a multitude;" and He promised that some of Abraham's descendants should be kings, and that they should have all the land for their own, to which Abraham came as a stranger; and, best of all, that He would be their GoD for ever. Furthermore, GoD was pleased to say that Sarai should in future be called Sarah, which means Princess. GOD also promised that He would bless her, and give her a son, so that she should be a mother of nations and of kings. And He also said that this child should be called Isaac.

Soon afterwards, one very hot day, Abraham was sitting under the shelter of his tent door, thinking most likely, about all these wonderful promises that GOD had made to him, when suddenly as he looked up, he saw three figures standing by him. They looked like men, but Abraham knew in his heart that they were angels, sent by GOD. So he rose up with all the respect he could, and bowed himself down to the ground, and said, "My LORD, if now I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant."

In those hot countries people wore sandals, instead of shoes and stockings, and as these were open, their feet grew very hot and dusty.

So Abraham begged these noble strangers to let him wash their feet to refresh them, and that they would rest under the trees, while he got ready some food. The Angels did as he asked them, and waited while Abraham had the best of everything prepared,—a tender, delicate calf killed, and cakes of fine meal baked upon the hearth, with butter and milk, -he and Sarah serving the angels themselves. Then when all was ready, the food was set before them, and Abraham stood like their servant under the tree, and saw them eat what he had prepared.

Then the angels gave God's message, that Sarah should before long have a son. And when they had given their message, they rose up to leave Abraham and go with another message to Lot, his nephew.

GOD had been pleased to make Abraham His friend, and now, just as friends tell each other what concerns them, Gon told him that He was very sore displeased with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, because they would not love and serve Him, but were careless and wicked, and that He would go and see whether they were quite hard and unwilling to turn

their evil ways and repent. For this it

was that God sent His angels there. So the three angels went to Sodom, but Abraham stood yet talking to his LORD. The best people are generally most merciful towards others, and most anxious about them; and now Abraham who was rejoicing in God's love and favour, could not bear to think of these unhappy people who were to be destroyed because of their sin. So he began to plead for them with GOD, and asked whether, if there were fifty righteous and good men in the city, GOD would not spare it for their sake? GOD listened favourably to Abraham's request, and said that if there were fifty good men to be found in Sodom, He would spare all the city.

Then Abraham ventured to ask a little more, though very humbly. "Behold now," he said, "I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes." And he went on to ask whether if forty-five good men could be found in Sodom, GOD would forgive the rest for their sakes? Then GoD promised that He would spare Sodom if they could be found.

Abraham then asked the same favour if forty good men were in the city, and, as if it were too much to ask, he said again, "O let

not the LORD be angry, and I will speak, If there shall be thirty righteous found there." Still God granted his request, and Abraham ventured yet more,-and asked that the city might be saved if twenty, or even ten righteous men were in it. And to the last, GoD promised what he asked. Abraham did not venture to ask more; as yet he only saw very dimly and afar off the One for Whose righteous sake salvation was offered not to one guilty city alone, but to a whole guilty world. Yet that one SAVIOUR was to be of Abraham's seed, of those descendants who were promised to him, though still his faith was tried by the unfulfilled promise.

We should remember Abraham's prayer when we ourselves pray, and never cease asking GOD's pardon and mercy for all who are living in sin and ignorance,-for it may be that such prayers even as ours may help them greatly, and the same GOD Who so graciously listened to Abraham's prayers for guilty Sodom has bid us pray much for one another, and has told us that fervent prayers, that is prayers that we really mean and say heartily, believing He hears us, are very helpful to those prayed for.

47

LOT.

It seems that the ten righteous men for whose sake, if found in it, the LORD promised to spare Sodom, were not to be found there. Towards evening the two angels came to the city, where they found Lot, Abraham's nephew, who it seems was the only man in all the place who loved and feared God.

Lot rose up directly that he saw the angels, and went to meet them, and bowed himself down to them, and begged them to come and stay all night in his house and be his guests. This they did, and Lot made as great a feast for them as he could.

That night, while the people of Sodom were rioting, they attacked Lot's house, and would have killed Lot and his guests if they could ; but the angels guarded his house, and smote the enemies with blindness, so that they could not find their way. Then they told Lot what their message was, and that the LORD had sent them to destroy the city, because of the great wickedness of those who lived in it. But out of favour to Lot, they gave him leave to call. together his daughters who were married, and