light ineffable, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom-how is it that He should condescend to talk face to face, to associate as friend with friend, to reason concerning His ways and judgments, with a mere worm of the dust? We can ask the question-nay, we are driven to ask the question by the astonishing nature of the case; but we cannot answer it. We can only stand and gaze, and wonder, and believe, feeling assured that the whole affair has been recounted for our edification.

Observe the great honour which the Lord conferred upon His faithful servant. The ungodliness of Sodom had become intolerable, the sins of the city cried aloud for vengeance, the time had arrived for its destruction to be accomplished. But it seems as if the Lord could not enter upon this terrible work without taking Abraham into His counsel. "Shall I hide from Abraham," said He, "that thing which I do?" The strong faith which Abraham had exercised in the Lord, the remarkable diligence with which he served the Lord, and the glorious future which the Lord had purposed for him, induced the Lord on this occasion to favour him with a special revelation of His intentions respecting Sodom and Gomorrah. Surely this signal recognition of personal worth and faithful service speaks volumes of the esteem in which the Lord holds His servants.

Observe, again, the unselfish use which Abraham

made of the wonderful interview with which he was honoured. Men of the world, when ushered into the presence of royalty, only think of their own interest; they consider well how such an opportunity may be improved for their own personal advantage. How very different the conduct of Abraham! Not a single thought about self occupied his mind; but his great soul was so moved with compassion for the miserable condition of the doomed cities, that his only concern was to intercede on their behalf. By this magnanimous conduct he showed himself a worthy representative of all faithful men, for if there be any characteristic by which faithful men are distinguished above all others, it is their self-forgetting, benevolent, loving spirit.

spect.

Observe, again, the nature of the plea which Abraham sets up for the preservation of the city. He points out the claims of righteousness, which the Lord, as a righteous judge, could not less than re"Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" said he. "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous be as the wicked, that be far from Thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" And the Lord readily admitted the validity of his

plea, for He said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then will I spare all the place for their sakes." Thus the only thing which God values in man is righteousness, purity of character; compared with this, the accidents of birth, possessions, attainments, are utterly insignificant in His eyes. Who can tell what this world owes to the righteous; what mercies, what blessings, what forbearance on the part of God? We may reasonably suppose, in the light of this narrative, that the earth is preserved from destruction simply for their sakes.

In the conversation which followed, Abraham not only showed his intimate knowledge of God's merciful disposition, but showed also that this intimate knowledge was far from being perfect. It was his knowledge of God's mercy which made him continue his intercession for Sodom; but it was the imperfectness of that knowledge which made him leave off at a certain point. When God had promised to spare the city for the sake of fifty, "Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes; Peradventure there shall lack five of the fitty righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the city for the lack of five? And He said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto Him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

And he said unto Him, Oh let not the Lord be angry,

and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty And He said, I will not do it if I

be found there.

find thirty there.

And he said, Behold now, I have speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.

taken upon me to

And He

said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once; Peradventure ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake." Here Abraham desisted. Why? Perhaps he thought that ten at any rate would be found there; or, perhaps he thought he had gone far enough, and that it would have been useless to attempt to go any further. Both these suppositions, however, can be accounted for only by his ignorance. He knew not the depth of the city's depravity, or he would not have supposed that there were ten righteous within it; he knew not the boundlessness of God's mercy, or he would not have stopped at the number ten. Who knows but God would have spared the city for the sake of five, or even one? We cannot tell. We are certain that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Indeed, the case before us is itself a proof of the fact. how much? Are there any limits to its power? Limits there may be-nay, limits there must be— but those limits, depend upon it, are not so narrow

But

as we are generally disposed to think. Let us, therefore, cherish large views of God's mercy, so that we may ask great things and obtain great things at the throne of grace.

The text may be taken in two different senses, it may express two different states of mind; it may be an expression of doubt; or, it may be an expression of confidence.

Let us contemplate the words

I. AS AN EXPRESSION OF DOUBT.

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

With regard to what the Judge of all the earth ought to do, there can be but one opinion. The position of any judge is one of dignity, authority, and responsibility; he cannot, therefore, maintain his position for a single day unless he do right, and execute justice, and act impartially. If such, then, be the position of any judge-even of the most insignificant judge, who administers law among menwhat must be the position of Him who is the Judge of all the earth? Surely He ought not to do anything but what is right, and fair, and honourable, and irreproachable.

Nevertheless, a superficial view of the condition of this world-a world so full of confusion, disorder, and lawlessness-have led some to doubt the righteousness of its great Judge and Governor. From the