The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-03-01


20 pray and not to faint"--I.uke ISL.
TIME.-About Is years after last les
son
PLACE.-The oaks OF Memre at He
bron
sCRIPTI1RAL REFERENCEs.-Inter-
cessory Prayer: Ell s2.3i. 81: 4:s: Josh
u.s. Judg. 5:3l: 2 Sam. A:H; Kings s:S
-. g. 80. ! Chron. 29:ls. 10; Chron-
9o:ls, lisa. s2l: Dan. s:iT. Luke, 2sSi'
Acts $50. Rom. 1911. Eph. l:l6-lsi Col
10 Heb. 1920. etc. illusions to sodom'
Deut 2e.2s comp. S2.S2). lisa. l:s: 49,
Jer 23:l4. is:1s O.fo: Lam. 4:s: Eek
1916. As. IS. g: Amos All; Zeph. 20.
Matt. 1915 comp Jude Z; Pet 2:0;
Matt 1924. Mark GIL. Luke 1912; 1873.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In this story we have an example or
one way in which God trained the
world to know and to realize that he
is in the world and knows and is con-
cerned with all that it going on here.
Angels, one OF them being the angel
OF Jehovah" came in human form to
Abraham sitting at his tent door. TO
bring him message Of assurance, and
to see the great wickedness of the
cities of the plain.
There is nothing improbable in God
appearing in human form in the early
ages of teaching spiritual things TO
men. any more than in his coming in
the human form Of Jesus Christ, and
for the same reason, namely. to i'm
press indelibly and wildly upon the
human race the reality of the presence
and power and character Of God. They
are object lessons teaching a great
truth.
Ii has been a hard lesson TO learn.
and many even now have not learned
II. that God is a living power among
the affairs or men, and participates in
them that the word is true. Are
they not all ministering spirits sent
forth to do service for the sake OF
them that shall inherit salvation"
Heb. 1:14, and that he "maketh
winds his messengers, his ministers a
flaming fire" (Psa 1870.
Answer TO Abraham's Prayer.
First-As in all true prayer IL was
by praying and the answer TO prayer
that Abraham became a closer friend
OF God, became acquainted with him.
Thus we become acquainted with
others by seeking the same end. coun-
selling together, asking and receiving;
as a son with his father.
Second.-It was answered in the es-
cape of Lot, the one righteous man in
the city. He escaped, but lost his
/ home. some OF his children, his flock
and herds, and all his property. He
escaped poor. forlorn. seemingly
broken down man. The poorest invest
ment he ever made was in property
| I'm Sodom. He was an illustration OF
the apostles appeal in l Cor. 3:12-l5.
Listen to the angels warning. Stay
not in all the plain. II is not enough to
20 outside of the walls OF the Sodom
VI fragrant acts OF sin, open crimes.
and disreputable and degrading vices:
but we must not stay in that region.
but keep as far away from sin as
possible from thoughts of sin. from
secret sin.
Listen to Christ's warning. remem-
Der Lots wife. Look not back. Make
no delay in escaping from sin. Let no
regrets at the pleasures Of sin stop
your onward course TO the place of a
| holy life and heaven.
She did not merely turn her head
and look while hasting away. but
stopped behind and the fiery storm
and eruption OF liquid saline mud over
took her
Third.-Abraham' PRAYER was an
swered In the destruction Of Sodom.
for that was essential to the promotion
OF righteousness which Abraham had
most at heart, and also essential TO
the best good OF his nephew Lot. God
often answers the soul of our prayers
while denying the form. When a little
child asks his father for the moon.
thinking II a bright plaything. the
father answers the child's prayer by
giving him the plaything which he
really wants. and not the moon. which
he does not want. for the gift would
crush him to death Giving him the
moon would not be answering his
prayer.
God wants all men to be saved
saved first of all from their sins. for
all other salvation depends upon this.
He longs for sinners TO repent. He
desires with all his nature that all
men would so live that II may be pos
sible TO save them. But they must be
saved from sin and not in sin. There
fore he sent his only begotten Son.
The one deadly enemy 10 the coun-
try is unrighteousness. The ancient
civilizations have persisted by this
poison. Greece and Rome did not fall
till they we're permeated with upright
eousness. And II ever there comes to
pass Macaulay's vision Of some trav-
eler from New Zealand" who shall.
in the widst Of vast solitude, stand on
a broken arch Of London bridge to
sketch the ruins OF st. Pauls." or on
brooklyn bridge to sketch the ruins Of
| New York. II will be because Of un-
/ righteousness alone.
Practical Points.
Jesus secs the good and the evil in
us. as the angel Of Jehovah did when
he came TO Abraham's tent ard to
I SodOm.
The wicked have within them the