The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-15


Heaven or earth, something which His
own natural law could not, of itself, do
mt all, or would not do, of itself, at that
particular time, and IN that particular
way, and at that particular and specified
place. Is 1t not most Irrational to put
limitations upon God, which God Him
self discards7 The miracle of the Flood
and the miraculous Interpretation of
God III the case of Lot and his family,
and in the case of Sodom, have upon
them the in,primatur or Jesus Christ.
They bear His endorsement. and they Will
pass current when all His critics and all
the critics of divine truth will be buried
In oblivion. We may we'll believe that the
natural and the supernatural Are but
parts of one stupcndous whole Above
and below and behind them both. is the
Gol Of both. The natural Is as truly the
work of God as is the supernatural.
Three.-Notc the danger that turks IN
bad associations. 1t was seltshness that
must, at first, have been exceedingly
painful TO his wife and daughters. to be
obliged to live in such den of infamy.
But their scruplos were soon overcome.
Sodom was n rich city, and Lot was
growing rich, ana he and his family
were welcomed to the best society in the
town; the best society in Sodom! Save
the marl What must have been the
best society of Il city, in which there
were not ten righteous persons? But,
nevertheless, Lot pitched his tent towards
Sodom, and his loyal wife and children
went with him. They soon ceased to
blush at the sins of their neighbors. for
"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
AS to he hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then em-
brace"
A Greater Sinner.
AS we view things, Lot would seem to
be a more heinous sinner than his wife,
both before and after the destruction OF
Sodom. His daughters, too, from our
point of view, were more wicked than
their mother. Neither the Moabites nor
the Ammorities had any reason to be
proud of their ancestry. Yet Lot was
pardoned and his wife was punished. We
are shortsighted, and our vision is often
distorted. God sees virtuc where man
thinks he sees vice, and God see vice
where man thinks he sees virtue. Tho
foolishness of God is wiser than men;
and the weakness of God, is stronger
than men.
Ii We had not found It in the pages of
revelation. we wonld scarcelv believe that
Lot was "iust." and that he had a
righteous soul" that was 'veNed' with
his wicked surroundings.
But why did he not get out of such
filthy place? He didn't go there as n
missionary. He went there to make his
fortune and he made 1t. Yes, and he lost
it. too, and that in moment. He lost
his wealth. he lost his home he lost
some of his children. he lost his wife and
had it not been for Gods angels. and for
Gods sovereign grace he would have lost
his soul. But at this juncture, he obcycd
God, and hence he was saved, while, alas,
his wife disobeyed God and was lost.
Hence the force of Christ's words: RE
member Lots Wife,"
Four-Note the destructive power of
sin. Lots wife was deeply moved by the
thought of the impending catastrophe.
But she could not bring herself TO sec
the justice of God in threatening to de-
stroy her home and her friends. Hence
while she half believed God, she hestated
and fingered. When Lot warned his SON
in-law he seemed unto them "as one that
mocked" His wife. in a measure. shared
their spirit. She hated to leave her lux
urtous home. and SO while the angels
laid hold of her the Lord being merciful
unto her. and while they hastened her out
of the city, and told her 10 escape for
her life her heart was still in Sodon,.
In view of her conduct and her punish
ment we canot mistake the obvious les
son that Jesus has in mind when He
says: "Remember Lots wife, Let us
heed the lesson. Behold the goodness and
severity of God: 10 Lot, goodness; to his
WlIt, StNtIlls.
Sin is that abomnable thing which
God hates. And why does God hate sin?
He hates 1t not because 1t Injuries Him.
hut because 1t is rebellion against His
authority, and because if God does not
come to the rescue, it will surely ruin
the sinner In these soft days, we have
almost lost the bible conception of sin,
its ruinous character and its hdeousness
In Gods sight. ii we would see what
sin is. we must read. not trea,ises ON
morals not poems of sentiment, not
speeches of phlantllropists; but another
book altogether; the Book Of God-thc Old
Testament. to show us what sin has cost
in judgment; and the New Testament, to
show us what sin has cost in cNpiation."
1t is well that penitent sincrs should re-
member that God is love; it would be
WE'LL also, If unpentent sinners could be
induced TO ponder that other sentence Of
inspiration which says: "Our God Is a
consuming fire.
But was not the sin OF Lots wife II
trifling sin? What great harm was IL to
, turn around and take n last look at her
old home? Little sins, these are the
DEVILS traps to catch the unwary travel
Ter. Little foxes can spoil the vine, as
completely as il they were big, IT was
only little sin for Eve to take an ap-
pie and for her and Adam to eat it; but
il was forbidden fruit, and it was man s
first disobediencs, and the fruit of that
forbidden tree that brought death into
the world and all our woe. To disobey
God il not II trning sin. 1t dragged
down angels from heaven. 1t drove our
/ first parents out OF Eden. 1t ruined Lot $
wife. 1t killed the Lord of glory. Lot es-