to him, as the phrafe is understood by the best interpreters.

How edifying this first representation that is handed down to us, in the annals of the world, of a creature admitted to converfe by prayer with his creator! and what a pattern of devotion to us even in thefe enlightened times! Abraham requests nothing for himself, but with profound humility, moved by a benevolent concern for the most horrible crimes of his fellow creatures, he, by various arguments in their behalf, pleads for their being faved from impending deftruction, that they might have space to repent. Whilft on the other hand, with infinite condefcenfion and kindness, the Almighty liftens and replies to his pleas, convincing him, that had not their difpofitions been turned to evil beyond a poffibility of being changed by any ordinary means, his prayer would have been granted and they would have been fpared,

With regard to the particular fin of the inhabitants of thofe cities, for which the divine

divine judgments were ready to fall on them, and which this pious good man prayed might be averted; it is a crime which befpeaks the highest depravity, if not a total moral infenfibility and alienation of mind from God and goodness. And it is probable that fuch an early declaration from heaven against it, in the deftruction of Sodom and Gomorrha by fire, the traces of which remain unto this day, displayed in fo tremendous a manner before Abraham and his family; with the fevere ftigma and condemnation paffed upon all fuch crimes afterwards, in the law of Mofes thefe circumstances, all together, fixed and left fuch a deep indelible impreffion and horror upon the minds of his chofen race, as have been the means of preserving them at all times from fuch unnatural debafing vice. For we never find their prophets, in the long catalogue of their crimes, laying this particularly to their charge. And in their difperfion into other countries, foretold by their prophets, whilft the heathens among whom they fojourned were many of them, infamous for it, the greeks and romans in their most polished and improved state by

no

no means excepted; and the followers of Mahomet horribly guilty, the nation of the jews has in general been unpolluted with it.

Of Lot, the nephew of Abraham, it is recorded, 2 Peter ii. 6, 7, 8. that he was filled with deep concern for the extreme wickednefs of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, a mark of a truly virtuous mind, to be concerned for God and his holy laws, and the happiness of his fellow-creatures in their obedience to them. But concerning thefe diftinguished perfons, Noah, Abraham, and Lot, and fome other worthy characters among the ancestors of the Ifraelites in those early ages, there are unquestionably fome things recorded which are by no means to their credit, or to be imitated by us: a circumftance which does honour to the facred historian, fhewing him to be actuated by a regard to truth only in what he related, and refolved to tell things as they really happened, however it might make against fome of the most favourite characters of his nation.

Of

Of Mofes the divine lawgiver of the Ifraelites, and his early preference of virtue and obedience to God to the highest worldly dignities and enjoyment, we have an important teftimony, Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26, confirmed by every thing we know concerning him. From the time that he had a divine call to deliver his countrymen out of bondage in Egypt, and to fettle them in the land of Canaan, he led a life of inceffant toil, and anxiety, and contradiction, in having to ftruggle with their low bafe minds, and obstinate untractable tempers, which their long flavery had generated and rivetted in them; by which his patience and magnanimity were called forth and exercised; devoting himself and all his powers to bring them off from this flavery of vice and evil paffions, the worst of all others: for which he had no reward to look for in this world, but the fatisfaction of doing them good and approving himself to God.

His wifdom and virtues we find were known and revered far and near among the gentiles; and the excellent laws which he laid down for his people, taught and excited

many

many in different countries to honour the true God, and to be ferviceable to their fellow creatures in bringing them from a rude and savage and immoral life to a subjection to laws for the public good.

No one can rife up from perufing the hiftory of his life and times, as given us by himfelf; the admirable laws and inftitutions he prescribed, to teach the Ifraelites the knowlege and worship of Jehovan, the one true God, and of him alone; the laws for their living together in fociety, and promoting their mutual happiness, with the mighty works he was enabled to do in Egypt for the eftablishment of his divine miffion, and for the emancipation of his countrymen, and to preferve them afterwards in their duty and obedience; without feeing throughout the extraordinary hand and leading of God.

And it is againft all credibility, that one, governed by fuch excellent principles; exhibiting in all his actions fuch an example of true piety and goodness; fuggesting continually to his countrymen the great things God had done for them, appealing to them fre

quently