should ever receive, and should f Christ, lest, by their irregulaṛ conduct, they should wound the cause of their dear Lord; and coming unworthily to the Lord's table, they should eat and drink judgment to themselves. The work, so far as we are able to discern, was genuine. Not a single instance of aposta Those doctrines of divine grace, which met with such violent opposition among the peo they resist and grieve away the heavenly messenger, they should never expect again to have their attention called to spiritual concerns; but be left to hardness of heart and blindness of mind, till they were ripe for endless ruin. Thus, in their own view, they could say as it respected them-cy has appeared among those selves, Behold, now is the accept- who have given us charitable ed time: Behold, now is the day ground to hope they were the of salvation! Nothing was more subjects of regenerating grace. terrifying to them, than returning back to their former state of thoughtless security. The trials of many, while under convic-ple, previously to the awakening, tions, were peculiarly great and pressing. I recollect the observation of one while under the pressure of her own guilt, and the threatening of the divine law; she said, 'I could cheerfully be burnt at the stake, if thereby, I might be liberated from my present distress for my soul.' The reply was, The sacrifice of the body cannot atone for the sin of the soul. Nothing but the precious blood of the immaculate Jesus can cleanse the soul from sin, and liberate us from the condemning sentence of that law, which is holy, just and good. were now witnessed and confirmed by the experience and declaration of those who were hopefully enlightened and sanctified by the spirit of truth. When the Lord opened their hearts, they no longer disputed their total vileness, and the necessity of the powerful and energetic influences of the Holy Spirit to create them anew; and that it was of the Lord to have mercy on whom he would have mercy. The doctrine of election, in particular, which some could not endure but with abhorrence, and which they were wont to esteem very discouraging to sinners, now became their only encouragement and hope; and sweeter to them than honey and the honey comb. was Some persons, at first, seemed to discover great beauty in the divine character, and to be greatly transported with joy and delight; but, in process of time, This however, is not the case were ready to give up their | with all. The beauty of those hope, from a view of the great doctrines, to some, appears to wickedness of their own hearts. be hid, as was said by an inspired Many were ready to say, Can apostle. If our gospel be hid, it it be, that a heart, so vile as is hid to them that are lost, in mine, was ever renewed by the whom the god of this world hath Holy Ghost? From this consid- blinded the minds of them, who beeration, there was a great back-lieve not, lest the light of the glowardness, in the minds of many,rious gospel of Christ, who is the in coming forward to join them- image of God, should shine unto selves to the visible church of them. | | But if it may be agreeable to | tions of the earth. Among these the purpose of God, it is our ear- the destruction of Sodom, Gonest prayer and constant labor morrah, and the cities about that they might be savingly ac- them, occupies a distinguished quainted with God and them- and awful rank. The region selves, and the truth as it is in of those cities appears to have Jesus Christ. exceeded in pleasantness of sitFrom my own experience and uation, and fertility of soil. It observation I am fully persua- was as the garden of the Lord, ded, that my labor the year pre- as the land of Egypt as thou ceding the revival, in illustrating | comest to Zoar. Gen. xiii. 10. and enforcing the important and the amenity of the situation and fundamental doctrines of the gos- luxuriance of the soil produced in pel, which, in their own nature, the inhabitants, that pride, fulness tend to exalt God, and abase the of bread and abundance of idlefeelings of corrupt 'men, was as ness, that voluptuousness, dissigreat a mean in the hands of pation,and those abominable vices God, of producing that spiritual which procured their destruction. harvest, which we received the The history tells us, figurativeyear following, as richly manur- ly speaking, that the enormity ing and faithfully cultivating the of their wickedness was incrednatural soil, is a direct mean of | ible in heaven. The Lord said, producing a plentiful harvest in Because the cry of Sodom and the field. It was like breaking Gomorrah is great-I will go up the fallow ground, and did so down now and see whether they convince the understandings of have done altogether according carnal and selfish minds, that to the cry of it, and if not, I will when the gentle dews of divine know. Chap. xviii. 20, 21.— grace descended, they were pre- The men of Sodom were wickpared for the reception of the ed, and sinners before the Lord good seed of the word; and it | exceedingly : and God determinsprang up and bare fruit thirty ed to make them monuments of fold, to the praise of God's effi- his righteous vengeance. But cacious grace. righteous Lot resided among the corrupt inhabitants, and God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. He therefore directed him to escape to Zoar. No sooner had this holy man retired from the polluted city, than the Lord rained fire and brimstone upon it from heaven and destroyed it with a terrible, a perpetual destruction-That ELIJAH LYMAN.. Brookfield, (Vt.) ? An Explanation of Scriptural Types. NO. VII. | The destruction of Sodom Typi- this dispensation was designed cal. Gen. xix. ly typical, is evident from the frequent application of it to spir EXTREMELY various have itual subjects in the inspired been the judgments with which an holy God hath punished a wicked world, and the sinful na writings. For if God spared not the angels that sinned-and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condem- brimstone from the Lord out of ned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample (type) to those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, &c. 2. Pet. ii. Is not Christ's description of future punishment by casting into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, taken from it? Perhaps no two scriptural types are so analogous to each other as the destruction of the old world by a deluge of water, and the destruction of Sodom by fire and brimstone from heaven; for which reason we find them repeatedly combined II. In the city of Zoar, have for the same purpose. Matt. xxiv. we not a direct representation of 2 Pet. ii. In this dispensation Christ, that hiding place from are not the following evangelic- the storm and covert from the al subjects impressively repre-heat, which God hath most sented? graciously provided for his peoI. The destruction of the wick-ple, when the heavens shall be ed inhabitants of Sodom by fire and brimstone from heaven, typifying the eternal destruction of the wicked in hell. heaven and destroyed those cities; and upon the wicked God will rain snares, fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest. In Sodom and Gomorrah thus destroyed, turned into a lake and subjected to a perpetual destruction, so said to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude v. have we not a very impressive and glowing description of the eternal perdition of the wicked in hell, the lake that burns with fire and brimstone for ever and ever? The wickedness of the inhab itants of Sodom, and particularly their persecution of righteous Lot, immediately procured their destruction; and the wickedness of the world, and particularly the persecution of the god ly, will immediately procure the dissolution of the heavens and earth.* The Lord rained fire and * Gen. xix. The men of the city compassed the house, both old and young, all the people from every quarter-then the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed those cities. How parallel with this is Rev. xx. 7, Satan, shall go out into the four quarters of the world, Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle: and they weat up and compassed the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and destroyed them? Was not the latter description apparently taken from the former ? rolled together as a scroll; but especially from that horrible tempest which he will rain upon the wicked, when he shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that obey not the gospel of his Son? III. In the flight of Lot to Zoar, and his preservation from the destructive flames of Sodom, have we not an instructive representation of believers fleeing to Christ from the wrath to come, and their preservation from eternal ruin by him? And the men said to Lot, We will destroy this place. And the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city: And while he lingered the men laid hold upon his hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and brought him forth without the city and said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, lest thou be consumed. In a similar manner, hath not God ad monished his people of the de-] Zoar, and the inhabitants of Sostruction which he will execute dom were probably preparing to upon the wicked, and warned indulge themselves in their hathem to flee from a sinful, guil-bitual voluptuousness and dissity state, and impending ruin? pation ;-but this fair and pleasBut attached to the pleasures of ant morning was succeeded by sin and earthly pursuits, they a tempestuous and stormy day, contemplate abandoning sensual which brought destruction upon gratifications and delights with them as a whirlwind and how reluctance, and delaying and lin- many in the ardent pursuits of gering, the Lord, being gracious sensual delights, are unexpectto them, by his almighty hand, ly surprised and arrested by lays hold of them and brings death, and go quick down to the them from their guilty and dan- pit? And when a stupid world gerous condition, constrains them shall cry, Peace and safety, then to escape for their lives, and flee will sudden destruction come upfor refuge to Christ, the blessed on them, and they shall not eshope set before them-and be- cape. ing finally gathered together into the heavenly chambers, they will be effectually secured from the fiery indignation, and for ever preserved in perfect safety and peace-while upon the wicked, disregarding divine admonitions, as idle tales, the day of the Lord will come, which will burn as an oven and consume them that it leave them neither root nor branch. In this awful dispensation, how much is there to instruct and comfort the godly? The unlawful deeds of the filthy Sodomites vexed the righteous soul of Lot, from day to day. Abraham had interceded for him, and when God destroyed them, he remembered (the intercession of) Abraham, and mercifully provided for the safety of Lot by sending him to Zoar. The Lord said I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. The Lord knoweth as well how to Lot escaped the destruction of Sodom but as with the skin of his teeth; and the righteous are scarcely saved from final ruin-deliver the godly, as to reserve but his wife looked back from behind him and became a pillar of salt and how many who are awakened to a conviction of their danger, and as it were fleeing from the wrath to come, for looking back with lustful eyes upon the pleasures of sense and sin, and delaying to forsake all for Christ and salvation, are given over to a reprobate mind, and become vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? Remember Lot's wife. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into VOL. VI. No. 2. the wicked to the day of judgment to be punished.-The men with their slaughter weapons, Ezek. ix. might not smite till a mark was set upon the forehead of those who sighed for the abominations of Jerusalem, and then they were to slay old and young. and not spare. They shall be mine, says God, in the day that I make up my jewels. How much to admonish the wicked! Let them turn to their strong hold in a day of acceptance and time of salvation. Amen. K Character and Writings of Jus- | upon his conversion to Christitin Martyr. anity, but from the boldness and E unquestionably a freedom with which he address He was legated piety and ed the Roman Emperors and holiness, deeply affected by a concern for the honor of God and the interests of true religion, and ardently desirous of promoting the salvation of men. He had embraced Christianity after a long and serious examination; having found in this divine revelation, what he had in vain searched after in the various systems of human philo-ment. sophy, the knowledge of the only true God, and the way to obtain both present and eternal happiness. The influence of Christian principles upon his dispositions and conduct is strikingly evident in his life and writings. His love to the souls of men prompted him to receive all who came to him for instruction; and was probably the reason of his persevering in the profession of philosophy, instead of assuming the ecclesiastical character. He thought, perhaps, that his former habits of life might tend to abate the prejudices of other philosophers, and induce them to examine and embrace Christianity and though, in the case of Justin, this expectation proved fallacious, we cannot but approve the motive from which he acted; and we recommend to those who, like him, possess much of human learning, to consecrate it to the service of God, by simi-embrace the truth of God." And lar endeavors to gain the wise and the great of this world to the gospel of Christ. How earnestly this learned and pious father was engaged in propagating the truth, appears not only from the pathetic exhortation which he delivered to his friends Senate in his Apologies. He told them how much it was their duty to esteem the truth; that his object was not to flatter them, but to persuade them to examine the question impartially, and to determine justly; that if they did not, they would be inexcusable before God, and could not possibly escape his future judg In a similar manner he declares, in his conference with Trypho, that he regarded nothing but the truth, not caring whom he disobliged in this great and important pursuit. Yet all this zeal in the cause of Christianity was tempered with the most cordial love to all mankind, and even to his bitterest enemies. From none did he and his brethren suffer greater enmity and opposition than from the Jews: yet he tells Trypho that they heartily prayed for the Jews, and all other persecutors, that they might repent, and ceasing to blaspheme Christ, might believe in him, and be saved from eternal vengeance at his glorious appearing; that though the Jews were wont solemnly to curse them in their synagogues, and to join with any that would persecute them unto death, yet they returned no other answer than this- You are our brethren, we beseech you to own and in his Apology to the Emperor and Senate, he thus concludes→ "I have nothing more to add, but that so far as in us lies, we shall endeavor, and heartily pray, that the whole world may be blessed with the knowledge and belief of the truth." |