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As Jesus was teaching in a particular place, one of his hearers, instead of enquiring, what he must do to be saved, asked the Divine teacher, whether the number of the saved should be great or small. This impertinent question Christ improved to a practical use; "Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able." When his disciples asked him, what should be the signs of his coming and of the end of the world, his answer was, Watch ye and be ye ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Some were solicitous to know, who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven; but Jesus told them, that unless they humbled themselves and became as little children, they would never enter into the kingdom of heaven: and that it was of more importance to secure their own entrance, than to learn who would be the greatest. Even Peter, when he was about to take his final leave of his Lord, had the curiosity to ask, what John should do. But Jesus answered, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me."

By such unprofitable enquiries men's thoughts are too often diverted from the great concerns of futurity. Curiosity in unnecessary matters is inconsistent with a due attention to the one thing needful.

3. The strict command of the angel, "Look not behind thee," might excite the woman's curiosity to see what was there. For such is the perverseness of sin, that restraint increases its rage. Thus the apostle observes, "Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for without the law sin was dead."

There are some who seem to rush on through forbidden wickedness, the rather because it is forbidden. One would imagine, this was the case with profane swearers. It is impossible to see what temptation men can have to dishonor God's name, unless it be the prohibition, which he has laid them under. One cannot imagine, what end they have in view, unless it be to shew how much they despise the commands and threatenings of the Almighty. Let such perverse transgressors remember Lot's wife,

who, in contempt of Divine orders, stood to gaze on the burning city; and while she gazed she perished.

4. We may suppose, that she lingered in her flight from a presumption, that the destruction of the city would not be sudden. Her setting out indicated an apprehension of danger, but her dilatoriness shewed a hope, that the danger was not so near as her husband imagined.

This is too common a delusion of sinners. They hear and pretend to believe the threatenings of God, but imagine, that he speaks of times afar off. They would by no means abandon the thoughts of religion, but they hope a future opportunity may be as favorable as the present. Thus they quiet their consciences in a guilty course, and suppress the fears awakened by the word and providence of God, not considering the uncertainty of life, and the danger that their hearts may be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

They know not, indeed, how long God may suspend the execution of his sentence against their evil works; neither do they know, but he will execute it speedily. They ought to act on the latter supposition. It is not for them to try God's patience, but immediately to obey his command. If they think of delaying, let them remember Lot's wife. While she lingered, the fatal storm overtook her.

5. It is possible she might now think herself out of danger. The angels had brought her without the city; she stood at some distance from it; she imagined, that the flames of the city would not reach to her. Hence she ventured to stop and look back, not considering, that she could find no place of security short of Zoar.

Some sinners, after temporary convictions and partial reformations, begin to flatter themselves that all is well. The terrors of the Lord take little effect upon them, because they imagine, that they are not the persons concerned.

It is no uncommon case, that when men hear general exhortations to repentance, they recur to some former religious sentiments and feelings, and pacify their consciences by the recollection of past awakenings and resolutions. They have fled so far from im

pending wrath, that they seem to be out of its reach; and they stop where they are, or perhaps look back and return. But remember Lot's wife. She was commanded to run until she had reached the appointed place of security. But she stopped in the plain and perished. There was no place of safety between Sodom and Zoar. You must run with patience the race set before you must endure to the end. It is only by faith and patience, that you can obtain the promise. If depending on what you have done, you sit down and do no more, you betray an insincerity of heart, which cuts off your claim to the protection of Divine mercy.

6. An attachment to the friends left in Sodom might have much influence in drawing back Lot's wife.

"Beware," says the apostle, "lest, being led away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness." It is no easy matter to be blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, to forsake former companions in sin, and renounce all fellowship with their unfruitful works. Young and tender minds are easily decoyed and seduced by the slight and craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive. "How can ye believe," says our Lord to the Jews, "who seek honor one of another?" He requires it, as an indispensable qualification for his kingdom, that you love the praise of God more than the praise of men-that you be not ashamed of his gospel-that, in comparison with the salvation of your souls, you even hate your dearest earthly connections.

Are any of you detained in, or near to Sodom-detained in your corrupt and guilty state, by the example of the wicked, or by your fondness for the society of companions in sin? Remember Lot's wife, who, while she lingered in the conflict of parting with her friends in Sodom, was overtaken and destroyed by the pursuing tempest.

7. Grief for the loss of her substance might retard her flight, or a desire to save her goods might turn her about. This our Lord intimates. "Let not him who is in the field, turn back to take any thing out of the house. Remember Lot's wife."

Many sacrifice their souls to mammon.

The cares of the

world divert their thoughts from religion; earthly affections blast their good intentions; eagerness in their temporal pursuits excludes the interests of eternity; the inordinate desire of wealth urges them to forbidden means of acquiring it, and restrains them from the pious and charitable use of what they have acquired. "They who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." There are some, who despise the invitations of the gospel, and reject them, that they may go to their merchandize and their farms. There are some who hear the word in vain, because the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and render it unfruitful. There are some, who, having professed a regard to religion, afterward forsake it, having loved this present world. There are some, who, with a desire of eternal life, enquire what they must do to obtain it; but, when they learn that they must consecrate to the service of God all that they possess in this world, retire disappointed and offended. Let such remember Lot's wife, who, too anxious to save her substance, disregarded the Divine warning, and lost her life.

8. It is said, "She looked back from behind him :" from behind her husband. She kept not pace with her company. Seeing them before her, and considering the length of her way, she, perhaps, in her grief and vexation, turned about, stood, and wished to return.

Some, after they have set out in the religious life, finding unexpected difficulties in their way, feeling many infirmities within them, or seeing others who appear to make better progress than they, grow weary and faint in their minds. They seem to run well for a time; but are hindered by unforeseen discouragements. Let such remember, that they are commanded to pray always and not to faint to continue in well-doing-to wait on God and be of good courage: And let them apply the Divine promises, that they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; shall mount up with wings as eagles; shall run and not be weary; shall walk and not faint; and, being faithful to the death, shall receive a crown of life.

It now only remains,

V. That I call to your remembrance the awful destruction, which befel Lot's wife, because she looked back from behind him. "She became a pillar of salt."

A pillar sometimes signifies a monument, and salt denotes perpetuity: hence, as some suppose, the phrase may import, that she was made a perpetual monument of God's wrath. So a covenant of salt, is an everlasting covenant. Others apprehend, that being seized by the sulphureous storm, she was stiffened and petrified into a statue resembling her natural shape; and was called a pillar of salt, because she was metamorphosed into the likeness of such a pillar.

Let either of these be the intention of the phrase, we are taught by it thus much, that for her disobedience to the plain warning of God, she was suddenly destroyed and made a lasting example of God's wrath against impenitent and presumptuous

sinners.

The danger of apostacy, after hopeful convictions and promising resolutions, is represented to us, not only by this sad example, but also by many awful declarations of scripture. "If we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary." "If we draw back, it is to perdition. God's soul will have no pleasure in us." "If after we have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of Christ, we are again intangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with us than the beginning." "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." We hence learn, that they who relapse into sin after hopeful beginnings, are in a state awfully dangerous.

Such, unless they are renewed to repentance, will justly receive an aggravated condemnation. They oppose the convictions of their own minds, suppress the feelings of conscience, violate their solemn vows and promises, and resist the Spirit of God. Hence they are threatened with a punishment singularly severe, except they repent.