Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 29
Verſe 29. And he ſpake to him yet again, and ſaid, Peradventure there ſhall be forty found there: and he ſaid, I will not do it for forties ſake.
Doct. XVII. THat Believers, when God renews his grants to them, do not ceaſe asking, but yet again follow him with their ſuits, to obtain yet more favour from him.
Abraham here had his renewed grant, That if there were but five and forty Righteous in the City, it ſhould not be deſtroyed for their ſakes; but he reſts not there, but ſtill follows on to ſue further, That if there ſhould be forty found, the place might be ſpared for their ſakes.
Believers, like Beggars, are not weary of asking, but come again and again thither where their deſires have been granted, and where they have fared well, and been kindly dealt with. Courtiers that go to a gracious Prince, and have their Renewed ſuits granted, fear not to go again and again, and to follow ſuch a Prince with their ſuits for further favour: So here.
Reaſons. 1. From the Lord. 2. From Believers.
1. From the Lord. 1. He is Abundant in goodneſs, Exod. 34.6. the whole Earth is full of it, Pſal. 119.64. and this Believers know, and that makes them inceſſant in their ſuing to him, and after his renewed grants, to follow him with ſuits again and again.
2. He is a Sun, Pſal. 84.11. Now the Sun is that that gives out, and communicates of its light, and heat, and influences that it is full of: So does God; He is a full one, and hath enough to ſupply us with, and therefore we cannot come too often to him in our ſuits: and this puts us upon it to follow him with our requeſts, and to ſpeak to him in Prayer yet again, as Abraham did here.
3. He hath not ſtinted us, nor put any bounds to our lawful deſires, but hath bidden us ask what we will, and as often as we will, to ask great things, and many things, Jer. 33.3. Joh. 15.7. and this encourageth Believers not to ſtint themſelves, or to ſay to themſelves, Hitherto we will go, and no further, and when we have got this, and that, and the other, we will ask no more.
4. He hath promiſed, that we ſhall have all we ask according to his will, 1 Joh. 5.14, 15. and therefore we may well go again and again to him, and not give over, though we have got our renewed ſuits granted to us. Princes promiſes encourage Subjects Addreſſes to them; as we ſee in the Promiſes of Ahaſuerus to Eſther, and Herods to his Dancing Minion: how much more then will Gods promiſes encourage us in our prayers to him?
5. He deſires to hear us ſpeaking to him, Cant. 2.14. Let me ſee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice: and if he deſire this, we may well be encouraged to come again. We may well let him have his deſire, that lets us have ours.
6. He takes pleaſure in our often coming, Cant. 2.14. Sweet is thy voice: Our Prayers are muſick and melody in his ears. Hence alſo the Prayers of Believers are compared to Incenſe, Pſal. 141.2. and that had a fragrant ſweet ſmell: Such are Believers Prayers, they are ſweet-ſcented, fragrant, ſavour well in his noſthrils, they are delightſome to him; and this may well put us upon it to follow him with our ſuits, that are ſo acceptable to him in Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 2.5.
Secondly, From Believers. 1. They are and may be bold with God, (as I ſaid before) and from that holy boldneſs do go again and again to him, Heb. 4.16. They that have leave to be bold with Kings, as Favourites have, may go as oft as they will to them; and though they have got their renewed grants, yet they will come again: ſo it is with Believers that are in favour with God.
2. Though they have many deſires granted, and many of their ſuits hearkned to, yet their wants are many ſtill, and will be while they are in this world; and if ſome be ſupplied, yet they need more, and therefore cannot but come again. We are made up of wants; and when we have got ſomething, we need more; when this and that favour hath been brought in to us, ſtill we are lacking ſomething further, and therefore cannot but go to him again for ſupplies, Phil. 4.19.
3. They know they go to a liberal one, that gives to all liberally, Jam. 1.5. and therefore though they have received this, and that, and the other benefit from him, yet if they ſpeak yet again, and ask on, he will not deny them: and this puts them on to ſue for further favour.
4. They do not uſe to deny their friends that ſue to them, though they come often; and therefore cannot but judge that they fall infinitely ſhort of God, who is rich in mercy, Eph. 2.4. and this puts them upon it to go often to the Throne of Grace, and again and again to ask for further favour, though they have prevailed in their ſuits before.
5. They have engaged themſelves to call upon God as long as they live, Pſal. 116.2. and this obligation of theirs puts them upon it to make frequent addreſſes to him; and though they have got their deſires in ſome things, yet they cannot there make a ſtop, but muſt ask further, as Abraham here did.
6. They are the more welcome, the oftner they come, and the more ſuits they bring. Some men will ſay to their friends, That the oftner they come, the more welcome they be; and ſome ſay it feignedly, and others in truth and reality: but however it is with men, it is ſo with God, he is beſt pleaſed with us when we are moſt frequently with him, we are moſt welcome to him, when he hears us oftneſt with him. It's ſaid of Enoch, that walked conſtantly with God, Gen. 5.22. and followed his ſuits hard, that he had this teſtimony, that he pleaſed God, Heb. 11.5. and ſo it is with them that come again, they are welcome, and that puts them upon coming.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee that Believers are reſtleſs in their motions towards the Lord; they are like the Heavenly Bodies, that cannot ſtand ſtill: Though they have got much at the Lords hands by bringing their ſuits before him, yet they cannot reſt there, but muſt try the Lord yet further, and get ſomething more; their Suits muſt go on, their Prayers muſt not have bounds ſet to them, but when new grants have been made, yet they muſt pray further, and ſpeak yet again, as Abraham here did. That man that ceaſeth Prayer, though he hath got much, walketh not in the ſteps of the faith of Abraham, or at leaſt keeps not pace with him in a way believing.
2. We ſee that Believers have great intereſt in God, for they make many ſuits to him; yea, when they have got much, yet cannot ſtop there, but will ask for more, and try the Lord for more grace be given in to them. Great is their intereſt in Princes that can do ſo, and ſuch and much more is Believers intereſt in the Lord: God is theirs, and therefore they are emboldened to ask ſo much of him, Pſal. 119.94. & 118.28.
3. We ſee that they that ſit ſtill, and quiet themſelves in grace received, and do not come again as need is, but reſtrain prayer, as they caſt off fear, Job 15.4. ſo they are not of the faith of Abraham, for though he had ſuit after ſuit granted, yet he ſued ſtill, and ſpake yet again.
4. We ſee that a Believers reſtleſs motion in praying, comes near Angelical work; for, the Angels ceaſe not night nor day in praiſing God, Rev. 4. and Believers here ceaſe not to call upon God; and though they have obtained much, yet they reſt not there, but muſt have more: and who would not be like the Angels? who would not follow thoſe Celeſtial Spirits? it is a rare thing to imitate thoſe glorious Heroes, and to ſerve our King like thoſe noble Courtiers that wait continually upon him, and alwayes behold his face.
5. We ſee what longing deſires we ſhould have to be in Heaven, where we ſhall be alwayes in his Preſence, and never ceaſe ſerving of him, Rev. 22.3, 4. Here we do ſomething like the ſervice of God there, in that we ceaſe not our ſuits to him; onelyonly here is the difference, that what we do here is imperfect ſervice, and we have our clogs and hindrances in what we beſt do, but in Heaven, as we ſhall be more conſtant, ſo we ſhall never be interrupted in our ſervice, nor have any clog or hindrance at all: and therefore we ſhould long for that bleſſed place, where we ſhall have reſtleſs motions in what we do for him there, and ſhall never ceaſe ſerving him with all our ſtrength and might.
6. We ſee that Faith is an active grace, it is upon the wing, it is upon the ſuit for, and purſuit of grace and mercy: though it hath got much, yet it is ſtill buſie, and ſlacks not its pace, but haſtes to the Kings Court to make more Requeſts, to preſent more ſupplications at the Throne of Grace. It is an operative grace, its never idle, but ever at work, 1 Theſſ. 1.3. Remembring your work of faith.
7. We ſee that Believers are the praying men, and are the moſt inceſſant in that duty. Hypocrites may call upon God for a time, but they will ſoon give out; Will he alwayes call upon God? ſayes Job, Job 27.10. but ſound Believers hold out in Prayer, and when they have been heard, God ſhall hear of them again, and they have ſomething to ſay further to him, as Abraham here, that ſpake yet again.
8. We ſee that the Lord condeſcends very much to Believers, that gives them leave to come ſo frequently into his Preſence, and to bring ſuit after ſuit before him: This is not the manner of men, this is not the manner of Princes, but God does thus, and there's none like to him, in ſo humbling himſelf in admitting us to come ſo often into his Preſence to ask more of him, Pſal. 113.5, 6.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to thoſe that faint, and give out in Prayer, as Hypocrites do. Abraham here teacheth them another thing, he brings ſuit after ſuit before the Lord; and though he was heard, and his requeſts were granted, yet he reſts not in what he had obtained, but ſeeks for more favour, and ſpeaks yet again.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to thoſe of the Saints that are too apt to faint, when they get not a ſpeedy anſwer; or if they do, reſt in what they have, and ſeek no further. Abraham, that excellent Believer, did not ſo, but he goes on in his ſuit for more, and ſo ſhould all that would be bleſſed with him.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To bluſh at our ſparing to ſpeak; we deprive our ſelves of many a fair bleſſing that we might be loaden with, and carry home in our laps with us.
2. To trace Abrahams ſteps here, and whatever we have got formerly, let us follow our ſuit ſtill, we ſhall be ſure to be no loſers by it. We can never draw the Fountain dry.
3. To glorifie him that gives us leave to come often, and to ask more; and ſay as David did in another caſe, Is this the manner of men, O Lord God? 2 Sam. 7.19.
4. To let him have the vigour and ſtrength of our love, that makes ſuch an entrance for us to the Throne of Grace, to come ſo often before the Lord. Oh what love is not Jeſus Chriſt worthy of?
5. To beware we be not troubled when men ſhut up their ears and doors againſt us; his are alwayes open to us, we may go as often as we will to ask more.
6. To rejoyce that we have ſuch a God to go unto, and that we have a way open to us in our bleſſed Redeemer and great High Prieſt.