The promulgation of the Law
God was ever wonderful in His works, and fearful in His judgments — but He was never so terrible in the execution of His will as now in the promulgation of it. Here was nothing but a display of grandeur in the eyes, in the ears of the Israelites, as if God meant to show them by this how dreadful He could be. In the destruction of the first world there were clouds — in the destruction of Sodom there was fire; but here were fires, smoke, clouds, thunder, earthquakes, and whatsoever might work more astonishment than was ever in any vengeance inflicted. And if the law, were thus given, how shall it be required? If such were the proclamation of God's statutes, what shall be His tribunal? The trumpet of an angel called to the one — the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God, shall summon us to the other. Of the one, Moses, who alone witnessed it, saith, "God came with the multitude of His saints"; in the other, thousand thousands shall minister unto Him, and ten thousa...