the belief and worship of the one Supreme Being gradually degenerated, and the world in general was at length over-run with idolatry and wickednefs.. But Abram, the fon of Terah, a defcendant of Shem, was Before remarkable for his understanding and Chrift piety; and therefore the Almighty 1921. called him out of Ur, when he was feventy-five years of age. Accordingly he went with his father, and Sarai, his wife, and his nephew Lot, into Haran: from whence after the death of Terah, he removed by the divine direction, into the land of Canaan. He was taken from his country and father's houfe, that he might be the father of a peculiar nation, whom God defigned to train up in the knowledge and worship of himself, and the promise of a Saviour: and God encouraged and comforted him in the undertaking by a folemn affurance, that He would blefs him, and make him a great nation; I will make of thee, fays He, a great nation: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

CHAP. VIII.

THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND

ABRA

GOMORRAH.

BRAM and Lot lived together with their families, in the land of Canaan. They were eminent examples of piety and holinefs; therefore God loved them and bleffed them. At length their herds and flocks increafed fo much, that there was not fufficient room in the place where they dwelt and debates arose between their fervants about convenient pafturage. Upon which Abram, with great condefcenfion and humanity, propofed to Lot, that they fhould part; and offered him the choice, either to continue where he then was, or to remove to another place. How honourable is this condefcenfion in Abram to his nephew Lot? And how powerfully does it recommend to us meeknefs and forbearance, and the love of peace and concord?Lot chofe the plain of Jordan, which was every where well watered, and pitched his tent near Sodom; but he had not been fettled there many years, when Chedorlaomer, king of Elam in Perfia, brought an army against the king of Sodom, who had rebelled against him; and, having oyer-run feveral kingdoms about the land

of Canaan, carried away much spoil, and many captives, among whom were Lot and his family. Abram was immediately imformed of what was done, and having armed his trained fervants, purfued the enemy, attacked them by furprize in the night, refcued all the captives, and brought back. Lot and his goods to his former habitation." Before The inhabitants of Sodom and GoChrift morrah were however fo loft to all 1897. fenfe of religion, and fo given up to impure lufts, that God refolved to destroy them. But at the fame time that he manifefted fuch an abhorrence of fin and wickedness, he fhewed a diftinguishing regard to eminent piety and goodnefs, by fending two angels for the prefervation of Lot.

Angels are a particular kind of beings, much fuperior to men: they are reprefented as performing the commandments of God with unwearied alacrity and diligence; and are faid to be miniftering fpirits, fent forth to be minifters for them who shall be heirs of falvation.

The two Angels came to Lot in the appearance of men; and, as he fuppofed them to be travellers, he entertained them in a friendly hofpitable manner.

They were

frangers and he took them in.

They foon

acquainted him, that they were

fent to ex

ecute vengeance upon Sodom and Gomorrah for their aggravated iniquities, and to rescue him and his family from the dreadful ruin. They accordingly took Lot and his wife and his two daughters; and, having led them out of the city, charged them to flee from the danger without the least delay. But, as they went towards Zoar, the wife of Lot, either out of vain curiofity to fee what became of the place, or a fond defire of returning to her old habitation, looked, or returned back; for which fhe became a pillar of falt, as hard and durable as ftone; a lafting monument of her folly and difobedience !-Then God fent fire and brimstone out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the fioke of the country went up as the fmoke of a furnace. He overthrew the cities and all the inhabitants; and made them an example to those who should afterwards live ungodly.

GOD

CHAP. IX.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC.

OD was pleased with the piety and virtue of Abram, and promised to be his protector and fhield of defence, and to give him an exceeding great reward. A

bram was defirous of having a fon, in preference to all earthly bleffings and rewards;. and with great humility expreffed fome uneafinefs before the Lord, because he was yet childless, and had only Eliezer, the fteward of his houfe, to fucceed him; upon which God promised, that a fon of his own fhould be his heir, and that his race thould be as the stars in multitude.-Some years afterwards God renewed his covenant with Abram, and changed his name to Abraham, becaufe (according to the meaning of the word) he was to be the father of many nations: and he changed the name of Sarai, which fignifies my princefs, to Sarah, which fignifies the princess in a large and extenfive fenfe, according to the promife of God; he shall be a mother (or princefs) of nations; kings of people fhall be of her. The Almighty at the fame time affured him, that Sarah fhould have a fon, who fhould be called Ifaac; and that He would eftablish his covenant with him, and that all the people of the earth should be bleed through him: the meaning of which was, that his defcendants fhould be heirs of the great univerfal promife, and a perfon fhould arife from them, who would be the Saviour of the world, and a bleffing to all nations.