The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 13
SECT. XIII.
FRom Rephidim, which was over againſt Horeb, in the third month after their coming forth out of Egypt, they removed to the Deſart over againſt Sinai, (k)It ſeems theſe were either two Mountains near together, or elſe two tops of the ſame Mountain, one called Horeb, the other Sinai.(which was their Twelfth Encamping) where they continued for the ſpace of almoſt an whole Year. The Cloudy Pillar now reſting on the top of the Mountain, God out of it calls Moſes to come up to Him, and Commands him to ſet before the people what great things He had done for them, and how he had born them on Eagles wings, and carried them as an Eagle doth her young ones on her back, viz. ſpeedily and ſafely out of Egypt, and had now brought them unto Himſelf; that is, to this place of his Preſence, and convenient for them to ſerve him in. If therefore they would carefully obſerve the Covenant which he now intended to make with them, they ſhould be his peculiar Treaſure (his Segullah)(l)Deut. 7.6, 7, 8. Pſal. 135.4. above all people. (For all the Earth is His, and he can chuſe what Nation he pleaſes to be his peculiar People to ſerve him,) and they ſhould be to Him a Kingdom of Prieſts; that is, among them he would Reign, and ſet up his Kingdom [1 Sam. 8.7.] and they ſhould not be a profane State, ſuch as other Kingdoms were, but a Kingdom of Prieſts to Worſhip Him according to his own Will, and to offer the Sacrifices to Him which He ſhould appoint, and they ſhould be ſeparated from all other Nations unto Him and his Service. Moſes comes down and acquaints the people herewith, and they readily, and with one accord, anſwered, That All that the Lord had ſpoken they would do. Moſes returned their Anſwer unto the Lord, who tells him, He would now ſpeak to him ſpeedily out of a thick Cloud upon the Mount, and the people ſhould hear Him ſpeak to him, that they might never after doubt or disbelieve that God had ſent him to them. Then he Commands Moſes to go down, and to ſanctifie and prepare the people two days for their reverend receiving his Law on the day after, and that he ſhould give them Orders and Directions how they ſhould behave themſelves at that time. Moſes accordingly commands the people to ſanctifie themſelves, to waſh their Cloaths, and to forbear the company of their Wives [verſ. 15.] till the time appointed, ſignifying how careful they ſhould be to keep their Minds from being diſtracted with carnal affections, and to cleanſe themſelves from all filthineſs both of Fleſh and Spirit; eſpecially when they were to preſent themſelves ſo ſolemnly before the Lord. Then he ſets bounds and limits round about the bottom of Mount Sinai, ſhewing them how near they ſhould approach to the Mount, and no further, declaring that whatever Man or Beaſt paſſed thoſe bounds, and touched the Mountain, ſhould be ſtoned or ſhot to death. This was commanded, to ſtrike their hearts with the greater Reverence of God, and to bridle their Curioſity from ſearching into Gods Secrets, and to teach them to be content with the bounds that he had ſet them. On the third day in the morning after Moſes had given them this Charge concerning ſanctifying and preparing themſelves (which as ſome think was the(m)Sic Janſenius. Maſius autem quarto die menſis. ſixth day of the month, and fifty days after the Paſsover, on which the Feaſt of Pentecoſt was afterwards kept,) by the miniſtry of Angels, the Trumpet ſounded exceeding loud, and the people trembling, advanced under the Conduct of Moſes towards(n)V. 13. Tunc aſcendent in montem, i. e. adverſus montem, alioquin repugnaret, v. 12. the Mountain, ſo far as their limits and bounds extended. Then the Air being fill'd with dreadful Thunderings and Lightnings, and the Mountain quaking and trembling, and ſmoaking like a Furnace, [Pſal. 68.8.] and the Trumpet ſounding lowder and lowder, the Lord (o)V. 20. Deſcendit Dominus ſ…u Angelus Dominum repraeſentans; deſcendit ex loco aeris celſiore in ipſum montis verticem.deſcended on the Mount; that is, He there manifeſted his Glory in a flame of Fire. The fight was ſo exceeding terrible, that Moſes ſaid, I exceedingly fear and tremble, Heb. 12.21. The Lord hereupon anſwered him by a Voice (and ſo in a leſs terrible manner than by Thunder) yet ſo loud that the people might hear him ſpeaking to him, ſee verſ. 9. By that Voice the Lord commanded Moſes to come up to Him to the top of the Mount, And Moſes did ſo. The Lord Commands him to go again to the people, and to Charge them that they did not break thorow the bounds ſet them to ſee and gaze (as Moſes himſelf was ready once to do, Exod. 3.3. till He was ſtayed of God, leſt many of them ſhould thereupon periſh, [ſee Sam. 6.19.] and to Charge the Prieſts more particularly, who uſed to come near to miniſter before the Lord, (that is, the Firſt-horn, the young men of the Children of Iſrael whom God had hallowed to himſelf, and who before the ſeparating of the Tribe of Levi for the Prieſthood, uſed to adminiſter that Office in their ſeveral Families, Numb. 8.16. Exod. 13.2. Lev. 3.12. and Exod. 24.5.) that they eſpecially take care to ſanctifie themſelves, and to be devoutly and holily prepared for this great appearance of God, and to keep themſelves from being defiled with Sin by touching the Mount, preſuming too far by reaſon of their Priviledge, leſt the Lord break forth in wrath upon them. Moſes humbly Anſwers, O Lord, the people by reaſon of thy former Prohibition dare not come up to the Mount; For thou ſaidſt, Set bounds to the Mount, and Hallow it, that is, let the people know that they are to account this Mountain holy, by reaſon of the manifeſtation of my glorious Preſence here, and therefore they muſt not preſume to come to up to it. However, the Lord chargeth him inſtantly to go down to them, and to urge the ſame again upon them; after which He himſelf ſhould come up again, and ſhould bring Aaron (p)Aaron quo que advocari debibat, ut ſacerdotium ejus quo que divinit…s inſtitutum Conſtaret. Janſ.with him.
Exod. 19. whole Chapter.