Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-06-19
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The story Of the destruction of Sod
ON and Gomarrah is one in which
most readers of the Bible have been
interested. The unhappy connection
Of Lot with it is well calculated TO cx-
cite our sympathics. The story is as
instructive as it is touching.
When Abraham, desirous ofpcace,
gave Lot choice Of the land, he lifted
up his eyes and saw all the plain of
Jordan, that it was well watcred cv-
erywhere, and for this reason he chose
it. He dwclled in tho cities Of the
plain and pitched his tent t0rord Sod
on.
Ills motive was gain. He chose n
rich, but wicked country. There he
lost spiritual comfort; veXed his right
cous soul with the inhabitants; ruin
cd his children in the midst of an idol.
a,rous people, with whom they inter
married; became involved in the de-
struction of those cities; was guilty
of the sin of incest; and his posicri-
ly, to the remotcst generations, have
not returned to a knowledge of the
true God. He committed his grand
error when he pitched his tent toward
Sodom.
We often meet with individuals
whose conduct leads us to say within
ourselves, they arc pitching thcirtents
toward Sodom.
The man who in any way sacrifices
moral good and spiritual ends, for
physical and temporal advantages, is
pitching his tent towards Sodom.
The man of family who leaves a re-
ligious community and Christian priv
ilegcs, and carries his family, merely
for purposes of gain, into a country
where there are no Sabhaths nor sane
tuaries, where the influences are a.
gainst religion, where his children
will have the children ofproianc mon
as their only companions, and will, of
course, marry ungodly husbands and
wives, will find, after while, that lie
has pitched his tent toward sodom.
The Christian man who sacrifices
principle to Interest, and who makes
the law Of the Lord variable thing,
is pitching his tent towards Sodom.-
A gentleman, an elder Of the Prcsby-
tcrian clurh, some years since opened
hotel in a country village. He did
it to support his family, and it was
right; but then, to secure custom, he
departed from Christian principles,
and kept an open bar. In a fewycars
he died, leaving widow and several
sons. The hotel was kept up, and his
sons attended at the bar. Tho sons
of that man all became drunkards;
they squandered his property, and his
widow is now sustained by the bency-
olcncc Of the church. Hew good
man, but he pitched his tent towards
Sodom.
The young man who commences
the indulgence of bad habits is pitch
ing his tent towards Sodom. He may
love social glass; he may prefer the
society of the vicious; he may indulge
in an occasional game of cards; he
may go to the house of her whose
steps take hold on hell. In all this he
may see no great evil; but after a
time, unless arrested by Gods provi-
dence and grace, he finds himself
bound in the strong chain of habit,
vexed by evil passions, suitable sub
iect to have dwelt in ancient Sodom,
and ere long to take up his abodes in
those regions of which Sodom and
Gomarrah are but an emblem.
Finally, every impenitent sinner has
pitched his tent toward Somom, be-
cause he chooses to dwell in the cities
of tho plain; because he is travelling
to place over which the storms Of
Gods wrath arc gathering; and be-
cause he must soon be cast into the
lake that burnett, with fire aud brim-
stone, unless ho flee unto the noun
tains, and tarry not in all the plain -
Reader! hast thou pitched thy tent
towards Sodom!-T THatchmaa anil Oh.
serrer.