if such sentiments of pious gratitude had governed their whole conduct. But when they had travelled but a few days in the desert of Sinai and began to experience the inconveniencies and privations inseparable from their unsettled condition, they looked back with regret on their comparative ease in Egypt, and again assailed Moses with the cruel complaint-" You have brought us to die in the wilderness." Yet mercies and miracles continued!-To engage their confidence, as well as to provide for their real necessities, they were graciously assured that they should" continue to behold the glory of the Lord;" that flesh should be given them to eat, and bread from heaven should satisfy their hunger. And accordingly in the evening an immense number of quails alighted round the camp; and the following morning their bread descenbed indeed from heaven! A small white substance, "like coriander seed, and sweet like honey," as it is described, and therefore called Manna, was found covering the earth.

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This," said Moses, "is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. Gather of it every man according to the number which are in his tent, and let none be kept until morning." Some, notwithstanding, presumptuously kept of the Manna over the night, and in the morning it was putrid. Moses was displeased at their disobedience, and repeated the command, to gather every morning sufficient only for the day. But on the sixth day, when they went out for their daily provision, they found that a double quantity had fallen. Greatly surprised, the rulers repaired to Moses, to report the phenomenon, and to inquire into the reason.

"To-morrow," replied he, "is the rest of the Holy Sabbath; take a part of the Manna, therefore, and lay it

up for the ensuing day." They did so, and found that it kept perfectly good. Yet not fully persuaded of the fact that Moses had communicated, some of the people went out on the seventh day to look for Manna; they found none; but received this reproof, "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See-for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath; therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days, abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." From that time to the period of their pilgrimage they were fed with Manna. An Omer, a measure something less than our gallon, was carefully preserved to show to their posterity the miracle that had sustained them.

FANNY. Why did the people hesitate to believe a circumstance so probable as that of distinguishing the Sabbath from a common day?

MRS. M. If the extraordinary quantity of Manna had appeared on the day previous to the Sabbath they had been accustomed to observe, it would seem natural that they should at once acquiesce in the command of Moses. But the difficulty he experienced, together with the emphatic language of the text, have led some of our best commentators to the conclusion, that a change unexpected to them at this time was made.

The seventh day of the creation, being coincident with the first whole day of Adam's life, he would of course begin to reckon his week, and his year, on that day; and consequently the day which christians now celebrate, was the sabbath appointed in Paradise, and continued by all people, however widely dispersed, until the Israelites came up out of Egypt. From that period, the chosen people were to be distinguished and separated from all

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others by their national institutions, and some of them seem to have no other object.

The beginning of their year was then changed, from the autumnal, to the vernal equinox, and their sabbath was removed one day back, substituting the seventh day of the week, according to Adam's reckoning, for the first, that being engaged in their ordinary occupations, they might be less exposed to the temptation of participating in the forbidden worship of the heathens, on their holy day, (agreeably to our supposition, the first day of the week, the same which is now called Sunday*) than they would be, were it also their own day of rest. of the obligation, which required a seventh part of their time, was not affected by the change.

The moral nature

Again, at a place called Rephidim, to which they had come, after eleven encampments, when they found no water, they repeated, with additional bitterness, their accustomed reproach." Thou hast brought us and our children, and our cattle, up hither, to perish with thirst." The bounteous hand that had fed them when hungry, now supplied them with drink.

The touch of the rod of Moses, brought water from a rock, and the copious stream refreshed the remainder of their journey. The Pillar of Light seems, from that time, to have led the people along its margin, for we hear no complaints of scarcity of water, for many succeeding years, although they travelled in a dry and barren land.

All these magnificent events could not be confined to the knowledge of the persons for whose correction or relief they were originally displayed. Their fame went

* The name Sunday, was given in honour of the Sun, which was worshipped-perhaps not at so early a period.

abroad, and Jethro, the prince of Midian, a worshipper of Jehovah, came to unite with Israel in homage to their almighty deliverer, and to restore, at the same time, his daughter, and her sons, who had been sent back to his guardianship, whilst Moses was engaged in his perilous mission to Pharaoh.

Remaining with the Israelites some days, Jethro took a friendly interest in their affairs, and assisted them by his prudent council. He saw with concern the incessant labours of his son-in-law in the government of Israel, and suggested the propriety of calling to his aid inferior magistrates, who might take cognizance of the lesser causes, while the greater only, should be referred to his own decision. And "able men," he added, ought to be selected-" Such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousSuch were accordingly appointed, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. Bread and water, the most imperative demands of nature, having been already provided, Moses was now left at greater liberty to attend to the great work of legislation, for which they were chiefly detained in an inhospitable wilderness-and it commenced in the third month after their departure from Egypt.

ness."

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Encamped in the Desert of Sinai, before the celebrated mount of that name, the whole congregation were gathered together, and solemnly reminded, that their enemies had been signally chastised for disobedience, while they been borné as on eagles' wings." "Now, therefore," said Jehovah," if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me, above all people-for all the earth is mine." "All that the Lord commands we will do," was the ready answer of

a people, unacquainted with their own weakness, and ignorant of the purity and extent of the laws about to be promulgated.

But when assembled at the foot of Sinai, to receive on a subsequent day, the covenant they had not hesitated to subscribe, the terrible ensigns of infinite power and rigorous justice were exhibited to their view-they shrunk dismayed from the Divine presence! Fierce lightnings flashed through the dark cloud that enveloped the mounttremendous thunderings shook its base-an invisible trumpet sounded, long and loud-and amidst these appalling circumstances, an audible voice pronounced the Ten Commandments, the substance of the Hebrew code, and the immutable foundation of all subsequent law. The terrified people listened with reverence---but entreated that Moses might thenceforth be their mediator, and themselves be excused from again hearing the voice of Jehovah !

They were permitted to retire, and their leader alone was summoned to ascend the burning summit, to receive further instruction: and forty days this highly honoured mortal remained in more intimate communion with his Creator, than had ever been vouchsafed to man, since the fall of Adam.

As the decalogue exacted first, the homage due to the Sovereign of the universe: so now the medium by which that homage should be offered was first appointed. The pattern of a Tabernacle, or place for public worship, with all its apparatus, both for ornament and convenience, was exhibited to Moses, and instructions the most minute, were given him, to construct one of similar form, and of costly materials, together with every necessary utensil for offering sacrifices.

F