After the forty days had run out, during which time Moses and his God were hard at work, and Moses had often received the precaution, “_See that you make all things according to the pattern given on the mount,_”—all at once, the Lord said to Moses, “Do you know what is going on below?” Poor Moses, full of thought, and over-joyed at the prospect of so fine a fit-out, was altogether ignorant of the Lord’s meaning. “Why, Moses, that stubborn race you brought out of Egypt, have set up strange gods, and have turned their backs on both you and me”! If this story was strictly true, how Moses must feel on hearing this unfortunate news! We must suppose he would exclaim and say, “Oh! Lord, our forty days’ labor is all knocked on the head. Is it possible, Oh! Lord, that they have forgotten what you did for them in Egypt? What a pity it is, Oh! Lord, that they ever got rid of the lice when they left the house of bondage, for if they were now tormented by those nibblers, it would remind them of the lousy miracle you performed for them in the presence of Pharaoh. Those lice, if not destroyed, would have been ‘a forget-me-not.’” And the Lord said unto Moses, “Now let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against this people, for I know that they are a stiff-necked race. I will destroy them, and from you shall a great nation spring up.” But Moses, not having at this time lost his temper, said, “Oh! Lord God, now do not destroy them; besides, what will the Egyptians say? And also remember what you promised to Abram, Isaac, and Jacob: how you swore that you would give it to Abram and his seed forever.” “Well, Moses, you reason correctly. I own I was rather too hasty; upon a second thought, I retract; I will take your advice; but go down and see what you can make of them.” Moses, not well pleased, left the Lord, and went down from the mount; and when he came to the camp, he lost all patience, and, in a passion, not knowing what he did, threw down the stones on which were written the commandments—and written, too, with the finger of God—and they were broken asunder. No wonder that Moses lost his temper: forty days’ labor lost; having had, during the whole time, nothing to eat; and having lost his church members before the moveable church was complete! No one can be surprised that he acted as he did. Moses reasoned so correctly with the Lord, that he cooled Jehovah down, but was not so fortunate with himself.