The plain beneath Sinal, where Israel encamped, has been identified, and the reader should study the books of travelers which afford a mental conception of the scene. The brilliant colors, in which red sandstone predominates; the shattered, thunderstricken peaks; the awful silence; the utter absence of vegetation; the level plain giving abundant opportunity for all to hear and see—all these deserve notice. The tenderness of the divine address is very touching. Nor

are we excluded from these promises, if we are among Abraham’s spiritual children. See Rom. 4:16. If Gud could carry this multitude ‘of people, he is sufficient tor us and our burdens. We also may be his peculiar treasure and a kingdom of priests.

But Israel’s solemn pledge was a profound mistake. Had they known themselves better, they would never have made it, and one design of the Decalogue was to show how absolutely impossible it is for any to be justified by the works of the Law. Pentecost, which Whitsuntide commemorates, took place on the anniversary of this august scene.