Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-08
Dallying With Danger.

Lot fingered and It took the friendly
force to save him from being swept away
By the doom that threatened the city.
The weakness Of Lots character is seen
In the Hardness and timidity that he ex-
hibited when he was called upon TO make
the. decisive steps to escape for his life.
The scorn and derision of his family
caused the; morally weak man to hesitate
about seeking safety.
The lure OF. the city held him fast. The
desire to- increase his wealth and his
selfish spirit that united him by family.
financial and friendly ties to the Go-
ciety OF SOd0m caused him to delay his
start. Perhaps his wife. who may have
been q native Of the city, may also have
influenced him, for her heart was In the
social circle that she was compelled 10
leave, and the longing for which caused
her to hook back and be overcome BY
the catastrophe that was pressing upon
them as they FASTENED to escape from
their dangerous surroundings. Many TO-
day are lost by their worldly associations
that makes them turn back when In the
path Of duty.
It was the dawn of new day as Lot
entered into Zoar, the little. in safety.
because God, In answer 10 the prayers
OF Abraham, had forced him to leave
the doomed city. When the object or
iAbrahau's prayers was safe within the
walls of the city of Zoar the destruction
Of Sodom took place. The investiga Ion
or scientists has discovered that great
beds OF bituminous limestone extend be-
low the Jordan valley and much OF the
Dead sea, and that the escape OK innam-
mable gas from these through the OPEN
ing of a fissure along a great line OF
fault is capable Of producing all the ef-
fects described in the lesson. The br1m-
stone of the authorized version is prob
ably ..some form of bituminous matter
that would be carried into the air by an
hi .1r
escape Of gas.y causing ,s .n,cx sasanS
ificrust anything that IT came In. co act
with into a pillar of sale. This vas
probably accompanied by an earthQuake
and then subsistence OF the land, SO
that the use OF the word overthrew"
would be appropriate. In our study we
are compelled to note the supernatural
element In timing the catastrophe and
overriding nature so that It stands Tor.
ever on the scriptnral records as Judg-
: IF taught Abraham and his descendants
the tact that God will punish sin. Many
tried to eliminate the thought OF punish
ment from our conception OF God and the
'fufure life. We find 1t obligatory to pun
lei, our children The lesson Is q
prophecy in action Of the fact that we
shall. ali be summoned into the presence
of God to give an account or our life.
The path to safety Is stated In the golden
text: "come ye out from among them.
and be We separate, saith the Lord, and
touch no unciean thing" We cannot af-
ford to compromise, as did Lot. our prin-
ciples. II we do, then in the hour OF
danger we will be handicapped In our de-
sire to assist them without Christ, as
wen as. in our own efforts TO escape.
we cannot afford to build up our char
acter. commerce or country upon any
thing that is unciean and that God can
not approve. There is only one safe
course TO follow with the saloon, social
evil and sin In. all FORMS namely. a total
abstention from all liquors, RIGHTEOUSNESS
and luxurious living. While We live sepa-
rate lives from the world. We ought to
realize our duty not only TO pray but to
seek and save the lost