will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. his household, that it should operate as a warning to his posterity in all future ages of the consequences of bold transgression, and a powerful motive to 'keeping the way of the Lord and doing justice and judgment.' But its connection with the preceding verse seems too close to admit of this construction. We take it rather as a statement of the conditions on which the previous promise of enlargement and blessing should be fulfilled-conditions which Omniscience saw would be complied with on Abraham's part. 'Abraham shall become a great nation and a source of blessing to the world, because I know that he will be faithful in the discharge of his duties as the head of a family, and thus do what in him lies to per 18. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become, &c. Heb. being shall be; i. e. shall assuredly become. Although God was pleased in the preceding verse to adopt the interrogative form of speech, yet it is to be considered as in fact a most emphatic negative. 'Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? No, I will not, for I know,' &c. We have in this and the following verse the reasons assigned for the decision to which he comes. The first is the dignity and importance of his character, and the great things which he had purposed to do for him.petuate the promised good to his most It is a reason a fortiori; as if he had said, 'Seeing I have determined to bestow upon Abraham the greater favour of making him a great nation, and of blessing in him all other nations, surely I may confer upon him the less, of making him acquainted with my present purpose of destroying Sodom.' Where God has begun to do good to his servants he follows them with still accumulating mercies. The past is a pledge for the future, and they may, like Rachel, name their blessings 'Joseph,' saying, 'The Lord will yet add another.' distant posterity.' Whence it appears that although the promises to Abraham and his seed, and through them to the world, were absolute, yet Abraham's conduct forms an essential part of the plan. It was by a suitable system of means that the predicted end was to be brought about.-We cannot fail to perceive in this language in what high esteem family-religion is held by God and should be held by us. The honourable testimony which is here borne by the Most High himself to the character of Abraham, rests mainly on the ground of his foreseen exemplary per19. For I know him that he will com-formance of the duties of a father and mand, &c. This is usually understood a master. It was this pre-eminently by commentators as a second and separate reason for the proposed annunciation to Abraham, viz. that he would make good use of the intelligence afforded him, and so aim to impress it upon which God saw and knew and acknowledged in Abraham, that he would use his influence in these relations aright; that he would not only advise and counsel his children and household God in the ways of God, confirming his | do it only in a tame, timid, and ineffecteachings by his own pious example, tual way? They may perhaps occasionbut he would command as a master, ally give their children and domestics when he failed to influence as a father. good advice. But of how much account Although it be admitted that a stern is that? Abraham did not satisfy himand despotic enforcement of religious self with giving good advice to his duties upon the young, whether chil- household, but he 'commanded them.' dren or domestics, usually tends to evil, He maintained anthority in his family yet occasions will arise when parental and exercised that authority for God. authority must accompany parental God saw that Eli reasoned and exposprayers and precepts, if we would walk tulated with his children, and that in a in the steps of faithful Abraham. As manner which at the present day many influence of whatever kind is a sort of would consider as abundantly serious delegated power with which God is and severe ;-'Nay, my sons, this is no pleased to invest us for his glory, it good report that I hear of you: ye make should be carefully exercised for the the Lord's people to transgress.' He upholding and promoting his interests even went further and reminded them in the world. In particular, every of the day of judgment;-'If one man thing that dishonours God, no less sin against another the judge shall than that which is injurious to society, judge him: but if a man sin against must be opposed with determined vig- the Lord, who shall entreat for him?' our. The violation of the Sabbath, the But he still failed of his duty, and God neglect of public worship, and all kinds cut off both him and his family, 'beof profaneness must be discountenanced cause his sons made themselves vile, in the most positive and peremptory and he restrained them not.' manner. Parents and heads of fami- saw that the guilt and usurpation of lies are bound to see to the moral de- Adonijah lay at the door of David, his portment of all who are committed to too fond and indulgent parent;-'His their charge. They should feel a re- father had not displeased him at any sponsibility on the score of their spirit- time in saying, Why hast thou done ual and eternal interests. The econoso?' my of the household should be so ordered as to carry the conviction to their minds that the knowledge, the love, and the service of God is the great business of life, to which every thing else is to be subservient. We should aim to make known to them the way of the Lord,' and especially the way in which they may find acceptance with him in the last day. With this view their attendance upon the instituted ordinances of religion should be an object of special solicitude and inculcation. We should inquire from time to time into their knowledge of divine things, and their progress in the heavenly road. How many alas, are they who never employ their influence as heads of families at all for God, or who And thus too, by some severe and heart-rending judgment will the delinquency of Christian parents be apt to be visited. True it is, that though we may command, we cannot ensure obedience to our commands; and in spite of our utmost efforts, there may be much amiss among those under our control. In Abraham's family there was a mocking Ishmael, in Isaac's a profane Esau, and in Jacob's many a sinful character. But for our encouragement the inspired declaration, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,' will hold, if not as a universal, yet at least as a general truth. At all events, signal benefits will accrue to those who are brought up in the fear of God. Innumerable evils, which under 20 And the LORD said, Because | see whether they have done altothe cry of Sodom and Gomor-gether according to the cry of it, rah is great, and because their sin which is come unto me; and if is very grievous, not, b1 will know. 21I will go down now, and % ch. 4. 10. & 19. 13. Jam. 5. 4. a ch. 11. 5. ExoJ. 3. 8. a different education would have ensued, are prevented, and good habits are, for a time, at least, induced. And though afterwards the force of temptation may prevail to draw them aside from the good way, yet in a season of distress they may be brought to reflection, and the seed long buried in the earth may spring up, and as in the case of the prodigal son, bring forth fruit to their eternal welfare. The advantages of a father's house may be forgotten for a season; but in a day of adversity they may be remembered, and he that was lost may be found, and he that was dead be made alive. Let us then earnestly aspire to the commendation here bestowed upon Abraham. Let us aim at securing the same high testimony, so that God may say respecting each of us, 'I know him; I know his principles; he regards all that he possesses, his power, his health, his learning, his influence, as a talent committed to him by me, to be improved for the good of others and the glory of my name. I know his practice. He calls his family together from day to day, to unite in worshipping and serving me. He catechizes his children; he instructs his servants; he labours steadily and affectionately to guide them all into the way of peace. His heart is set upon these things; he enters into them as one who feels his responsibility, and has no wish but to approve himself to me, and to give up a good account of his stewardship at last.' Let us thus aim to be like Abraham in this world, that we may be numbered among his children in the world to come. 20, 21. And the Lord said- I will go down, &c. Rather, 'for the Lord had b Deut. 8. 2. & 13. 3. Josh. 22. 22. Luke 16. 15. 2 Cor. 11. said;' i. e. had said in his heart, had purposed. Descent here is of course but figuratively ascribed to God. There could be no change of place with him who is everywhere present; nor can examination be necessary to the eye of Omniscience. The language merely represents God as employing those means of investigation which are necessary to man to declare that all the acts of his vengeance are in perfect conformity to justice, and that he never punishes without the clearest reason. And surely if any thing can show unwillingness to punish, or a desire to see every thing in the most favourable light, or an anxiety like that of a tender parent to cleave to the last hope that his child is not irrecoverably lost; we have it in these words. It is speak ing of God indeed according to the manner of men, but it implies that he would look into the whole case; that he would be slow before he came to the resolution to inflict vengeance to the uttermost; that he would institute a careful inquiry to see whether what he knew to be bad, was incurably bad. In a word, it implies that if there was any possibility, consistently with justice, of sparing that devoted city, he stood ready, in heart and mind, to do it. If we rightly apprehend the drift of the whole narrative, vs. 20, 21, are inserted by way of parenthesis, in order to acquaint the reader with the main design for which the Lord, with his two accompanying angels, had descended and made this visit to Abraham. On any other interpretation it is not easy to understand the propriety of the expres sion, v. 21, 'I will go down,' when he had actually 'come down' already. - The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sense given to this phraseology by some commentators, making the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah merely equivalent to the fame or report of their wickedness, is certainly altogether too frigid to answer to the emphatic nature of the expression. It is the very metaphor used by God in addressing Cain, 'the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me.' But the language is by no means exclusively appropriated to the horrid crime of murder. It is applicable to every sin as expressive of the moral demand which it makes for punishment, for every sin has a voice of crimination against the sinner, and its crying intimates the fixed, necessary, and righteous connection, Gen. 4. 10, which is established between transgression and punishment. Thus, James, 5. 4, The hire of the labourers kept of you back by fraud crieth, and the cry of the reapers entereth into the ears of the Lord God of Sabbaoth.' Sins however are more especially said to cry when they are peculiarly heinous, flagrant, aggravated, and calculated to provoke the wrath of God; and such were now the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which two cities are doubtless mentioned for their pre-eminence in crime, though it is clear from Deut. 29. 22-24, that several other cities in the immediate vicinity were involved in the same destruction. ¶ Their sin is very grievous. Heb. very heavy. Such as the very ground groans under; the axle-tree of the earth is ready to break under it. Sin is a burden to God, Am. 2. 13. It was so to Christ; he fell to the ground when he was in his agony. I It was so to the angels, who sunk into hell under it. It was so to the Sodomites; they were so clogged with the superfluity of naughtiness, that God came from heaven to give their land a vomit.' Trapp. Whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it. Heb. 3 have done or made to a consummation or completion, or as is not inaptly rendered in our version, 'have done altogether.' Others give it a little different shade of meaning, and render 'have made a full end;' i. e. whether they have filled the measure of their iniquities, whether they have carried their sins to the utmost height of enormity, so that they can be spared no longer; for 'sin where it is finished bringeth forth death.' The language shows, at any rate, the determination of the divine mind to institute the most rigid scrutiny into the facts of the case and to act only upon clear and indubitable evidence. T And if not, I will know. Chal. 'But if they repent, I will not take vengeance.' 22. The men turned their faces from thence. That is, the two before spoken of. A more accurate rendering would be 'had turned,' and instead of went' in the next clause, 'had gone.' Abraham after going with them some distance, returned into the presence of the Lord, where the ensuing interview took place. T Stood yet before the Lord. Gr. er AV BOTηKWS was yet standing. Chal. 'Stood in prayer before the Lord.' 23. Abraham drew near, and said, &c. Targ. Jon. 'And Abraham prayed and said,' as if his 'drawing near' was not merely in a way of local approxi 24. Peradventure there be fifty | thou also destroy and not spare righteous within the city: wilt the place for the fifty righteous that are therein ? g Jer. 5. 1. mation, but also of holy fervency and importunity in prayer. In Heb. 10. 22, James 4. 8, the corresponding Gr. term (ɛyki(w) has the same meaning. And here commences the most remarkable instance of human intercession to be met with in the whole compass of revelation, one in which the tender and sympathizing benevolence of Abraham on the one hand, and the astonishing clemency and forbearance of Jehovah on the other, are portrayed in colours such as the pencil of inspiration alone could present. The mind of the patriarch would naturally be deeply impressed with the annunciation given above. He would feel for his reckless and ungodly neighbours, over whom such a tremendous doom was impending; but especially for Lot and other righteous men whom he might hope would be found among them. In these circumstances it might indeed be expected that he would stand in the gap, and do all that in him lay to avert the evil coming upon them. But that God should have been so condescending to his prayers, and yielded one concession after another till the number was reduced from fifty to five, could not have been anticipated by human reason. But the depths of the divine mercies are not to be fathomed by the scanty line of our feeble faculties, and we can only stand on the shore, of this great ocean and wonder and adore. Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? The question here proposed is not to be understood as implying any settled doubt in the mind of Abraham whether the righteous might not be in danger of being destroyed with the wicked. His previous knowledge of the true attributes of Jehovah, we may well suppose, would have precluded any serious apprehension on this score, and yet, as no reservation or exemption was spoken of in the announcement itself, there might have been a momentary inward misgiving which was sufficient to prompt the humble and reverential inquiry of the text. As a general principle, we certainly run no hazard in maintaining that in the distribution of rewards and punishments, the Judge of all the earth will do right. At the same time it cannot be questioned, that in those judgments which befall communities in the ordinary course of God's providence, the good and the bad are often alike involved. Thus the calamities of war, pestilence, earthquake, fire, &c. fall upon the righteous as well as the wicked. In such cases we are to look forward to the retributions of another world for a complete vindication of the ways of Providence. There the sufferings of the righteous in this world, in which however even here they experience no more than their sins deserve, will be abundantly compensated. But we may suppose that Abraham here speaks rather of such miraculous and extraordinary judgments as are immediately inflicted by the hand of God for the punishment of some crying sins, and as a warning to a heedless world to avoid the like provocations. Such was the awful visitation which God now intended to bring upon Sodom, and to which Abraham refers. In this case it might reasonably be expected from the justice of God that he would put a difference between the righteous and the wicked. Thus in like manner in view of the threatened destruction of Korah and his company, Numb. 16. 19-22, Moses and Aaron 'fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? And on this oc |