Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 28
Verſe 28. Peradventure there ſhall lack five of the fifty righteous, wilt thou deſtroy all the City for lack of five And he ſaid, If I finde there forty and five, I will not deſtroy it.
Doct. XV. THat Believers, when they have got one of their Requeſts granted, ſtay not there, but intreat for another.
So does Abraham here, he had got a grant for Sodoms ſparing, if there were fifty found there; and now he makes another Requeſt, that if there ſhould lack five of the fifty, he would not deſtroy all the City for lack of five.
Thus Gideon, he prayed that the fleece might be wet with dew, and all the earth elſe might be dry; and he got a grant of that, for ſo it was, Judg. 6.37, 38. but he ſtayes not there, but deſires another, that the fleece may be dry, and all the earth wet with dew, ver. 39, 40.
Reaſons. 1. From the Lord. 2. From the Believers.
Firſt, From the Lord. 1. He is a Bountiful giver, he hath more bleſſings then one, he hath a full hand, and a large heart; an open hand, and a free liberal heart, Pſal. 115.16. Jam. 1.5.
2. He gives above what we ask or think, Eph. 3.20. and therefore one Requeſt granted ſhould not content us, but we ſhould deſire more of ſuch an one as he is, that is able to give above all our deſires.
3. He hath commanded us to open our mouthes wide, Pſal. 81.10. to ask more, and to inlarge our deſires: and if he command this, we may well do it; we cannot anſwer it, but muſt be diſobedient except we ask more.
4. He hath promiſed, that whatever we ask, believing we ſhall receive; and therefore it is not the grant of one Requeſt that ſhould content us, but we ſhould ask more, Mat. 21.22. and all his promiſes are punctually performed, 1 Kin. 8.24.
5. He hath put a Royal ſpirit in giving into ſome men, 1 Kings 2.20. Ask on, my Mother, (ſayes Solomon) for I will not ſay thee nay. So 1 Kings 10.13. He gave the Queen of Sheba all ſhe asked, beſides what he gave her of his royall bounty. See Eſth. 5.3. & 7.2. and if ſo, he will never come ſhort of men in royalty and bounty in giving, and therefore we are not to reſt in one grant, but ſue for more.
6. He knows that we have many wants, and when one is ſupplied, we need another, and another to that, and ſo on to a multitude; and many troubles to be removed, and therefore when we ſue for one, and have it granted, we muſt ſue for more: we are poor and afflicted many wayes, Pſal. 34.6, 19. and therefore muſt go on in our ſuits, and ask more.
7. He is pleaſed when he ſees us again and again to renew our Requeſts to him: He is not like ſome men, that make it an argument why they will not give again, becauſe they have given once, Jam. 1.5.
8. He hath an inexhauſtible Treaſure, that by the renewall of our ſuits, and asking more, we cannot draw dry. He hath a rich Myne by him, Rom. 10.12. He is a full one that commands all bleſſings both in temporal and ſpiritual things, Pſal. 50. 1 Pet. 5.10.
Secondly, From the Believers themſelves: 1. Their faith is hereby ſtrengthned. Judg. 6.37-40. Gideons faith in Gods deliverance of Iſrael by his hand, was ſtrengthned by his ſecond Requeſt that he made to God concerning the fleece: and the faith of Gods Servants needs ſtrengthning; even the Diſciples of Chriſt were men of weak faith, Mark 4.40. ſo that Chriſt could not tell how to put the name of Faith upon it.
2. Their thankfulneſs is hereby more and more inlarged. The more Petitions any make to a Prince, the more full of Thanks they come off with when they are granted. Now thanksgiving is Heavenly work, Angelical, Seraphical work, and that that God is glorified by, Pſal. 50.23.
3. They do gain, and gather upon God by renewing their ſuits: ſo did Abraham, he ever in his renewed Requeſts got ſomething, and went away a gainer. A new Petition to a Prince by one in favour gains ſomething: ſo Believers upon every renewed Petition ſhall finde themſelves to go away with ſomething. Even the poor at the doors that come often, loſe not their labour, but get ſomething, are not ſent empty away; how much leſs then will God deny his poor ones that renew their requeſts to him? Pſal. 10.17.
4. They are the more welcome the oftner they come. Men may be weary of us the oftner we come to them: Prov. 25.17. Withdraw thy foot (ſayes Solomon) from thy neighbours houſe, leſt he be weary of thee, and ſo hate thee. A man that comes ſeldome ſhall be welcome to another, but if he come often he will but be a burthen: but it is not ſo with thoſe that go often before the Lord, they are ever moſt welcome to him that come with new Requeſts oftneſt before him.
5. They become more dutiful and obedient to him, if their renewed Suits be granted. So it is with all that ſue at Court, how obſequious and dutiful will they be? and ſo it is with thoſe that renew their Suits at the Throne of Grace; I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, will each of them ſay, Pſal. 116.16. not in a Complemental-way, as ſometimes they do at Court, but in a ſerious way, ſo as dutiful ſervants ought to do.
6. They do by often coming increaſe their familiarity with God, and this is that that he likes well of, Job 22.21. and we may well delight in; for no acquaintance like his.
7. They by coming before God, and renewing their requeſts to him, ſhew forth the exceeding greatneſs of their love to thoſe they pray for: and that the Lord is much delighted with, who is Love it ſelf, 1 Joh. 4.8.
8. They do by renewing their Suits to him, acknowledge his Bounty and Grace; and that he is able to give abundant ſupply to us in what we deſire of him: and that cannot but be well-pleaſing to him. Princes are well pleaſed when they are looked at as bountiful and gracious to their Suppliants: ſo is God when his Grace is exalted.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee what a bountiful God we go to, that gives us leave to come before him with new Requeſts, after he hath granted that that we asked before of him. Men are oftentimes niggards, and if they have done ſomething, they ceaſe giving: but our God is liberal, and gives liberally to all, and upbraids not, Jam. 1.5. When we have gone once, and got what we asked of him, we may come again: and this Believers know, and therefore are encouraged to come again, and ſue for more.
2. We ſee that the more faith any man hath, the more bold he may be with God, to put up new Requeſts to him. Abraham was a great Believer, and his faith puts him upon a new ſuit, after the old was granted. What may not Believers have? and therefore they will put in for it. Faith will fetch in any thing that a man would have: All things are poſſible to him that beleeveth, Mar. 9.23. and therefore the Believer will go on in his ſuits, and ask more after a former grant.
3. We ſee that it is lawful to covet after more of the good things that God vouchſafes to give when we make our Requeſts to him. To covet after earthly things inordinately is ſin to thoſe that ſet their hearts upon them, Phil. 3.19. but to deſire of God other things, and to ask more, after we have already got ſome of our Requeſts granted, is that that we may do, and is an high Encomium of our Faith, 1 Cor. 14.1.
4. We ſee that one gift received from God makes way for another; the Believer takes it as a pledge that he ſhall have more. We preſume upon a friend ſometimes that hath done ſomething at our asking, that he will do more; much more may we relie upon God when he does any thing at our requeſt, that he will do more. One favour begets another: When once God is prevailed with to do ſomething at our requeſt, we may binde upon it that he will do more, and ſo take courage to renew our ſuits. So did Abraham here.
5. We ſee what our caſe is here in this world, we are alwayes wanting ſomething, either for our ſelves or others; and when we have got a grant of one thing, we need another, and muſt renew our ſuits. We are made up of wants, and when we get one ſupplied, another looks us in the face, and beſpeaks a new Requeſt to be put up to the Lord for a freſh ſupply. This is our caſe and ſtate while we are in this world; as our troubles are many here, Pſal. 34.19. ſo are our wants.
6. We ſee that Believers know where ſupply is to be had, and therefore they go to God to make a new ſupply. He is a Fountain that they repair unto; a Spring that is never drawn dry; a Well that is ever full: and therefore if our pitchers have been filled once, they may be filled again. We know where we have had a good dole once, and it is but going again. Thus a Believer argues with himſelf: I have fared well once, and will try again; I have drunk at the Well, and have had my fill, and will go again for a freſh ſupply; the Spring is yet open, and I will repair thither again: God is able to grant me one Requeſt as well as another, and therefore I will ſeek to him yet again.
7. We ſee what longings we ſhould have for Heaven, where all our wants ſhall be ſupplied. Here, after we have had one mercy, we muſt have another; after we have had one grant, we muſt plead to get another: but there all ſhall be made up, and we ſhall never know what wants mean more. We are there at the Spring-head continually, ſucking in and drinking abundantly of that Eternal Fountain, which ſhall ſatisfie us to all Eternity. The bleſſed Angels and glorified Souls feel no wants, they are fully ſatiate and repleniſhed with God; and ſo ſhall we when we come thither, Pſal. 17.15.
8. We ſee how good it is to be in a believing ſtate, for ſuch can go to God and get a grant, and go again for more, and ſo gain upon God by ſuing to him. Faith is an excellent and precious grace, 2 Pet. 1.1. that can, when one ſuit is granted, bring in another; it is a Chriſtians boldneſs, and makes him bold to bring freſh ſuits into the preſence of the Holy One.
9. We ſee that the Lord muſt needs be much taken with a believing Suppliant, that is unwearied in making his addreſſes to him. It delights a father to ſee a childe often asking ſomething or other of him: ſo does our renewed ſuit delight God. Faith is that one eye that raviſheth Chriſts heart, Cant. 4.9.
10. We ſee that the more we come with renewed ſuits to the Throne of Grace, the nearer we come to reſemble Abrahams faith; for ſo did he, when he had obtained ſomething, he renews his requeſt for more; therein he ſhewed his faith: and in ſo doing we ſhall walk in the ſteps of that faith of his, and be like him who is the father of us all.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to Unbelievers; They get nothing in ſpiritual things, and therefore have no encouragement to come again to renew their ſuits: Joh. 9.31. God heareth not ſinners. So Pſal. 66.18.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to thoſe that ſlack this duty of renewing their ſuits. Job 15.4. There are thoſe that reſtrain prayer before God: What? ſhould we have ſomething done for us, and not be encouraged to go again? God forbid.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To be thankeful to the Lord, who (as he gives us leave) ſo gives us hearts to renew our ſuits; and having got ſomething, to ask more. Poor ones would be thankful to men for this, much more ſhould we be thankful to the Lord.
2. To honour Believers, that are ſo honoured of God that they may, and do bring new Requeſts before the Lord. Theſe are they that are in favour with God; and if Kings Favourites be honoured, much more ſhould theſe.
3. To pity thoſe that get nothing, neither care whether they do or no; that cannot pray, nor will not ſet about the duty in a ſerious way: theſe will never ask for more, becauſe they get nothing, Jam. 1.6, 7. Proud Beggars when ſent empty away, will come no more; ſo here.
4. To love Jeſus Chriſt, through whom we get a grant of our Requeſts, and are encouraged to ask more, and renew our ſuits, Eph. 2.18.
5. To long to be at the Well-head, and that everlaſting Spring that will make a full ſupply of all our ſpiritual wants, when we ſhall enjoy what we deſired here, and farre more.
6. Till we come to the bleſſed ſatisfaction that we ſhall have in glory, let us be exhorted to renew our Requeſts daily, and having ſped well in ſome of our ſuits, let us ask more. We go to a full Fountain, to a rich Treaſure, that (Phil. 4.19.) can ſupply all our wants by Jeſus Chriſt.