The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-08-15
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
international Lesson Comments Fer
August Is.
Subject: Abraham's lntereessioB, Gen. xviii.
I6.53.. Golden Text, James ", I6.-Mem.
ory Verses, z5.75-. Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

lntroduction.-Our lesson contains the
preliminary events of one Of the most aw-
ful tragedies in the worlds history. The
cup OF Sodom's iniquity was full, making
mat city ripe for destruction Although
Sod is mercful yet He will not always
strive with man, and there is hne which
individuals or nations cannot cross with
impunity. The only safe place is in the
mountain, far away from the smoking
plain. In Abraham's prayer we see his
great faith, his humility, his charity and
his holiness
IS. "The men," The three angels.
Toward Sodom." "As with the Lord
there is mercy, so He is the God to whom
vengeance belongs They. looked toward
Went with them" Public roads did not
exist and guides were necessary.
II. Shall hideY That il, ! will not
hide" Abraham was the "friend" of
God, and communication of secrets is one
OF the special privileges of friendship"
The way to know the divine purposes
about this present evil world is not to be
mixed up with it in its schemes and specu-
lations, but to be entirely separated from
1T. The more closely we walk with God,
the more we shall know His mind about
every thing. Thing which LIDO" Which
purpose doing, or am about to do. God
gave Abraham the look of kindness and
love, but to Sodom it was a look of indg-
nation and wrath. The right hand of the
Judge implies his left.
lS. Mighty nation" The Jewish ma
ton. Shall be blessed in him" "The
world" would be blessed in the Messiah
that was to spring from Abraham.
10. IL know him" His character and
destiny. will command his children"
Ee not only prayed with his family, but
he taught and commanded them, and was
prophet and king, as well as priest"
Abraham made it his business to promote
practical religion in his family, and this is
gwen as the reason why God would make
known to him His purpose concerning So
dom.
20. "Cry--is great" That is, these cities
have sinned very grievousiy.
81. 81 will go down" ] will inquire
into the facts. God could not have been
in doubt, but He desires to show to Abra-
ham that He was not judging hastily, or
without full knowledge of all the facts.
%. The men turned" etc. The two
angels who accompanied Jehovah were
now sent toward Sodom. while the third,
which is called the Lord or Jehovah, re-
mained with Abraham. As God is never
seen in any bodily shape, consequently the
great angel OF the covenant, JESUS Christ,
must be meant.
%. Abraham drew near" ~ In bod
lily presence, (2) in spiritual nearness. (3)
in holy fervency, (4) with boldness, (5) in
humility, (6) with confidence. "NVilt Thou
also destroy" IL is principle of justice
that the righteous shall not be punished
for the crimes OF the wicked, and this
Abraham lays down as the foundation of
his supplications.
"a Fifty righteous" These were more
righteous than existed in the citv. We
would not even know that Lot was right
eous had not the apostle Peter told us
But true charity and goodness always hope
the best and not the worst.
25. Shall not the Judged rght?"
Abraham must have had divine teaching
concerning the fact that jehovah was the
worlds Judge" This implies that God
would certainly do right, although Abu-
ham might not see how.
26. IF | hn6--I will spare" So faith
fully would tod protect His chosen ones
when appealed TO by Abraham in their De
half Nor does this go to show that He
viii not protect them unless urged to do
so by others. 1t does show, however, the
power and value of prayer
q. "DusC and ashes" Dust is M orr
gin and asnes is my end. BY these ex.
pressions he shows how deeply his soul
was humbled in the presence OF God They
who stand nearest to God are the most
humble The bolduess of prayer must be
ever tempered with humility.
%. There shall lack" The SAFETY of
TIE city being granted on the condition
ham takes courage and asks still larger
things He drops to forty-hve then to
forty then to thirty, then to twenty, and
finally to ten. He was climbing the ladder
of .ope and faith; with each promise he
took courage to ask for more; he grew
into larger visions of Gods goodness.
81 But this once" Abraham's inter.
cession was limited because the interces-
sor was but man; it did not reach the
need. He said, i will speak yet but this
once. and there he stopped short, as il
AFRAID OF having presented too large draft
at the treasury. OF infinite grace, or forget.
ting that faiths check was never vet dis
honored at Gods bank 1t was not that
God was not able to give, for there was an
abundance OF grace and patience in Him
to have hardened to His servant had he
proceeded to three or one; but the servant
was limited, and afraid OF overdrawing his
account. He ceased to ask and God ceased
to give. Not so our blessed Intercessor;
OF Him it can be said, "He is able to save
to the uttermost-seeing He ever liveth
to make ntercession." May our hearts
cling to Him in all our need, our weakness
and our conflict
80. "The Lord went His way" The an
gel-Jehovah-with whom Abraham had
been communing, went His way. Abra-
hams prayer was answered, though not in
the way he expected l. The righteous
We're delivered from the city 9 BY the
destruction of the city Righteousness was
promoted. Sin was bringing forth death;
such vile cities would contaminate and cor
rupt the race; the cancer must be cut out,
lest the whole being be destroyed.
In chapter 10 we have an account of the
destruction of Sodom and the cities of the
plain. The two angels that left Abraham
went to Sodom ne: y, where they were
received kindly by Lot, but shamefully
used by the people of Sodom. The angels
told Lot to warn his friends TO fee, for
they had been sent to destroy the city IN
the morning the angels fastened Lot. his
wife and his two daughters, telling them
to leave the city and not TO look back lest
they be consumed. Lots wife looked back
and became a pillar of salt. 1t was not
enough for Lot to go outside the walls of
the city, but they were commanded to
leave the plain. Spiritually, those who
stay in the plain are those who do not for
sake all their SINS and who rest in convic-
ton and good resolutions without having
been truly converted.