14 And also that nation, whom thejr shall ■ervet * will I jud^e: and afterward, ' shall they tome out with great substance.
IndividiMl and himael^ whether God or tnao; this ia a ttieolo^ afasurdiqr into which many have run: there inuit be at leaat tm parties to contract with each other. Ai>d often there was a tiurd mity, to mediiate the agreement, and to witneas it when made. Rafabi Solomon Jaiebi mjw, "ThaL it was a custom with those who pUared into covenant with each other, to take a heifer, aad out it in two, and then the contracting parties passed petsraoi the pwAes.** See this, and the scriptures to vbidl it reCm, particularly explained, chap. vi. IS. A Mmnant always fluppos«l one of these four things, 1. nat the contracting parties had been hitherto urtknoien to each other, and were brou^t by the covenant into a ■tale «f aemainiance. 2. T&l they had been previously in a state of ho*tUity or enmitj/, and were brought by ue eoveoant into a state of jiac^fiixUian and JrimaAip. 3. Or that being known to taai other, they now agree to mita ihwr counsels, atrength, property, Ac. for the accompUiiunent of a particular purpose, mutually subservient fu the interesu of both. 4. It implies an agreemeu to succour and defend a thxrajMrty, in caaea of oppression and diatrev. For whatever purpose a covenant was ptadc^ it was ever ratified by a sacrifico offered to Ood; aod iha passing between the divided pans of the victim ■Mean to have signified, that each agreed, if they broke engagements, to submit to the punishment of being cut Mufujer whuh wa find from Matt. zxiv. 61. Luke zii. 46. wu anuieient mode of nuni^ment. Tina is fudMrcoDfirmed hf Herodotus, who says, that Sabacus, King oC Ethit^ii^ had a vision m whidli he was ordered, furwx <t<«Ti|u<r, to cut in two, idl the Egyptian priests, Lib. ii. We find also from ^ same author, Lib. vii. that Xerzea ordered one of the sons of Pythius, tobteuiin tuo, and me half to be placed on each sitk of the WW, that his armjr miglit psaa inrotigh between them. Hist this kind of punishment was useu among the Per* atans, we have proof from Dan. ii. 6. iii. 29. Story of 0DsMma, -ver. 66, 69. See liirther, 2 Sam. zii. 31. and 1 zz. 3. These ■authorilies may be sufficient to ahov ttnt the patting between the parts of the divided victims, sigitified the punishment to which tliose exposed Ibenaaelvea who broke thwr covenant engagements. And dwt ooTCDsnt nerifloes wan diua 4iviai£9ma from the remotest sotiqiiiqr, we leant from Homer, U. A. v. 460.
"Dutf cut the quarters, and cover them with the bt: riMrftng them into two, they place the raw flesh opon them. " So this plaoe has been understood; but quwy 7 St. Cyril, in his work against Julian, abowsi that pamtngotliamOu divided paHa of a ^etim was used abo among the Chaldeans and other people. As the MwrMes was reqmred to maka an abmement to iGIod, so lbs aeaih the animal was necessary to signify to the contracting partiea the puniidiment to which diey exposed themselves should dwy prove nnbithfiiL
Livy preserves Hne/orin of the imprecation used eo each ooeasions, in the aoooont he gives of the league made between Iha Romans and Albans. When the Romans were about to enter into some solemn league or covenant, Ihey sacrificed a hog, and, on the above occasion, the fvust or pater vairattu, before he slew the animal, stood, imd I huB invoked Jopila^Aiwtt, JupHer — Si prior ^l^e»rU]mMieoeomaaUaahiHato,tuMiUod^IReepi- «sr, MptMtm Annantim tit j^rito^vt ego hunt parwn hie hoaio ftrimit: tantoenu mo/us ferila mumto vu^fat poCss patunel Lmi Hm. Lib. i. Deoao. 1. chap. 24. ** He^ O Jiqnter— diould the Romaaa in puUie counaal,.L ~~> «ril devicet first uanmam these ]Bcin, in that 1 Jvfitm, ifaou amiia Ae Raman paopW m I
15 And E thou shalt eo ^ to thy fathers ja
peace, < thou shalt be buried in a good (di age.
16 But ^ in the fourth generation they sbaU come hither again: for the iniquity > of the AmoritCB " ig not yet full.
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smokioc furnace, and ■ a burntog lamp that ° pawed between those pieces.
18 In the same day the Lord p made a covenant with Abram, saying, <i Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river ' Euphrates:
diall at this time natte dtia hog: and smite them widi a seyerit^^^roportioned to the greatnesa of thy power and the birde divided he notJ^ According to lim law. Lev, i, 17. fowls were not to be divided asuitder, but onlj cloven, for the purpose of taking out the intestines.
Verse II. Aiuf when the Jbidt] mpn hay-itfit, birds of pny, came down vpon the carauMetj to devour them; Abranif who stood 1^ his sacrifice waiting for the masifestatloQ of Ood, who had ordered him to prepare fiir the ratification of the covenant, drove them aieay, that (hey might neillier pollute nor devour what had been thus eoBse^ted to God.
Verae 12. A deep eteep] rmitn tardemah, the same word which is used to express the sleep into which Adam was cast, previous to the creation of Eve. Chap. ii. 21.
A horror of great darkneae] Which Ood designed to ba expressive ta the affliction ana misery into which his poatenty shmdd be bromht, during the Jour hundred yean of their bouhge in E^pt; as Uie next verae paitictuarly states.
Verse 13. Fbur hundred year*.] Which began, s^ Ur. Ainsworlh, when Ishmael son of Hogar mockra arid persecuted Isaac, Gen. zxi. 9. Gal. iv. 29. which fiHl out thirty years after the promise: GeiL xii. 3. which promise v&ajbur hundred and thirty years before the law, (3al. iii. 17.; and Jour hundred ana thir^ years after that nromise came Isi'ael out of Egypt, Exdo. zii. 41. On this latter pftBBag& see the note.
Verse 14. And aUo that naUon, &&! How remarkably was tliis promiae fblfille^ in the redemption of larad from iis bondage, in the plagues and descniciion of the ^ypEifUiB, and in the immense wealth which, the Israelites brought out of Egypt! Not a more circumstantial, or liter^Iy fulfilled promise, is to be found in the Sacred Writings.
Verse IB. 7%ou Aalt go to thyjathert in |>eac«] This veme strongly implies the immortality of the sou], and a stale of separate existence. Ho was gathered to his fathers, introduced into the place where separate spiriu ore kept, wailing for the general resur^ction. Two diings seem to be distinctly marked here. 1. The soul of Abtam should be introdiued among the assembly of the ftrst-bom i Thou ehalt go to Ihy Jathere £n peace. 2. His body should be buried after a long lite, one hundred ana aeventy-JlTe yean, chap. xxv. 7. The body was biried — tho soul went to the spiritual world, to dwell among the Jathere, Ibe patriarchs, who hod lived and died in ±e Lord. See the noteon chap. xxv. 8.
Verse 16. iit the fourth generation} la former time^ most aoeient people couniw fay generation; to each oi wlud) was aaaigned a term <rf ^ara someti mes amounting to Si^ a, 3(^3^ 100, 108, and 110; for the genera«on was of various lengths among various people, at dtflb-eiR times. It is probable that ihe fourth generation here, means the sosie as thejmr hundred years in the preceding verse. Some think it refers to the time when Eliexar the son of Aaron, the son of Amrani, the son of Kahatk, come out of Egypt, and divided the land of Canaan u Israel, Josh. xiv. 1. oibers think tho fourth generation (rf the Ajinorites is intended: because it is immediately sdded, the iniguMy <if the AmorUea ia not yet full; but in the fourth genemtiou they should he expelled, and the descend- Mtta of Abram established in their place. From these words we learn, that ibert is a certtun pitch of iniquity to which nations may arrive before they are destroyra; and beyond which divine justice does not permit them to pass.
Verae 17. SmMng Jumaee, and burning lamp] PmWily tha smoking furnace mi^t bo desij^ as an emblem of the sora ajSlictions ei tm Ismelitea xa Egn*i
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzitee, and the '•Rephaime,., «
21 And tbe ■ Anumtea, and the Canaeuutes, and GirfEa^dutee, and the Jebusites.
bat Sta burning lamp eertaiidy the Mymbal ^ the dhbu pnamet, which, Mamng between the pwcea, Wi&Bd the coraiant with Abnua, m the following vene temedktely itmtes.
TeneI8. T%4 Lard made a eoT«ncint] n^j rr^karoA itrUk, mgni&M to cuf a covenant, or ruher the covenwil jHcrijlM; for M DO ooven&nt inw made without one, and theenMUN waa ml in two that die oontfactiiig partiea night {MM between the peees, heoce cttiHng tta eopatamf •il^itedi making the aorenant. "nieaame fermof >psMh oMatated among the RocnaM; and becauae, in making their eovenanta, they alvavB ilew aA animal, either euUittg il» iKriat or knweing it datm with a ■tone or aner which tbeycb'ffuierf the pamat w«bav4abtady wMh, hence anun^; them perauerm faebu, to aaUU a •ovenant; and uemAre frnmu xo eUaae aeorcau^ woe terras^ which ngiifisd aimjUf to malu or anto* nuo a •ovmaflt.
FV&m the river c^f Sgypf] Not the Nile, but the river aalled SUAoff which wat btfore, or on the border, of Egypt, near to die iaduaua of Ghiea, Mfr JoA. ziii.- 3. ttaui^ MRm thiak that, by diii, a braoeh of the Nik ii aiewnt. This promin wn fUllr aecompliAed in the days ti David and Soloonni aee 2 Sam> viii. 3^ Ac. 2 Chroo.
Tene 19. Tk» KmiU», Ac] Here are ttn. nattooa mntioned, Ihoogh afterward reckoned but mmki aee DeoL vii 1. Aeta. xiii. 19. Prombly Mme of them which •zfaiad in Abram's time, had wen blended with odben bdtara tfwrimeof Moms, ao dwt aMMit only out of the Iben remained; eeepartof theae noticed, Gen, x.
Ix fliii diapter diera an Arte mbjeeta whidi mint be particularly intereating to the ptoua reader. L Hie eon.- de»etn$U>n <^ Ood in revealing himaelf (o mankind in a variety of waya, ao aa to render it abeolntely evident that A« had ipaften, that ha loved mankind, and that he had made evoy provirion iat their eternal welbre. So nneouivoeal were die diacoveriea which Ood laade of himaelf mat on the minda of tboae to whom they were madcs not one doubt waa left, rehuive either to the truth of the aab- teor (hat it waa God himaelf who made the ~ aubjeel of the diaoovery iJao waa auoh aa aUeated its troth to all ftiture generationa, for it ■Mtievs yet tn ftiturity, ao diatinctly marked, ao poattively ^roauaea, and ao highly intereatini:, aa to make them o»- jeets of attcfUion, memory and <MHr«, till (hey did eoma^ and of gralitwU, baeauae of the permanent UeaaedwN Aey asmmnoieated, through all generaCioaa, d/ltr the Acta bad taken pboe.
Z. Thg iMw ^ aolMffiaa hy JkUK im die proaalaed 8(tTiaur,w)iiclinowbc«asMbeexplieitIydeolartd. Ood gtvea the promiae of auvation, and meana in whit^ it waa impoaaible, humanlr apeaking, that it ihookt take flaos. Teaching ua, 1. That the whole work waa qnitaal) wapttmtam and divitiet and, 2. ^lat no hamaa power oouM Miaee to produce it. Thti Abram believad wbflehe waa yet uneiraimciaed, and this fcidi waa ae- MOBIed to him fbr rigfatoouanean, or iostifteation, Ck>d ■twaby teadiiag, that be would pardon, accept, aiid re- «*»• Mo favour all who abouM believe on the Lwd Jeans CatML And tfna very case baa evwaince been the efamtf- •m^^actffenfftm ly>M J and tba«tpwi«aM Of alt-
maid; it may be that I may * obtain chiLdren by her. And Abram i hearken^ to the voice or Sarat
3 And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, ^e Egyptian, after Abram "had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram, to be his wife.
4 1[ And he went in unto Ha^r, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had cpnceived, her mistreH was " despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram,.My wrong be upon thee: I liave given mv maid into thy bosom; and when she saw uiat she had eoi^ ceived. 1 was. despised in her eyes: ' the Lord judge between me and thee.
hold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her —
' as it pleaseth thee. And when Saxai * dealt hardly with her, * she fled from her face.
7 If And the angel of the LoED found her by
liona of mm built on thia foundation, baa auffieiendy auaotsd (be truth and solidity of the ground on which il waa huilded.
3. The foundation of the doctrine itself ii laid in the covenant made between God and Abram, in behalf of all the familiea of the earth; and thii covenant is ratified by a aacrifice. By tfaii covenant, man ia bound to God; and God graciously binds himaelf to man. Aa thia covenant referred to tbe incarnation ot Chnat, and Abram, both as to himself and peaterity, vcie to partake of tbebenefilaof it by /aitk; hence fasat, not workt, I'a the only condition on whii^ QoA, through Christ, forgives aina, and brings to the promiaed apiritual inheritance. I^is covenant alul stands open; all the successive ^eneralionB of men ore partiea on tlw one aide, md Jeaus la at once the sacrifice and mediator of it. As therefore the covenant etill stands open, and Jeaus ii atiU the Lamb slain before the throne, every htunan aoul must ratify the covenant for himaelf ] and DO man does ao, but he who, conscioua of his ruitt, accepts the sacrifice which God has provided fcv tiiin. Reader, hast thou, dime so 1 And, with a heart unto righlcoMsneaa, dost thou eDfiMmic to believe on the Son of Oodi How msreifiil is Cfod, wbo lias found out such a way of salvation, W providing a Saviour every wav suitable to miserable, mllen, sinlul man 1 One who is holy, harmless undefiled, and separate frixn siimers; and who, being higher than die heavens, raises up his faithful followers to the throne of bis own eternal gloiy 1 Reader, give Ood the praisi^ and avail diysslf of the stn-caering which Hetti at the door.
Terse 1. She had an handmaid, an Egyptian] As Hagar was on Egyptian, St. Chryaostom's conjecture is very probaUe, that wbA was one of those fiunale slaves wbion Phaiaob gave to Abram when be sojourned ia Egypt; see chap. xii. 16. Her names hagar, sigoifiea a atrangtr or sofsumar; and it is likely she got this sane ia the fcadfy of Abram; aa the word ia pure Hebrew.
TerM2. a> in wifo my auiuf} It must not be forgotten, that fismate slaves constituted a part of die private patrimony or pOBsessions of a wifei ajid that she had a ru^ aeeofdiw (o the ubbm of those tima^ to diaposs of inem as she ^ased, tbe baabaod having no aulbori^ in ttw caae.
/ may obtain dtiidrm by her] Tbt tlave, being dia absidate property of the mistress, not only her person, but tbe fruits of ner labour,- with all her children, were her owner's property also. The diildren. therefore, which were bom or tbeshve^ wove eonndeiea as the duldren of the miitresa. It waa on this cronnd that Sarai gave har stave to Abram t and w» CwLi^iat tanst neeossarily ba the eonM(|ueaee in all eases of pdygamy, that strifes and contentions took place.
Verse t. tarong be i^tam, Uu*} This ^Mars to bo bNsndad as a nnroof to Ateam, contatmngaa iBs^iie% that it was his boh that abe benalf had not been a mother; and that now bo carried himself mora aflbctioDalely toward Hagartfaaabadidtoher.ukcoaaequseceof wbieh eonduct die alave beeams petnlanL To Temora all suapieion af this kind, Abram delivtrs up Hagar into har haiid, wbo was oertaiidy uader bia pntsctioii, wUla bis
6 And be said, H^tfar, Sarai'a maid, whence earnest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the &ca of my nustresB Sarai.
9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her. Return to thy mistress, and ' submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the Lord said onto her, 'I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Vene 6. deait hanUy wtA her] rupn UStuah, »hs ^fflkltd her — the term imiriying ttripa nnd hard ware, to bring down tlM Mj/ and mmbU the mmd. If the ■lave was to blame in liu* tiiiMnrm, the iniaimai » not leaa liable to censure. She alone had faniiigfat her into those circumstance*, in which it was natural for bar to value herulf beyond her miitresa.
Terae 7. TTu angel qf th» Lord\ That Jenia Chriat, in a bodv suited to the dignity of his nature, frequentlv appeaiea to the patriarchal bu been already intunatea. TSat the person menlioneo here \ras greater than my created bein^ is lufficioitly evident from the foUowing particulars:
1. From his promising to perform what God alone could do, and Joretelling what Ood alone could ktune. " / will multiply Ihy teed txeeedingly," &c. ver. 10. * Than art with child, and Aalt bear a ton," Ac ver. 1 1. '*He thail be a vnld man," &c. ver. 12. All this showa aj»ran«neewhich is proper to Ood alone.
2. Hagar eonsiders the person who spoke to her as Gorf; callB him Sk el, and addresses him in die way of wirMpt which, had he been a created angel, h» would have refused; see Rev. xix. 10. zzii. 9.
3. Hoses, who relates the transaction, calls this angel expressly jerovah; for, says he, she called tvtv oar sftlm wMvak, the hams of the Lord that spake to her, ver. 13. Now this is a name never given to wm created being.
4. This person who is nere callea n^rp yc—p maUak yehovak, the Angel of the Lord, is the same who is ailed Stun nMS°^ hammaUak hagotl, the redeeming Angel, or, the Angel, the Redeemer, Gen. xlviii. 16. vis •\h'^^ wiaUak panait, the Angel « Ood'a wesenee, Isai. Ixiii. 9. and rmap *inS° maleak ha-beritk, the Angel of the Covenant, Mai. iii. I. And is the same person which die Septuogint. Itai. ix. 6. term m>>-bLi|( Bdvxk AyyiKu, the Angel of tke great Couneel or Detign, viz. of redeeming man and filling the earth with righteousnesa.
6. These things cannot be moken of anr human or ertated being; lor the huneleage, wtrka, Ac. attributed to this pwson, am eudi as belong to God; and, as in all tbMe cases, there is a most evident personal appearance, Jesus Christ alone can be meant, mr of God me Fadier, it has been ever trae, that no man hath at any time eeen hie ^tape, nor has he ever limited himself to any definable fWMmoi appearance.
Hthe way to SOrnr] Aa this «u the road from Hdiron to Egypt, it IS probable, die VM now returning to her own country.
Verae 8. Bagar, SaroTi matd] Hub mode of address is uaed to show her that she was htovm; and to remind her diat riie was the property of another.
Terse 10. J vill multiply thy md firesarftngb] Who nysdiis? Tixt perwo who is called the Angel of the Lord; and he certainly speaks vrilb alt that oudiofitf which is proper to God.
Shm&el, from par ^md, he heard, and El, God;, says the angel, ran Loan ratr hbau> Sty ^glieHon. nitis the name of the child most ever keep the mother in remembrance of Ood'amenilul interposition in her behalf) ■nd remind ibe Mid and the man, that be was an object of Ood'a graeiotiB tod provfdemial goodness. AflKctions and distresses have a voice in the ears of God, even when prayer is restrained — but how much more powerfully do they speak when endured in meeknesB of spirit, with oonfidenee in, and supplication to^ the LordI
Terse 12. Be vill be a wild man) BTiHtoapherf adorn. As the root of this word does not opfMor in the Hebrew Bible, it is probably found in the Ar^ie farra, to run auaif, to run vrila, nod htace the tpild aet, from it* Jteetmtt and its wdameabU naturo. What is said of the wfld mut Job mix, ft-a aflbHi tha tmt bM imeria- 78 J ^
11 And the an^el of the Lord said nnto faer> Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a Bon, ■ and shalt call his name ' Ishmael; beeaase the Lord hath heard thy alfliction.
13 > And he will be a wild man; his hand wtU be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
13 And she called the name of the Lord that Bpake unto her, Thou God eeest me: Cor she said. Have I also here, looked afler him i thai eeeth me?
tion that can be given of the lAmaelitee, JBedouint^a^ad wandering Araoe, the descendants of Ishmael. '* Who hath sent out the wild ass (tno phera) free 1 or who batb loosed the bonds {irwdroc^} of tbebrayerl Whose boiws 1 have made the wilderness and tlie barren land hiBdvdlingx. He seometh the multitude of the city, neither ra* gardeth be the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green ihing." Nothing can be more descriptive of the wandering, lawleee,/reebooting\iSoo( the Aia!os than this.
Ood himself has eent them oui jree; he has looted them from all political restninL Tiu witdemem to their habitation, Kod in the parthed land, where no other honon beingBcould live, theyAoiuAMrcfiMlluigv. 7%fy scom the city, and therefore have no fixed habitations; for their malUhide, they are not afraid; for when they inaka d^redotiona On eitiee and towns, they retire into the deaerl with BO roach precipitancy, that all pursuit is eluded: in this respect the crying qf the drtver ie disregarded. lYiey may be said to have no lands; and vet the range iff the mountaine ie their pasture, they pitch their tente and feed their Jlacke wherever tb^ please i and thev eearA. after every greonlhimg.m coiaamUy looking after |>r^ and seize on every kind <tf properQr that cone* in their way. *
It is farther said, hie hand ehall be againet every mm, and every man'e hand againet him — Many potentate* among the Abyssiniaos, Persians, Egyptiuis and Turks, have endeavoured to subjugate the wandering or wila Arabs; but though they nave hod teropofory triumphs,, they have been ultimately unsuccessful. Seeo^rie, Cyruo, Pompey, and '^raja$^, all endeavoured to con<|ser Arabia, but in vain. Prom ibiB bc^nning to the present day ihey have mwintnined their indqwndeney; and God preservea them as a lasting monument of bis providential car^and on inconteetible argument of the tt-uth qf Divine ttcrtlotion. Had ibe Pentateuch no other argument to evinca its divine (aipa, the aeoount qf lAmael, and the prophecy concerning his d^condonte, collated with their history and manner (Hf life, during a period of nearly four thou- Mtnd yeare, would be sufficient. Indeed the argument is so absolutely demonstrative, that the man who would attempt iu refutation, in the si^t of reason and common sense, would stand convieted of the most ridiculous piesumption aixl excessive fblly.
Trie country which these free descendants of Iihmaet may be properly said to possess, stretches from Alamo to the Arabian sea; and from BRypt to the Persian guj£ A tract of land not less than IBOu miles in length, 900 in breaddi; aee chap. xvii. 20.
Terse 13. And ehe called the name of lheItort(\ She invoiced, mpm va-tiJtra, the name o/' Jehovah who epakt unto her, thus, TTum Oodeeeet me! She found that the eye of a merofiil Ood had been upon her in all her waoderinssud afflidioitBi and her words seem to intimate tbUMS had been oeeking the divine help and protection, fin- dbe says, Have I also, or have J not aleo looked q/tsr him that eeeth me?
lUs last cluise of the verse la very obscure j »nd is rendered difiinently by all the vereians. The general sense taken out of it is this: that Hagar was now convinced that God himself bad appeared unto her, and was surprised lo find dwt, notwithstanding this, she was atiU permitted to live; for it was generaUy Bupposed, that if God appeared to any, they must oe consumean his glories. This is frequently alluded to in the Sacred Writings. As the word nrvi adiorey, which we render simply f/tcr, in other plaoes swnifies the loet doye, or a/tertimee; see on Exod. xxxiil 23. it may probably have a similar meaning here, and indeed this makes a consistent aenae; SmeJ here aUa eeen the lattxb pubposks or dbsiokS qf mm who eeeth me? Aa exclamation which may be at ones raftmd to tbot diseovery vi4ndi God msdet in the pi*> esdii^ VBTBs, of thaAftifs stoto of be deewBdinls
14 WfaereTore the well «b« called >Beerlahoi-roi; ^belLold, it ur 'between Kadeeh and Bered.
16 And Abram vas foarscore and eiz years old, when Hagar bare lahiaael to Abram.
AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord <' appeared
Vene 14. Wlurtfore the well wu calUd Beer-lahaireij It Bippeara from rer. 7. that Huw had sat down by a famtBin «r well of wRter in the wUdernew of Shur, at irttidi ibe angel of the Lord found her; and, to commemonXe the wcmderful discovery which God bad made of himael^ abe called the name of the well •'rfy -tK3 Beerta-^tay-rot^ " A well to the Living One who seeth me." Two thinnaeem implied here, 1. A dedication of the well to HimwholiadMtpeeredtoher; and, 2. Faith in the promise: for be who U the Living One, eziating in all eeneratiooa, muat have it ever in bu power to accompliah promisea which are to be fulfilled throogh the whole lapse of time.
Veree 15. ATid Hagar bare Abram a ton, 4c.] It appeoTH, therefore, that Hagar returned at the command of tbe angel, believing the promise that Qod had made to her.
CalUd hit »m'» name JAmaeI\ Finding by the account of Hagar, that God bad designed that 1m should be so called. "Ishmael," aaya Auuworth, " is the first man in tbe work) whose naoM was given Urn of God befbre he was bom."
In the preceding chwter we have a very detailed account of the covenant wMch God made witii Abram, which stated that his seed should possees Canaan; and diis promise, oa the Divine authority, ha steadbatlj believed; and in simplicity uf heart waited for its accompli^ment. Suai was not like-minded; as she had no child herself aad was now getting old, she thought it necessary to secure the inheritance by such means as were in her power / she, therefijre, as we have seen, gave her slave to Abram, that ■he might have ebildren l^ber. We do not find Abram remonstrating on the mbject— and why is he blamed? <3od had iwt as yet told him koa he was to have an heir: the promise simply stated, he that ihetU came forOi out qf thine own boweu ihatt be thine heir, chap. xv. 4. Concubinage, under that dispensation, was perfectly lawftil; therefore he coul<^ with equal justice and innocence, when it was lawful in icaelt and now urged by the expreat tteeire qf Sarat, take Hantr to wife. And it is very Ok^y thai he might think that Sit posterior, whether by wi^ or tgnatbine, as both were lawAil, mi^tbe thai intended by the promise. It is very difficult to believe that a promise, which refers to some natural event, am possibly be fulfilled but through some natural meaiu. And vet, what is nature hit an instrument in God's hands 1 What we call natuia] eflects, are all performed by supemaUiral weney: for nature, that is, the whole system of ■nani.Mi* thtngs, is ss inert as any of tbe particles of matter of tbe ■ggmale of vbiisk it is composed, and can be a eauee to no </ec(, but as it is excited by sovereign power. This is a doetrine of sound philosophy; and should be carefully considered by all, that men may see that, without an overmlin; and. universally energetic Providence, no effect whatever can be brou^t about But, besides these generBl ioAoeDoes of God in nature, which are all ezhilnted by what men call general law, he chooses often to act miperTtaturaUy, i. e. independently of; or against, these ffnwral laws, that we may see that there is a God, who do* not ctmSne himself to one way of working, but tmA WBim^ ssfltouf meam, and even o^Tisf nofurol means, feeomUtm the jpariaui imnMsea of his merCT in die WbalTdf BMVo- when Oa ilw promised, let him be
to Abram, and said unto him, * I am the Almighty God, * walk before me, and be thou
2 And I will make mv covenanf between me and thee, and > wilt multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram "fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, mr covenant i* with thee, and thou shalt be " a father of ' many na^ tiona.
5 T Neither ehall thy name any more be called Abram, but p thy name shall be ^ Abraham; ' for, a father of many nations have I made
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make 'nations of thee, and 'kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will ■> establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed atler thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, * to be a God tmto thee, and to * thy seed after thee.
explicitly credited, because he cannot lie; and let not hasty nature intermeddle with his work.
The omniscience of Qod is a aubiect on which we should often reflect; and we can never ao it unfruitfully, while we connect it, aa we ever should, with infinite goodness and mercy. Every thing, person, and circumstance, is under its notice { and do£ not the eye of God affect nia heart 1 The poor elave, the etranger, the Egyptitin, snf-. fering under the severity of her hasty, unbelieving mistress^ is seen by the all-wise and merciful God. He permits her to M to the desert, provides tbe spring to <pKnen her thirs^ and sends the Angel of the Covenant to inatruct and comfort her. How gracious is God! He permits ua to get into distressing circumstances, that he may give us efiectual relief, and in such a way toa that the excellenee of the power may appear to be of him, and that we may learn to trust in him in all our distresses. God deUgkU to do his creatures good.
In all tmnsacticms between God and man, mentioned in the Sacred Writings, we see one uniform agency. Tbe great ilfeftotor in all, and through all; God ever coming to man by him; and man having access to God through him. 'nus isot, is, and ever wtUo^ the economy of gnoa. "Til* Father naih sent me: — and no man cometnunto tbe Fadwr but by me." God fbrUd that he should have cause to complain of us: "Ym will not come unto me,
Walk b^ore me] iVnnn hiOi-haltk lepanai, ml thyeff to valk~ht firmly purposed, tborou^ly determined to obey — before me — for my eye is ever on tbea, therefore ever consider that God seeth thee. Who can imat^ a stronger incitnnent to conscientious persevering obeoiencel
Be thou perfect] l3*Dn xm vthej/eh tamim. And thou ehaU be pe^/ectiona, 1 e. alu^lher perfect; be just sacfa as the holy God would have thee to be, as the almiMy God can make thee, and live aa the tOl-MiJJUitnt God shall support thee: for he alone who makes the soul holy, can preserve it ia bolinees. Our blessed Lord appears to have had these wwds pointedly in view. Matt. v. 48. '*"^» "i—t TiXtoi, mtrwif • nT«( vfimr • ir t*i( MifHait riMitt tm, y^f ■HALL VKjpetfui, OS jfOtiT FoOuT viho ia in AsoMH ss peiftet. But what does this imply T Why, to be saved fromall the power, the guilt, and the contamination of sin. lliia ia (»Uy the negative part of salvation; but it has also a pontive part — to be made peifiet—to be perfect aa our Father who is in heaven is perfect — to be filled with the fUloesB of God — to have Chnst dwelling continually in the heart by &ith, and to be rooted bihI grounded in love. Tins ia the state tn which man was created; for he was made in the image and likeness of God. This ia tbe state fivm whidi man fell: for he broke the command of God. And this ia the state into which every human soul mostbs taiaed, whowDoU dwell with Ghidinrioryt for Christ was iDoanHtBd, and died to pat awaj an ta^lhe aaeriflaa of
after thee, the land ■ wherein ^ thou art a strcuigert all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting posaeaeion: and ' I will be their God.
9 1) And God said unto Abraham, Thou ahalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee, in their generations.
10 This M my covenaat, which ye shall keep,
hinaeU. What a gloriooa privilege I And who can doubt the possibility of its axiaitunent, wbo believM in Uu onuup* otent love of God, the indnite merit of the blood of UoDe- ■heoL and iIm all-pervading and all-purifying energy of the Holy Ghost 1 How many miserable souls employ that time 10 dispute and cavil against the poatibili^ of being saved /rom their noM, which tbm ahouw devote to praying and believing that they might be nved out of the buds of their enemies 1 But aome may ny. " You overstrain the meaning of the term; it signifies only, ftetfncere; for as perfect obedience ta ImpossiUe, Qod aeeepts of sincere obedience." If by aineortty the objection means good 4e8ire», and generally ^ ooa purpoaea, vith an impure heart and apMed l{fe, then I SMert, that no anoh diing is implied in the text, nor in the original word: fantifthe word tincfrity be iakm m ita proper and lilMvl aanu, I havenoobjectuHitoiL Sincere is compounded of «tn«-eer^ " without wax;" and, aptdied to moral subjects, is a meta> ^Mr (aken from elanfied honey, from which ever; atom oflhfleombor«axits^»ra(adC Then let it be proclaimed frmn heaven — ■ Walk befort me, and be smcsas! purge o|it the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump unto Om, wd thai ye shall be perfect, as your Father who is in heaven ia perfeeu This is ajneerinr/— Reader, remember that the blood of Christ clcanseUi from all sin. Ten thousand quibbles on insulated taxtiu can never lessen, mudi less destroy, the merit and efficacy i>( the Great AtooentenL
Yerse 3. And Abram fell on hie facel TTie eastern method of prostration was thus; the person first -went down on his knees, and then lowered his bead to his knees, and touched the earth with his forehead. A very painfid posture, but significative of great humiliation and reverence.
Verse fi. Tkjf neme ^mU be tailed Abraham] Ab-ram en ail lilenlly means a At^A or exaliedfatku; Ab-rft-ham dnM differs from the preceding only in one letter: it bu before tbe last radical. Thougji tbisuaya^^tear very aimfrie and easy, yet the true etymology and meaning of the word are very difficult to be assigned. He reason ^*«a by God for the change made in the patriarch's name la Ibia^ Jbr a fathv tf many nations Aoae / mods Out— BvuponMdifr-Aamon-ffmrim, "afrriker of amultitudeof oationB.*' lUa has lad some to at^pos^ that Abraham ia a eontraetion for pan at x Ah-rab-hamon, **lbe fiuber of a great muhitude."
AbM Ewra says, the name is dsriveil from pon -vsK ^ir-kafion, " a powerful multitude."
Jtabbi SoUtmon JardU defines the name cabalUiieaUy, and says that its nunuroJ UtUrt amount to two hmdrod aai/orty-eighi; which, aavs he, is the exact number of the bttue in the human body! but before the n Ai was added, wihich stands for./Cue, it was five short of this perfoetton 1
/tabid Lipman says, the being added as itntfourA ielUr, aignifiea diat the Meaaiih ahrnUd come in the fooith millenary of (be world!
Cteriita and oihen ihfak, ttiat the n wlUidi ia one of thelettenof tbeTettwinunnalon, (or wwd of four letten nff TSKovaB) waa a^ed for the sake of ^gnthk Ood aaoeiating the patriarch more nearly to himeelfi by thus iaaparting to him a portion of bia own name.
Having enumerated so many opiniona, that tit WiUiam Alabaat&r, in his AMaratvs to the Revelatim, should not be passed hr. at most wisely aaya that Ab-ram, or rem, aumifteajafter Romans, mid oonaequentlyibe fopet uterefiM«Abrebemwaa^M>peAej(r«<f Thiaiajuat as likely as some of the precedmg etymologies.
From all these learned, as well aa puerUe conjectures, we nay see the extreme difficulty of aaoertaimDg tbe true meaning of the word, though the ectwordaaot-maJetra, •ndpnyerwMU s«pia»ii«r«, find no diffioultr at all in the case; and pronounee on it aa readily and antboritatiTdy M if they had been in the Divine eouneil whan it waa St«t
«»linnr, m hia iSmegma Orimtale, supposes the word to M derived from Ine Aiebic toot rahama, whidi aignifiee to be vtrjf numtroae. Henoe <>*;vt <^ raham wouM aignify a eapioiw /other, w/ather a muMhidt. Thia muea « very good aense^ and agrees between roe and thee, and thy seed after thee s * Every man child among you shall be circum-'
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreekin; and it shall be * a token of the corannl betwixt me and you.
12 And 'he that is eight days old < shall be
well with the context. Either thia e^mology, or wfaidi supposes the inserted n A^ to be an abbreviatioa of the word pan hamort multitude, is tbe most likc^ to ba tbe true one. But thia last would reouire tbe word to be written, when full, pan m m Ab-ram-fumum. The same difficulty occurs verse IS. on the word Sarai^ whieb aignifiea my prinee, or prtneess / aad Baraht m« where the whtdecbangeis maaebyibeaubititation a nA^ for a ^ yod. "niis latter might be translatfld pr^umo in general i and while the former seems to point out ber ^ovemmem in her ova /ain% atmu, tbe latter appears to indieate her govermneot over tbe nattotu at wtucb has buriiand is termed die fo^Aer ot lord; and beoee die promiae aiate^ that sAe Motf fre a nurfAer ^ nationa, and tbat^^ng* t^ptoplt jAeuM mft^ngfitm Aar.— Seever.
^^ow, aa the only change on each name is made by the insertion of a single letter, and that letter the same in hoih names, I cannot help concluding, that aome myafory wae designed by its insertion \ and Okerrfore die opinion of Clariue eiu some others, is not to be disregarded, whidi su^Mses that God shows be had confiirred a peculiar diftnUy on both, by adding to their t«mes one of tbe lettera of Ills own t a name by which bia eternal power and god* bead are peculiarly p<»nted ouL
Prom the diffiodiy of settling the etjrmology of tbeae two names, on which so much stress seems tobe laid in tbe text, the reader will see with what caution be should receive tbe Heta qf esplanaHona of the proper names in tbe Old and New Testaments, which tie so fieqoently meets with, and wbidi, from close examinatioi^! eaa pronounce to be, in general, /obe or oAM^ntf.
Verse 7. An everlaating cnenani] eVp nvu bsrith dlam. See on ch xiii. 16. Here tbe word dldm is taken in iu own proper meaning, aa tbe words immediately following prove — loAe a OoSvnleA«», and Ihv ttad mfUr Aee; lor as the aoul ia to endure for ever, ao It aball eternally stand in tieed of die supporting power and eneinof God; and as the reign of the Gospel dispensadon «hall be as Img aa sun ana moon endure, and its consequences eiem<u, so must the covenant be on which these are foundea.
Verse S. EterUuHng poaMuimX Here sVqr Mom uipears to be used ia lU aecomrndoabd meaning and signifies die completion of the divine counsel in remeoee to a particular period or dispensation. And it it literally true, that die lemelitea possessed the land of Canaan, till fosaic d^ienaatioa was terminated in the complete introduction M dut of tbe Gospel. But aa tbe spintuid and temporal covenants are both blended together, and the former waa pointed out ai»l*m)ifiod by the latter, hence d» word, even here, maybe taken in ita own proper meaning, that of erer-duHa^, or eternals because the
SirituoT bleaainga poinled out by the temporal covenant all have no etuL And hence it ia immediately added, / triUbetheir Ox^ not for a time certainly, but Jbr er«r and eper-— Shie dienoteaon chap. xzi. 33.
Yerae 10. Every male duld — Aatl be eirmmelMed} lYioae wbo wieb to invalidate tbe evidence of the divine origin of die Mosaic law, roundly aasert, that the laraelitea received die rite of drcumcision fi^m the Egyptiana. Their apoade in this business is Herodotus, wb^Iib. ii. p. 116. edit. Stepb. 1692, says, "The Colchian^ Egyptians, and Ethiopians, are die only nationa in tbe world who have used drcumusion 'txit, from tbe renwtestperiod; and tbe niotnieians and Syrians who faibabit FalMttne, ae- Itnowledge d»ey received diis from the BtoTtians." Her^ dotus cannot mean Jew by Phcenicians and Syrtaua; If be does, be convicts himself of falsity; for no Jew erer did, ot ever could aeknowledge diis, widi the history of Ateafaam in bia hand. If Herodotua had wntt«j before tbe daya <rf Abraham, or at least beflwe die aojouming it the cbiMrea of Israel in Egypt, and informed us that Circuronsien had been preclistn among them the beginning, there would then exist a possibility nwt me Israelites, while aojouming among diem, bod learned add adopted this rile. But when we know that Berodotna flntfiahed oi^ bar hundred and ei^^-four yean befoM the Caitististt anh and Aat Jacob anOjji ftanfly euoomal circmDciaed azuoof yon, every tnaa child in your eenerationB, he tau is bom in the houR, or Eoa^t with mon^ of ai^ stranger, which t* not
13 He that w born in thy house, and be that
, 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreslcin is not circumcised, that soul •shall be cat otf fVom his people; be hath broken my covenant.
15 IT And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah ahtiU her name be.
16 And I will bless her, ' and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and 'she shall be a mother ■ of nations: kings of people shall be of her.
Egypt more thnn oighteen hundred years before Chris^. d uhU all the desceudants of Abraham most conscientiously observed circumcision, and do to this dtty j then the premuption that the Egyptians received it from ihe uraelites, but that it was impossible' the latter could ha>-e received it bom the former, as ihey had practised it so long before their ancestors had sojourned in Egypt.
Veraell. AnditAaUbeatokm] nwy bolAf for a aign of spiritual things: for die circumciMon made in the flesh vas designed to signify the purification of the heart from all unriSiteouaneBB, as God particularly showed in the ]»w itselL See DeuL x. 16. See also Rom. ii. 25—29. Coloes. iL 11. And it was a teal cf that righteoittneaa, or justification, that comes faith, Rom. iv. U. That some of the Jews had a just noticm of its tjnritual intention, is plain from many paanges in the Chaldee pora- Bhrases, and in the Jewish writers. I borrow one passage fi-om the book Zoknr, quoted by Ainsvorth; " At what time a man is sealed with this holy seal (of circumcision) thenceforth be seeth the holy blessed God properly, aim ibebi^ soul is united to him. If be be not worthy, and keepeth not this sign, what is written 1 By tht brtath of Chcl ihey perisA, (Jabiv. 9:) because this seal of the holy blessed Chtd was not kept. But if he be worthy, and keep it, the Bolv Ghost is not separated from Him.*'
Terse 12. Bt that is eight days old] Because, previous to this, tbey were considered tmclean, and might not be offered to God, Lev. xii. 2, 3. and circumcision was ever understood as a eontecration qf the perton to Gad. Neither cal^ lamb, nor kid, was offered to God till it was cieht days ol^ for the same reason, Lev. xxii. 27.
Verse 13. Ut that ia bom in thy houte] The son of a servant — that i» bought leith money — a slave, on his coming into the family. According to the Jewish writers, the father was to circumcise his son, and the master the aervaot bom in his house, or the slave bought with money. It the father os master neglected to & thil^ Ibm the magistrate were obliged to see it performed: if ibe ne-
Steet of this ordinance was unknown to the magistrates, len the person himself when he came of age to discern die command of God, wu obliged to do iL
Verse 14. The vndrtnimeited—thaU be eui qf from hia pecpU] By being cut off, some have imagined that a sudaea temporal dnui was implied i but Ihe simple meaning seems to he. that such alMuld have no rignt to, nor shore in, the blesaingB of the covenant, 'which we nave ^ready seen were both of a. temporal and spiritual bind; and if so, then eternal death was implied; tor it was impoaaiUe for a person who had not received the aptriiwU jnir^tcation, to enter into eternal glory. The spirit at this law extends to all aj9;es, dispensations, and people — he whose heart is not purified from sin, cannot eater uiio the kingdom of God. Header, ai«Aal is thy b^ of heaven fixinded?
Verse 16. Tfuju Aali not eaU her name Sarai but Sarah] — See on verse 5.
Verse 1& I wilt bless her, &c\ Sarah certainly stands St the head of all the women of the Old Testament, on account of her extraordinary privileges. I am quite of Calmet's opinion, though I cannot push the parallel so lar as bs does, that Sarah was a trpe of the blessed Virgin. St, Paul connders her a tvpe ofthe New Trstanent, and heavenly Jerusalem; and as all true belieters are oonsidared as the tJtUdrm qf Abraham, so &\\faWiftt}, holy wmcn, are considered the daughter* of SBroA, Cal. iv. 2%H%. SeealsolPet. iii.6.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his fece, 'and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a cAtldbe born imto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear %
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Isbmael might live before thee!
19 And God eaid, ' Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call hia name Isaac: and 1 will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, 1 have heard thee: Behold, 1 have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and ''will multiply him exceedingly; I twelve princes shall he beget, ^ and I will make him a great nation.
■ 21 But my covenant will I establish wiUi Isaac, ■ which Sarah shall bear unto theb at this set time in the next year.
Verse 17. TTim Abraham — iaughed] I am astonished to find learned and pious men eoasidering this as a token of Abraham's wtakntsa qf faiih, or unbeii^, when they have the roost positive assurance from the Spirit of God hiroselC that Abraham teas not weak, but strong, in the Jailh — that he staggered not at the jn-omise through unbetief, but gave glory to Godf Kom. iv. 19, 20. It is true, Hit same word is used ch'. xviii. 12. concerning Saial^ in whom it was certainly a si?n of doubtfulness, thou^ mixed with pleasure at the thought of (he possibility of her becoming a mother; but know how possible it is to express both Jaith and xmbeH^ in the same way; and even pleasure and disdain have been expressed by a smile or laugh. By laughing, Abraham undoubtedly expressed his joy at the prospect of thi fiilfilment of so glorious a promise: and from this very eireuniatadce Isaac had hia name, pnr YUsduik, which We change into Uaac, si^. nifies laughter) and it is the same wora which is used in the verse Defore us — Abraham fell on his face—pnr^ va yitsehak, and he laughed — ancf to the joy which he Cslt on this occasion, our Lord evidently alltide^ John viij. M. Yourjaiher Abraham itmicto lo tee my day; ontfAe saw it, and mu olas. And to commemorate this. ' which he ftlt when God gave him the promise, he « his son's name baae. — See the note on chap. xxi. 6.
Verse 18. O that Ishmael might live b^ore thee!] Abraham finding that the covenant was to be established \A another branch of his family, he felt solicitous for his soft Ishmael, whom he considered as necessarily excluded 1 00 whi(^ God delivers that moat remarkable prophecy, vbidb follows in the 20th verse, and which contains an answer to the prayer and wish of Abraham — And oM/or /sftfltoel^ I have heard thee; so that the Object of Abaham's prayer was, thai his son Ishmael might he the head of a prosperous and potentpeople.
Verse 20. TSeelve princes shaii he teget, &c] See the names of these twelve princes, chap. xxv. 12 — 16. Prmn Ishmael proceeded the various tribes of the Arabs, called also SorocCTis, by Christian writers. Tbey were anciently, and stiU contmue to be, a very numerous and power&l people. "ItwassomewhatwonderfuL andnottobeforeseen by human sagacity," says Bishop Newton, "that a man's whole posterity should so nearly resemble nim, and retam the same inclinations, the same habits, and the same cutloms, throuafaout all ages! These are the only pei^k^ besides the Jews, who have subsisted as a distinct people from the b^iming; and in some respects they very much resemble each other. 1. The Arabs, as well as the Jewi^ ace descended from Abraham, and both boast of theis descent fi-om the father of the faithful. 2. The Aralia, as veil as tlie Jews, are circumcised, ai^ both ^fess to have derived this ceremony from Abrwiam. 3. Xbe Anbi, as weD as the Jews, hod ori^nslly ftedvs patriarda, vbo were their princes or governors. 4. The Ai*'^ as the Jews, marry among themselves, and in their own tribes. 6. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular in several of their customs, and are standing monuments to all ages, of the exactness of the divine prediction^ and of veracity of Scripture history. We mav, with more confidence, believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael, when we see them verified in their posted^ at ihis day. This is having, as it were, ocular demonstntiMi for our faith," — See Bp. Newton's Seamd Diasertaiiott on the Prophecies, and see the notes on ch. xvi. 12.
Verse 21. ^ eownant wiU I establish with Isaac} All timporat good things are prnnuied to Ishmsel and his poa*
22 And he left off talkiof with him, and ■ God went up from Abraham.
23 ^And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and alt that were born in his bouse, and alt that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house: and circumcised the flesh their foreskin in the ^ aelf-same day, as God bad said unto him.
24 And Abraham vaa nine^ ^ars v3d and nine, 'when he was circumcised m the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in' the flesh of his foreskin.
26 In tlie selfsame day was Abraham careumcised, and Ishmael hia son.
27 Apd ** all the men of his house, bom in the lionse, and bought with money of the stranger; were circumcised with him.
leriQ', but the establishment of the hord'a covenant is to be With laaae. Hence it ii tally evident, that this covenant refored t^efly to »piritual tbiiw*— to (he Messiah and the •olvation which should be brought to both Jews attd Gentiles by hii incamatioiv death, and gtorification.
Verse 22. Ood wmtup from Aoraiiam\ Ascended evidently before hhn, nO that he had the fullest proof that it was no human beu^, do earthly angel, or messenger, that talked with him: vid the promise of a son In the coorae (rf a sinffte jrear, at thia ttt tine in the tuxt Jwar, ver. 21. which had everr human probability agsinat it, was to be the sure token oi the truth of all that had hitherto taken place; and the proof that all diat was fiuther promised •hould be fulfilled in it* due- time. Was it not m nearly the same way that the Lord went op from Abraham, that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven in the preseoee n his diaciplee? Luke xxiv. 61.
Terse 23. And Abraham took SAmatl, Ac J Had not Abraham, hia son, who was of age to judge (or himself, And all the family, been fully convinced that this thing was at Ood, diey could not have Bubmiti«d to it. A rite •0 painiul, so repugnant to every feeling of delicacy, and ev«wy way revolung to nature, cwild never have Bpningup in the imagination of man. To this d^, the Jews practise it as a divine ordinance: and all the Arabians do the same. As a distinction between ihem and other people, it Sever could have been denened, because it was a »ign (hat was never to ajmear. llie individual alone, knew that he bore in hia flesh this sign of the covenant; and be bore it W the order of God; and he knew it was a tlgn and eeal m spiritual blessings^ and not the blessings memselves, thourii a proof that these blessings were promised, and that he had a ri«U to them. Those who did not consider U is this ipMnml re&ratee, are by the ^KMtle denominated the cnwinm. Phil. iiL 2. i. e. pnaona whoaa flesh was cut but whoae hearts were not purified.
1. Qod, in renewing his eovman/ with Abnun, makes on hnportontchangeinbuiand Sarai's name: acbange which dioald ever act as a help to their &itb, that the promises by which God had bonuid himself ahotild he punctually fulfilled. However difficult it maj be fin- as to ascerlaiD the precise import of the change theu mode, we may rest ■•■ured that it was perfectly understood by both; ana that as they had received this name from Ood, they eonsiderea It as plaoing'them in a new relatioa both to iheii Maker sod to their posterity. From what we have already seui, 9ie change made in Abram'a name is intcnilable to us: Siere Is something like this Rev. il 17. 7h Mm thai vtenomeA wUl I glee a vhUe stou, and'a vsw xahb — uAuA no vum kwaeOi, anting he mat itceivetk il. The fiill import of Oie ehangt made in a soul that enters into eovenant with Ood ihrou^i Cbrisf, ia only known to itself: a itntngor fnMnneddleth not wia its Jot. Hences even menoF ieaniiae,and the world at Isrgf^ nave considered ejq>erimental religion as enthusiasm, merely because they have not understood iu nature, and b&ve pomitted themaetves to be carried away by prejudices, which they have imbibed first through the means of ignorant or hypocritical mtaders to deep piety: but while they have the Sacred Writings before then, their prejudices and opposition to diBL Without which they cannot lie saved, are aa nnpineipleda* they are absurd.
2. God gives Abrahun a prsen^ whioh Aookl be ttiamd not only by himself bat I7 all bis poMerity; fcr
AND the Lord api>eared unto him in the • j^ains of Mamre: and he sat in the tentdoor in ^ heat of the day:
3 ' And he lift an his eyes and looked; and, lo, three men stood by him: ' and when he saw
this was to be a permanent sign of that covenant whieb was to endure for ever, Hioagh the sign is now dianged from ciratmciaion to bapHam, each of them eqaally nifieat, yet the eoveaont » nM cbenged in any part of vm essential meaaii^. Faith in Qoi, (hrou^ the great Sacrifice, remission of sins, and sancUfication of the hear^ are rMoiied the new covemot as well a* by (he old.
3. The rile of circumeiKm tM# paij^ftU and hmmiKating, to denote that rataUanee. at^-deniai, Ac an absolutely necessary to all who wish for ledemption in the blood of the covenant — and l/u putting ateay utia JUA Ou jteak, showed the neetsaity of a pure baart and a holy life.
A. At eternal life is the free gift of Go^ he has a right to give it in what way he pleiuee, and on what terms. Ba savi to Abram and hii seed— Ye AaU circumrU* Ik* Jtaah <lf your foreakin, and he that doth not so sioll b» eul of from hia pemU. He says also to sinners io general — £at the vntAed /oraakehi*wy,and&ewtrigkteaiuma»tht* thoMghU — Itepent, and bmewe the Goaptl tmd m repent, ye A<Ut ptriah. These are the terms on whim be chooses to bestow the blessingf of the old utd new oov«- nants. And let it be remembered, that stret^ng ont the hand to receive an alms can never be considered at nuritinM the bounty received; ndther can repentance w fiuth smtu salvation, allfaou^ they are tbe conditboa m which it is bestowed.
6. The irrecepfx given under both covenants were Hocompanicd wiui a promiae of the Meaaiah. God well knowi^ that ho religioua rite can be properly observed, and oO precept obeyed, unless he impart strength from on high: and he teaenM us, that diat streiurth must ever ccaae tfarouig^ the promised Seed. Hence, with the utmost pro|»iMy, we ask every blessing Aret^ Aim, in whoan Oeo is well pleased.
6. The precmt, the promiae, and the riie, were ptcfiuad with — lam God aU-tvfflcient, walk before me, and be thou perfei^ Ood, who is the sole object of religioos worship, has the sole authority to prescnK that worships and the rites ant ceremonies which shall be used in it( hence he prescribed dranneCston and caerUee* under As old law, and ^pNein and die eiiehaf^ under the CkMSel; and to render hodi effectual to the end of tbdr insthnhoi^ faWi in God was indispensably necessary.
7. Hioee who profess to believe in him, must not live as Oiey XutL but as he pleases. I^ough redeMned fiW the curse of the law, and from the rites and ceremonies Ot the JewiA ehurt/iy they are under the law to CArwt, and vtMat walk b^ifre htm—ie in all things obedient (o that nurai law, which is an emanation from' the rigfateotuneaa r and of eternal obligation; and let it ever he remembe that Christ is Ihe author eternal aahoHon to all i obey him. Without Ihith rad obedience there can be do bohneaa: and without holiness, DonecanseetheLord. Be all that God would have diee to be, and God wiU be to Ass all MifiL thou canst poasibly require. He never ^vea a preeept, but he ofien sufficient grace to enable thee lo Mrform iL Believe as he would have thee, and act as le AbU strena;then thee; and thou wilt then beUeve all diingi aavinely, and do all things well.
NOTES ON CHAW^R XVIH. Terse 1. And Ike Iiord <^i^>eartd] See on eh. zv. i Sat in the tmt-door\ For the purpoae of enioyillg flw
Am, he r&D to meet them from the tent-door, andbovrad him self towards the groond,
8 Aod said, My Lord, if now I have found iavour in thy sight, pasa not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:, «,,
4 Let ■ a little vater, I pr^ you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under ihK tree:
5 And *>I will fetch a morsel of bread, and •comfort ye your hearts; ''aller that, ye shall Daw on: *for tfaerefojre 'are ye come to your servant. And they said, So de, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto JSvah, and said, Make ' ready quickly three meatnte* of fine m^j knead x( and make ealm^ «poo the beuth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch- «d a caU* tender {uid good, and gave it unto a youns man; and he hasted to drese it.
8 And ^ he took butter, and milk, and the calf qriucli he had dressed, and set it before them; moi l» Btood by them under the ^ee, and they
bimitaiv, were Ending mer agalntt him; for if ibey Ma bsea atowriiiy fty win, u our tnuulation Miy% he ■Mded not t» ban nmfnm Ou tmi-door to mttt Amu. To Abraham thece appmred at firat as men; but he miertaiiud angtU unaware*; see Heb. xiii. 2.
Vena 3. Ajid ha mtid, My Lord, &c.1 The word is \rm <yion», wATnTf ydwaak, for sa yet ahnham did noi fcM«die<iuft)i^of 'hugaeati. For in apkuwjw of tbia word Bee on Oeb. ». 8.
Vem4. iMt aSUUv^kr heJUdudt andw<uh four Jket, Ac] loibeMTacMve find a delightful pietureof «nuiM and priinitiTe boipitalit^. In thoae ascicDt times, ■hoaa, meh «■ oun, wera not in uae; and the foot was praMUd only by aandaU or aoUa, which futened round the filDt with atmpa. Itwoa therefore a great refreefament, ■■ ao hot a counuy, lo ^t die feet waaiiM at the end of a da/a jouriKT; and thia ia the jSrat thing that Abraham propeaea. Rett wunehu under th« tree — we have aliwdy heard of me 9ak fravt of Mamre, ch. xii- 6. and thii waa the tteond requiaite for the refreiitmeiu of a weary toaTsller, vix. rest in the diade.
y^nti. Ivfmjt^«mantli^ bread\ llua waa ihe Othdtfti^mfm, and is inmdiMed in itajtroper ofder; at asdw innwdwtely after exertion or faague is vety unwtKmaome. lite atrong action of the tainfn and heart •boold have time lo <Kmmiah, befwe any food ia received into the atontach, aa ofherwise eoneoedon j« prevented, and tern in a lesi or greaw dwae produced.
Pgr Aar^ora are ye conte] fa dioee ancient days eveiy tavtUer eoneatnd m had a ri^ to r^talune&t when be ■ewfad it, at die Am Hal ba net vtdi on hie joumer.
dbabwIboiiAaafaaU) How esoeedingly aimpJe vaa an ttas I on neither aide ia there any oompHmmt, but socb aa a g«neroua heart and aound aenae dictate.
Tcne S. TTtrae meoMUrta qf Jbu meaL Tha Seak, fMB wilitb im here tnuulatsd maoaure, contained aceonling to Hkbi^ Cmnharland, aboat twoifallonaandahidf; and Mr. Aiuwortb traadaiea the word peek. On thia eireum- Manee diafeUowing obeervationa of the iodioioua and pioni AbM Fteory eannot fail to be acceptable to ibe reader; Hwafcing of^tfae frugaliu of the patnarcha, he aaya, " We mm an inaunoe of a apleadid entertainment, m that which Abraham nude for the duaeaanla. He aet a whole eaff Mm diem, itme brttuL but bded oo die beardH tooedier with hitUr and mWt.*' Utraa raaaauree of meal were baked into bread eo duf oeeaaon, which eonea to more than two of oar btabele, and neariy to fifky.«x poonds of Mr weight 1 wtaenca we awy eonclude, (hat man were great eatera in Ihoae d^a, uaed mudi ezereiae, Were pro- EaUy of a moch larger rtature, aawell aa Imwer Uvea man wa. Homer, (Odym. 1. ziv. m. 74, Ac) naEea hta bareea great eaten, miaa.Ehiimii* entenmnad mysNa, tie iwsiid iwo jdge fcr bimeelf and hia guest;
9 IT And they said unto him. Where {» Sarah thy wife? and he Baid, Behold, ' in the tent.
10 And he said, I ^will certainly return unto thee laccordipg to the time of life; and, lo, " Sarah thy wUe shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the teat-doOr, which wa« behind
11 Now "Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah " after the manner of women.
12 Therefore p Sarah lauehed within herself, saying, <iafler I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my ' lord being old also?
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah hiuf h, sayu^. Shall 1 of a surfefgr bear a child, which am old 7
■ At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Svah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was airaid. And h$ said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
' Homer'a heroes wait upon theroaelTca in the common OGoanooB of life: the pcUrioroha do tiie same. AIwahaaL who had ao many nrvanta, and waa nearly a hondred yeara old, brou^t the water himielf to wash die feet of bia gueats, ordered hia wife to make Ibe breed quieUy, went bimaetf to ehooaa tlie calf from the herd, aad eane again te mem them landing. I will alhnr that be was animated on thia oeoaaioD with a denre of ahowing boa* piulity; but the liraatrf all the net of die patrlarcha weia similar (o thla.
Make eakee upm the hearth.'] Or under die ashes. This mode ia used in the east to the present day. When die hearth ia strongly heated with the fire mat haa been liiiKlled on it, they remove the coals, sweep of the a«he«, lay on the bread, and then cover it with the hot cinders.
verse 10. / vriU certainly retumi Abraham was now ninety-nine ytan of see, and tliie promise was fiilfiUed when he was a hundred, ao that the phmse aeeording to tha time i\fey must mean eidier a con^rfefs year, or nine mimlhe from die present time, the ordinary term of precnancy. Token in diia latter aenae, Abrmm was now m theninety-mmhyearofhiaage; anil Isaac was bom when he was in his hundreddi year.
Verse 11. eeatedUioe with Sarah, after As vuxnMk ^ womett.! And consequently, naturally speaking, conception ooiud not take place; therefore if^she have a soi^ it must ba ia a jupsmoluraZ or mtf oett/taw way.
Vena 18. Barik UiughedK Partly through pleaaon tt the bare idea of the posridiwy of the thing i aod partly fi^m a conviction that it was extremely imprvhable. She appears to have been in the same ^nht, and to liave had the same Heelings of those who, unexpectedly bearing of Bomediing of great consequence to tbemaelvM, amtAi, and aay, tkeimoe^*ioo goodtohttmiA; ae» eh. xxi. 6. Thate is a ease very aimilsr to thia mentioned. Peal, cxxvi. 1, 8. On Abraham's laughing when the proiaise was made to him. aee the note on ch. zriL 17.
Verse 13. And &e Loan (Jehovah) Mtd Ac] So it appears that one of those three persons was Miotaki aod as this name ia never givoi to any created beinfteoBaeqnently the ever-bleasad God is intended; and as He was never 'seen in any bodily riiqi^^ecMequandy tba angel of the covenant, Jasaa CAriat, must ba fnu see on ch. xvi 7. Teiae 14. Ia any Sting too hard for the jMrd7\ »>im Hayippai£ meyhotah dabar. shall a word (or diing) be wonderful from the Lord7 L e. can anything batoogreatamiiaoleferAjmtoeffect? Tbe Septuuhu tranalKedtepaaam&u«afvraT«nmpa»ei* which St Luke a^>pta ainiost literatim, only making it aft iMrmaHva position instead of a question, »■ mtw*MT^i ir». T. wm, tnpM. And which we tranalata, mA Ood notMdf wluM 4t impoaatbla. Luke i. 37. Hanf oopiea of tbe SMAiaglnt insert dM word before tv^, aa m SL Luke, bw it make* little diffennee ia tba aeose. It was to floRset Suib'a mMifit, aod to Mnnsihto bar Ul^ 88 '
16 And the men rose up from tlicncc, ani] looked towards Sodom: and Abraham went with them ■ to bring theni on the way.
17 1 And the Lord said, <> Shall 1 hide from Abraham that thins whidi I do j
18 Seeing that Abraham Bball surely become B CTeat and mighty nation, and all the nations or the earth shml be * bleseed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment j that the LoBD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him..
20 And the Lord said, Because * the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and becaofie their sin is very grievous;
21 I wfll eo down now, and see whether they have done aRogether according to the cry of it, whidli is come unto me; ana if not, ' I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, ^ and went towards Sodom: bat Atwaham > stood yet before the Lord.
23 If And Abraham ^drew near, and said,) Wilt thou also destiroy the righteouB with the wicked?
24 ' Peradventnre lliere be SSty righteons within the uty: wflt thou altm destroy and not that Ood apoke dieae most ImportaDt words; words which state, tliat where hunuui wiMOm, prudence, and energy &iJ; aod w^e nature hewelf ceases to be an agmit tfanMgh lack of energy to act, or hrars to direct and regular etWTCT— t&«re also God has ^uU 9way — and by nis own ommne power, works all things after the counsel of his own wilL Is there an effect to Se pTDducedl God can produce it as well wiihaut as wiih means. He produced na^ire, the whole system of causes and eSects, when in the whole eompass of his own eternity there was neither means nor btmg. Hrspake, and it was done: Hs commanded, aikd it stood fitau How great and wonderful is God 1
Verse 16. Abraham vent mth Hum to bring them on thoway.] TUa was another piece of primitive hoq^Italitr— to direct stran^rs in the way. Public roads did not then exist; and guides were essentially necessary in countries where villages were seldom to be met with, and where solitary dwellings did not exist.
Terse 17. Stall I/dd« from Abraham] That is, I will not hide. A common mode of speech in Scripture; a question asked, when an affirmative is designed. Do men irathtT erapea off thomo? Men do not gaUier grapes off ihoms, Ac
Terse I9u Shall surely become a great and mighty nation] The revriotion Uiat I make to him shall be preserved among bis posterity; and the exact fulfilment of mv promises, made so long before^ shall lead' (bcm to believe in my name, and trust in my goodness.
Terse 19. And they AaU keep Qie way o/" the ZMrd\ The true reli^on — God's wat t that in wnidi God walks himself^ and in \rtiich, of course, hie followers walk also — to do jnsiice and judginml — not only to pieeerve the truth in, their creed, but maintain it in their praetioe. Far an sxplooatioD of tbsss voids, sec on LeviL zxvi. IS.
Terse 21. Itnll go down now, &c.] A lesson to magistratan, teaching them not to judge according to report, nut accurately to inquire into tlie facta themselves.
Terse 22. And (Ae men himed /A«ryi»ce«] That is, the two anscis who soeompanied Jehoi-olr^ vntfi now sent amrardSodomj while me third, who is called the Lou> or JdvmAf remained with Abraham, fin- the purpose of taaelnng him the groat usefulness and importance of hiih and prayer.
Terse 23. WUt thou destroy the righteous wUh the vnckea7] A fi>rm of speech similar to that in ver. 17.. An invariable principle of justice, that the ri^teous shall not ba poiiiabed for the crimes of the impious. Aiid this jURWULm kya down as the foundtOioa oi his si^plicatiou. Who can pray with any hope of success, who ouinot assign a reason to God and fats c9n«ci«itc«for the petitions be oiTersI llie great sacrifice offered by Christ, IS on infinite reason iriiy a penit^t sinner ihould expect IP find the mercy for wbich he pleads.
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to sla^ the righteous with the wicked: and " that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far IVom thee: " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right 1
26 And the Loro said, p If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sahes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, ^ Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am ' hut dust and ashes:
2S Peradventore there shidl lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt tfaon destroy all'tbe city fat lack of five? And he said, If I find there Ihr^ and five, I will not destroy if. '
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty fomid ^ere. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 And he said urtto him. Oh let not the Lorb be ancry, and I will speak: Peradventore there shall thirty be found there. And he said, 1 i^ittap not do it, if 1 find Uiirty there.
31 And he said. Behold now, I have taken upon roe to speak unto the LcHto: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And be said, I will not destroy ti for twenty's sake.
TerM25. ShaUnotOie Judge qfaU the earthdorighi?} Ood alone ts the judee of all men. Abr^uun, in thus addressine himself to tnfe person in the text, considers bittt either as the Supreme Being, or his represenuitive.
Terse 27. Which am but dust and osAsa] •Msn ^sjr ^ther W ^pher, words very similar in sound, as they refia to matters which so much resemble each other. Xwf, die lightest particles of earth. Ashes, the residuum of consumed substances. By these expressions, he shows how deeplv his soul was humbled in me presence of God. He who has high thoughts of himself must have low thoue^ts of the digni^ of the divine nature, ot the majes^ of Go3, and the suftuncss of SQL
Verse 32. Pemdteniurt teh thaU be Jbund there] Enowing that in the fiuslly of his nephew the true rstlgion was professed and prsctiwd, he could not suppose thare coula be less than ten righteous persons in the city, he did not think it necessary to urge his simplication Wuier; bo therefore left off his entreaties^ and the Lord departed from him. It is hii^Iy worthy of ottservatkiii, that iritile be continued to pr^i the mesence of God was eontinued; and when -Abraram ended, the glory ^ ike Lord wot Zi/ieiiuj^ as the l^rgum expresses it.
Tflis uiapter, though containing only the preliminaries to the awful catastrophe detailed in the itext, affordk tis several lessons of useful and important information.
1. HiehoepitalityandhumaiutyofAbrabamarewanl^ not only of our most serious regard, but also of oar imitation. He sat in the door of bts tent in the beat of the day, not only to enjoy the current of refreshing aii; but that if he saw any weary and exhausted traveltm^ be might invite them to rest and refreeh themselves. HoapH tahnr is ever beoomii^ in <Hie hinnnn bein^ (owanki eoMJier; for every destitnis man is a brother in distress, and demsads our most prompt and aflectiaaate assistance, according to that heavenly precept. What ye would thai men sAoufd do unto you, do even so unto Asm. From this conduct of Abraham a divine precept is fbrraed. Be not fargeffid to enisrbtia strangers, Jor thereby some hone entertained angels unawares, Heb. xiii. 2.
S. Whoterver is given on the ground of humanity aad mercy, is given unto God. and is sure to meet with his approbodon, and a sojtaUe reword. While Abraham entertainsd nis guests, God dikcovers himself, and reveals to him the couiuels of his will, and renews th* promise of a Bunerotis posterity. Sarah, though, naturally spaaldngj past child-bearing, lAiall have a son: natural. obstacles cannot hinder the purpoac of God i nature is his instrument, and as it works not only by general lawa^ hit also by any particular wiU of God, so it may SDeomplish that will, in any way he may choose to direct It is ahrays difficult to credit God's promises when they' relate to aupematural things j and still more so, when they have for their otqect, evsnts fbot are eotUrory to the eouiss at nature: but, bs tiatkim^io too hard^ Ogd; se sB
3S And he said, ■ Oh let not the Lord be an^ry, and I will Bpeak Tet but this once; Peradventnre ten abaM be tonnd ^ere. *" And he said, I will not deatroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the Lord went hie way, as soon as he had left communiog with Abraliam: and Abraham returned unto nis place.
AND there ' came two angels to Sodom at. even; and Lot eat in the gate of Sodom: and ^ Lot, seeini; them, rose up to meet them; and he bowed hunself with his &ce toward the ground:
tarrv all night, and ' wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your Ways. And they said, ' Nay; but we will cu>fate in the street all night
3 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.
4 1[ But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, oompEtssed the house round, both old and young, all the peoi^e from every quarter:
5 1 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him,. Where are the men whkh came in to thee this night? > bring them oat unto us, that we I may know them.
6 And " Lot went oat at the door unto them, and shut the door ader him,
6 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let rae, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothmgi " for therefore came they under the shadow w my roof.
thingt are pofibU to him thai 6etfmU, It is that bith akne^ wfaicn is of the opention <rf God's Spirit, that it cs|)«ble of creditiiig Mpernatiml thion: be wfao does not pny to be en&bled to believi^ end if na do^ uses not the power when leenved, obd never believe to the ■sving of the Boul.
3- Abraham tnuts mach in Ood; end God repoeea much confidence in Abnhoia. He knows that Crad is fiuthfitl, B&d will fulfil his promisee; and Ood knows that Abraham is fiuthfiil, and will conniand his children and hia htKuefaold after him, and they AbII keep the way of ihe Lord to do imtiee and jud^^ioent, ver. i9- No man hTea.unio himself; and Goa gives us neither tptriluat ner Icwyerol blessings for ourselves alone; our bread we are to divide witli the bungiy, and to help the stnuigcr in distress. He who uoderMands the leay qf Ood, should earefully instruct his household in that way: and he who is the fiaher of a bmily, should pny to Ckid to teeoh him, that he may leach his household. Jlis ignorance of God and salvation can be no excuse Ear his neglecting his ftunily — it is bis indispensable du^ to tea<A themi and God wiU temch him, ii heeanieady seek it, that be may be aUe to disehi^ this dn^ to his fiunily. Reader, if Ihy chUdran or servants aerin througfi thy neglect, God wilt judge thee for it in tiw great day.
4. 'nie sin of Sodom and die cities of the jAaia was great and grievous— the measure of their iniqui^ was tUI, sod Ood determined to destroy them. Judgment is God's 9tnm^* wrk, bot though rarely done, it must be dune ■ozzKdmee, lest men dwuJd suppose that rwht and wrong, vice and wtoe, wereahfce in the eye of G(od. And thcM todgmeBts must be dispensed in such a way, as to show, they are not the results of natural causes, bill come immediatelyfrotn the incensed justice of the Xlost High.
5. Every msji who loves God, hms his neiriwouraleo; ^heiriu kmsbis neigtaboar, will doaUm Us power to promote the «ell4iemg both of biasool and his body. Abraham cannot prevent the men oiF Sodom from sinning r'nst God; but ne can make pr^er and intereeseion for r souls; and plead, if not in arrest, yet in mitigation of judraient. He therefore intercedes for the traiwrressOrs, and God is well pleased with hia intercessions. 'Tbeseara Iheo^iringof OfltPs own hm intbeheart<tf hissemnt
6. How true is that word— Hio energetic fiuihftil prayer or a righteooB man avsilelh mnob. Abr|faara dram near to God by affection aod faith i and, in the most devout and humble manner, makes prayer and supplieation; and every petition is answered on the spoL Nw dses God eease to promise to "how mercy, till Abraham ceases to intercede I What encouragement doee this boU ODt to tbem that fear God, to make prayer and intercessioa far their wnftilneighbouN and un^edly relatives I Faith in the Lord JeMs endues prayer with a species of omnipotenee— whatsoever a man asks of the Father in his name, he will do it. Pra]rerl»s been termed the rais of heaven t bll^wilbout/aUh, that gate cannot be epsnetf. He who mvM besAoMU; BiKrMbM* miaougkt, rinll have
Sai in the gati^ Probably, in order to prevent unwary travellers from being entrapped by his wicked townsmen, he waited at the gate of the city to bring the strangers be might meet with to his owd bouse, as well as to tnuuaet his own business.
Bvaed hinueifl Not through religious reverence, for he did not know the quality of hia guests; but tlirough the customary form of civility. See on verses 3 — B. of the preceding chapter.
Verse 2. Nay, but wUl abide in the ttrttt^ Instead of kS /a, nay, some MSS. have lo, to him. " And they said unfa Aim, for we lodge in the street; " wliere, nevertheless, the n^ation is uiMferstood. Knowing the disposition of the inhsbitants, and appearing in the mere character of travellers, they preferrea the open street to any house; biit as Lot pressed them vehemently, and tliey knew him to be a ripiteous man, not yet willing to make themselves known, they coikented 10 take shelter under his hospitable roof. Our liOrd, willing for the time being, to conceal his person from the knowledge of the disciples going lo Emmaus, made as though he would go fiuiher; but at last, like the angels here, yielded to the importunity of his disciples^ and went into their lodgings. «k
Verse 6. Where are the rnen vAwA came in to thee T &e.] "niia account justifies the character given of this d^raved people in the preceding chapter, ver. 20. and in chap. xiii. 13. As their crime was the deepest disgrace to ^ human nature, so it is too bad to be described: in the sacred text it is sufficiently marked; and the illiquid wbiet^ firom these most abominable wretches, has been called fibAmtK is punished in our country wid/^
Veres EL BAM note, / A4»a tm tfou^Uers] Nothing but that saered liriit in which the rites of noqiitaJt^ were regarded among uie eastern nations, could either justify or pSliate this propMal of Lot. A man who had taken a stranger imoer his care and protection, was bound to defood him even at the expense of his own life. In this light, the righta of hospitality are still rwu^ed in Asiatio countrieai and on these hig^ notions omy,the infloence of which an Asiatic miiid alone can prorcrly a[^ireeiatei Lot's conduct on this occasiim can be at an exeuseo.
Verse 9..dnd As imff wedsfrsa^ucfge] SoA£seitfbi# in th« gate ii no proof of his being tbera laa wagitteritU capacity, as some have supposed.
Verse 11. And th«y mote ih* mm with blindneet] This has been understood two ways; I. llie angel», by the power which Ood had given ihem, deprived tbeas wicked men at a proper and regular use of their sight so as either totally to deprive them of it, or render it so conbmed, that they could no longer distinguish objects; or, 2. They caused such a deep (tirkness to take place that Aay eould not find Lot's door, llic author of the book of WUdotn was evidently <^ this tatter opinion: for he says, they iMre totnfomtd fibtttU ifiih horrOil^ great da^m,
again. This one /eUov> ■ came in to sojourn, ^ and-he will needs be a jud^e: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, ecen Lot, and came near to break tlie door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and palled Lot into the hoofie to them, and shut to the door.
1 1 And they smote the men * that vere fti the door of the hotue with bliodnesa, both small and
13 If And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy eons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city. bring them out of this place:
13 For we wiU destroy this i^ace, because the • cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LoBD { and ^ the Lord hath sent us to df- ■troy it
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his 0onsin-law, t which married his daughters, and said ^ Up, get you out of this place; for the Lobd wil destroy this city. > But he seemed as one tiiat mocked unto hia sons-in-law.
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, > Arise, take tt^ Vue, and thy two daughtere. which ' are here; lest thou be consumed in tne iniquity of the city.
16 And ■ whfle he lingered, the men laid hold
Verve 12. UomI tfum hen any baidu? mmrin-laui] Hers there appears to be but one meant, as the word tnn cfca/an is id the singular number: but in ver. 14. the Vori is flfarol, vmn ehatanaiv, his Mms-in-law. There were only ftm in number; as we do not bear that Lot had more then two daughters; and these seem not to have been tidually married to those daughters, but only bahvthtd, as is evident from what Lot seyB, ver. 8. for they hod not ibwwn man, but were the spouses dai of thoee who are here oalled nis sons-in-law. But thou^ these roi^t be reputed as a part of Lot's family, ana entitled on diis aeoount to God's protection, yet it is sufficiently plain that ihey did not escape the perdition of these wicked men; and the reason is given ver. 14. they received the solemn warning as a ridiculous tale, the creature of Lot's iaventioo, or the offspring ot his fear. Hierefore th^ mode no □rovision for their escape, and doubtless perished, (notwith- Andinff the sincerely onered grace) in the peraitioil that fell OR this unKodly ci^.
Verse 16. ^ute lu 1inger«d\ ProboUy in afi^onate, thou^ useless entreaties to prevail on the remaining parts of his fiunily to escape from the destruction that was now descending, laid hold upon hit hand! pultad them away 1 by mere force, M« JLord being mert^U; else tturf had Vtpeea UA to perish in their Uqgmng, as the odms wm their gafas^ffag.
Veise 17. Whm Otey had brought them forlh, Ac") Every word here is em^iatie, eacape for thy lot; thou art in the most imminent danger of perishing; thy and thy soui ore both at stake. LooA not behind (Am— "niou hast but barely time enou^ to escape from the judgment that is now deseendinr I no lingering or thou art lost! one took btck may prove fiual to thee, and Qod commaaik thee to avoid it yeiiher stay thou tn ail the plain, because God will destroy that as welt as the city; escape to the flK>im> tain; on which these judgments riiall not light; and which Qod has appointed thee ror a place of refuge } tttt Ami b» coMsrasD. It is notan oidinary judgment ttuit is omningt a fire from heaven riiall burn up the cities^ the plain, aad •11 that leouun in the cities ana in the plains. Both th« beginning and end of this exhortation are addressed to his personal Jeeimgt. "Skia for skin, veo, all that a man faadi willne give for his life:" tJid ee(f-preoarvatimi» Ae fira lav nature, to whidi every other consideration ts nmorond uoimportam.
verw 19, / eaTinol asesjM to tht iMitRlafn] He saw the destnietion so near, that he imi^iiwd he riuaild not have time sufficient to reach ^ mountain befaie it airivtd. He did sot consider, diat Ood could civs so eowHiUHid to his creatures, that h would be itnpomUs^ibr thna to AiMl I upon his hand, and upcm the hand of his wife, aad upon the hand of his two daughters: • the Lobd being merciful imto him; pand they Drought hiw* forth and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad^that be said, ^Escape forUiy life; ' look not behmd thee, neither stay thou inall the plain: escape to the mountahi, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said onto them, Oh, ■ not m, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy aerrant hath TouihI grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou nast showed tmto me in saving my life; aiul I cannot escape to motmtain, leat some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city ts near to flee unto, and it ts a little one: Ob, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul stmll live. - "v
21 And he said unto him, See 1 1 have accepted ■ thee concerning this thing lUso. that I will not overthrow this city, for the wnich thpu hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for 'I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. "Therefore ' the name of the city was called ■ Zoar."
23 The Sim was f risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 H Th^n * the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gromorrah brimstone and &e from the Lord out of heaven;
but the harry and perturbotim of his uinc^ will at once aoceuBt for and excuse this gross oversight.
Verse 20. A is a litlU mu] Probably Lot wished to have it for an iidieriianee, and thereCore pleaded iu beiiw a littU one, that hia requsst might be the more reodUy. [ranted. Or, he miofat suppose, that being a little ciif.: t was less dqmvea than Soikin and GomoiTah, aoi therefore not so ripe for pumsfament, '«hidt was probably, the ease.
Verse 21. See I hare accepted Ikee] How prevalent i« prayer with Ood I Far from refiising to deny a reaaoaable petition, he rtiows himsalf as if under embarrassment lo deny any.
Verse 22. IeannotdoanylhingtmOu)ubecoiiulhithtr\ So these heavenly measmgers had die Bthciest cornmissioti to take care of Lot and his fomily; and even tha purposes of divine ^stiee could not be accomplished oo tha rebellious till this righteous man and his family had escaped from the place. A pro«f of Abraham's aaaertion i tkeJudgt^iataaoaHhwUldori^ l^nawu ^ that elty woe oattei Zoar, irv isOsr, limx; its former name being Bda,
Verse 21. The Lord rained— brimetone and fir* from the Ijord\ As all judgment is coaunitted to the Son of God, many of the primitive (athera, and several modem divinesi, Have supposed that the words nwi ta-ythooahf and mm tmo «i«-s< YthoMh, imjdy Jthopah the Som. raining farimstoM sad tn ttaat Mimah the Father; and that this ^oee offbtds do mean iwoof i4 the proper dirinjty of our blessed Redeemer. It may be so: but titoug^ tos point is sufficiently estabUdiied. elsewhere, it does not uipear te me -to be plainly iodicoled hen. And it is always bMtsr cm a sidiiMt of wis kind, not to have recoursa to proefr which require pro^e to oonfim them, b must however be gcsoted, that tm person^ meuiOBsd as Jehovah, in one verse, is both s stwtge and curious circorastBDoe: and it will ^>pear more remarkable when w» consider that tbe pawon colled Jehovah, who conversed with Abrafai^ see sfaap. xviiL sad seat those two angels to briw Lot and his funily out of this devoted place; ana seenuThiiOMU; after he leA <^ talking with Ahrahaa, to have aaoended to heaveik ver. 33. does not any more ORieac on this occaaioQ lillwe hear that Jshovah rained iqwia Sedomand Oonmrak brinutaneandJirefroniJsaoiTAa 0utttfhea»eH. This eertainJy gives a fiUl countenance to die opiuonssSured to above; ibou^ still it may bll sbort
'^SrSSiS!iidJU*] IV *ordrviMg^Arift, which sra translate Wwsfsne, is of vary uncertam denvalun^ It ts erMoidynsed wwHsphsrcally, to point wt the otmMC dMisM sf pi^Uuvot timnp/tif "T lbs mst ^^rtif^ oSnJmla IB DsuL xibE. IB. Jeh xviii.!& PisL ad. &
96 And be overthrevr thoae cities, and all the tinbt, and all the inhabitants of the cities.'and • chat which grew npon the ground.
Im. xxxiv. 9. Bsek. xxxviii. 22. Aod u fuO, or an •vartaatiiig ■eparatxm from Ood and the elory of hit power, is the utmofli puniahinent that can be inflicted on auioer* g Imum briiMlom and fire are tued in Scriptara to mgiafy iIm lOTinenlein ifaM pleee ot puniabmetit. See Im. xxx. 23. Rev. AT. 10. xix. aO. xx. 10. xxi. a We may aaiely mippcme, that it waa quite poasible tbataahowerof ni'rcnw pvticlea migbt ha.ve been precipitated from the atnioepbere^ here, ae iu many other plaeea, called htaten, which oy the action ofjbre, or the wcMe jfaUd^ would be immevMttiy ignited, and so oonaume the ciuea. And a> we bam already aeen that the plains about Sodom and QomoiTah abounded with agphaUuM or bitumen pits, aee chap. XiT. 10. thai what ie particalarly meant here in reference to thepbiiL ie the aettutf fire to this vast store of inflomable Mtter by the agency of Uie lightning, or the electric fluid; •nd Ihia, in the most natural and literal manner, accounts foe the whole plain being burnt up } as that plain abounded with this bitununous substance: and thus we find three •genu employed in the total rain of (hese cities, and all tfie circumiaceat plain: I. Tnmimetable niirouM partidet [n«dpita(ea from the atmosphere. 2. The vast quantity «f anitaUue or bituvtm which abounded in that country: and, A. lAghtning, or the electric spark which ignited the nitre ud Ktuman, and thus consumed both the cities and the pittii^ or diampeign country in which thf7 were situated.
Verse 2S. And averlkrea f&ose cities, and all Uu flam] Thia fotaa what is colled the lake AgphaUUea, DtadMOy or Soli aaat which, according to the most authentic Memmto, ia about 70 ndlea in lengtli, sod 16 in hrsMlth.
jna noet sbange and inercdiUe tales ore told by many of the BiieteDts, and by sMoy of the modems, concerning the place where these cities stood. Common fiune sayi that the waters of diis sea are so ikitA that a atone wil not sink in them; so tough and clammy, that the moat boisterous wind cannot raffle thena; so deadiy, that no fish eon live in them; and that if a bird happen to flv over dM take, it is killed by the poisonous effluvia whtcn prooeeifa fron the waters; that scarcely any verdure can grow near the plaoo, and that in the vicinity where there are any trees^ they bear a most beautiful finiit, but when Tcu ooms to open it, you find nothing but as&»/ and that me place was burning long after the apostW times. IVae, and all aimikar tales, may be safely proiwunced great exaggerations of tuts, or fi^ons of ignorant, stupiiL and Mipentitioufl monks, or impositions of unprincipled tntrellerm, who, knowing that the common people are delighted with the marveUotu, have stuffed their narratives with such ocenmts merely to procure a better sole for tbeir works.
The truth la, the waters ue exceedingly salt, far beyond uw umal aaltneas of the sea; and Iwace it is called the Salt MO. In eonaetpience of this oreumstanee, bodies will Ifpat in it, that would sinli in common salt water; •ad profaebly it is on this accouiu thai few fish can live ia iL nit the monks of St Saba affirmed to Dr. Shaw thai w<y had asmJUteaurhtinU; and as to ihe reports of ny noxious qiwlity in the air, or In the evaporotioifs from tfs mrnoe, the snm|^ Cut is, lumps of bitumen often rise from the bottom to lU surfiKa, and exhale a fcstid odour which does not appear U> have any thing poismoua in iL Dr Pocoeke swam in it for nearly a quarter of on hour, and felt no kind of ineonveoience; the water, he says, is jjWTf eisor, oad faaviiw brouglit away a bottle of It, he had It analyzed, and fiwud it to etnttoin no substances beeoles sou and a tittU alum." As there ore freauent vwtions or a bituminoas matter from the bottom of this lu^wbioh seem to argue a subterraneous fire, hence the ygw Uiat thia place was burning even after the days flfuM^mstles. And this phenomenon still continues, fiff ""■MiBs of bitumen," says Dr. Shaw, " in large hemisptum, are raissd at oertam times from the bottom, which, «■ aoM M ihey touch the surface, and an thereby vMd T thy external air. burst at once with great snioJU Wd notse, like the jndnajuiminane of the cihymi«% and fafme iheniaelves in a ^ousaod pieces. But this only h^pcoa near the shore; for. in greater depths, the eru)^ ma are supposed to disoovBr tbmseives in suchooAimns Vmafcs, as are now and thaa ohserved to arise from the tafcfcA^ peifaBiM to audi eruptkM w theae we may •OriMttfrdiM variety piU mimS hallom, not unlike the traeas of Btaay of our aoeient lime-kiliii^ which aia found
S6 T Bat his wtfe looked back from behind him, aiid she became *■ a pillar of salt. 27 IT And Abraham gat up • earlj hi the in the neighbourhood of this lake. 'nteUAtnten ii^ inall probability, accompanied from the bottom with mfakw^ as both of them are found prontiscuously upon the some } and the latter is preetaeiy the same with common nattvs sulphur; the Other is friable, yiekling upon friction, or by being put into the fire, a fCBtuI smell.
Terse 26. jSft«&enimea;;W<ir^ra^] Thevaatvarie^ of opinions^ both ancient and modem, on the crime <« I^t's wife, her cfaai^ and the maimer in whidi that change was effinted, are in many casee as uneatisfaeiory 08 th^ ore ridiculouB. On thispoint the Sacred Scripture soys little. Ood had commanded Lot and his family net to look behind them; the wife of Lot disobend this command; sAe ImAed hadtfrom behind lOnilM, hu hw band, and the became a pitlar ^ ealt. This is all tba information the inspired historian has thought proper M give us on this eubiect; it is true, the account is sfaon, bat commentators onci critics have made it long enough fay their laborious gloaeea. The opinions which are the most probable are the following: 1. " Lot's vrife, by the miraculous power of God, was ehuigei iato a mass of rock salt, probably retaining the human flnire." 2. " Tarrying too long in the plain, she was struck with lightning, and enveloped in the bituminoua and sulphuric matter whi<A ohounued in that country, and whim, not being exposed afterword to the action oi the fire, resisted the air and the wet, and was thus rendered permanenL" 3. " She waa struck dead ood consumed hi the burning up of the plain, and thia judgment on her disobedience being ree<mied, ia an impenshable memorial of the fact ita^ and an everlasting warning to sinners In general, and to backslidera or apostates ih particular." On these opinions it may be only necessary to state, that the two first understaoa the texllUeraUif! and that the lost considers it metopAorteaf^. That God might in a moment convert this distrfiedient woman into a ptUar or mast qf tali, or any oMer sufrttance, there can be no doubt. Or that by contimiitjg hi the plain, tilt the brimstone and fire descended mim heaven, she mi^t be ttruek dead with lightning, and %%• durated or ptirified on the spot, is as poasible. And that the account of her becoming a pillar ef aaU, may be designed to be anderstood mtiaphoricauy, is also highly
Srobable. It ia certain diat nut is frequently need in tha 'Criptures as an emblem of ineormption, durabWty, fto. Hence a covenant ^ taU, Wum. xviii, 19. is a perpetual covenant, one that la ever to be in full force, ana never broken; on this ground a ptUar of talt may signify no more, in thiM caae, than an eeerlatting monumeat againrt criminal curiosity, unbelief, and diB<Aeaience.
Could we depend upon the various accounts given br different persona who pretend to have seen the wife at Lot, Btanoing in her complete human form, wiA all her dietinctive marks abotU fur, the difficulty would be at an end. But we cannot depend on these accounts; they are • discordant, improbable, ridiculous, and <rften grossly absurd } some profess to have seen her as a h«ap v "o^i others as a iick <^ salt, others as a eompleie fttman bmg, a« to sh^ie, proportion of pans, Ae. Ac but only petnned. This bninan tona, according to others, has sail resident in it a continual miraculous energy: bieak off a finger, a toe, on arm, Ac. it is immediately repndueedt so that though multitudes (tf curious persons have gone to see this woman, and eviiy one has brought away a part of her, yet still she is found by the next comer a oomplsW human form I To crown this absurd description, tba auAor of the poem De Sodoma, usually attributed ta TertulUan, ana annexed to his works^ represents hn- as yet instinct vith a portion qf sntmai life, wUA is tuiaquivocaUy designated by ceriain signs vhidi every menik produces. I moll transcribe the whole passage, and refer to my author; and as 1 have givwi above the setsss of Hm whoM, my readers most exouse ma from giving a act* literal tronafatioa
monraig, to the place where ' he stood before the LoHD:
88 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, '•the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a lurnace.
29 And it came to pas«, when Ood destroyed aa*OT cities oV the plain, that God " re-
of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the citiee in the which Lot dwelt
30 ^ And I^t went up out of Zoar, and * dwdt in the mountain, and his two daughters
TTia natiment in the lut lines ia supported by Ireoieus, who ■Hurea ut, that though still reBoauiing as a pillar qf tall, this ttatue in form, and other natural acciderUa, exhibits decisive proofe of iu original — Jam mm caro earrwptibUiti »«d ttatua salia semper manens, et per nuuialia, ea. qtue aunt coosuetudinis homlnis ottendent, Vb. iv. c 61. To eomplete thie Kbsurdity, this fiuher makea her an emblem of the true church; which, though ■he suffers much, and often loses whole members, yet preserves die pillar of salt, that is, the foundation Ike true faith, &c
St. Clement, in his Ist Ep. to Ou Corinthiana, ch. ii. follows JoMphus, and Bsseru, that Lo^s wife was remain- Log, even in that time, as a pillar of salt.
Authors of respectability and credit, who have since travelled into the Holy Land, and made it their buaineaa to inquire in^ this subject in the most particular and careful mamier, have not been able to meet with any reitudna ^ this pillar: and oU accounts begin now to be confound^ m the pretty general concessioa ooth of Jews and Gentiles, that either the st&tue does not now remain, or that ■ome of the heaps of salt or blocks of salt rock, which are to be met with in the vicinity of the Dead sea, may be the remains of Lot's wife! Au speculations on this subject are perfectly idle j and if the general prejudice in bvour of the continued exiatence of tliis monument of God's justice bad not been very strong, I should not have deemed myself justified in entering so much at length into the wi^ect. Tho«e who profess to have seen it, have in general BumcienUy invalided Iheir own testimony, by tte moDitmus abnirdities with which they have encumwred their relations. Had Lot's wife been uionged in the way that many have supposed, and still preserved somewhere in the nei^ibouihood of the Dead sea, surely we might expeet some account of it in after parts of the Scripture history. But it is never more mentioned in the Bible; and occurs nowhere in the New Testament, but in the ■imple reference of our Lord to the judgment ita^, as % wammcto the disobedient and theliacksliding Lukexvii. 32. Raaomber Lofaw\fel
Verse 27. Ahraham gat up early in the morning] Anxious to know what was the effect of the prayers whi^ be had o&red to God the preceding dav, what must have been his asloaishment, when he foimd tnat all these cities, wilTi the plain which resembled the garden of the Lord, ch. xiiL 10. burnt up, and the smoke ascending like die mmokt ^ a faimaeo, and was therdiy assured that even Ood himself could not discover ten r^hitam peraooe in four whole cities!
Verse 29, God remembered Abraham] Though he did not descend lower than ten righteous pereous, (see ch. xviii. 32.) yet the Lord bad respect to the spirit of bis petitions, and spared all Oiose which could be called rtgAfetnta; and, for Abraham's sake, offered solvation to all the family of Lot, tliou^ neither his sons-in-law elect, DOT his own wife, ultimately profited by it. Hie former ridiculed the wamtiig; and the latter, thou^ led out by the hands of the angel, yet, by breaking the command of God, perished with the other ninMyers.
Versa 30. Lot vent up otUqf Zoar} From seeing the universal desohition that had rallen upon the land, and that the fire was still continuing its depredations, he /eared to dwell in Zoar, lest that also should be consumed; and then went to those very moimtains, to whii^ God had ordered him at first to make bis escape. Foolish man is ever preferring his own wisdom to that of his Maker. It was wrong at first not to betake himself to the mountain; it was wrong in the next place, to go to it, when Ood hod with him; for he feared to dw^ in Zoar: and
he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.'
31 J And the firstborn said unto Uie younger, Our father it old, and there 'a not a man in the earth ' to come iu unto ua after the manner of all
32 Come, let us make our &ther driidi wine, and we will lie with him, that we ' may iveaorve seed of our father.
33 'And they made their &ther drink wine that night: and the firBtbotn went in, and lay with her mther: and be perceived not when am lay down, nor when she arose.
Even him the assurance that Zoar should be spared for s sake. Both these cases argue a strange wont of Audiu both in the truth and providence of God. Had he MU dwelt at Zoar, the shameful transaction afterword meorded, had in all probabili^, not taken place.
Verse 31. Our /oAer Is oU— and connqiKntly »oi likely to remarry— and there it not a man in Ae sorA] None left, according to their opinion, in all fte Imd of Canaan, of their own. family and kindred; and ther mi^t think it unlawful to match with otl)er% such as Ae inhabitants of Zoar, whom they knew were devoted to destruction as well as those of Sodom and Gomorrah, anf were only saved ta the earnest request of their fiuber: and probably, while they lived among them, ^ey found then ripe enough for destruction, and Oierefore would haw tbought it both dangerous and criminal to have fbrmed' any matrimonial connexions with them.