you are now lost, and you will be lost in the most dreadful sense. What hath the Lord said? will he not pour out his wrath on them that call not on his name? Brethren, if our conscience condemn us not in this, then have we confidence toward God.

2. This subject may teach us the importance of praying in our prayers, in opposition to merely repeating the words of a prayer. Hypocrites may often say the words of prayer; but their hearts are destitute of its spirit. They are not humble beggars. Let then the feelings of our hearts correspond with the words of our lips; so shall we find acceptance with him who requireth truth in the inward part.

2

SERMON IV.

GOD'S REGARD TO THE RIGHTEOUS.

GENESIS, Xviii. 32.

And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry; and I will speak but this once. Peradventure ten shall be found there; and he said, I will not destroy it for

ten's sake.

THE conduct of God towards mankind from the beginning evidently proves two things.

1. That God is fixedly and unalterably opposed to sin; or to that temper and conduct in his creatures which are inconsistent with, and contrary to universal goodness; and that he really delights in those, who are actuated by a spirit of universal justice and kindness. And indeed it is necessary, that a being of absolute perfection should approve of those moral qualities in creatures, by which they resemble him, and be displeased with the contrary.

2. God's conduct towards mankind shows that he considers himself the moral governor of the world;

whose proper business it is to examine the conduct of creatures, and whose office it is to treat every one according to his deeds. A remarkable instance of this, we have in the history of Sodom and Gomorrah, of which our text is a part. These were neighbouring cities, situated upon that spot of ground which now forms the dead sea. These cities, long before this, had received signal favours from the hand of Abraham; particularly their salvation from the Assyrians, who were leading them away captive, when Abraham who followed them, with his household servants only, destroyed the Assyrians with a great slaughter, and delivered their captives. After this, they lived in peace, and increased in wealth and numbers. The prophet mentions idleness and fulness of bread as the sources of their corruption. Both sacred and profane history has marked their character, as infamous for unnatural lusts toward each other. The very name of their city, has given a name to a crime which I shall forbear to mention. On account of this and other abominable corruptions, God determined to destroy them in the most terrible manner. He therefore made their punishment as awful as their crimes; and has made them an example to all succeeding generations of his indignation against sin. And while God determined to show his abhorrence of the wickedness,-the peculiar vileness of Sodom and Gomorrah, by destroying them with fire from heaven, and even burning up the very earth on which they stood; so he has here given a peculiar display of his kindness and affection for all who love and fear God. "And the Lord said shall I

hide from Abraham, the thing which I do," that is, in destroying Sodom. The love of God to Abraham is discovered in letting him know what he was about to do with Sodom. God thus gave him an opportunity to show his benevolence and concern for sinners, and doubtless designed to show him, and all the friends of God, the efficacy of importunate prayer. It is natural for friends to communicate their designs and pur poses to each other; and thus the infinite God condescends to treat a worm of the dust, who is friendly to his Maker. "And the Lord said because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, and if not I will know." Not that we are to suppose, that there was any uncertainty in the divine mind, what the character and conduct of Sodom were. In this place, and in many others in scripture, the holy one of Israel speaks of himself after the manner of man.

The angels, who appeared to Abraham, and were probably the executioners of divine wrath, upon this awful occasion, went their way towards Sodom. Abraham, who possessed a heart tenderly affected both for the honour of God and the interest of his fellowmen, seems to have been alarmed at this just, but awful determination of God, lest he, in this case, should make no distinction between the righteous and wicked, but bury them in one common ruin. For the threatening was against the cities in general, without any exceptions. And Abraham doubtless believing that Lot, his nephew, was a pious man, and, as a god

ly temper is always a charitable temper, he hoped that there were others there of the same character; and therefore concluded, that should God destroy the righteous with the wicked, mankind would take occasion to blaspheme the name of God, and say, that he did not regard the righteous any more than the wicked. Abraham was, no doubt, sufficiently acquainted with human nature to conclude that such an improvement would be made of the promiscuous destruction of both these characters; and was ready to say, as Moses said on a similar occasion, "what will become of the glory of thy great name?" We are informed that when the angels had departed from Abraham, he drew near to God,-doubtless in prayer, as this is the way in which sinful creatures approach him; and said, "wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?—And the Lord said, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare all the place for their sakes." But! seems, that Abraham was doubtful whether such a number could be found there; and therefore was desirous of interceding for the city, even if the number of godly persons should be but very small. Being sensible, he was in the presence of his Maker,-the Judge of all the earth, and impressed with a solemn

it