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that is thine, even to a fhoe latchet, left thou fhoulde&. fay I have made Abram rich.

REMARKS.

The perfonal bravery of Abram in refcuing his captive friends and neighbors, and recovering their goods; his noble independence of mind in declining the offer of the king of Sodom, and his difinterefted and dignified conduct throughout the whole affair, are entitled to a high degree of honor. And who does not fee, in this inftance, a near refemblance between Abram, the venerable Chaldean, and the American Walhington? Both of them rifqued their own lives, from benevolent motives and principles; and both refufed thofe pecuniary rewards which were due to their lervices.

CHAPTER VI.

ABRAM'S HOSPITALITY, COURTESY AND

1....

BENEVOLENCE,

A. M. 2107.

WHEN Abram was ninety years old

and nine, the Lord appeared unto Abram, and faid unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceed. ingly; neither fhall thy name any more be called A. bram; but thy name fhall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

2....And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre; and he fat in the tent door in the heat of the day. And he looked, and, lo, three men flood by

him: and when he faw them, he ran to meet them, from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and faid, My Lord, it now I have found favor in thy fight, pafs not away I pray thee from thy fervant.

3....Let a little water I pray you, be fetched, and wath your feet, and reft yourfelves under the tree; and I will fetch a morfel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye fhall pafs on for therefore have ye come to your fervant.-And they faid: So do as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and faid, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

4....And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man ; and he haflened to drefs it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dreffed, and set it before them; and he flood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

5....And the men rofe up from thence, and looked towards Sodom; and Abraham went with them, to bring them on the way. And the Lord faid, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do feeing that Abraham fhall furely become a great and mighty na. tion, and all the nations of the earth fhall be bleffed in him? for I know him, that he will command his children, and his houfehold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord.

6....And the Lord faid, Becaufe the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their fin is very grievous; I will go down now, and fee whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me, and if not I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went towards Sodom but Abraham ftood yet before the Lord.

7....And Abraham drew near and faid, Wilt thou alfo deftroy the righteous with the wicked? peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou alfo deftroy and not fpare the city for fifty righteous that are therein ? that be far from thee-to flay the righteous with the wicked. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?

8....And the Lord faid, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous, then I will fpare all the place for their fakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am bat dust and afhes; peradventure there fhould lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou deftroy all the city for lack of five? And he faid, If I find there forty and five I will not deftroy it.

...And he fpake unto him yet again, and faid, Peradventure there fhall be forty found there. And he faid I will not do it for forty's fake.. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will fpeak: peradventure that thirty fhall be found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.

lor twenty's fake.

10.... And he faid, Behold now I have taken upen me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there fhall be twenty found there. And he faid, I will not deftroy it And he faid, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once; perad. venture ten half be found there. And he faid, I will not destroy it for ten's fake.

REMARKS.

While the fervent and perfevering interceffion of Abraham for his wicked neighbors, the Sodomites, was a mark of the fingular benevolence of his mind, his courteous and hofpitable character is, in the mean time, worthy of notice and imitation. He entertained:

angels unawares Suppofing them to be mere men. Sitting in his tent cor and obferving three frangers in the street, the kindnefs of his heart prompted him to invite them in.

He did not, with a cold formality, fend one of his fervants to them: but went himself. His pace accorded with the warm feelings of his heart: he ran to meet them; and, according to the eaftern manner of exprelfing civility, bowed himfelf to the ground. His invitation was fuch as could leave no doubt of their being welcome; for it was warm and hearty.

He made ready the best things for their entertain. ment; and, tho' he had many fervants, he stood by his guests while they were eating, and courteously waited upon them himself. And finally, when they took their leave, he did not fend, but went perfonally, though greatly advanced in age, to bring them on their way. This noble fpecimen, in comparifon with the falfe and cold-hearted Chefterfieldian politenefs, is like the pure gold compared with tinfel.

CHAPTER VII.

THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM.

1....

A. M. 2107.

Now pride, fulness of bread, and abun

dance of idlenefs were in Sodom; and the people of Sodom gave themselves over to wantonnefs and abom.. inations, and were finners exceedingly before the Lord. But Lot was a juft man, and was grieved form day to day with their filthy coramunications.

2....And there came two angels to Sodom at even: and Lot fat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot feeing them, role up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; and he said, Behold, now, my Lords, turn in, I pray you, into your fervant's houfe, and tarry all night, and wafh your feet, and ye fhall rise up early, and go on your way. And they faid, Nay, but we will abide in the fireet all night.

3.And he preffed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lie down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compaffed the house round about, both old and young and they called unto Let, and faid unto him, Where are the men that came in to thee this night ? bring them out unto us, that we may abuse them.

4....And Lot went out at the door unto them, and fhut the door after him and faid, I pray you, brethren, do not fo wickedly unto thefe men do nothing; for therefore came they under the fhadow of my roof. And they laid, fland back. And they faid again, This one fellow came in to fojourn, and he will needs be a judge; now we will deal worfe with thee than with

thein.

8....And they preffed fore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the houfe to them, and fhut the door and they fmote the men who were at the door of the house, with blindness, both fmall and great: fo that they wearied themselves to find the door.

6....And the men faid unto Lot, Haft thou here any befides? Son-in-law, and thy lons, and thy daughters,

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