of intercession; or if any should presume to speak, it would be of no account. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job should plead for the ungodly, they would not he heard. Righteousness only will bear to be made a plea before God. But how then, it may be asked, did Christ make intercession for transgressors? Not by arraigning the divine law, nor by alleging aught in extenuation of human guilt; but by pleading his own obedience unto death! (3.) He charitably hopes the best with respect to the number of righteous characters even in Sodom. At the outset of his intercession, he certainly considered it as a possible case, at least, that there might be found in that wicked place fifty righteous: and though in this instance he was sadly mistaken, yet we may hope from hence that in those times there were many more righteous people in the world than those which are recorded in scripture. The scriptures do not profess to be a book of life, containing the names of all the faithful; but intimate, on the contrary, that God reserves to himself a people, who are but little known even by his own servants. (4.) God was willing to spare the worst of cities for the sake of a few righteous characters. This truth is as humiliating to the haughty enemies of religion, as it is encouraging to its friends; and furnishes an important lesson to civil governments, 'to beware of undervaluing, and still more of persecuting and banishing, men whose concern it is to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the world.* Except the Lord of hosts had left us a remnant of such characters, we might ere now have been as Sodom, and made like unto Gomorrah! If ten righteous men had been found in Sodom, it had been spared for their sakes: but alas, there is no such number! God called Abraham to Haran, and when he left that place, mention is made, not only of the substance which he had gathered, but of the souls which he had gotten. But Lot, who went to Sodom of his own accord, though he also gathered substance, yet seems not, by his residence in the place, to have won a single soul to the worship of the true God.

*Chap. vi. 11. pp. 69, 70.

DISCOURSE XXVII.

THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

Gen. xix.

VER. 1, 2. THE two angels who left Abraham communing with Jehovah, went on their way till they came to Sodom. Arriving at the city in the evening, the first person whom they saw appears to have been Lot, who was sitting alone, it should seem, at the gate of the city. They had found Abraham also sitting alone, but it was at his own tent door. Lot, whose house was in the city, had probably no place where he could be out of the hearing of those whose conversation vexed his righteous soul: he therefore took a walk in the evening, and sat down without the city gate, where he might spend an hour in retirement. Seeing two strangers coming up to him, he behaved in much the same courteous and hospitable manner as Abraham had done. Bowing himself with his face towards the ground, he said, Behold now, my lords; turn in I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. This was lovely; and the contrast between this and the conduct of his neighbours shows, what was suggested in the former chapter, the genuine fruits of true religion. What is said to be the customary hospitality of the age and country, was far from being practised by the other inhabitants of Sodom. But, though Lot had given them so kind an invitation, they seemed determined not to accept of it-Nay, said they, but we will abide in the street all night. This might be either for the purpose of being eye-witnesses of the conduct of the citizens, or to express their abhorrence of the general character of the city; as when the prophet of Judah

was sent to Bethel, he was forbidden either to eat bread, or drink water, in that place. 1 Kings xiii. 8-17.

Ver. 3. After being greatly pressed, however, by Lot, they yielded to his importunity, and entered into his house; where he made them a feast, as Abraham had done, and they did eat.

Ver. 4, 5. But while things were going on well with respect to Lot, the baseness of his neighbours soon betrayed itself. A little before bed-time they beset the house; not for the purpose of robbing, or insulting them in any of the ordinary ways of brutal outrage-this had been bad enough, especially to strangers-but to perpetrate a species of crime too shocking and detestable to be named; a species of crime which indeed has no name given it in the scriptures, but what is borrowed from this infamous place.

Ver. 6-9. The conduct of Lot, in going out and expostulating with them, was in several respects praiseworthy. His shutting the door after him, expressed how delicately he felt for his guests, though at present he does not appear to have considered them in any other light than strangers. It was saying in effect, 'Let not their ears be offended with what passes abroad; whatever is scurrilous, obscene, or abusive, let me hear it, but not them.' His gentle and respectful manner of treating this worst of mobs, is also worthy of notice. He could not respect them on the score of character; but he would try and do so, as being still his fellow creatures and near neighbours. As such he calls them brethren, no doubt hoping, by such conciliating language, to dissuade them from their wicked purpose. But when, to turn off their attention from his guests, he proposes the bringing out of his daughters to them, he appears to have gone too far. It is not for us to go into a less evil, in the hope of preventing a greater; but rather to consent to no evil. It might be owing to the perturbation of bis mind; but probably, if he had not lived in Sodom till his mind was almost familiarized to obscenity, he would not have made such a proposal. Nor had it any good effect. He only got himself more abused for it; and even his gentle remonstrance was perversely construed into obtrusive forwardness, and setting himself up for a judge, who was merely a sojourner among them. Persuasion has no force with men who are under the dominion of

their lusts. So now their resentment burns against him, and they will be revenged on him. They will not be contented now with having the men brought out, but will go in unto them, and break the door open, to effect their purpose.

Ver. 10, 11. Such an attempt, and such a perseverance in it must have been proof sufficient to the heavenly messengers, that the cry of Sodom had not exceeded the truth. Putting forth their hands, therefore, they pulled Lot into the house to them, shut to the door, and smote the people without with blindness. The power and indignation displayed in these acts would convince him that they were no common strangers; and, one would have thought, might have struck them with awe, and caused them to desist from their horrid purpose: but they are infatuated. Though supernaturally smitten with blindness, they must still weary themselves to find the door. Such daring presumption, in the face of heaven, must have filled up the measure of their crimes, and rendered them ripe for destruction.

one.

Ver. 12, 13. Things are now hastening to their awful crisis: but mark the mercy of divine proceedings. Ten righteous men would have saved the city; but there seems to have been only Well, not only shall that one escape, but all that belong to him shall be delivered for his sake; or if otherwise it shall be their own fault. Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or whatever he had, are directed to be brought out of this place; for, said they, as it were opening their commission and reading it to Lot, We will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah hath sent us to destroy it.

had taken his wife from Sodom,

Ver. 14. Giving full credit to the divine threatening, and being deeply impressed with it, Lot went forth to warn his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters. We do not read till now that Lot had a family. It looks as if he soon after he had parted from Abraham; and as he must have been there about twenty years, he had daughters, some of whom were married, and two remained with him single. No mention is made of his married daughters being alive at this time; but by the manner in which the others are spoken of, in verse 15, Thy two daughters which are HERE, it is probable they were elsewhere ; viz.

along with their husbands, and perished with them in the overthrow. The warning given to his sons-in-law was abrupt and pointed; Up, get ye out of this place; for Jehovah will destroy this city! But he seemed to them as one that mocked, or who was in jest. He believed, and therefore spake: but they disbelieved, and therefore made light of it. A striking example this, of the ordinary effect of truth upon the minds of unbelievers..

Ver. 15, 16. All this had taken place in one night. Early in the morning, Lot is hastened away from the devoted spot. And as his sons-in law, and it seems their wives with them, would not hear, he is commanded to leave them; and without further delay, to take his wife, and his two daughters who were with him, lest he should be consumed in the overthrow of the city. The threatening part of this language would probably not have been addressed to him, had he not discovered a reluctance to depart. I hope it was not his worldly substance that clave to him, much less any attachment to that wicked city; but rather that it was his daughters and their husbands who could not be persuaded to accompany him, that occasioned this strong conflict. It was on this account, I suppose, that he is said to have lingered; and his deliverers were at last obliged to lay hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, and (Jehovah being merciful unto him) by force, in a manner, to set them without the city. Such has been the struggle in many minds, when called to leave all and flee from the wrath to come; and such the anercy of God towards them.

Ver. 17. Having been so far saved, almost in spite of himself, be is now solemnly charged to escape for his life, not so much as to look behind him, nor stay in all the plain; but to escape to the mountain, lest he should be consumed. This was continuing to be mercifully severe; and such are our Lord's commands which require us to deny self, take up the cross, and follow him. It was better for Lot to be thus warned off the ground, than to be consumed upon it and we had better cut off a right hand, or pluck out a right eye, than be cast into hell.

Ver. 18-22. Lot was certainly a righteous man; but in times of trial his graces do not appear to the best advantage. He is