Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verses 24-26
Verſe 24, 25, 26. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the City, wilt thou alſo deſtroy, and not ſpare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? &c.
Doct. IV. THat godly men that plead with the Lord in behalf of wicked men, are apt to hope the beſt, that there may be a conſiderable number of righteous ones amongſt them.
Thus Abraham hopes the beſt of wicked Sodom, that there may be fifty righteous within the City.
Reaſons. 1. From the nature of Charity. 2. From the Lords Providence. 3. From the ground of their Hope. 4. From Gods Honour.
Firſt, From the nature of their Charity: It is that, that 1. Hopeth all things, 1 Cor. 13.7. that is, All things that may be hoped, that there is any probability and likelyhood of. It does not hope for impoſſibilities, but for things that are poſſible, and any whit probable, thoſe things it hopes for.
2. It Believeth all things, 1 Cor. 13.7. that is, All things that are to be believed. Charity is not blinde and fooliſh, to believe every thing, but it believeth what may be believed, and ſo from that belief hopes the beſt, even of the worſt place that is.
3. It Thinketh all the good it can, but thinketh no evil, 1 Cor. 13.5. if there be any good conſtruction to be put upon a thing that carries an ill face with it, that it will be ſure to make: Sodom was a ſinful place, but yet ſayes Abraham, It may be there may be ſo many good amongſt them: as if he ſhould ſay, I cannot think them all wicked.
Secondly, From the Lords Providence, 1. In permitting good and bad to be together, Matth. 13.30. Tares are permitted to be among the Wheat untill the end of the world, which is meant by the Harveſt, as Chriſt expounds it, ver. 39.
2. In making his Word as a Draw-net, which takes up good and bad, Mat. 12.47. ſo that ſome good will be among the wicked.
3. In caſting ſome of his choiceſt ones in the worſt places that are, to leave them without excuſe, and to condemn them both here, and in the Day of Judgement, as I ſaid before.
Thirdly, From the nature of their Hope: 1. It is of things that are not ſeen, Rom. 8.24. ſo Abraham here hoped for that he ſaw not.
2. It is conjectural, he puts a may be, or peradventure upon it, and that yields ground for hope; it is not impoſſible but ſuch a thing may be.
3. It knoweth nothing to the contrary, and that is ſome ground of hope: as Abraham here knew nothing to the contrary, but there might be ſo many righteous ones in the City.
Fourthly, From Gods Honour and Glory: 1. From the glory of his power, for this hope gives him the glory of that Attribute, that he is able to preſerve ſome of his Sheep among ſo many Wolves, and other beaſts of prey.
2. From the glory of his Grace: for this hope gives him the glory of that Attribute, in keeping them undefiled among ſo many polluted ones.
3. From the glory of his ſecret working, in reſerving ſome to himſelf which cleave to him in the worſt places; for this hope gives him the glory of this ſecret working, 1 Kings 19.18.
4. From the glory of his patience; for this hope gives him the glory of that Attribute, that he forbears ſmiting where there are ſo many bad, for the ſake of a very few good among them.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee how charitable godly men be, even of and toward the wickedeſt places that are. Sodom was one of the vileſt places for wickedneſs, yet Abraham is not without hope but that there may be fifty righteous perſons there; and that under that heap of chaff, might lye hid ſo many corns of Wheat; and upon that dunghill of filthineſs, ſo many Pearls and precious Gems might be found. Charity is an hoping Grace, and loves to go as far this way as may be. Could any good come out of Sodom? Abraham does not altogether deſpair of it; Peradventure (ſayes he) there be fifty righteous within the City.
2. We ſee what hope we may have concerning England, though there be ſo many thouſands that we could wiſh were better, yet we cannot but hope that there are many fifty hundreds of righteous perſons, yea more then does appear in the Chriſtian world any where elſe, if Travellers have taken their obſervation right; not that they have any cauſe to boaſt themſelves, but to exalt Grace: for who hath made England to differ from other Nations, that more Jewels are found there then elſwhere? and what hath that Iſland that it hath not received? The Eaſt and Weſt-Indies yield the Gold, and Pearl, and ſweet Spices; but I know where the golden, precious, ſpicy, fragrant Chriſtians be, England hath yielded theſe; yet not England, but the Grace of God that hath been ever with them.
3. We ſee what hope we may have concerning New-England, though we do not deſerve to be named the ſame day with our dear Mother, but have cauſe to hang down our heads, and bluſh more then any people in the world, in regard of what God hath done for us, and we have done againſt him; our ſins here being of the firſt Magnitude; and far greater then others, in regard of Means and Mercies, Liberties and Priviledges that we have enjoyed, but no way ſo improved as the Lord hath expected: yet this let me ſay, That we have many fifties here (to the glory of God be it ſpoken) and (the Lord increaſe them a thouſand times more, how many ſoever they be) that are the Lords Righteous ones: and though there be many blacker then a coal, viler then the dirt under their feet, and which may wiſh that they had never ſeen New-England with their eyes, nor heard what they have heard here with their ears, for whom Hell waits and gapes for every day; yet we have ſome rare jewels, and have had ſome rarer, and peradventure there may be more then we think of, as there were in Elijahs time.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to thoſe places where there are none that are good among them, what will become of ſuch places and perſons? Hell opens her mouth wide for them.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To pray for the worſt places, peradventure ſome good may be found there; ſome pearls may be hid in baſe ſhells; ſome gold may be mixed with much droſs.
2. To hope well of thoſe places (how bad ſoever) where the Goſpel comes; that Net will catch ſome good fiſh; that Word will be a ſavour of life unto life to ſome; that Treaſure will enrich ſome; that will be the power of God to ſalvation to ſome; that Glaſs will transform ſome into the glorious Image of Chriſt Jeſus, 2 Cor. 3.18.
3. To bleſs God for any hope we have of the Righteous that are among us: Oh that there were many more! but for thoſe we have, we are for ever to bleſs God.
4. To plead with God, as Abraham did, when God threatens deſtruction to any place that is dear to us; Peradventure ſo many Righteous may be found there, and ſee what ſuch a plea will procure for it. [But of that more hereafter, if the Lord will.]
5. To deſpair of no place or perſons that have not ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, ſeeing Abraham ſtands up for wicked Sodom.
6. To prize thoſe that are choice Believers; they ſpeak good words to the Lord for the wicked, how much more for the Righteous that ſue to them.