without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; and then he says, "Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;" let not that be their pride, "but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham," alluding to this very passage, "calling him lord; whose servants ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement;" alluding to this very circumstance, being afraid, losing one's balance, one's self-possession, by some sudden shock of terror or alarm; not to be thus afraid, but to cultivate those principles and practices which are alike the ornament and the beauty of the Christian character. The two angels departed, and Abraham was left with Jehovah alone. I reserve for my discourse that beautiful petition in the close of the chapter, which I will bring before you elsewhere. God said that Abraham would command his children and his household after him. In other words, he exhibited that trait of character, that regard for home, which made him to be so fit for a higher sphere. What a man is at home, that he really is; and wherever there are displayed anger and violent temper at home, mismanagement, misconduct, and miscontrol, there is no hope of any consistent or beautiful character and conduct abroad. If good conduct in the lower sphere fits for entrance on a higher, good use of the lower degree is the best qualification for a right use of the higher. The prayer, at the close, for Sodom, shows Abraham to have been a man of profound humility, yet Christian boldness, and of perseverance in prayer. He was the first City Missionary on record. His litany deserves our most earnest study. 13* CHAPTER XIX. - LOT'S SIN INDIRECT LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY THE MAGISTRATE OR MERCHANT IN THE GATE ANGEL'S ANSWER TO LOT A MOB EXPEDIENCY SONS-IN-LAW LOT'S WIFE. WE find, in the chapter I have read, a specimen of the depth of depravity to which human nature falls when left to itself. Lot's escape from Sodom was incomplete without an escape from his own heart. Some one made the remark, when he saw a criminal suffer for his crimes, "Here should I be if it were not for the grace of God; " and these awful specimens of depravity, a depravity occasionally breaking out where least expected, given in the word of God, are recorded, not to encourage such crimes, for they are recorded in too holy a manner, and with too sacred an object,- but to show you to what an awful depth the human heart, when left to itself, can precipitate its possessor. Our worst foes are within. Since these sins do not probably occur now, some may infer that human nature is vastly ameliorated and improved. I believe that the reason why there is so much excellence amongst those who are not spiritual or regenerated men, is owing to the reflex or indirect influence of the gospel of Jesus; for whilst there is a light that sanctifies and saves, there is also a reflected light that moralizes, civilizes, and improves. And in this great country of ours, and in other countries, where pure and undefiled religion is predominant, the high-toned morality that characterizes them springs very much, where the gospel is not individually felt, from the reflex influence of its spiritual light. The Royal Exchange owes much to the sanctuary; the palace owes much of what dignifies and adorns it to the Christian Church; and there is not an individual in this great land of ours, from the child upon its mother's knee to the queen who sits upon the throne, who is not better and happier for the fact that Jesus died, and that the Bible was inspired. Lot's foulest sin seems to have originated from that wretched and distorted expediency which, not seeing how God can fulfil his purposes, and concluding there is but one way to do so that is possible, sets about to help God to do what God alone has pledged, and God alone will perform. When we open this chapter we find a spectacle somewhat analogous to that which we noticed in the previous chapter. Abraham was seated at his tent door, ready to exercise the rites of hospitality; Lot is found sitting at the gate of Sodom. Now, one does not know whether this was because Lot had become a magistrate in the midst of Sodom, and therefore was dispensing justice at the gate,- for the gates were so used in ancient times; or whether it means that he was—and this most probably is correcta merchant selling goods, and inaking the largest profits whilst the opportunity offered. When we recall the traits of his previous character, and his selection of the well-watered plains of Jordan, because they were well watered and productive, and a city near, we trace an avaricious element running through his whole biography; and the probability is that he sat at the gate to make larger profits, and to sell goods in order to increase that fortune which he was amassing in Sodom, and intended to bequeath to a family he had "made," in order that they might be rich and renowned also. Whilst thus seated, he saw strangers come, and, with the characteristic feeling of orientals, and more especially of ancient orientals, he offered them all the privileges of hos pitality and entertainment. It is worthy of remark that the reply of the angels on this occasion was different from what it was to Abraham very different. When Abraham, in the previous chapter, asked the angels to come in, they accepted his hospitality at once; they said, "So do as thou hast said;" but when Lot asked these angels to come in, they said, "Nay; but we will abide in the street all night." There must have been some reason for the different reception of the same courteous and hospitable invitation, given by the nephew; no doubt they intended in this remark to rebuke Lot, by delicately insinuating that he had deliberately selected an unholy and corrupt city for his residence, and that his home was not what it should be. They conveyed gently but faithfully to his heart a rebuke as they substantially said, "Whilst we embrace thankfully the hospitality of Abraham, we have some hesitation in accepting that not less courteous, but not equally pure hospitality, which you offer us." How strikingly consistent is the continuity of the narrative in this single instance! How true to life, to fact, to truth! Afterwards they consented when they had conveyed the rebuke, and he set before them that simple entertainment which it was customary in those days to provide. We read the account of the criminal mob; and how extremely like it is to the conduct of the mob in the present day, and how conclusive a proof that the mob in the nineteenth century, and the mob of Sodom, described here, “are in spirit the same! They said to Lot, instead of thanking him for the benefits that he had spread around him, and all that he had done to increase their traffic and add to their good, "This fellow came in to sojourn,"- we gave him a room and entertainment, while really and truly they did not; for they welcomed the seller to benefit themselves, the buyers, and Lot came to benefit himself; it was in the way of trade he came, and thus only they made him welcome; they really received him into the market, and yet they professed to make it hospitality and pure affection," and he will needs be a judge." He came here to sojourn, and he sets up now to be a judge; as if we were not as old inhabitants, and as pure, and honest, and fair, as this stranger, whom we admitted into the town for his comfort, not our convenience. "And they pressed sore upon him." And then we read that the angels assisted Lot, and smote with blindness the mob that was without, an infliction almost typical of what a mob becomes when left to itself. Nothing is so blind as a mob; nothing is so bad that it will not perpetrate it. I do not mean, by the mob, a people. Christianity makes a people; fallen and corrupt passions make a mob. In France there is, I fear, a mob, but not yet a people; in America and Great Britain there is a people who are almost strangers to the very sight of a mob. Such is the blindness of an excited mob, that, if one had one's choice, better smart under the rod of the autocrat on the throne than obey the dictation of the mob in the Agora. Lot's attempt to propitiate them was so far praiseworthy. In what he had said to them there was much of courtesy, much of gentleness, much of conciliatory temper and conduct; and yet there was much that was most sinful. He tried, like some modern politicians, to get rid of one sin by perpetrating a second. He acted on what is called in modern times expediency, - that is, perpetrating a little sin in order to avoid a great sin; whereas the proper way is to commit no sin at all. Expediency says, we cannot manage these priests, and therefore we will endow them; we cannot gain this end without doing that evil, therefore do it; whereas the true course is to do what is right; and you may rest assured that the noblest expediency will follow in its wake. We may do expedient things that are wrong, but we never can do right things that are inexpedient. In the long-run the highest principle is always the highest expediency. I admit it is not immediately |