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fools only despise the remedy. "A prudent man forseeth the evil and hideth himself, the simple pass on and are punished." (Proverbs xxii. 3.) Lot and his family stood alone in his strange and unlikely counsel, and Lot and his family stood alone on the hill, that saw the city in flames.

They only who believe our testimony now, shall be safe in that day, and be caught up, or raised up, to be ever with the Lord.

PRAYER.

O Lord God, who hast revealed thy wrath against all ungodliness, and yet declarest there is mercy with thee, that thou mayest be feared, look down upon me, a poor and helpless sinner, and guide my feet into the way of peace. Deliver me by thy mercy from the condemnation of the world; save me by thy grace from conformity to it. Let thy word of deliverance be heeded by me, and the way of salvation chosen and followed.

Hide me securely in Christ Jesus, and when thou comest forth to punish the inhabitants of the world, let me be safe in thy favour and in thy love.

Increase my faith in Christ, that Christ may increase in preciousness to me. Cause me so

to walk in His strength, that I may triumph over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Teach me so to abide in Him, that at the last I may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. For His sake hear me in this my prayer. AMEN.

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LOT'S WIFE.

"The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;

"And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

"But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." GEN. XIX. 23-26. Lor's wife is one of the most awful examples in Scripture. "Remember Lot's wife," are the words of the Lord Jesus, which alone would give a sad solemnity to her example, if nothing else would do so. The Lord tells us to remember it. It must be important. We are bound to consider it, to weigh it deeply, and to seek to turn it to good account.

Lot's sons-in-law were impressive examples. They had warning, they scoffed at it, and they perished. Lot's wife was not only warned, but seemed to give heed to the warning, fled from the city, and yet perished. If the case of persons who, like the sons-in-law, turn their backs upon religion, and perish in their

folly, is common, the case of those who, like Lot's wife, pay some attention to it, and yet are lost for want of it, is still more common.

Let us look at what she seemed to be; then enquire what she was really; and so shall we learn what we are specially to remember about her.

First, then, Lot's wife seemed to listen in common with her husband to the voice of warning from God's messengers, to believe what they said, and to wish to follow their counsel.

That she had some faith in what they said there is no doubt, and that she wished to escape by fleeing what danger there was, is also certain. But that she had doubts and hopes contrary to God's word of threatening, seems also clear; otherwise she would not have acted as she did, and disobeyed, and looked back. This was unbelief.

In this she is a warning to those who believe with the head, and not with the heart; who believe a little, but not entirely; who have a dead faith, and not a living faith; whose faith is built on other grounds than on the power of God, and demonstration of the Spirit.

In the second place, she took some measures to avoid the danger. Like Herod with John

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the Baptist, she not only" heard the voice of warning, but she did "many things." An outward observer would have seen no difference, or but little, between her and Lot himself. With him she was preparing to go away. With him she followed the angels that led them. With him she actually left the walls of the city, and stood in the plains outside.

And herein she is a sample of that character so often spoken of in Scripture, which has the "form of godliness," but does not know its

power." Many there are, especially in these days of religious light and knowledge, who are in outward appearance doing as much as the truly righteous. Judging by outward looks and acts you would not know the difference. They are like the wise and foolish virgins. Professing the same object, holding the same creed, attending the same ordinances, having the same hope, and seemingly reposing on the same ground of security, as it is said, "they all slumbered and slept." All professors of religion are builders, but some are building on sand, and some on rock, a solid and deep foundation.

In the third place, Lot's wife seemed to be under the influence of God's grace and mercy. How remarkable is this. Not only the angels' words drew her out of the city, for they said,

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