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are now,―are kept in ftore, referved unto fire "against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men "." The one prefigured the other, in the unexpectedness of the event; in the final feparation made between the righteous and the wicked; in the immediate procuring caufes of the deftruction, the abuse of divine longfuffering, and the rejection of gofpel-grace; in the completeness of the deftruction; in the comparative paucity of those who are faved; and in the means by which their falvation is accomplished.

The facred hiftorian gives us a progreffive account of the manifeftation of divine juftice, in the confufion of tongues at Babel; in the plagues brought on Pharaoh and Abimelech, because of their conduct towards the wife of Abraham ; in the deftruction of the cities of the plain ; in the punishment of Efau for his profanity h; in the remuneration of Jacob at the expence of the unrighteous Labani; and in the judgments executed on the Egyptians because of their cruelty to the Ifraelites. But on these things we cannot enlarge.

Only, with refpect to the deftruction of the cities of the plain, the following things may be obferved, for illuftrating the difplay given of divine juftice in this event. Their fin is faid to have a cry,—a cry waxen great before the "face of the LORD." This is the very meta

z 2 Pet. iii. 5.-7.

c Luke xviii. 8.

f Gen. xii. 17.; xx. 18.

Heb. xii. 16, 17.

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phor ufed by God in addreffing Cain; "The "voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me !." This language is by no means exclufively appropriated to the horrid crime of murder. It is ap plicable to every fin, as expreffive of the neceffary connexion between fin and punishment. For

every fin hath a voice of crimination against the finner. Luft firft cries to the finner for gratification; and when it "bringeth forth fin," this immediately cries to God for vengeance. Its voice may not be heard by the tranfgreffor himself, becaufe his confcience may be feared; but it is ftill heard by the Supreme Judge.

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Descent is here, in an improper sense, afcribed to God: "I will go down now, and fee whether they have done altogether according to the cry "of it, which is come unto me." There can be no change of place with him who is every where prefent; nor can examination be neceffary to the eye of omniscience. But God on this occafion appeared on earth, and reprefents himfelf as émploying those means of investigation which are neceffary to man; to declare that all the acts of his vengeance are in perfect conformity to juftice, that he never punishes without a fufficient reafon.

The account of his previous difcourfe with Abraham, while it beautifully illuftrates his wonderful condefcenfion, at the fame time teaches us, that, whatever be the objections of carnal men to the equity of his judgments, they will be approved by all who know divine holinefs. Abraham was a merVOL. II.

1 Gen. jv. zo.

F

m Gen. xviii. 21.

ciful

12

ciful man, and this part of his character eminent ly appears in his conduct on this occafion: but he could carry his interceffion, in behalf of Sodom, no farther than this, that if there were ten righteous perfons there, it might be spared for their fake. The holy angels, who fojourned with Lot, teftified no reluctance to the fulfilment of their commiffion, although it was to iffue in the utter deftruction of thefe cities".

That the juftice of God might be fet in the cleareft light, the inhabitants of Sodom were perinitted to manifeft their greedinefs, obduracy, and violence, in working uncleannefs, at the very time that the heavenly vifitors came to their city. No regard to the laws of hofpitality or of decency, no expoftulations or reproofs, could reftrain them. Parents do not conceal their wickedness from their children; but feem determined to train them up in their own abominable courfes. All the men of the city, both old and young," befet the house of Lot. To these abandoned wretches, even the holy angels of God are objects of temptation, and feem a lawful prey. How could "their judg"ment linger," or " their damnation flumber?"?

The circumftances of this deftruction were moft awful. The punishment referved for all the wicked was anticipated. Hell was kindled on earth, and for this end rained from heaven on thefe atrocious finners. Their deftruction comes from that quarter, to which alone they could look for mercy. The windows of heaven are opened a fecond

n Gen. xviii. 33.; xix. 3.

فيدة

o Gen. xix. 4. v.

fecond time, and pour out, not a flocd of water, but of fire.

God appears more immediately in this judgment, than in the deluge itself. In accomplishing it, one divine Perfon evidently co-operates with another. "The LORD rained upon Sodom, and up"on Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the LORD "out of heaven P." It greatly heightens this difplay of indignation, when we find that he, who afterwards came to fave, on this occafion appeared on earth, and in the likenefs of our nature, as the destroyer.

The deftruction, by means of the deluge, was gradual. But this was fudden and inftantaneous. Sodom was overthrown as in a moment, and no "hands ftayed on her." This circumftance fhews the fierceness of divine indignation; and is a lively figure of that fudden deftruction which fhall come on all the ungodly, when that fame LORD, who came down to vifit Sodom, fhall be "reveal"ed from heaven in flaming fire "."

So urgent are the claims of juftice, that even Lot feems in danger. While he lingered, the angels laid hold of his hand, and brought him forth, and fet him without the city. JEHOVAH himfelf faid to him, " Escape for thy life;-escape to the

mountain, left thou be confumed." For, in public vifitations for fin, even "the righteous fcarce"ly are faved." Lot had no proper call to take up his refidence among these wicked men; and F 2

his

p Gen. xix. 24. s 1 Pet. iv. 18.

q Lam, iv. 6.

r 2 Pet. ii. 6.-9.

his deliverance is reprefented as wholly the fruit

of mercy'.

This deftruction, in fine, was meant as a ftriking figure of the eternal punishment of the wicked. Hence it is faid, that thefe cities" are fet "forth for an example, fuffering the vengeance "of eternal fire "." As the manner in which they were punished prefigured the fire of hell; the perpetuity of their deftruction is meant as a permanent emblem of everlasting deftruction, in "the lake that burneth for ever and ever." These cities "fuffer the vengeance of eternal fire." For it is the will of God that they should never be rebuilt and not only is the place where they once ftood, covered with the Dead Sea, and to the highest degree falt, although in an inland fituation, whence it is alfo called the Salt Sea; but, as it ftill manifefts the effects of burning in the extreme barrennefs of the adjacent country, this burning is in fome fenfe continued, in confe quence of the fulphur, falt, and afphaltus or bitumen abounding in the fea, or incorporated with the foil. Hence, a country lying under the moft awful effects of divine vengeance is thus defcribed: "The whole land is brimftone and falt, and burn

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ing; that it is not fown, nor beareth, nor any grafs groweth thereon; like the overthrow of "Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, "which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in "his wrath "."

t Gen. xix. 16. 19.

u Jude 7.

II. The

v Deut. xxix. 22.-34

See Wells's Geography Old Test. vol. i. p. 290.-297. New Test. vol. iv. P. 81.