their being in a state of order and force fo as to hold ground.

Abraham was a foldier, and a disciplinarian, and understood the nature f force, and the means of attack and defence. The ancient Hebrew tactics went by the quaternian rule of divifion. To each quaternian, or fingle file, there was attached an officer; and ten quaternians, with their officers, making in the whole fifty, completed a corps; which bodies, or companies, were joined together in divifions and armies. Thus it is fad, r.xod. xiii. 18. The children of Ifrael went up FIVED, or by five in a rank, out of the land of Egypt. And Jofhua i. 14. Ye shall pass marfhalled by FIVE, before the face of your brethren. And from the paffage, Judges vii. 11. it appears that the Medianites, who were defcendants of the Hebrews, armed in the fame manner. In these armies, there were appointed captains of thoufands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens. Deut. i. 15. From which it appears, that a corps contained five captaincies, and that to each their belonged an officer of the staff, or standard, who might upon occafion command separately; together with one who ftood next to him as his fecond, or, as h was called, his armour-bearer. These companies fquared by dividing in depth. forming four divifions of twelve, in which pofition the chief captain and his armour bearer flood detached from the body.

According to this divifion and order, the rules of fervice did not admit of their under

taking enterprizes which contemplated force, fhort of a captaincy or a double file, for o therwife they were not covered. Thus Gideon, who, left Ifrael fhould boaft, was reduc ed to the weakest means, took ten men of his fervants to commence his operations against Baal, Judges vi. 27. The men of Ifrael, when they fent off detachments from their army, took ten men of an hundred, &c. Judges xx. 10. David, when he dwelt in the hold, and was in want of provifions, fent out ten young men, i. e. warriors, to go to Nabal. 1 Șam. xxv. 5. Aniten young men that bare Joab's armour combaffed about, and fmote Abfalom, and flow him. 2 Sam. xviii. 15. By this paffage it appears, that the commander in chief, as he would have occafion to move from place to place, had a double file of armour bearers, and that every thing in their order and difcipline regarded this rule. Ifhmael came, and ten men with him, and fmote Gedaliah that hẻ died. 2 Kings xxv. 25. This view given in the fcriptures is confirmed by other hiftory; that a double file was the fmallest number; which by rule and good conduct, were to be posted for action. And even thus armed, the valiant Gideon, in his enterprize against Baal, thought proper to avail himself of the most kilful management, and of the filence of the night,

Abraham entertained little doubt, if there were fifty righteous men in Sodom, that they would be able to make a fland; and if one fhould be lacking of a full corps, he

fill entertain an encouraging prof

pect. And with a peradventure upon peradventure, he would defcend to forty, and to thirty; and even he would not despair to come down to twenty. Abraham counted upon men of this defcription. Hebrews are known to be mighty men of valour. In fuch a cafe of the last extremity, he would even dare to venture upon ten. But upon lower ground than this, both his confel and his hand failed him, and here he gave up the matter as decifive.

And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot fat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot feeing them rofe up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he faid, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your fervant's houfe, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rife up early, and go on your ways. And they faid, Nay, but we will abide in the fireet all night. And he preffed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his houfe: and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of Sodom compaffed the houfe round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot, and demanded that he fhould give up to their brutality, the ftrangers whom he had taken into his houfe as his guests.

On this surprising emergence, Lot played the man; he went out at the door unto them, and fhut the door after him; and addreffing himself to them with the utmolt powers of perfuafion, attempted firft to footh them with

Eee

the most cordial epithets, and the kindest latt guage of entreaty; and then to awe them with the fear of God, and to strike a horror of fin upon their confciences; and finally to foften, difarm and filence them, by a proffer of the greatest facrifices, provided they would defift from violating his most sacred faith of hospitality.

But they were too many for him; they cried, Stand back-called him fellow-upbraided him of being one alone, and scoffed at the idea that a man of no more confequence among them, a tranfient man, fhould thus presume to dictate to a whole city; and they fell upon him with brutal fury, when he was refcued by his travellers within doors; the men put forth their hand and pulled Lot into the house to them, and fhut to the door.

This encounter proved, to a demonftration, that the righteous in Sodom were very far from being in force to maintain ground, or any longer to hold out in refillance, and that the cause of the city muft be given up; yea, the men of Sodom had taken heart at the retreat of Lot, and were preffing forward to force open the door, when the angels perceived, that the prefervation of the family depended no longer upon ordinary means, and that the neceffity had come of giving a fignal of the prefence of angelic power. And they Smote the men that were before the door of the houfe with blindness, both fmall and great, fo that they wearied themselves to find the door.

100sing now remained but to look to the prefervaion of the righteous man, and of

those that were his. The ordinance refpecting the family compact, being a leading article of the covenant, that must be fully attended to, and the whole family must be looked up; for nothing could be done-no, not at the moment of wrath, that would in the leaft infringe upon that charter, which the Lord had granted forth to his people under the seal of his own mercy and truth. And the men faid unto Lot, Haft thou here any befide? Son-inlaw, and thy fons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou haft, bring them out of this place: For we will deftroy this place; because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath fent us to defroy it. And Lot went out, and pake unto his fons-in-law, which married his daughters, and faid, Up, get ye out of this place; for the Lord will deftroy this city: but he feemed as one that mocked unto his fons-in-law.

There is no evidence, as fome have fuppofed, that these men were joined with the men of the city in the attack upon their own fa, mily; but the contrary is manifeft, for if they had been among these affailants, they would doubtless with them have been fmitten with blindness, which was not the cafe; neither is it to be fuppofed that they were citizens of Sodom, but that they were Perizzites, and had joined themselves to Lot on account of their being fhepherds. They were, however, unbelievers. It has been frequently observed, as in relation to the flood, and it fhould ever be kept in mind, that the receiving and holding of the great truth in relation to the iffue