The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 15 – Section 16
SECT. XV.
THus was this Law promulgated and proclaimed. At the dreadful manner whereof of the people were ſo greatly terrified, that they removed, and ſtood afar off from the Mount. Then the Heads of the …ribes and Elders came to Moſes, and ſaid, Behold the Lord our God hath ſhewed us his Glory, and his Greatneſs, and we have heard his Voice out of the midſt of the Fire, and have ſeen this day that God doth talk with Man, and yet he remaineth alive. This is matter of great wonder to us. But yet we are afraid that if we ſhould hear the Voice of the Lord our God again, ſpeaking to us in ſuch a dreadful manner, the very terrour of it would kill us. We are afraid we ſhould be conſumed by that great and dreadful Fire out of which we heard the Lord ſpeaking to us. For what man is there that ever heard God ſpeaking out of the midſt of the Fire, as we have done, and yet lived. Since therefore the Lord hath hitherto been ſo gracious and propitious to us, we humbly intreat him to regard our Infirmity, which makes uncapable of enduring his terrible Preſence. Go thou therefore near unto him, and hear all that the Lord our God ſhall ſay, and ſpeak thou (g)This is ſtill the work of the Law, to ſcare men, and drive them to ſeek for a Mediator between God and them. And by this Interpoſition of Moſes was figured the neceſſity of the great Mediator between God and Man, Gal. 3.19. Who was alſo promiſed on this occaſion, Deut. 18.15, 16.unto us all that the Lord our God ſhall ſpeak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it. But let not the Lord ſpeak to us any more, immediately by Himſelf, leſt the terrour of his Preſence kill us. Moſes encourages them, and tells them, They ſhould not be ſo much diſmayed and affrighted. For God had ſpoken to them with ſo much terrour to prove them; that is, to try whether this terrour would produce in them a holy fear and reverence of his Majeſty (which is the true ſpring of Obedience) that ſo they might be afraid to ſin againſt Him. Then the people ſtanding aloof off, Moſes drew near to the thick Darkneſs on the top of the Mount (where God manifeſted his glorious Preſence) and the Lord ſaid unto him, I have heard the words of this people which they have ſpoken unto thee, viz. That thou ſhould be a Mediator between Me and them (and therein a Type of the promiſed Meſſias) and they have done well in what they deſired. And O that there were ſuch an heart (h)Humanitùs optanda non ſperanda deſignat.in them that they would fear me always, and keep my Commandments, that it might go well with them, and with their Children, from Generation to Generation. Then commanding that the people ſhould return into their Tents, He tells Moſes, He will ſpeak unto him all the reſt of his Commandments, Statutes, and Judgments, and he ſhall impart them unto the people. So that God ſpake no more than theſe Ten Commandments, immediately by Himſelf, unto the Children of Iſrael, and in an audible Voice, [Deut. 5.22.] the reſt He ſpake unto them by Moſes.
Exod. 20. from verſ. 18. to 22.
Deut. 5. from verſ. 22. to 32.
SECT. XVI.
GOd further Commands Moſes to tell the Children of Iſrael, That they had heard Him ſpeak to them out of Heaven; that is, from on high, in the Air, but they ſaw no Image nor Similitude of Him. Therefore they ſhould take heed of corrupting themſelves in making any Similitude (i)See Deut. 4.15.or Figure of Him, or any Image. or Idol of Gold or Silver to repreſent Him, or to be worſhipped with Him, 2ly, For ſuch Altars as they ſhould be appointed to make as they were upon the way (whereon to Sacrifice their Burnt-Offerings, (k)Gen. 8.20.and Peace-Offerings, (l)Lev. 3.1.their Oxen and Sheep) or upon any extraordinary occaſion (before they ſhould come to the place which He ſhould chuſe to ſettle his Worſhip there) they muſt make them either of Earth, (m)Such as Samuel and Elias made. Afterwards the Altar of the Tabernacle was made of of Shitimwood to be overlaid with Braſs, Exod. 27.1. and for the Temple of Braſs, 2 Chron. 4.1.or of rough unpoliſhed Stone, (for if they lifted a tool upon them to poliſh them, they polluted (n)Curioſity in God's Service againſt his Command, is not an Ornament, but a Defilement, verſ. 25. Non ex politis lapidibus cujus nulla ratio dari poteſt a natura rei deſumpta ſed tantum ex ordinatione Dei, contra quam ſi quis eat etiam in leviſſimis, & per ſe indifferentibus, ea profana fiunt. Rivet.them, by tranſgreſſing the Commandment of God,) and ſo inſtead of making them holy, they profaned them. And the reaſon of this Injunction ſeeming to be, that the meanneſs of the matter might ſhew that God did not intend thoſe Altars ſhould be places of his conſtant Worſhip, but only for the preſent time; And that the people ſhould not have any ſuperſtitious conceit in time to come of the places where theſe Altars had been raiſed, which might divert their hearts from the only Altar upon which he delighted to be ordinarily ſerved, [Deut. 12.5.] which was a Figure of the Croſs of Chriſt. And that they might not think ſtrange at the meanneſs of theſe Altars, He promiſes that in all places indifferently where he ſhall appoint them to build an Altar, and where He ſhall cauſe his Name to be remembred, and called upon, He will accept of their Sacrifices and Service, and hear them, and bleſs them, even in one place as well as in another. Laſtly, He Commands that theſe Altars ſhould not be ſo made that the Prieſts muſt go up by wide and far diſtant Stairs (o)V. 26. Aſcenſus non erit interciſus per gradus longe diſtantes, ut cogeris magnos facere paſſus, ne nudentur verenda tua, uſus enim foemoralium nondum introductus erat. Lyra.and Steps, or by Ladders unto them,(p)This Inſtitution was in part changed and revoked afterwards. For Solomon's Altar was 10 Cubits high, 2 Chron. 4.1. and the Prieſts went up by ſome ſteps and ſtairs to it, and accordingly were ordered to wear linnen Breeches, Exod. 28, 42, 43. And the Altar which Moſes made for the Tabernacle was three Cubits high, Exod. 27.1. But this was for the perpetual uſe of the Tabernacle, and not for a time only, and ſuddenly to be diſſolved again as theſe occaſional Altars were. leſt their nakedneſs ſhould be diſcovered thereby, which might impair the Honour of thoſe Sacred Rites, and would ſymbolize, and agree too much with the lewd and ſhameful behaviour which the Idolatrous Heatheniſh Prieſts uſed in their Sacrifices.
Exod. 20. from 22. to the end.