DEAR BRO. WHITE:—I have been reading a little work entitled, Home Truths; and as it may help some lingering soul to wake up to a sense of duty, I will give an extract from it as it might benefit some of the readers of the Review.
"Gen. xix, 16. He lingered. Who is this man that lingered? Lot, the nephew of faithful Abraham. And when did he linger? The very morning that Sodom was to be destroyed. See 2 Pet. ii, 6. And where did he linger? Within the walls of Sodom itself. And before whom did he linger? Under the eyes of the two angels who were sent to bring him out of the city. See Rev. xiv, 6-12; xviii, 1-4. Reader, the words are solemn, and full of food for thought. Who knows but they are the very words your soul requires. The voice of the Lord Jesus commands you to remember Lot's wife. Luke xvii, 32. Let me try to show you, 1st., what Lot was himself. 2d., what the text already quoted tells you of him.
1st., what was Lot? This is a most important point. If I leave it unnoticed I shall perhaps miss that class of professing Christians I want especially to benefit. You would perhaps say after reading this paper, Ah, Lot was a poor dark creature, an unconverted man, a child of this world, no wonder he lingered; but mark now what I say: Lot was nothing of the kind. Lot was a true believer, a real child of God, a justified soul, a righteous man. Has any of you grace in your heart? So also had Lot. Has any of you a hope of salvation? So also had Lot. Is any of you a new creature? So also was Lot. Is any of you a traveler in the narrow way which leads unto life? So was Lot. Do not think that this is only my private opinion, a mere arbitrary fancy of my own, a notion unsupported by Scripture. Do not suppose I want you to believe it, merely because237I say it! The Holy Ghost has placed the matter beyond controversy by calling him just and righteous, [2 Pet. ii, 7, 8,] and has given us evidence of the grace that was in him.
One evidence is that he lived in a wicked place, seeing and hearing evil all around him, [2 Pet. ii, 8,] and yet was not wicked himself. Now to be a Daniel in Babylon, an Obadiah in Ahab's house, an Abijah in Jeroboam's family, a saint in Nero's court, and a righteous man in Sodom, a man must have the grace of God.
Another evidence is that he vexed his soul with the unlawful deeds he beheld around him. 2 Pet. ii, 8. He was wounded, grieved, pained and hurt at the sight of sin. This was feeling like holy David who says, I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy word. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy LAW. Ps. cxix. 136, 158. Nothing will account for this but the grace of God.
Another evidence is that he vexed his soul from day to day, with the unlawful deeds he saw. 2 Pet. ii, 8. He did not at length become cool and lukewarm about sin as many do. Familiarity and habit did not take off the fine edge of his feelings as too often is the case. Many a man is shocked and startled at the first sight of wickedness, and yet becomes at last so accustomed to see it that he views it with comparative unconcern. This is especially the case with those who live in great cities; but it was not so with Lot; and this is a great mark of the reality of his grace. Such an one was Lot, a just and righteous man, a man sealed and stamped as an heir of Heaven by the Holy Ghost.
2d. Let us pass on to the second thing I spoke of: What does the text already quoted tell us about Lot's behaviour. The words are wonderful and astounding: He lingered; and the more you consider the time and circumstances, the more wonderful you will think them. See Luke xvii, 28-30. Lot knew the awful condition of the city in which he stood. The cry of its abomination had waxen great before the Lord; [Gen. xix, 13:] and yet he lingered. Lot knew the fearful judgment coming down on all within the walls: the angels had said plainly, The Lord hath sent us to destroy it; [Gen. xix, 13:] and yet he lingered. Lot knew that God was a God that would not lie, and when he said a thing, would surely do it. He could hardly be Abraham's nephew, and live long with him, and not be aware of this; and yet he lingered. Lot believed there was danger; for he went to his sons-in-law and warned them to flee. Up, he said, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city; [Gen. xix, 14:] and yet he lingered. Lot saw the angels of God standing by, waiting for him and his family to go forth; and yet he lingered.
Lot heard the voice of those ministers of wrath ringing in his ears to hasten him: Arise, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city; [Gen. xix, 15:] and yet he lingered. He was slow when he should have been quick; backward, when he should have been forward; trifling, when he should have been hastening; loitering, when he should have been hurrying; cold, when he should have been hot.
It is passing strange, it seems almost incredible, it appears too wonderful to be true; but the Spirit writes it down for our learning, and so it was. And yet, reader, there are many of the Lord Jesus Christ's people very like Lot. Mark well what I say. I repeat it, there may be no mistake about my meaning: I have shown you that Lot lingered. I say that there are many christian men and christian women in this day, very like Lot! There are many real children of God who appear to know far more than they live up to, and are far more than they practice, and yet continue in this state for many years; wonderful that they go no farther! They believe in heaven, and yet seem faintly to long for it. They love the Lord, the Lord Jesus, but the work they do for him is small. They hate the Devil, but they often appear to tempt him to come to them. They know the time is short, but they live as if it were long. They know they have a battle to fight, yet a man might think they were at peace. They know they have a race to run, yet they often look like people sitting still. They know the judge is at the door, and there is wrath to come, and yet they appear half asleep! Astonishing that they should be what they are, and yet be nothing more! And what shall we say of these people. They often puzzle godly folks and relations. They often cause great anxiety; they often give rise to great doubts and searchings of heart; but they may be classed under one sweeping description: they are all brethren and sisters of Lot—they linger. These are they who get into their heads false ideas of charity, as they call it. They would fain please every body and suit every body, but they forget they ought first to be sure that they please God. These are they who dread sacrifices, and shrink from self-denial. They spend their lives in trying to make the gate more wide and the cross more light; but they never succeed. These are they who are always trying to keep in with the world. They are ingenious in discovering reasons for not separating decidedly, and in framing plausible excuses for attending questionable amusements. One day you are told of their attending a Bible reading; the next day perhaps you hear of their going to a ball.
They are constantly laboring to persuade themselves that to mix a little with worldly people on their own ground does good yet in their case. It is very clear that they do no good and only get harm. These are they who cannot find it in their heart to quarrel with their besetting sin, whether it be sloth, ill temper, pride, selfishness, impatience or what it may. They allow it to remain a tolerably quiet and undisturbed tenant of their hearts. They say it is their health and their constitutions and their temperments, and their trials and their way; their father or mother, or grandmother was so before themselves, and they are sure they cannot help it; but all, all, all, may be summed up in one single sentence—they linger. Ah! reader, if you are a lingering soul you are not happy. A lingerer's conscience forbids him to enjoy inward peace. Perhaps at one time you did run well, but you have left your first love. You have never felt the same comfort since; and you never will till you return to your first works. Like Peter when the Lord Jesus was taken prisoner, you are following the Lord afar off, and like him you will not find the way pleasant, but hard.
Come and look at Lot; come and mark Lot's history; come and consider Lot's lingering, and be wise. Reader, I give you good counsel this day: do not turn from it; do not be angry with me for plain speaking. You live in days when a lingering, Lot-like religion abounds. The stream of profession is far broader than it once was, but far less deep in many places. A certain kind of christianity is fashionable now: to belong to some party in the church, and show a zeal for its interests; to talk about the leading controversies of the day; to buy popular religious books as fast as they come out: they no longer make a person singular; they require little or no sacrifice; they entail no cross.
I bid you give diligence to make your calling and election sure. I bid you not to be slothful, and not to be careless, not to be content with a small measure of grace, not to be satisfied with being a little better than the world: I solemnly warn you not to attempt doing what never can be done: I mean to serve Christ, and yet keep in with the world. I call upon you, and beseech you; I charge you, and exhort you, by all your hopes of heaven, and desires of glory. Do not be a lingering soul!
Would you know what the TIMES DEMAND? the shaking of nations? the uprooting of ancient things? the overturning of kingdoms? the stir and restlessness of men's minds? These all say, Christian, do not linger! Would you be found ready for Christ at his second coming? your loins girded? your lamps burning? yourself bold and prepared to meet him? Then do not linger! Would you be useful to those around you? would you draw men from sin to Christ? and make your master's cause beautiful in their eyes? Then do not linger! Would you help your children and relations towards heaven and make them say, We will go with you? Then do not linger! Would you have a great crown in the day of Christ's appearing and not be the least and smallest star in glory, and not find yourself the last and lowest in the kingdom of God? Then do not linger! Oh! let none of us linger. Time does not judgment does not, the Devil does not, the world does not; neither let the children of God linger. Reader, remember the souls of others, as well as your own. If at any time you see any brother or sister lingering, try to awaken, try to rouse them, try to stir them up; for these days are as they were when Lot lingered. Luke xvii, 28, 30."
REMARKS:—As it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Luke xvii, 28, 30.
Reader, these words are full of meaning. They convey to us an idea of the awful state in which the world will be found when the Son of man shall come, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; [2 Thess. i, 8;] which gospel cries out, Separation. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor. vi, 17, 18. Here is a plain, thus saith the Lord, and a precious and cheering promise, to him that comes out from the world and the polluted temples of Babylon. [Rev. xiv, 8; xviii, 2, 4,] to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, to be received as sons and daughters. Who would not obey the call, Come out of her, to be a son or daughter of God and to be an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Rom. viii, 17; Gal. ii, 29.
J. M. McLELLAN.
Hastings, Barry Co., Mich., May, 1855.