The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-02

sor) forty-five? or forty? or thirty7 or twenty? of ten?f Abraham displayed no Bargaining temper, striving only to get the best possible terms" but was climbing the ladder of hope and faith, with each promise talk ing courage to ask for more. When he felt that he had reached the uttermost verge of Divine forbearance, then only he rested his case. and returned unto his place with mingled emotions-joy at the blessing that should soon be his: grief at the curse that should next day fall upon the cities of the plain.
 Analysis and Key.
 1. The Patriarch's camp at Mamre.
 Pastoral scene pictured.
 g. Approach of visitors.
 Substitutes for newspapers.
 Modern analogy--s'Circuit Rider" 3. Fascinating bit of Oriental life4
 Greetings-preparati of meal.
 Serving and eating.
 1. Angel character of guests. Dis
 covery.
 Bearers of blessings and curse. 5. Abraham's intercession.
 Consummate skill.
 NO discrimination between good
 and bad7"
 Saving the bad on account of
 Exemplary advantage.
 Ratio proposed in descending
 scale.
 Abraham Type of Divine Inter
 cessor.
 The Teachers Lantern.
 From various angles Abraham has been viewed in the preceding narra- tive: as a pilgrim: as prince of a grow ing tribe: in war; in worship; receiv- ing promises; entering into a covenant: but here he appears in an entirely new capacity--in the lovely and holy of flee of intercessor. Picture the disin- tcrested quality of his intervention on the part of the Sodomites: compassion for the erring was his chief motive. Here is the first great outstanding in- stance of microscopy prayer in Scrip ture. Abraham Is here type of Him who 'ever lives to intercede.
 E * %
 The duty. privilege, value. impor- tance, efficacy of intercessory prayer, here has striking exemplihcation We are here encouraged to pray for our fellow creatures en masse. Much of our prayer is too circumscribed. IL is seifshly personal. It abounds in personal spronouns. It may well be satirixed by the prayer ascribed to the hide-bound deacon: Lord bless me and my wife, my son John and his wife; us four and no more. Amen.'' & % %
 Setting ourselves to study the con- dition and needs of others, masses. classes, individuals. and to present them in petition at the mercy seat. has its reflex advantage in broadened sympathies. Richest blessings often come to us not when we are praying for ourselves, but fer others. | N s& & se The value to the world Of the good people who aye In it here has con- spicuous illustration. They are the salt that saves 1t. There are things that God might do to the world which He does not do because of the pres ence of His saints. These are ever in- creasing in number. so the world grows propoFtionately safer. Never again will the poverty of the world in right eous men be so as in the case of Sod om.'
 @ & A
 The modern fascination for city life has a remarkable analogy in the case of Lot. He must live in a city, even if itsfs only zoar!
 & N E That Banduo's Ghost, the city prob lem, will up" in this lesson. Within the lifetime of some readers the pop ulation of the cities of this country will equal its entire present popula- ton; and De Tocqueville affirmed that the cites are a real danger threaten ing the Republic.