Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/105

 dawn of  day  the  angels  pressed  Lot  to  depart,  saying:  “Take thy wife  and  thy  two  daughters,  lest  you  also  perish  in  the  wicked city.” And,  as  Lot  still  lingered, they  took  him  by  the  hand, and, as  it  were  against  his  will,  led  him  and  his  family  out  of the  city,  warning  them  all  not  to  look  back,  under  pain  of  death. Lot's wife,  however,  looked  back,  and  was  instantly  changed  into a pillar of  salt. The sun  had  just  risen,  when  Lot  entered  the neighbouring city  of  Segor. Then the  Lord  rained  down  from heaven fire  and  brimstone,  and  utterly  destroyed  Utterly  destroyed. Picture to  yourself  this  terrible  judgment  which  overtook the  wicked  cities. As the  sun  rose  in  the  east,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  and Gomorrha woke  from  sleep,  thick  clouds  gathered  over  them,  out  of  which  fire  fell which kindled  every  part  of  the  town. The whole  air  was  full  of  smoke  and sulphur; the  flames  roared  and  licked  up  everything. The people,  full  of  fear, rushed from  their  houses,  hoping  to  escape  from  the  city,  but  it  was  impossible  to get  out. The very  air  was  aglow,  and  the  earth  itself,  full  of  pitch  and  petroleum, was on  fire. Their clothes  caught  fire,  and  they  died  a terrible  death,  shrieking in agony. The whole  country  round  was  burnt  up,  and  remains  unfruitful  to  the present day. The earth  sank,  and  the  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea  rushed  in,  and covered the  place  where  the  wicked  cities  once  stood,  and  formed  what  has  since then been  the  southern  part  of  the  Dead  Sea. Lot’s wife,  who,  against  the  angel’s express command,  looked  back,  was  suffocated  and  seized  by  the  fire,  covered with the  molten  bitumen,  so  that  her  corpse  stood  up  as  a pillar  of  salt. The Dead Sea,  the  southern  portion  of  which  covers  the  ancient  sites  of  Sodom  and Gomorrha, is  a peculiar  and  most  ghastly  lake  (Fig.  7,  p.  63). It lies  very  low,  900  feet below the  level  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  its  water  is  so  thick  and  bitter  that  no fish  or  creeping  thing  can  live  in  it. If the  Jordan,  which  flows  into  it,  carries to it  any  fish,  they  die  at  once  and  come  up  to  the  surface. Therefore, the  lake  is called  the  Dead  Sea. Objects thrown  into  it  are  covered  at  once  with  a salt-crust, and the  stones  on  its  shores  are  covered  with  bitumen. On the  surface  of  the water, and  on  the  shores,  great  flakes  of  bitumen  are  often  found. The northern part of  the  lake  is  1300  feet  deep,  but  the  southern  part,  where  the  wicked  cities once stood,  is  only  thirteen  feet  deep. This Dead  Sea,  which  covers  the  once beautiful site  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha,  is  a terrible  monument  of  divine  justice. those two  wicked cities, with  all  their  inhabitants.

God's Holiness  and  Justice are  most  plainly  shown  to  us  by  the terrible fate  of  the  wicked  cities. The attack  made  on  them  by  the strange kings  was  a visitation,  permitted  by  God  for  the  conversion of their  wicked  inhabitants. But they  remained  impenitent,  and  were quite as  wicked  after,  as  they  were  before  that  visitation. Lot’s good example might  also  have  been  to  them  a means  of  conversion,  but they paid  no  heed  to  it. Then Almighty  God  could  no  longer  endure their shameful  state  of  vice,  for  sin  is  infinitely  abhorrent  to  the  Most