does with the deadly enemies of our common faithRomanism and Rationalism-she, nevertheless, has within her dominions not tens, nor twenties, nor thirties merely, but thousands upon thousands of God's own redeemed people, concerning whom it may be said, "Whoso toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye." Whatever may be the mere outward aspect of the times in which we live, and however "truth may have fallen in our streets," still the same may be said in our day, as in that of the prophet, "Yet have I left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not blessed him."

This fact and an undeniable fact it is-suggests to every true spiritual lover of his country matter for ardent importunity, at the throne of grace, that the Lord would, in mercy, remember His people, and deal tenderly and forbearingly with the land on their behalf. It is at once their privilege and their province to intercede with Jehovah, that He would, on these accounts, as well as because He is what He is -so merciful and so gracious-"in the midst of deserved judgment remember mercy."

The circumstances connected with the destruction of the cities of the plain, are such as to show how marvellous the condescension, and how boundless and infinite the love of God to His people. It would seem that there was only one who really knew and loved the Lord in Sodom, at the time of its destruction, and even his love and reverential fear was so obscured by selfishness, and worldliness, and sin, that but for

the Holy Ghost's own comment upon Lot's character, we might have justly stood in doubt of him. In speaking of him, the Holy Ghost, by the Apostle Peter, testifies of Jehovah as having "delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked ; for (he continues) that righteous man, dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."

It would seem that but for their own base wickedness and unbelief, the sons-in-law of Lot would have been saved from destruction-not certainly on their own account, but because of their connexion with Lot: but, when he urged them to make their escape from the doomed city, we read, that "he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law." Then we read, that "while Lot lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto them; and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass when they brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." Again, after the remonstrance of Lot, we read with regard to his flight unto Zoar, the angel said, "Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come hither."

What greater proof of divine condescension and goodness and mercy could possibly have been given than in the circumstances just mentioned; and how

fraught are these facts—solemn, yea, awful, as they are with the richest encouragement to every anxious and truly spiritually-enlightened soul. What a key these facts furnish to the very heart of our God. How rich His mercy! how boundless His compassion! how condescending His love! how astounding His interest in such poor, sinful, polluted worms of the earth as we are! Who need despair of mercy after such a man as Lot found mercy? Who fear to be heard at the throne of grace when Abraham first, and Lot afterwards, were heard there? There is no ground for discouragement, much less despair, for any poor sinner, who, conscious of his need, flees unto Him for grace and mercy, who declared, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; . . . I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

H

CHAPTER XIII.

HUMAN NATURE-CONTINUOUS TEACHING INDISPENSABLE-ABRAHAM'S VAIN POLICY AGAIN-TROUBLES, FOR MOST PART, THE FRUITS OF FOLLY-GOD HIMSELF THE DELIVERER OF HIS PEOPLEPRAYER TO BE PRESENTED IN SPITE OF APPEARANCES-APPEAL TO THE READER-THE RESTRAINING POWER OF JEHOVAH-RASH CONCLUSIONS TO BE AVOIDED IN REGARD TO THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE LORD'S PEOPLE-GOD THE DEFENDER OF HIS PEOPLE.

IF one had not some little knowledge of the human heart in its forgetfulness and unbelief, one would have supposed that Abraham would have so far profited by a former lesson as most carefully to have avoided the veriest approach to what might have involved him in similar trouble. But such is poor fallen nature, that it requires continuous discipline, and the self-same lessons to be put before it in endless method and variety. Our first Adam-nature is never to be trusted. If it be trusted, it is sure to betray us into evil of some kind or other.

With change of place, the fears which possessed Abraham, some twenty years before, again seize upon him; and, in order that he may retain Sarah as his wife, he declares her to be his sister. Abraham's policy once more proves a failure, and, but for divine interposition, would only bring about that of all

things which Abraham was anxious to avoid. Here, as before, under very similar circumstances, the Lord took matters manifestly into His own hands. Abraham was powerless. If he saw not his error, doubtless he was at a perfect loss what further step to take. It is not so certain that at first he called upon God to direct, as that he now calls upon Him to deliver. Haste upon the part of the people of God often leads to hazard; fleshly presumption is intimately connected with fleshly perils. For most part the people of God have themselves to thank for their troubles; they are sent mostly in a way of fatherly correction. We believe that comparatively few are the trials and afflictions of the children of God respecting which they may not appeal to their own hearts and consciences, and say, "Hast thou not procured these things unto thyself?" The consciousness of this tends to keep them in measure quiet and passive, under the chastening hand of Him who will not connive at the sin or the self-will of His people. “I was dumb, I opened not my mouth," said the Psalmist, "because Thou didst it."

God, as it has already been intimated, took again the matter of Abraham and Sarah very obviously into His own hands. Much as Abraham might be at a loss to know what to do, the Lord was in no such difficulty. Herein were His wisdom, love, and power the more marked. In a totally different, but not less effectual way to that in which, on a former occasion, he afflicted Pharaoh and his people, and brought them to a knowledge of the relationship