ings, thoughts, desires and purposes,—will be like God. You will resemble your Heavenly Father, as a child does its earthly parent. You will begin to hate sin, as God does; and, like him, to love all that is true and wise, right and just, benevolent and merciful. His will, (or desire to have things done as he pleases,) will be your will.-And he will indeed be a Father to you.

He will

take care of you, with a constant and watchful tenderness in life. He will comfort and support you in death. And, then, he will take you home to himself in Heaven, to love and serve him, and to be happy with him for ever.-Abraham was strong in faith. He believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.

Do you, thus, my dear reader, believe in God?

STORY XIV.

THE WICKEDNESS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

At the time when the three men, (as they appeared to be,) were so hospitably entertained by Abraham, his nephew Lot was

living in Sodom. It was one of the cities in the plain of Jordan. This was a delightful country, lying east of Canaan. It was well watered every where, and beautiful and fertile as a garden.

Gomorrah, which was near Sodom, was another of the cities. It is strange that Lot could live, with his family, among such a people as dwelt in Sodom and Gomorrah. For they were exceedingly vile and wicked. They committed the most abominable kinds of wickedness; forgetting God and despising his laws.

Lot did not, indeed, partake of their wickedness. On the contrary, it troubled him constantly and exceedingly. He, doubtless, made efforts to lead those around him to forsake it, and to love and obey God. The Bible tells us that he was a righteous man. He feared himself to sin against God; and the example which he set before his neighbours and townsmen, was a good one. But it had no effect upon them; and, seeing this was the case, it is wonderful that Lot would stay in such a city, and have his family constantly exposed to the temptations which must have beset them.

But he was a rich man.

He had numer

ous flocks and herds, and other possessions; and was strongly induced, by the beauty and fertility of the country, to remain there. It was this which, at first, attracted him to choose it as the place of his residence, when he and Abraham separated from each other; -although he must have known the character of the inhabitants. For we are told, in the account which the Bible gives us of Lot's making this choice, and pitching his tent towards Sodom, that the inhabitants of that city were wicked, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

He must have known this. His choice was a very hazardous and unwise one. He had much better have lived in a less pleasant and fertile country, where himself and family would not have been exposed to such dangerous temptations. What if the pasture grounds had not been quite so good and well watered; nor his flocks and herds increased so rapidly; nor his wealth been so great;-he would have secured to himself and family things of much greater value than thousands of sheep and cattle. He would have been in a vastly better situation, to lead them, by

his prayers, his instructions, and his example, to love and obey God, and obtain his favor, both in this world, and in that which is to come. He run a tremendous risk in taking them to live in the midst of such abominable wickedness.

It is true, indeed, if he went there for the express purpose of doing them good,—of endeavouring to lead them to repentance, and the abandoning of their wickedness,he did right, although he and his family would be exposed to temptation. In such circumstances he might expect the protection and blessing of God.

1

But it does not appear at all, from what the Bible tells us, that this was his great object in going. On the contrary, we read that "Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar."

"Then;" (that is in consequence of this beauty and fertility of the country,)" Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan,-and

L

dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom."

Besides, after living among such a people, and finding that his example and efforts had no effect upon them, but that they kept on in their vile and abominable wickedness, he ought, at any rate, to have stayed there no longer, but to have sought some other place of residence.

By continuing there, he was about to be exposed, with his family, to a tremendous calamity, as we shall soon see.

The men whom Abraham treated so hospitably, at length, rose to take their leave of him. They directed their course toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them, to accompany them a part of the way.

Soon, that one of the three who made the promise to Abraham and Sarah that they should have a son, and who was the Lord himself appearing in a human form,-informed Abraham of his design in going the way that he did. It was to judge of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah; of the extent of its vile and abominable character; and of the punishment which it deserved.

Abraham, on hearing this, felt very sorry