by the mouth of TRUTH itself; "If a man love me, (6 my Father will love him, and we will come, and "make our abode with him." By his word, and by his Spirit, Christ continually visiteth his people, and dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful. Blessed is the man, who "sitteth at the gate of Sodom," ready to arise and depart out of a wicked world, at the moment when his Lord shall call him hence. He shall be visited with the visitation of the Almighty, instructed in the counsels of heaven, and delivered in the day of vengeance. Upon the sight of his divine guests, "Lot rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face "toward the ground; and 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. "And they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street "all night. And he pressed upon them greatly, and "they turned in unto him, and entered into his house: " and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened "bread, and they did eat." The admonition of the apostle, grounded upon this occurrence, naturally offers itself; "Be not for"getful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have "entertained angels unawares"." It may be added, thereby Christians entertain their Redeemer, who for their sakes was once a stranger upon the earth, and who therefore regards hospitality shown to strangers on his account, as shown to himself. "I was a "" stranger, and ye took me in; for inasmuch as ye "did it to the least of these my brethren, ye did it "unto me." Instructed, moreover, by this example of Lot, when we have the honour, like him, to entertain heavenly guests, who present themselves to us by means of the word and sacraments in the church, let us instantly "arise," in heart and mind, "to meet them,' laying aside, for a time, all worldly business, and forgetting those things that are behind. Let us "bow "ourselves with our faces toward the ground," in humble and fervent prayer, saying, in the words of holy David, "Remember us, O Lord, with the fa"your that thou bearest unto thy people, O visit us "with thy salvation." "Turn into the house of "thy servants, and tarry with us." At first, perhaps, our prayers may seem not to be heard, as the angels said, they would "abide in the street all "night," and as Christ, when invited by the two disciples at Emmaus, "made as though he would have gone farther "." But all this is done with the same intent that our Lord spake the parable of the poor widow and the unjust judge, to teach us, that "men 'ought always to pray, and not to fainth." By delaying the return of our prayers, God designs to try our love, and train us to perseverance; not to reject our petitions, and to hide his face from us for ever. When Lot earnestly pressed the angels, they went in and tarried with him; and the two disciples con 66 e Matth. xxv. 35, 40. f Psal. cvi. 4. Faint strained Jesus to go in and sup with them. hearts and feeble hands obtained not the kingdom of heaven, which "suffereth violence," and must be "taken by" an holy "force." "The unleavened bread "of sincerity and truth" is the feast which our Lord expecteth, when he is pleased to come and dwell in our hearts. "No leaven" of hypocrisy, deceit, and fraud, should then be found in our houses." No sooner had Lot received and lodged his divine guests, than he suffered persecution on their account. And although he went out and spake with all the mildness imaginable to the wretches that "compassed the house about, old and young, from every quarter-I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly; to these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof;" what was the return made to this reasonable request, worded in the most humble and submissive terms?" Stand "back. This fellow came in to sojourn, and he will "needs be a judge. Now will we deal worse with "thee than with them. And they pressed sore upon "the man, even Lot, and came near to break the ፡፡ "door. "door. But the men put forth their hand, and "pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the And they smote the men that were at the "door of the house with blindness, both small and great; so that they wearied themselves to find the "door." Truth and righteousness are guests that often bring those who entertain them into trouble; and our Lord himself tells us, that, in one sense, he came "not to "send peace on earth, but a sword." At his birth, "Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.' Wherever the Gospel was preached, it produced a commotion among those who could not bear the lustre of its beams, and "hated the light, because their "deeds were evil." The world opposed its Redeemer, when he "testified concerning it, that its "deeds were evil." Lot had lived too long in Sodom, and knew too much of its inhabitants, to desire the office of a judge among them, or any farther connexion with them than was necessary. But his righteous example condemned their wickedness; and that circumstance provoked them more than if he had really usurped the government. It was charged, likewise, upon our Saviour, though the meekest and lowliest of characters, that he "made himself a king," and endeavoured to supplant the authority of Cæsar. And for that crime, if we believe the superscription on the cross, he was executed. But the true cause both of the accusation and execution was no other than this, that, by doctrine and example, he detected and exposed a set of the vilest hypocrites the earth ever bore. Nor let the disciple of Christ vainly imagine, that the most inoffensive carriage, framed by the rules of Christian prudence, and actuated in all points by the spirit of meekness and charity, will prevent him from being sometimes accused of designs to which his soul is an utter stranger. Would he escape the censure of the world? He must cease to convict it of sin and error; he must conform to all its ways, and pace quietly in its trammels; a conduct, which, as they well know who tempt him to adopt it, will soon deprive him of all authority and 1 ability to do his heavenly Master service, and promote his religion among men. So far, therefore, let him imitate the example of Lot, as to part with any thing rather than suffer violence to be done to his divine guests. Let him guard his faith and his conscience, and trust God for every thing else. He who preserved Lot, and smote his adversaries with blindness, can save them that love him in every age, and secure them under the wings of his providence, until the tyranny of the wicked be overpast, while the ungodly that trouble them, blind to their eternal interest, find not the gate of heaven, and come not into the dwellings of the righteous; but falling from one wickedness to another, and filling up the measure of their enormities, perish, at the last, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he cometh to judge the world in " righteousness." Lot, being thus preserved from the malice of his enemies, is now informed concerning the decrees of Heaven. "The men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? Son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place. For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord "hath sent us to destroy it." How alarming this intelligence! No farther respite allowed; instant destruction determined; the day of grace expiring, and a stormy night about to succeed it! He who would not perish, must leave all, and escape for his life! |