Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 28
Verſe 28. — And he ſaid, If I finde forty and five there, I will not deſtroy it.
Doct. XVI. THat the Lord is willing to grant the renewed Requeſts that Believers bring before him; and when they ask more, they ſhall have more given in to them.
Abraham deſires here, That if there were five and forty Righteous found in Sodom, the place might not be deſtroyed: and God gives him a gracious Anſwer to this new Petition; If I finde forty and five there, I will not deſtroy it.
Gideon renewed his Requeſt about the fleece, and that requeſt was granted, as well as the former, Judg. 6.39, 40. He knows how to make new grants, as well as other Princes do. If Kings Subjects renew their Requeſts, and get renewed Grants, then his faithful Subjects much more.
Reaſons. 1. From the Lord. 2. From his believing Suiters and Suppliants. 3. From the Grants themſelves.
Firſt, From the Lord himſelf. 1. He is Rich unto all that call upon him, Rom. 10.12. and having enough by him, how can he but renew his grants, and give more when we ſue and ſeek unto him for it. Rich men give according to their quality and condition; ſo God that is rich in mercy.
2. He is a great King, Mal. 1.14. and will give according to the ſtate of a King: and they (as I ſaid) that are Kings on earth, ſtick not at renewed Grants; and how then ſhould he that is the great King over all the earth? Pſal. 47.2.
3. His Mercies are new every morning, Lam. 3.23. the Sun is not oftner ſeen by us, then his Mercies; they look us in the face every day. The Light of the day does no more fail us, then his mercies do. The Morning is not oftner renewed upon us, then his mercies are: and therefore what new grant is there greater then the former, that we may not have from him, if we ſeek it of him.
4. He treads never a ſtep, but that that is paved with mercy: All the paths of the Lord are mercy to them that fear him, and to them that keep his Covenant, Pſal. 25.10. His paths that he comes in towards us in his Ordinances, in his Providences, they are all beſet and beſpread with mercies, and therefore what new mercy it is that we would have, and what more then formerly we have had for our ſelves or others, he is willing to give in to us.
5. He hath commanded us not to withhold from others that which is their due, when it is in the power of our hand to do it, Prov. 3.27. and if ſo, then ſure he will not withhold any thing from us, if we ſeek it of him, though it be new, ſeeing it is in the power of his hand to do it. He would not be out-bidden and out-vied by man; he would not fall ſhort (in a way of kindneſs and goodneſs) of any of the ſons of men.
6. He is a God hearing prayer, Pſal. 65.2. he is alwayes at it. Other Princes have their times appointed to hear their Suiters, their ſet times and dayes of audience to hear Ambaſſadors; but God is alwayes hearing his Suiters: and be it that our Prayers be the Souls Ambaſſadors, yet he puts them not off, but is alwayes hearing; and therefore what new Requeſts we come with, we may get a grant from him of them.
Secondly, From his believing Suppliants: 1. They are his Loyal Subjects, he is King of Saints, Rev. 15.3. and Loyal and faithful Subjects may get their Grants renewed, much more may his.
2. They are his Servants, Pſal. 116.16. and Servants of Princes, ſuch as they are that are of the Bed-chamber, as they are wiſe to take their time to renew their ſuits, ſo they have the Kings ear, and a new Grant ſigned and ſealed to them: and ſhall the Servants of God fare worſe then the Servants of Princes? Surely no.
3. They are in favour with him, and accepted of him, Eph. 1.6. and what new Grants have not they that are in favour with Princes? and ſhall not we much rather that are in favour with God? Brutus with Julius, Mecenas with Auguſtus, Sejanus with Tiberius, what might they not have had of theſe great ones? and if ſo, what new grants may not the Saints have of him that hath made us accepted in the beloved?
4. They are his Friends, Jam. 2.23. and any friend will get a new grant, and have more for asking: what can God deny us then that ſeek for new favours, and new grants from him.
5. They are his Followers, Eph. 5.1. they imitate him in his Virtues and Excellencies, and ſuch may have any thing of him. Similitude works us up to the height: we love thoſe that reſemble us, ſo does God; and we may have what we will of him, if we be like to him.
6. They pleaſe him, and therefore may have what they will of him, Joh. 15.7. 1 Joh. 3.22. let them renew their ſuits as often as they will, he will renew his grants as often to them; and if they would have more, they ſhall have more.
Thirdly, From the renewed grants themſelves. 1. They are eaſily made by him, it is as eaſie with him to give more as leſs, to renew twenty as well as one: He can do every thing, Job 42.2.
2. They are quickly and ſpeedily done; they are ſometimes granted before they are asked, Iſa. 65.24. Dan. 9.23.
3. They are cordially given in, with all his heart, and with all his ſoul, Jer. 32.40, 41. and what ſhould hinder their coming in then to us?
4. They tend to his honour; he hath the glory of them given to him, Lam. 3.23. he hath new ſongs for his new mercies, Pſal. 40.3.
5. They binde us to duty and obedience. New Grants made by Princes, oblige the Subjects to duty and obedience: ſo theſe grants from God.
6. They are greatly indearing our hearts to God. Princes by their liberality endear their Servants to them; ſo does God: His love to us, begets our love to him, 1 Joh. 4.19. It is obſerved of King James, That he bound thoſe he loved unto him, by granting them ſome Requeſt that they made ſuit for, which he thought bound their love to him: ſo does God by his grants endear our hearts to him.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee what a full-handed and open-hearted God we have to do with, that both can and will give us more for asking, and make renewed grants to us. We do not come to a poor Prince, but to one that is rich and full, and hath great things to give; and if we renew our Requeſts, he can eaſily and ſpeedily renew his grants. We make ſupplication to him that can give us what we ask of him, and as often as we come with new ſuits to him. He is a rich Prince, and ſo full of royalty, that he will give us our asking, though we deſire more then formerly. Kings know how to riſe in their grants, as ſuppliants do in their ſuits: ſo here, 1 Pet. 3.12.
2. We ſee what great encouragements we have to renew our ſuits, and to ask more; for God is willing to renew his grants as we do our ſuits, and if we would have ſomething more then we deſired at firſt, he is very willing to come off to us, and to give us more. Would any Prince on earth ſo do, his Court would be full of ſuiters, they would preſs in for audience, and fill his doors, and be much encouraged to come: Oh how full of ſuiters ſhould the Court of Heaven then be, and what encouragement ſhould they take to ask more, and to come with new ſuits, that have ſuch a God to go to that will give more according as we ask, and renew grants as we do our ſuits, Pſal. 65.2. Jer. 33.3.
3. We ſee how truly he is ſtyled A God hearing prayer, Pſal. 65.2. that does thus renew grants to his humble ſuppliants deſires: his ears are alwayes open to their deſires. Princes cannot alwayes attend the ſuits of their Subjects, they have ſomewhat elſe to do: but God, though he be working other wayes, creating work, and providential work, yet he hath an hearing ear to all our ſupplications, and is not wearied out with our ſuits, though renewed, nor is his bounty ſpent, though we ask more of him.
4. We ſee what new ſongs of praiſe we ſhould preſent him with, for ſuch renewed grants given in to us. Renewed Mercies call for renewed thanksgivings; and when God is willing to come off with more to us, we ſhould think it our duty to give more praiſe. They that get much from a bountiful giver, are abundant in thanks: ſo ſhould we to God, Pſal. 71.14, 15. the Angels, and bleſſed Souls in glory, that have received moſt, are fulleſt of praiſes, Iſa. 6.3. Rev. 4.8.
5. We ſee what renewed obedience we ſhould chearfully perform to him that renews his grants according to our ſuits. New obedience, as it is moſt acceptable, ſo it is moſt ſuitable to come off with for new grants and new favours: as it is that that God requires, and prefers above ſacrifice, 1 Sam. 15.22. Jer. 7.22, 23. ſo it is that that is meet to be given to the Lord. New bounties from men call for new ſervice: ſo do God's much more call for new obedience.
6. We ſee what renewed love we ſhould ſhew forth to him. Princes binde their Subjects love to them by being bountiful to them in renewing their grants: Oh what love then ſhould we expreſs to him, that renews his grants, and gives in more of his Royal bounty? all is too little that we can do this way; but if it were as full as the Sea is of water, and the Sun of light, and the Stars of influences, we ſhould freely give it all to him, Mat. 22.37. Love, as it makes us like to God, who is Love it ſelf, 1 Joh. 4.8. ſo it is our duty to grow up in it more and more. What do they in Heaven but praiſe and love? and we ſhould begin that here, that is in its perfection there.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to thoſe that ask not, and know not how to renew their Requeſts: it is no wonder if theſe get nothing, for how ſhould they when they will not ask? Jam. 4.2.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to thoſe of the Saints that are too ſlack in renewing their ſuits, and asking more at the Lords hands: they deprive themſelves of many a fair bleſſing, and dam up the flowings of their own praiſes. God might have more glory from them, and they more ſweets from him, could they ask more, and renew their ſuits.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To be frequent in renewing our ſuits, and asking ſtill more and more, as Abraham here did. God is very ready to give more, and to renew grants according as we make Requeſts to him, Joh. 16.24. the more we ask in Chriſts Name, the more we ſhall be ſure to receive: we may be ſtraitned in asking, but he cannot, will not in giving.
2. To ſing new ſongs for all the renewed grants that he hath made to us. If he hath come off liberally to us, in granting more to us according to our ſuits, let not us be ſparing of his praiſes. Every additional mercy calls on us to adde to our thanksgivings to him: Every new mercy beſpeaks for praiſe renewed from us. A new Sute of Clothes becomes us, and a new Set of Praiſe becomes us better. Praiſe is comely, Pſal. 147.1. but never more then when God gives in his anſwers to our Prayers, and his new mercies with them.
3. To imitate him, in renewing grants to his poor ones; and if they deſire more, let them have more, Eph. 5.1, 2. What pattern like him?
4. To be Renewed in the ſpirit of our mindes, and to be new creatures, new men and women: new favours call for this, 2 Cor. 5.17.
5. To renew our Covenant with the Lord, as he renews his grants to us, Nehem. 9.38.
6. To long for heaven, where we ſhall praiſe, and love, & obey our God perfectly, willingly, chearfully, conſtantly, and after a new manner, otherwiſe then we do now in a ſtate of childhood.