85 



stances He mighl do the same, and still not for- 

 feit His fatherhood nor love. 



The familar story of Sodom and Gomorrah is 

 well at hand: demonstrative of the authority ex- 

 ercised by the Divine One against the impudent 

 and impenitent. Sodom and Gomorrah have 

 beennsedas figures and synonyms to represent 

 the most reprehensible characteristics and sins. 

 The denunciation of the prophet Isaiah against an 

 apostate church is fitly represented in the follow- 

 ing words: " Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers 

 of Sodom: give ear unto the law of our God, ye 

 people of Gomorrah," and then denouncing in 

 forcible language their mock worship, he closes 

 with this significent passage: "And when ye 

 spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes 

 from you; yea, when ye make many prayers. I 

 will not hear: your hands are full of blood.'-* 

 Nor is the case in need of any private interpreta- 

 tion, or special pleading. No phase of New Tes- 

 tament truth stands against it. The Holy Spirit 

 with unbiased wisdom used the case of Sodom and 

 Gomorrah in its appropriate sense. The apostle 

 known as " Jude the servant of Jesus Christ" 

 bases a fundamental argument upon the very 

 case under consideration. Writing to those who 

 ■'are sanctified by God the Father" he says: 

 " For there are certain men crept in unawares, 

 who were before of old ordained to this condem- 



