The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 10
SECT. X.
ABraham now (his Wife Sarah having (as it ſeems) newly conceived) removed from the Plains of Mamre, towards the South, and ſojourned in Gerar, the Metropolis of the Philiſtins that dwelt in that Countrey. Here He began to be afraid of himſelf again, becauſe of Sarah his Wife, who though now near 90 years old, yet was ſtill very beautiful. He therefore now (as before in Egypt, ſee Ch. 12. 13.) apprehended that theſe people would kill him, if he were known to be her Husband; that ſo He being taken away ſhe might be free to be married to one of them. Hereupon Sarah (by his appointment) going again under the name of his Siſter. Abimelech King of that Place hearing of her, took a liking to her, and took her from her Husband, intending ſhortly after to make her his Wife (though he had a Wife before, ſee verſ. 17.) thinking, as it ſeems, Polygamy to be no ſin. Upon this God immediately ſmote him with a dangerous Sickneſs, and plagued his Court with a ſtrange Diſeaſe. And in his Sickneſs God informed him by a dream (g)Dreams are ſometimes ſupernatural, and ſent of God, and bring their own evidence and aſſurance with them. God thereby ſignifying what he will do, or have men to do. And thus God ſends dreams upon extraordinary occaſions to wicked men, as here to Abimelech, and afterwards to Laban, Pharaoh, and his Bulter and Baker, and to the Midianite, Judg. 7.13. To Nebuchadnezzar, to Pilat's Wife. And all theſe for the good of his own Servants and People, but Principally God ſends them to his choice Servants, as to Jacob, to Solomon, to Daniel, to Joſeph the Son of Jacob, and to Joſeph the Husband of Mary, and this was one of the ordinary ways wherein God revealed his Will to his Prophets, Numb. 12.6. Joel 2.28. Under which colour, Saul complains of the want of them, 1 Sam. 28.15.of the Cauſe why He had laid his hand upon Him, telling him he was a dead man, if he reſtored not unto Abraham his Wife. And further, He tells Him that Abraham was a Prophet, one in eſpecial favour with Himſelf, to whom he did often reveal his Will, and by whom he did teach and inſtruct others, [ſee Pſal. 105.15.] and He ſhould pray for him, if he did reſtore his Wife to Him again. Abimelech being thus reſtrain'd and prevented (by Gods immediate hand) from touching of Sarah, he pleads his own Innocence before the Lord, that in this matter his heart was clear from any adulterous purpoſe, and his body from any unchaſt action. And ſeeing this ſickneſs on his Family, and fearing poſſibly it to be on the reſt of his Subjects (who ſometimes ſmart for their Princes ſin, ſee Gen. 34.26, &c. 2 Sam. 24.17. and here verſ. 18.) he intreats the Lord not to proceed to puniſh his people that were innocent and guiltleſs as to this matter. Then Abimelech expoſtulates with Abraham that he ſhould by diſſembling his Wife, expoſe Him to ſo great a ſin as Adultery was, and conſequently bring upon him and his people the dreadful puniſhment due thereunto.(h)See Dutch Annotat. in loc. So that we ſee this Heathen King by the light of Nature (even in thoſe days before the Law was given) did hold Adultery in a King ſuch an abominable ſin as might juſtly bring a Plague or great Judgment on a whole Nation: Abraham excuſes himſelf as well as he could. He confeſſes he was afraid of himſelf there, becauſe he thought the fear of God was not among them, and ſo they would not care what they did. And beſides, it was not altogether falſe what he had ſaid. For Sarah was his Siſter in one ſenſe, being the Daughter, that is, the Grand-Child of his Father, though not the Daughter or Grand-Child of his Mother, Terah having Haran (her Father) by another Wife than he had Him. And he confeſſes ever ſince God called him to leave his Fathers Houſe, and wander in ſeveral Countries, thinking he ſhould find little of the fear of God in the places where he was to travel, and apprehending danger to himſelf in reſpect of the great beauty of Sarah, he had deſired Her that in all Places where they came, (and apprehended any ſuch danger) ſhe ſhould always ſay, She was his Siſter. Abimelech then not only return'd Sarah to him again untouch'd, but preſented him with large and great Gifts, and offered him to live in any part of his Country, where he pleas'd; to ſo much Civility and Kindneſs did the Lord diſpoſe the heart of this Heathen King. Moreover Abimelech tells Sarah, That he had given her Brother (as ſhe called him) a 1000 pieces of Silver (amounting to about 56 l. 5 s. of our money) but intimates to her that ſhe ought always to own her Husband in all Companies, and he ought to be as a Veil to her, to cover her from the Eyes and Deſires of all others, and a Guardian of her Chaſtity; whereas by denying him, ſhe (as it were) unveiled her ſelf, and laid her ſelf open to the unlawful Deſires of others. Thus was Sarah reprov'd by an Heathen King, and taught and inſtructed to carry her ſelf better for the future. Then Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and the Lord was graciouſly pleas'd to take off his hand from him and his Family, and ſo that diſability (i)Some think this was more than meer barrenneſs, which was a thing that could not in ſo ſhort a time either be perceived as a Judgment, or diſcerned as a Cure upon Abraham's prayer, therefore they think it was ſome unuſual cloſing of the Womb for that time. Exiſtimo plagam fuiſſe talem ut viri & mulieres inhabiles eſſent ad Concubitum, illud que fuiſſe omnibus manifeſtum. Notum eſt etiam Daemones ligamine conjuges ſaepe fraudaſſe, ut ſe mutuo potiri non poſſent. Forte muliebria loca obſerata erant, aut Coarctata. Rivet.they lay under, was removed.
Gen. 20. whole Chapter.