Abraham's intercession for sodom.
Gen. xviii. 32. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once : Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for tens sake.
THE selection of this chapter as one of the Lessons for this day* intimates, that the doctrine of a Trinity of persons in the Godhead derives some confirmation from it. That one of these strangers who visited Abraham in the likeness of men, was God, cannot admit of any doubt: for He is called The LORD, that is Jehovah, above ten times in this and the fol- lowing chapter ; and Abraham's address to him clearly shews, that he knew him to be God. Moreover there is reason to think that it was the Second Person in the Trinity, who thus conversed with Abraham ; be- cause Abraham calls him " the Judge of all the earth."
* Trinity Sunday.
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Now " the Father judgeth no man; but hath com- mitted all judgment to the Sona:" and therefore we conclude, that this was not God the Father, but God the Son. But it is by no means clear that the other two strangers were the other Persons in the Trinity. Many of the ancients indeed thought they were so ; and there is some foundation for their opinion: for Lot addressed them in terms which seem more properly applicable to God than to angels; " Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my lifeV And one of the angels (for so those two are called0) answered him in language almost too exalted for a creature to use, " See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing d." But if we consider the peculiar nature and extent of their commission, we may account for the use of this language without supposing either of them to be God. And indeed there is clear evidence that they were only angels, attendant on the Son of God, and sent by him ; for they themselves say, " The Lord hath sent us to destroy Sodom6." Nevertheless, if we admit, as we must, that the person who is here so frequently called Jehovah, was God the Son (for no man hath seen the Father at any timef), the chapter clearly marks a plurality of persons in the Godhead ; and therefore is properly read on this day, when the Trinity in Unity is the peculiar subject to which our attention is called.
To Him, even to our adorable Emmanuel, did Abraham address his intercession on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrha: an intercession the most instructive of all that are recorded in the sacred volume. When Abraham understood that this divine Person with his attendant angels was come to destroy those wicked cities, he entreated that, if fifty righteous persons could be found in them, the wicked might be spared for their sake. Having prevailed thus far, he in five successive petitions reduced the number to ten, and
a John v. 22. b Gen. xix. 18, 19. " Gen. xix. 1.
d Gen. xix. 21. e Gen. xix. 13. f John i. 18.