The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-02

Ahrahap, Pleading for sodom.
 Under the grateful shade of the oaks
 of Mannre the patriarch's camp was pitched. It stretched afar: for his
 vast fiocks and herds required an army
 of attendants. Under the, crimson
 folds of the sheik's pavilion, on her
 rich divan, the venerable Princess Sa-
 rah reclined, while at it's silken portico the centenarian Abraham rested in the heat of the day. Perhaps he was in-
 dulging in the pleasures of memory
 and was back again In thought to the banks of the Euphrates-now at UT, where God first called him; or at Char ran and his fathers grave; or perhaps he was treading once more the banks of the Euphrates's great rival, the Nile; or he was looking down the long vista of the future, and wondering when the blissful promises. of which he was heir. should be fulfilled. :.
 His reyerie was suddenly broken by the approach of strangers. At once there was a sensation in camp. The mo-
 notony incident to pastoral lie was broken by it's chief and most welcome diversion, the arrival of passing trav- eler. In that age, before post and newspaper, this was the cnief means or commun ication with the outside world.
 This was how the nomadic tribes heard of the rise and fall of monarchies and ktngly projects in war or peaceful arts of commerce and architecture. We have an analogy to it in modern times in the welcome arrival of the pioneer preach CT at a clearing in log cabin days.
 He brought more than theology in his saddIe-baEs. Literature does not contain a more naive and fascinat- ing bit of Oriental life. We fairly see the patriarch running to greet his guests with profuse Eastern saluta- tions--adroitly making himself their debtor in that they allow him to en- tertain them courteously discountfng in advance what he proffers them, "a little water" "a morsel of bread" In an incredibly short space of time the appetixing meal Is spread--a roast of veal, with butter and milk and deli cious cakes baked by Sarah's own deft hand--and Abraham stands to serve.
 From the very first Abraham may have had an inkling of the super natural character of his visitors. The hour of their arrival was so unusual no one travels in the East in the heat of the day. But whether the host sus- pected 1t or not the guests soon cast of all disguises and Abraham knew that he was entertaining the Lord and his two attendant angels. .. They were bearers of blessing and of a curse. A blessing to righteous Abra- ham---the blisgfu1 assurance that the long delayed advent of His promised son was near at hand. Here is glimpse at the ministry of the holy angels These two were possibly rewarded for fidelity by being allowed to see Abra- hams face when the good news was broken to him. And if angels attend ed the Lord on this errand, why may they not be going with him on others, or going for him? While Abra- ham, with couTtly hospitality and grace, was going a pace with his de- parting guests, the Lord revealed the curse to him. Excess of joy over the blessing was tempered by grief over the impending curse, and vice versa. It was natural God should tell Abra- ham of what would befall Sodonn, Proximity would suggest it. Then, too. the patriarch had fought for the Sodomites, and his nephew dwelt portant information would never have been given to any human being of less exalted character than the patriarch possessed. This is the plain infer ence from the words with which the revelation is prefaced. The very fact that he was worthy to be chosen the progenitor of the chosen race signified that he was worthy to be the Lords confidant The greater included the less. why, indeed, should the thing be hidden? By this very act of con- fdence the Lord lifted Abraham. as He intended to, from the plane of servi- tude to that of friendship. The ser want lInoweth not what his Lord doeth
 but the friend does. As the Lord had assumed human form, so he also accommodated Himself to the fashion of human speech, and described him. self as on the way to make a personal
 Investigation of the wickedness oi Sodom-to see whether the reality oi 1t was as great as the fame of it-anc thus qualify himself to pass judicia
 sentence, all of which was of the na- ture of anthropomorphism. Al the angel trio started on their dread mission, Abraham's generous, compas- sionate heart prompted him to throw himself between the Lord and the doomed cities. All unconsciously ht makes himself striking type of the great Intercessor of the race. Ht prays for sinners. Their awful fate touched his heart to pity. He had once gone to battle for them; now he goes to his knees in their behalf. He is a daysman, a mediator. With con. sunnmate skin he handles their des. perate case. Shall this be a whole sale slaughter? Will there not be q discrimination between the good and the bad? Might not the sparing of the had on account of the presence of the good among them have striking, ex- @unlarv influence? If so, what shall he the ratio between the good and the bad? Might 1t not be as fifty to the whole population? or (with extreme