the son of Haran, and nephew to Abraham. He accompanied his uncle
from Ur to Haran, and from thence to Canaan; a proof of their mutual
attachment, and similarity of principles respecting the true religion.
With Abraham he descended into Egypt, and afterward returned with him
into Canaan: but the multiplicity of their flocks, and still more the
quarrels of their servants, rendered a friendly separation necessary.
When God destroyed the cities of the plain with fire and brimstone, he
delivered just Lot” from the conflagration, according to the account of
the divine historian. The whole time that Lot resided there was
twenty-three years. During all this period he had been a preacher of
righteousness among this degenerate people. In him they had before their
eyes an illustrious example of the exercise of genuine piety, supported
by unsullied justice and benevolent actions. And doubtless it was for
these purposes that Divine Providence placed him for a time in that
city. The losses which Lot sustained on this melancholy occasion were
very great; his wife, property, and all the prospects of the future
settlement of his family blasted. Pity must therefore draw a friendly
veil over the closing scene of this man of affliction; and let him that
thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall into deeds more
reprehensible than those of Lot, without having equal trials and
sufferings to plead in his favour. Respecting his wife, whether grieving
for the loss of her property, or inwardly censuring the severity of the
divine dispensation, or whether moved by unbelief or curiosity, cannot
now be known; but, looking back, she became a pillar of salt, Gen. xix,
26. It would be endless to present the reader with all the opinions on
this subject. Some contend that nothing more is meant than that she was
suffocated: others, that a column or monument of metallic salt was
erected upon her grave: others affirm that she became encrusted with the
sulphur, insomuch that she appeared like an Egyptian mummy, which is
embalmed with salt. Our Lord warns his disciples to remember Lot’s wife
in their flight from Jerusalem, and not to imitate her tardiness, Luke
xvii, 32.
2. Lot, any thing cast or drawn in order to determine any matter in
question, Proverbs xviii, 18. We see the use of lots among the Hebrews
in many places of Scripture: God commands, for example, that lots should
be cast upon the two goats which were offered for the sins of the
people, upon the solemn day of expiation, to know which of the two
should be sacrificed, and which liberated, Lev. xvi, 8–10. He required
also that the land of promise should be divided by lot as soon as it was
conquered; which command Joshua accordingly executed, Num. xxvi, 55, 56;
xxxiii, 54; xxxiv, 13, &c; Joshua xiv-xvi; hence the term lot” is used
for an inheritance, Thou maintainest my lot;” and figuratively for a
happy state or condition. The priests and Levites had their cities
appointed by lot. Lastly, in the time of David, the four and twenty
classes of the priests and Levites were distributed by lot, to determine
in what order they should wait in the temple, 1 Chron. vi, 54, 61; xxiv,
5; xxv, 8. In the division of the spoil, after victory, lots were
likewise cast, to give every man his portion, Obadiah 11; Nahum iii, 10,
&c. In the New Testament, after the death of Judas, lots were cast to
decide who should occupy the place of the traitor, Acts i, 26. From the
above instances, it is clear that when men have recourse to this method,
the matter ought to be of the greatest importance, and no other apparent
way left to determine it; and the manner of making the appeal should be
solemn and grave, if we would escape the guilt of taking the name of God
in vain. It unquestionably implies a solemn appeal to the Most High to
interpose by his decision; and so every thinking man will be very
careful that he has a true and religious ground for so serious a
proceeding; and few if any cases can now occur in which it can have any
justification. The ancient manner of casting lots, was either in some
person’s lap,” or fold of the robe; into a helmet, or urn, or other
vessel, in which they might be shaken before they were drawn or cast.
from Ur to Haran, and from thence to Canaan; a proof of their mutual
attachment, and similarity of principles respecting the true religion.
With Abraham he descended into Egypt, and afterward returned with him
into Canaan: but the multiplicity of their flocks, and still more the
quarrels of their servants, rendered a friendly separation necessary.
When God destroyed the cities of the plain with fire and brimstone, he
delivered just Lot” from the conflagration, according to the account of
the divine historian. The whole time that Lot resided there was
twenty-three years. During all this period he had been a preacher of
righteousness among this degenerate people. In him they had before their
eyes an illustrious example of the exercise of genuine piety, supported
by unsullied justice and benevolent actions. And doubtless it was for
these purposes that Divine Providence placed him for a time in that
city. The losses which Lot sustained on this melancholy occasion were
very great; his wife, property, and all the prospects of the future
settlement of his family blasted. Pity must therefore draw a friendly
veil over the closing scene of this man of affliction; and let him that
thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall into deeds more
reprehensible than those of Lot, without having equal trials and
sufferings to plead in his favour. Respecting his wife, whether grieving
for the loss of her property, or inwardly censuring the severity of the
divine dispensation, or whether moved by unbelief or curiosity, cannot
now be known; but, looking back, she became a pillar of salt, Gen. xix,
26. It would be endless to present the reader with all the opinions on
this subject. Some contend that nothing more is meant than that she was
suffocated: others, that a column or monument of metallic salt was
erected upon her grave: others affirm that she became encrusted with the
sulphur, insomuch that she appeared like an Egyptian mummy, which is
embalmed with salt. Our Lord warns his disciples to remember Lot’s wife
in their flight from Jerusalem, and not to imitate her tardiness, Luke
xvii, 32.
2. Lot, any thing cast or drawn in order to determine any matter in
question, Proverbs xviii, 18. We see the use of lots among the Hebrews
in many places of Scripture: God commands, for example, that lots should
be cast upon the two goats which were offered for the sins of the
people, upon the solemn day of expiation, to know which of the two
should be sacrificed, and which liberated, Lev. xvi, 8–10. He required
also that the land of promise should be divided by lot as soon as it was
conquered; which command Joshua accordingly executed, Num. xxvi, 55, 56;
xxxiii, 54; xxxiv, 13, &c; Joshua xiv-xvi; hence the term lot” is used
for an inheritance, Thou maintainest my lot;” and figuratively for a
happy state or condition. The priests and Levites had their cities
appointed by lot. Lastly, in the time of David, the four and twenty
classes of the priests and Levites were distributed by lot, to determine
in what order they should wait in the temple, 1 Chron. vi, 54, 61; xxiv,
5; xxv, 8. In the division of the spoil, after victory, lots were
likewise cast, to give every man his portion, Obadiah 11; Nahum iii, 10,
&c. In the New Testament, after the death of Judas, lots were cast to
decide who should occupy the place of the traitor, Acts i, 26. From the
above instances, it is clear that when men have recourse to this method,
the matter ought to be of the greatest importance, and no other apparent
way left to determine it; and the manner of making the appeal should be
solemn and grave, if we would escape the guilt of taking the name of God
in vain. It unquestionably implies a solemn appeal to the Most High to
interpose by his decision; and so every thinking man will be very
careful that he has a true and religious ground for so serious a
proceeding; and few if any cases can now occur in which it can have any
justification. The ancient manner of casting lots, was either in some
person’s lap,” or fold of the robe; into a helmet, or urn, or other
vessel, in which they might be shaken before they were drawn or cast.