So the armies joined battle; and it came to a close fight, hand to
hand, both sides showing great alacrity, and encouraging one another. And
indeed while Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven This
eminent circumstance, that while Moses’s hands were lift up towards heaven,
the Israelites prevailed, and while they were let down towards the earth,
the Amalekites prevailed, seems to me the earliest intimation we have of
the proper posture, used of old, in solemn prayer, which was the stretching
out of the hands [and eyes] towards heaven, as other passages of the Old
and New Testament inform us. Nay, by the way, this posture seemed to have
continued in the Christian church, till the clergy, instead of learning
their prayers by heart, read them out of a book, which is in a great measure
inconsistent with such an elevated posture, and which seems to me to have
been only a later practice, introduced under the corrupt state of the church;
though the constant use of divine forms of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,
appears to me to have been the practice of God’s people, patriarchs, Jews,
and Christians, in all the past ages. 
the Hebrews were too hard for the Amalekites: but Moses not being able
to sustain his hands thus stretched out, (for as often as he let down his
hands, so often were his own people worsted,) he bade his brother Aaron,
and Hur their sister Miriam’s husband, to stand on each side of him, and
take hold of his hands, and not permit his weariness to prevent it, but
to assist him in the extension of his hands. When this was done, the Hebrews
conquered the Amalekites by main force; and indeed they had all perished,
unless the approach of the night had obliged the Hebrews to desist from
killing any more. So our forefathers obtained a most signal and most seasonable
victory; for they not only overcame those that fought against them, but
terrified also the neighboring nations, and got great and splendid advantages,
which they obtained of their enemies by their hard pains in this battle:
for when they had taken the enemy’s camp, they got ready booty for the
public, and for their own private families, whereas till then they had
not any sort of plenty, of even necessary food. The forementioned battle,
when they had once got it, was also the occasion of their prosperity, not
only for the present, but for the future ages also; for they not only made
slaves of the bodies of their enemies, but subdued their minds also, and
after this battle, became terrible to all that dwelt round about them.
Moreover, they acquired a vast quantity of riches; for a great deal of
silver and gold was left in the enemy’s camp; as also brazen vessels, which
they made common use of in their families; many utensils also that were
embroidered there were of both sorts, that is, of what were weaved,
and what were the ornaments of their armor, and other things that served
for use in the family, and for the furniture of their rooms; they got also
the prey of their cattle, and of whatsoever uses to follow camps, when
they remove from one place to another. So the Hebrews now valued themselves
upon their courage, and claimed great merit for their valor; and they perpetually
inured themselves to take pains, by which they deemed every difficulty
might be surmounted. Such were the consequences of this battle. On the next day, Moses stripped the dead bodies of their enemies,
and gathered together the armor of those that were fled, and gave rewards
to such as had signalized themselves in the action; and highly commended
Joshua, their general, who was attested to by all the army, on account
of the great actions he had done. Nor was any one of the Hebrews slain;
but the slain of the enemy’s army were too many to be enumerated. So Moses
offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, and built an altar, which he
named The Lord the Conqueror . He also foretold that the Amalekites
should utterly be destroyed; and that hereafter none of them should remain,
because they fought against the Hebrews, and this when they were in the
wilderness, and in their distress also. Moreover, he refreshed the army
with feasting. And thus did they fight this first battle with those that
ventured to oppose them, after they were gone out of Egypt. But when Moses
had celebrated this festival for the victory, he permitted the Hebrews
to rest for a few days, and then he brought them out after the fight, in
order of battle; for they had now many soldiers in light armor. And going
gradually on, he came to Mount Sinai, in three months’ time after they
were removed out of Egypt; at which mountain, as we have before related,
the vision of the bush, and the other wonderful appearances, had happened. THAT MOSES KINDLY RECEIVED-HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, JETHRO, WHEN
HE CAME TO HIM TO MOUNT SINAI. NOW when Raguel, Moses’s father-in-law, understood in what a prosperous
condition his affairs were, he willingly came to meet him. And Moses and
his children, and pleased himself with his coming. And when he had offered
sacrifice, he made a feast for the multitude, near the Bush he had formerly
seen; which multitude, every one according to their families, partook of
the feast. But Aaron and his family took Raguel, and sung hymns to God,
as to Him who had been the author procurer of their deliverance and their
freedom. They also praised their conductor, as him by whose virtue it was
that all things had succeeded with them. Raguel also, in his eucharistical
oration to Moses, made great encomiums upon the whole multitude; and he
could not but admire Moses for his fortitude, and that humanity he had
shewn in the delivery of his friends. HOW RAGUEL SUGGESTED TO MOSES TO SET HIS PEOPLE IN ORDER,
UNDER THEIR RULERS OF THOUSANDS, AND RULERS OF HUNDREDS, WHO LIVED WITHOUT
ORDER BEFORE; AND HOW MOSES COMPLIED IN ALL THINGS WITH HIS FATHER-IN-LAW’S
ADMONITION. THE next day, as Raguel saw Moses in the of a crowd of business for
he determined the differences of those that referred them to him, every
one still going to him, and supposing that they should then only obtain
justice, if he were the arbitrator; and those that lost their causes thought
it no harm, while they thought they lost them justly, and not by partiality.
Raguel however said nothing to him at that time, as not desirous to be
any hinderance to such as had a mind to make use of the virtue of their
conductor. But afterward he took him to himself, and when he had him alone,
he instructed him in what he ought to do; and advised him to leave the
trouble of lesser causes to others, but himself to take care of the greater,
and of the people’s safety, for that certain others of the Hebrews might
be found that were fit to determine causes, but that nobody but a Moses
could take of the safety of so many ten thousands. Be therefore, 
says he, insensible of thine own virtue, and what thou hast done
by ministering under God to the people’s preservation. Permit, therefore,
the determination of common causes to be done by others, but do thou reserve
thyself to the attendance on God only, and look out for methods of preserving
the multitude from their present distress. Make use of the method I suggest
to you, as to human affairs; and take a review of the army, and appoint
chosen rulers over tens of thousands, and then over thousands; then divide
them into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and into fifties; and
set rulers over each of them, who may distinguish them into thirties, and
keep them in order; and at last number them by twenties and by tens: and
let there be one commander over each number, to be denominated from the
number of those over whom they are rulers, but such as the whole multitude
have tried, and do approve of, as being good and righteous men; This
manner of electing the judges and officers of the Israelites by the testimonies
and suffrages of the people, before they were ordained by God, or by Moses,
deserves to be carefully noted, because it was the pattern of the like
manner of the choice and ordination of bishops, presbyters, and deacons,
in the Christian church. 
and let those rulers decide the controversies they have one with another.
But if any great cause arise, let them bring the cognizance of it
before the rulers of a higher dignity; but if any great difficulty arise
that is too hard for even their determination, let them send it to thee.
By these means two advantages will be gained; the Hebrews will have justice
done them, and thou wilt be able to attend constantly on God, and procure
him to be more favorable to the people. This was the admonition of Raguel; and Moses received his advice
very kindly, and acted according to his suggestion. Nor did he conceal
the invention of this method, nor pretend to it himself, but informed the
multitude who it was that invented it: nay, he has named Raguel in the
books he wrote, as the person who invented this ordering of the people,
as thinking it right to give a true testimony to worthy persons, although
he might have gotten reputation by ascribing to himself the inventions
of other men; whence we may learn the virtuous disposition of Moses: but
of such his disposition, we shall have proper occasion to speak in other
places of these books.