to observe that, by Jehovah first named, is meant to signify the Lord's divine human principle and holy proceeding, represented also in this chapter by two men; and by Jehovah named a second time, is meant the essential divine principle (called the Father,) and that this trine or three-fold principle is in the Lord Jesus Christ, as he hath said, "He who seeth me seeth the Father; believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me."

Again in the 25th verse, we read of the total desolation of the church, together with its false doctrines; and all spurious good derived from those doctrines being separated from them, inasmuch as it was only goodness in appearance, and not genuine good, so that nothing but evil remained with them, signified by the following terms: "And he overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground."

And then follows the verse to which our text refers; "But his wife looked back from behind him; and she became a pillar of salt." When, therefore, you "remember Lot's wife," remember at the same time the several circumstance connected with this part of the history, for which purpose we have been rather prolix in this part of our discourse.

We will, however, offer a few words more by way of a brief explanation of this verse as immediately connected with the text. You have already heard a definition of goodness and truth; or if you please, love and faith. These were designed to form a one in man; and without this oneness-this essential union, man perverts the very end for which he was born into the world. The same observation will apply to a church in general as to every individual member of that church. Truth received into the memory, if it be not elevated into the will, in a word, if it be not received in the love of it so as to produce acts of goodness in the life, is so far dead, being alone. A mere belief in the truth will not save the soul. Truth in the understanding is like light without heat, and may be compared to the moon; but truth, or faith, conjoined with good, or love, may be compared to the sun, which not only enlightens the earth but communicates its genial warmth, and by that heat invigorates and fructifies, and causeth the earth to bring forth all those different kinds of productions which, by the law of analogy, are descriptive of, and correspond to, the various affections and principles which exist in the mind of man. You will, therefore, bear in mind this illustration when you "remember Lot's wife," and the explanation, according to the internal sense, of her

looking back from behind Lot and becoming a pillar (or statue) of salt; for in this case you behold, in a representative image, truth averting itself from goodness with which the wise author of our being designed that it should be conjoined so that it may form a one. Here too we behold a violation of the divine injunction, "What God hath joined together let no man put asunder." To "look behind him," signifies to be more anxious respecting the doctrines of the Word, than to pursue a course of life consistently with those doctrines, and to which they are calculated to lead every true recipient. It is in fact an inversion of that rule of the Apostle, "Leaving therefore the doctrine of baptism, and of the laying on of hands, let us go on unto perfection." It is the reverse of "leaving the things which are behind and reaching forth unto the things which are before." It is a non-compliance with that injunction of our Lord which we have already recited, "In that day whosoever shall be upon the house top, and his vessels in the house, let him not go down to take them; and whosoever is in the field, in like manner, let him not return back. Remember Lot's wife." That is, let those who are principled in goodness, love, and charity, and are in possession of those truths which are grounded in goodness (and which are the vessels in the house of the mind), go not down, or avert themselves from that good to truth merely; and let not that church which is principled in goodness derived from sound scriptural doctrine, nor any particular member of that church who is thus far advanced in the regenerate life, avert himself from goodness of life by looking back to mere doctrine or truth alone, and thereby retard his spiritual progression. "Remember Lot's wife!" Take the advice and obey the injunction of thy Lord. Escape for thy life; look not behind thee neither tarry thou in all the plain; "escape to the mountains ;" elevate thy thoughts and affections to the mountains of goodness, love, and charity, lest peradventure thou perish. And surely there is need of patience, and of perseverance, as an Apostle says of himself, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away." It is for this reason among many more that our Lord adds the words of our text, "Remember Lot's wife !"

And be it observed; it is not said that she looked back merely; it is not said that she looked back behind herself, but that "she looked back behind him;" that is, behind her husband. This may appear to be a matter of little consequence to those who are un

acquainted with the internal sense of the Word; but when the internal sense is understood, it is a matter of great importance. This, I should imagine, must now appear evident, from the explanation already given of Lot and his wife as representative characters. From that explanation it must be manifest, that when truth averts itself from goodness, and thus becomes separate, being alone, it is like spiritual light in the understanding without spiritual life in the soul; whereas it is a life consistent with doctrine; it is a life agreeable to the truths which we believe, and not doctrine separate from a life of faith, a life of goodness enlightened by truth divine, which constitutes a true disciple of the Lord, a true member of his church militant.

But it is said, "she became a pillar of salt." In the Hebrew tongue, the word here translated pillar, is one which signifies station, not which signifies a pillar, or statue, such as were formerly set up for a witness, or sign, or for worship, but a station; thus signifying that the affection of truth advanced no further; it became stationary, it was vastated, it was dissipated; and such is the case with truth when there is no longer any goodness in it. "Salt is good, but if the salt become saltless wherewith shall the sacrifice be seasoned." This is truth existing without a desire to be conjoined to good; and is "neither fit for the land nor yet for the dunghill;" it is altogether unprofitable for any use whether good or evil. It is the will of the Almighty, that "every one be salted with fire," which by analogy corresponds to love, which is a holy flame. Every one, therefore, should feel a holy desire originating in genuine spiritual love; and "every sacrifice should be salted with salt;" all worship should be seasoned with that desire, grounded in genuine love, the opposite of which is saltless salt. Have salt in yourselves; exercise the desire that truth may be united to good, and thus shall you "have peace among yourselves."

To conclude: Let each one apply the subject to his own mind, that so his real state may be seen as in the faithful and unerring mirror of the Word of God. Truth in the memory only will save no one, although this is the first step of the ladder whose top reaches to heaven. Nevertheless in the process of regeneration it is reversed: the last is first, and the first last. Good is first and faith last. Truth in the memory is but as the seed sown; it is as the germ, which must indeed exist, in order that it may spring up and bring forth fruit. If truth be viewed by its possessor as an end, instead of the means, it becomes useless and unprofitable.

Man, by the divine power of the Lord, must be awakened from that thoughtlessness and lethargy in which the truth finds him, that so the seed of eternal truth sown in the memory may be elevated into the higher region of the understanding; and this is sometimes effected by severe trials and afflictions, which should lead the sufferer to the conviction and acknowledgment, that this world is not our abiding place, but that, as candidates for eternal happiness, we should seek the one to come. Nor should he rest satisfied here; but by ardent zeal, by unremitted assiduity, and submissive prayer, take a higher grasp nor rest satisfied until divine truth attain a still higher state of elevation and is centered in the region of the will. If the truth be received into the understanding or memory only, and not into the will, the man may be yet halting between two opinions as to whom he should serve. Like Lot's wife, he may be frequently looking behind, instead of attending to the divine injunction, "look not behind thee, neither tarry thou in all the plain." His understanding may be pointing to one direction, and his will directing him in another. Thus you may see such an one, still indulging in the unlawful pleasures of time and sense, in all their excesses, urged on by the unrenewed will; while truth in the understanding throws its refulgent light on the superior things of heaven, and makes the individual half a coward in the course he pursues. To such, the words are addressed, "How long halt ye between two opinions as to whom ye should serve." Thus the warfare between love in the will, and truth in the understanding, goes on, each contending for its empire in the human mind. Every evil which the man loves and wills, the light of truth condemns. The love and desires and affections of the will are drawing him downwards, while the light of truth in the understanding is elevating its spiritual sight to the realms of eternal day. Every disorderly passion-envy, restlessness, and pride, these enemies to the peace of the mind, disturb, and agitate, and rebel, and reign.

Such are the awful effects produced by this separation or opposition between truth and good ;-truth in the understanding, and good or love in the will, signified by Lot's wife looking from behind him. But let there be an agreement between truth and goodness; let the love of the will correspond to, and become united with, truth in the understanding, and then hostility ceases, the combat ends. The truth of faith, and the good of love or charity, being now united; the understanding and the will, these two grand and essential principles of the mind, are pursuing one

course; bent on the same purposes; pressing forward to the same eternal end. Thus a holy alliance is formed: the man loves and wills that which truth in the understanding dictates; he not only knows and believes the truths of the Word; he not only reads the will of his Lord as contained in the precepts of his inspired Word, but he acts in obedience to those precepts, agreeably to the divine instruction, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Thus the combatant becomes a conqueror (as hath been remarked), and sitting in the triumphal car of divine and incomparable workmanship, he enters into the holy city, the city of refuge, amidst the acclamations of the angelic hosts, who adorn his head with laurels of victory, and welcome him to a participation of their conquests, their glory, and their eternal rests from the labours and perils of warfare. "Mark the perfect man and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my after state be like his."

The awful reverse of this happy and desirable end you may reflect upon at your leisure, as connected with the doctrine of faith alone, or of holding the faith in unrighteousness; whether it exist in an individual, or in a church universally. Are there any individuals present who are immersed in this lifeless doctrine, which is like a body without a soul? So was Lot's wife, and those she represents; therefore our Lord presents to you a caution, and holds up to you this "pillar of salt" as a warning, and enjoins you to "remember" the circumstance. Do you imagine that you have nothing to apprehend from a continuance in such a statea doctrine which, more or less, according to its recipient subject, leads to errors, and evil of life? And when the heavenly doctrines of genuine Christianity are introduced to you, and placed before you in all their brightness, on the margin of the dark ground of human depravity and falsehood originating in faith alone, that so exhibiting the striking contrast, you may refuse the evil and choose the good; do you in heart, say, as did the rebellious children of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, to Moses and Aaron, "Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them?" What was the answer of Moses to them? "Even to-morrow the Lord will shew you who are his, and who are holy." And so it came to pass, for these holy ones (as they termed themselves) were swallowed up alive, and the earth closed upon them. And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. While,