligations of neighbourly conduct towards him; therefore, it was enjoined, that if a man met the ox or ass of his enemy going astray, he

should surely bring it back to him; or if he saw his ass lying under a burden, he should by all means assist him.

Great disapprobation is manifested towards all partiality and injustice in the settling of disputes between man and man. No gift was allowed to be received by judges from either party concerned in a cause.

As the people were commanded to do all their secular work in six days, and rest the seventh day; so they were directed to sow the land and gather in the fruits for six years, but the seventh year they were to let it lie uncultivated. The reason here assigned for the rest of the weekly Sabbath, is a political one, and still of as great force as at first, "That thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid, and the stranger may be refreshed;" and the reason assigned for a sabbatical year was, "that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat?" for in this year, no man was permitted to gather into his barn any of the spontaneous productions of the earth: these were free to all, and the owner of the field had no peculiar claim to them.

Three times in the year, all the males were required to appear before the Lord. At the feast of the PASSOVER, or of unleavened bread, on the fourteenth of Abib or Nisan, of the institution of which, a particular account has already been given; at the feast of HARVEST, which was to be celebrated fifty days after the passover, and was therefore called by the Greeks, PENTECOST; and the feast of INGATHERING, at the end of the year, which is commonly called, the feast of TABERNACLES; because during its celebration, the people cut down branches of trees and made themselves booths, in commemoration of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness. This feast was set to the fifteenth day of the seventh month. And as their families and habitations would be peculiarly exposed, when all the males were absent, a special promise was given, that during these visits of piety to the place where the Lord should record his name, no one should desire their land, or molest their families. Thus, also, there was a special promise, that the sixth year should be so abundantly productive, that there would be no danger of want from having their fields untilled on the seventh.

Some laws were given, the reason of which does not clearly appear. Of this sort is the one forbidding leaven to be offered. with any of their sacrifices; and that none of the fat of a sacrifice should remain until the morning. Probably many such regulations were intended to guard the people against the superstitious rites of the heathen around them. Some precepts, however, seem to have had no other end than to cherish humanity, and kind feelings even to animals. Such as this, "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk."