CHAPTER III,

GOD SPEAKING.

THE evidences presented, thus far, of the being of God, and of His goodness, wisdom, and power, have been derived, for the most part, from considerations independent of written Revelation. They have been drawn, in the first place, from the contemplation of the material universe, and the order, excellence, and magnificence of the innumerable things that constitute it,—all which proclaim a God: and they have been derived, in the second place, from the survey of the still nobler spiritual universe, or world of mind, as seen by the eye of enlightened reason,-whether as existing in man here upon earth and beheld in his life and works, or in man as a spirit, after he has dropped his garment of clay and entered on the grander life of eternity. In both these universes, the natural and the spiritual, the admirable and wonderful character of the works declares everywhere the Divinity of the Workman, His infinite goodness, wisdom, and might.

Yet this evidence, though so plain, is still only inference: these, though lucid, are yet but silent, witnesses. 'In reason's ear," as the poet affirms, God's works do, indeed, "utter forth a glorious voice:" but man's mind seems to wish for something still more distinct and palpable than this: he longs to hear a voice, such as is addressed not only to the ear of reason, but to the ear of sense. "This awful silence," he exclaims, "terrifies and oppresses me. These outspread works of

nature, this solemn sun, rising with such unchanging regularity to his daily task, and these perpetual twinkling stars that shine on from age to age, glittering in the still depths of heaven,-Oh! these awe me by their very majesty they are too grave and silent. Why will they not speak out, and tell whence they came and what they are doing, and who made them, and put them in their places? If there be a God, a great Creator, an intelligent and sentient Being,-why will He not speak, and let me hear His voice-tell me in a kind, familiar way, that He does indeed exist, and where He is, and what He is? Or, if that be impossible, if He be too great to be thus approached by a weak mortal,—if His voice would burst my ear, or the sight of Him would dazzle and blind my eyes, and His presence consume and dissipate me, like the burning Sun approaching the earth-O, then, let Him but write-let him inscribe it on rock, or bark, or book, or where He pleases, (so that it be in legible characters which I may read and understand),-that He does exist, that He is good and wise, that He made all these things, and moreover that He still watches over and takes care of them,—and of me, too, and that He will make and keep me happy if I will look to Him and do His commands."

This wish, so natural to man's heart, has been complied with, this longing has been gratified, — this prayer has been answered. Such a writing does exist in the world. It was given to man many ages ago, and the manner in which it was given, and the persons to whom, is related with great exactness in the writing itself. And that we might have double testimony to its authenticity, we have the direct descendants of the

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very persons to whom it was communicated, still living among us; and, though scattered through the world, and found in all nations, yet, by a wonderful providence, they have been kept a distinct and isolated race,to the end that they may continue to stand before the eyes of men, personal, living witnesses, or the direct representatives of those who were living witnesses, to the great fact. This people, as declared by their family traditions, handed down from father to son, in uninterrupted succession, and as strikingly confirmed furthermore by the customs, rites, and ceremonies still actually in use among them, were selected by the Divine being, to be the depositaries of that Sacred Writing. Descended originally from a single individual,-in order, as it would seem, that they might ever feel themselves bound together as one family,—they grew in the course of time into a numerous people. Separating themselves, at length, by Divine command, from a nation with whom they had long sojourned but had never united, and who had for many years oppressed them,-they were led, by a series of the most striking and miraculous interpositions, out of that land, through a sea and a wilderness, to the foot of a lofty mountain. And here, amid the solemn solitudes of the desert, the very voice of the Divine Himself was heard, in awful tones that went to their hearts, addressing them, and giving them His commands,-intended not only for them, but through them for all mankind,-prescribing what they were to do, in order that they might live and be happy for ever. How sublimely is this great event related in the Writing itself! "And it came to pass, on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the

mount, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And Mount Sinai was altogether on 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."*

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Can any thing be grander than this description? what a sublime pröem! Then followed the utterance of those Ten great Rules of life, which contain the substance of all rules,—the essence and pith of all the laws which man is required to obey. These the people listened to, but they could bear no more. "And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, 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. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven."+

Is not this GOD SPEAKING? Is not this the great Creator directly addressing men, His creatures, and giving them laws for their guidance, thus showing His interest in and regard for them, and His continued care of the beings He had made? And not only did * Exodus xix. 16, 19. + Exodus xx. 18–22.

He speak those words, but He also wrote them down, in order that they might remain and be remembered. He wrote them, it is declared, on tables of stone, which tables Moses brought down with him from the mount, and deposited in the sacred Ark, where they were kept and carefully preserved for several hundred years. Thus, the TEN COMMANDMENTS, the beginning and basis of the Holy Scriptures, were not only of God's teaching, but of God's own hand-writing. In addition to this, Moses himself, by Divine command, wrote or copied in a book these ten great laws, together with many other more particular ones, declared to him by Jehovah in the mount; and this book, termed "the book of the covenant," he read in the hearing of the people; and they answered, "All that the Lord hath said we will do, and be obedient.”* This book was also carefully laid up, being committed to a special body of persons, the Levites, for preservation.† And this book still exists-not indeed the identical manuscript-for it is impossible that a manuscript written on perishable materials should remain for such a length of time-but we have most exact and perfect copies of it. And this is by far the most ancient writing in existence. was the first of authors, as He is infinitely the greatest, -as He is, indeed, the very Author of all authors themselves. Homer did not live till five hundred years after Moses. And compare Homer's Jupiter shaking Olympus with his nod, to the descriptions of the thunders and lightnings, and the sound of the trumpet, and the quaking of Sinai before the God of Israel. But we ought not to compare, for the one work is human, the other Divine. Homer himself, indeed,—as shown in a * Exodus xxiv. 4, 7. + Deut. xxxi. 25, 26.

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