Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 31
Verſe 31. And he ſaid, Behold, now, I have taken upon me to ſpeak unto the Lord: Peradventure there ſhall twenty be found there.
Doct. XXIII. THat they that are bold with the Lord in ſupplicating to him, they are not aſhamed to make further bold with him.
Abraham ſaid once before, that he had taken upon him to ſpeak unto the Lord, and to be bold in Prayer; and now he makes further bold with him: he ſayes it over again, Behold, now I have taken upon me to ſpeak unto the Lord.
Reaſons. 1. From the Lord. 2. From our ſelves. 3. From the nature of Believers boldneſs.
Firſt, From the Lord. 1. He loves to ſee his friends bold with him. So it is with ſome kindehearted men, they love to ſee their friends bold with them, and not once, but often: So does the the Lord, who is kinde to his friends, and farre more kinde then all the kinde-hearted men in the world put all together.
2. He calls upon us to come with boldneſs to the Throne of Grace, Heb. 4.16. not once, but ſo often as we are in need; and that encourageth believing Suppliants to make further bold with him.
3. He will at any time give to importunate Suiters, though they ſhould ſeem to come unſeaſonably, yet if they be bold, and in an holy wiſe impudent, ſo as to take no nay, he will be free to give: this is held out in that Parable Luke 11.5-8. Importunity does ſometimes more then Friendſhip it ſelf.
4. He is diſpleaſed when we are not bold with him, becauſe we do not take him to be ſuch a friend as indeed he is; for if we did ſo judge, we would be more bold with him, Iſa. 64.7.
5. He makes account that ſuch caſt off fear, as reſtrain prayer, and are not bold with him, Job 15.4. and Believers are loth to have that imputed to them, for faith and fear go together, Heb. 11.7.
6. He alwayes makes us the more welcome, the more bold we are with him when we pray to him. Abraham loſt nothing by taking upon him to ſpeak unto the Lord, and being further bold with him. A bold friend findes hearty welcome from men, much more from the Lord; they that ſue ofteneſt ſpeed the beſt.
Secondly, From our ſelves. 1. We ſue to a God who hath ſaid that we ſhall not ſeek his face in vain, Iſa. 45.19. and therefore may be bold with him, and make further bold.
2. We ſue to him who hath given out that great word, Iſa. 45.11. Ask me of things to come concerning my ſons, and concerning the work of my hands command me; which none of us durſt have thought of, had not he ſpoken it.
3. We ſue to him that hath ſaid, Pſal. 81.10. that if we be ſo bold as to open our mouthes wide, and enlarge our deſires, he will fill and ſatisfit them.
4. We go to him who is the God of all grace, 1 Pet. 5.10. and therefore can ſupply us abundantly. What cannot that God of all grace bring in to us? All grace is more then Rich grace: A man may be Rich, and yet not have All; but God is not onelyonly Rich in grace, but the God of all grace, and therefore can make all grace to abound towards us.
5. We ſue to him who will never ſend us empty away, who turns none away from his doors without relief: His ſuiters ſhall never go ſad away from him. He ſends the rich empty away, that think they need nothing, Luke 1.53. but filleth the hungry with good things.
6. We go to him that hath ſaid, that Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that ſeeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it ſhall be opened, Mat. 7.8. and therefore we may be bold, and further bold with him. We may be bold to think that he will not be harder to us then he is to every one.
Thirdly, From the nature of Believers boldneſs. 1. It draws us nearer unto God, and that God delighteth in: we get near to the Throne of Grace.
2. It makes a man go out of himſelf more, and ſee what need he hath of ſupplies from Heaven: and that's a gracious frame of heart.
3. It lets us ſee our own unworthineſs, Gen. 32.10, 11. Luke 15.21. and that God takes pleaſure in.
4. It holds up our friendſhip with God, and aſſureth us that we are his friends, in that we make ſo bold with him, Jam. 2.23.
5. It is the very Suburbs and Gate of Heaven, for they in Heaven can be holily bold with the Lord, Dan. 4.17.
6. It is a bleſſed fruit of Chriſts Aſcenſion, Heb. 4.14, 16. Upon all which grounds Believers may be bold, and further bold with him.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee what a gracious God we ſue to, that we may be bold, and further bold with in our requeſts that we put up to him. He proclaimed his Name thus of old, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, Exod. 34.6.
2. We ſee that Believers have great intereſt in him, that may be ſo bold with him as to take upon them to ſpeak again and again thus to him.
3. We ſee that great is the friendſhip that is between God and Believing Souls. Great hath been the friendſhip that hath been between ſome men, but none like this between God and his believing ones.
4. We ſee that to be bold with God, and to be further bold with him in our requeſts that we put up to him, is an argument that God is very near to us, and we very near and dear to him.
5. We ſee that ſurely we ſhall be near indeed to him in heaven, when faith is turned into viſion
6. We ſee that if we make ſo bold with him here, in praying to him; Oh what holy boldneſs ſhall we have with him when he claſps us in his Everlaſting Arms, and puts us into his Boſome to all Eternity?
7. We ſee that though Believers are the modeſteſt men that are, yet they are the boldeſt men alſo; for they can take upon them to ſpeak to God, and to be further bold with him.
8. We ſee that no men nor Devils ſhall be able to daſh them out of countenance, for they can be bold with God himſelf.
9. We ſee a reaſon of that in Epheſ. 6.16. That that makes us bold with God, will make us victorious over the wicked one.
10. We ſee how bold we ſhould be in a good cauſe, and for a good conſcience, as Peter and John, Acts 4.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to Unbelievers, they cannot be bold this way, though they make too bold with him by ſin.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to thoſe that are not ſo bold with him as they may.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To be holily bold. 2. Believe. 3. Fear him. 4. Be friends to him. 5. Apply Chriſts Aſcenſion. 6. Walk with him. 7. Love Chriſt.