But Moses besought the Lord most earnestly to turn from His anger, and asked Him to remember His servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and begged Him to forgive the sin of His people. So Moses went down the mountain with God's Law in his hands. But when he and Joshua, who was with him, saw from the mount what had happened, and that the people had already broken God's two first commandments, Moses cast down the two Tablets which God had written with His own Hand, and they fell beneath the mountain and were broken to pieces. And the Lord sent a sore punishment to the people who had sinned, and three thousand of them died. The next day Moses went up to the Lord again, and his words of entreaty are most touching— "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy Book which Thou hast written." "And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My Book." This is an awfully solemn story. We do not read that the people themselves repented—if they had, the Holy God would have forgiven them out and out. For He says in the 55th of Isaiah— "Let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." [Illustration] XVIII. THE NEXT TWO COMMANDMENTS: AND HOW THEY MAY BE KEPT _III. "Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord My God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain."_ THINK of the name of the person whom you love the best in the world, and then think how you would feel if you heard any one speak against that name. Would not you feel grieved? Would you not turn away from the one who spoke against that loved name? And say: "I cannot hear you speak like that—I love that name above any on earth." Yes; if you think of it, you will see that it is so. And if we feel so about an earthly love, and an earthly name, what ought we to feel about that "Name which is above every name"? No wonder God says in His Holy Law: "Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain!" And our Lord, in the Prayer which He has told us all to use, says— "Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name!" It is the first request of that wonderful prayer. Do you see the baby boy in your home? He has hurt himself, or got into some difficulty. He can just say one single word, and that word is the only name he knows; and you hear him calling out in his distress, "Mother! Mother!" Over and over, till she comes running in, and in a moment he is in her arms! And this brings me to a text I am very very fond of: "The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower! The righteous runneth into it and is safe." A few years ago a sister of mine was walking on a lonely road, and just as she was crossing a railway bridge between two brick walls a man sprang out and seized her watch and chain.