Genesis 18:33

The Lord went his way.

Language is used that was adapted to human comprehension in the childhood of our race. It means that the celestial visitant departed.

PRACTICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.-- Hebrews 13:2.

The effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much.-- James 5:16.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cries.

The righteous are the salt of the earth. Had there been. hundred Noah's among the antediluvians, the Flood would never have come. Had there been ten righteous in Sodom it would not have fallen. The scoffing Ingersolls, who rail at the church and blaspheme God, are allowed to continue to exist on account of the righteous.. community that becomes hopelessly wicked is delivered over to destruction. The natural laws of God remove an offensive, pestilential carcass from the surface of the earth; the moral laws of God decree the removal of. nation that has become putrid.

God employs as agents to execute his judgments famines, plagues, and the bolts of war. "Will God destroy. righteous nation?" He will not. When. nation is swept away. search into its condition will always reveal moral causes for its destruction.

Every man who loves God loves his neighbor also, and will do all in his power to promote his well-being. Abraham cannot prevent the people of Sodom from sinning, but he can make prayer and intercession for them, and plead for. mitigation of their judgment. God is well pleased to have us "pray for all men," for our enemies, for sinners, for even the most wicked. If our petitions cannot be granted, God will open our eyes to see the righteousness of his judgments.

This commercial kind of entreaty is the essence of true prayer. It is the shamelessness of faith which bridges over the immense distance between the creature and the Creator, and appeals with importunity to the heart of God, not ceasing until the point is gained.-- Delitsch.

Abraham received no denial. As far as we can see, It was he that left off, and not God.... It would seem that there were not even so many as ten righteous in Sodom. Probably there was only one, and he had so sinned in going there to live that he might justly have been involved in the general destruction. And yet God went further than his promise and saved Lot's family, certainly thus saving all the righteous that were there.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

1. Portray the hospitality of the aged patriarch; the three guests; the primitive entertainment; the departure toward Sodom. 2. Note the revelation to Abraham--probably from. summit near his tent, the plain of Sodom in sight, Sodom in the distance. 3. Impress the reason of the doom of Sodom (see Genesis 18:20); sin will bring judgment; corruption will bring destruction. 4. Observe particularly Abraham's intercession; it is right to work and pray for the salvation of the wicked. 5. Observe the basis of that intercession--that the wicked shall be spared on account of the righteous, and that God admits the plea. 6. Impress that the righteous are still the salt of the earth; the church must save it; suppose the salt lost its savor?--then it (the church) is only fit to be cast out. 7. Note that God is ready to hear, ready to be plead with, ready to do even more than we ask.