MOSES. 
he was thus enabled to quell for the prefent the riotous 
difpofition of his followers. It difplayed itfelf, however, 
more violently than before upon their arrival at the 
wildernefs of Sin, where provifions became exceedingly 
fcarce; and their murmurs feemed to be directed againft 
God himfelf, for permitting them to be decoyed from the 
fielh-pots of Egypt into a defert where they could expe£l 
nothing but to die with hunger; (ch. xvi.) In thefe cir- 
cumftances Mofes was directed to appeafe them by af- 
furances, that they fhould have plenty of flefh that very 
evening, and that on the morning of the following day 
bread fhould be rained down for them from heaven. 
Accordingly, at the time mentioned in the firft promile, 
whole clouds of quails from Egypt came pouring into 
the camp, where they were caught in incredible quan¬ 
tities ; and on the next morning, before l'un-rife, Mofes 
went at their head out of the camp into the wildernefs, 
where he (howed them the ground covered with a fmall 
fhining fubftance, bearing a refemblance to coriander- 
feed in refpeft to fize, of which he told them they Ihould 
find a fupply at that time every morning, excepting that 
of the Sabbath, and inftrudted them how to prepare it as 
a fubftitute for bread. Of this fubftance, to which they 
gave the name of manna, he direiSled them to gather only 
a limited quantity for each perfon, and exprefsly pro¬ 
hibited them from leaving any of it till the next day ; 
but even thefe orders fome of the people ventured to 
dii'obey, out of a fpirit of obftinacy, or blameable curiofity. 
The next extraordinary inftance of the wayward be¬ 
haviour of the Ifraelites towards Mofes, was exhibited on 
their journey from the defert of Sin towards Mount 
Horeb, at a place called Rephidim, (ch. xvii.) where.they 
murmured againft him for want of water; and, when he 
remonftrated with them at the criminal impatience which 
they difcovered under their temporary fuffering, they 
appeared ready to ftone him. On this occafion he had 
recourle to God, who ordered him to go accompanied 
with the elders of Ifrael to Mount Horeb, which was at 
no great diftance, and there ftrike a rock with his mira¬ 
culous rod in their prefence; and, upon his doing fo, 
water gufhed out from it in fufficient ftreams to fupply 
the demands of the Ifraelites and their flocks and herds. 
While the Ifraelites continued encamped at Rephidim, 
hoftilities were commenced againft them by the Amale- 
kites; upon which Mofes appointed Jolhua commander 
of a fufficient force to meet them in the field, informing 
him, that during the time of aftion he would take his 
ftation on a neighbouring hill, with the miraculous rod 
in his hand. Accordingly, when Jofliua marched out 
againft the enemy on the following day, Mofes afcended 
the hill accompanied by Aaron and Hur; and, as the 
engagement commenced, held up his hands in prayer, 
extending the rod as a fignai for the encouragement of 
the Ifraelites. While he continued them in this pofition, 
it was obferved that Jolhua was fuccefsful againft the 
enemy; but when, through fatigue, he let them down, 
the advantage was on the fide of Amalek. At length he 
was feated upon a ftone, with Aaron and Hur on each 
fide of him, who aflifted in holding up his hands till to¬ 
wards fun-fet, when the Amalekites were entirely defeated 
with very great daughter. This victory over a powerful 
and warlike enemy, by a people unexperienced in martial 
deeds, was juftly regarded as a molt feafonable and im¬ 
portant event, and determined Mofes to erect an altar 
upon the fpot in commemoration of it, which he called 
Jehovah JSifj'i, or “ the Lord is my fignai;” becaufe, faid 
lie, it will lerve as a fignai of the war, that is between the 
Lord and the Amalekites, from generation to generation. 
Before the camp was removed from Rephidim, Jethro, 
the father-in-law of Moles, came to pay him a vifit, 
(ch. xviii.) and brought to him his wife Zipporah and 
his two fons, whom he received with the greateft joy and 
affeftion, and informed them of the wonderful events 
which had preceded and followed the deliverance of the 
Ifraelites from the yoke of Pharaoh. This account Jethro 
Vol. XVI. No. 1053. 
65 
heard with fentiments of the deepeft reverence for the 
God of Ifrael, to whom he offered facrifice, Aaron and 
all the elders of the people joining in the folemnity, out 
of the refpeft due to fo venerable a perfon. On the fol¬ 
lowing day, Jethro, obferving that Mofes was occupied 
from morning till night in hearing complaints and de¬ 
ciding differences between the people, and well knowing 
that lie muff fink under the frequent repetition of fuch 
fatigue, added to the weight of his other duties, advifed 
him to feledft a competent number of men of integrity 
and ability to whom to commit the judging and well¬ 
ordering of the community, while he abftained from 
every bufinefs himfelf that was not of the higheft moment. 
This advice Mofes adopted, by appointing judges to fit 
over thoufands, over hundreds, and over tens, referving 
only the raoft important caules for his own adjudica¬ 
tion; by which means he eafed himfelf of a load of 
care, and found more leifure to apply to the higher 
departments of government. 
Soon after this, Jethro returned to his own country; 
and Mofes gave directions for marching from Rephidim 
to the wildernefs of Sinai; (ch. xix.) Here the Ifraelites 
remained longer than at any other ftation; and the fcene 
was rendered famous by the wonderful promulgation of 
their law, and the appointment of the principal ceremo¬ 
nies which they were afterwards to obferve. While they 
were pitching their tents at a prelcribed diftance from 
Mount Sinai, Mofes went up to the mountain alone, and 
was there commanded to remind the people of the won¬ 
ders which had been wrought in their favour, and to 
allure them, that, if they obeyed the divine precepts which 
Ihould thence be iflued, God would regard them as liis 
peculiar people, and favourite nation. Upon this, Mofes 
returned to the camp, and aflembled the elders, whom 
he direfted to communicate the divine meflage to the 
tribes ; and, having received their promifes of obedience, 
he charged them to prepare themfelves by purification in 
the oriental manner againft the third day after that time, 
when they Ihould be witnefles to extraordinary fcenes, 
which Ihould give them the fulleft fatisfaCtion with refpe<£i 
to the fpecial prefence of the Deity, and the divine au¬ 
thority of the laws that he was to be the inftrument of 
conveying to them. In the mean time he ftriCtly pro¬ 
hibited them from approaching the mountain, under the 
fevereft penalties, till they fhould be fummoned to attend 
him towards it on the appointed day, by the found of a 
miraculous trumpet. On the moqning of the third day, 
when the minds of all the Ifraelites were wrought up to 
the higheft pitch of expectation, Mount Sinai was dif¬ 
covered to be lurrounded with a thick cloud, out of 
which proceeded the moft terrifying thunders and light¬ 
nings. The expefted found of the trumpet being heard, 
Mofes advanced at the head of the people towards the 
mountain, till they arrived at a barrier which he had 
ordered to be ereCted ; and there they beheld the top of 
Sinai covered with fire and fmoke, while its foundations 
feemed to (hake under their feet. In the midft of this 
dreadful fcene, Mofes was fummoned to afcend the moun¬ 
tain, accompanied by his brother Aaron, and they were 
both foon buried in the cloud. After being admitted 
to the place of the divine prefence, Mofes was commanded 
to take his ftation lower down on the mount, “ Handing,” 
as he defcribes it, “ between God and the people.” 
Thefe lolernn preparations being finifhed, and the thun¬ 
ders as well as the loud noife of the trumpet havinsr 
ceafed, an articulate voice was heard from the midft of 
the fire and fmoke, pronouncing the ten commandments, 
which were to be the foundation of the moral code of 
the Ifraelitifli government. In the mean time the people, 
aftonifhed at what they faw and heard, removed farther 
off; and, after the divine voice had ceafed fpeaking, they 
were joined by Mofes, whom they entreated that this 
awful fcene might proceed no further, left, if they fhould 
hear the voice of God again, they might die with horror 
and amazement 5 promiling all poflible obedience to the 
S divine 
