Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON WI, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
RATIONAL SERIES, FEB. te.

Text of the Lesson, Gen. xviii, 22-33--Mem-
DRY Verses, $500 - Golden Text, Gen.
xviii, 25-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
The text of this lesson and the title,
Gods Judgment on Sodom," are some
what perpleXing. The proper text for the
title is in the next chapter, and it seems
to me that better title for the text as
signed would be "Abraham's Interccsson
For Sodom." / will not take up the les
son verse by verse, as is my custom. but
taking the topic assigned will gather some
helpful lessons from the whole story in
the two chapters xviii and xix.
XVIII, III. The Lords visit to Abra-
ham and communion with him. The in
cident of the visit of the three heavenly
ones. Jehovah Himself and two angels, to
Abraham. his providing food for them and
their eating it under the tree is i'm many
RESPECTS the only one OF the kind in the Bi-
bic. 1t is true that in the days of his hr-
initiation He dincd in many homes, and
even after His resurrection did cat with
His disciples duke xiv. AZ, 49,, but be
fore He became man this is the only in
stance of such intimate fellowship rs a
man with man. II reminds us Of the fell
lowship that must have been in Eden and
suggests 60 uS the coming days when the
tabernacle of God shall he with men, and
He will dwell with them (Itcv. xxi, a.
But We have Il privilege NOW, which seems
to bc enjoyed 10y very few, OF the constant
presence and fellowship of the Lord Jesus
(Rev. iii, 20; John xiv. 23; II Cor. vi. 49,
If we would only determine to be wholly
His and only and always His. presenting
our bodies unresCrvclly rs living cacri-
flee, He would certainly accept and iii
these temples for His glory Rom. xii, l. -
The Lords question, shall | hide from
Abraham that thing which do? reminds
Us that it is written, "Surgiy the Lord
God will do nothing. bit lie rcvcaleth
His secret unto His servants, the proph-
cts amos iii, -. And His own words
in John wv, 10. ~ have called you friends,
for all things that | have heard Of my Fa-
thcr lave made known unto you, ~ eho;v
us how intimate He would like to be
with us.
NNIII 9?-33. Abraham's interccs,ion
for Sodom. The angel, have passed on to
Sodon, and we shall meet them in tho
next section. but now Abraham t. alone
with the Lord, and feeling his own I'M
wOrthine-s he yet ventures. though he be
but dust and ashes ver.e "a to plead
with the Lord to spare Sodom While We
wait for the coming of the Lord both
righteous and wicked all die and are often
taken out of this world in the same dis
astcr, cyclone, earthquake, shipwrcck,
smnehup or what not, but tie upright
shall have dominion over others in lie
morning ls. Xix. To- In the trliest sense
the righteous can never perish l.Iuhu i.IGl.
The destroying of verse - can Gully refer
to their being cut off in the overthrow of
the city. So Abraham pleads for the sake
OF the righteous whom he hopes are 20 he
found there that the city may be spared
He thinks there may be 80 and asks aud
receives Fearing there may not he so
many, he comes down to -. then to 10,
then 30 and 20 and finally to 10 and re
c.iVr9 the assurance that if there are 10
righteous men in Sodom the city viii be
spared. The sequel proves that there was
but one righteous man 40 he found III