Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 24
Verſe 24. —Wilt thou alſo deſtroy, and not ſpare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
Doct. V. THat godly men do earneſtly deſire, that God would not deſtroy, but ſpare a wicked place, eſpecially for ſuch a conſiderable number of Righteous ones as may be found therein.
So does Abraham here deſire that God would not deſtroy, but ſpare Sodom, if fifty righteous perſons were found in it.
Reaſons. 1. From God. 2. From the righteous ones themſelves. 3. From them that pray for them.
Firſt, From God: 1. He is very ready to forgive, Pſal. 86.5. Neh. 9.17. at leaſt ſo as to remit the puniſhment. Abraham knew this full well, and therefore made bold to intercede for wicked Sodom. Some men are of that diſpoſition, that they are eaſie to be intreated, and ready to forgive; much more God.
2. He will do much for thoſe with whom his people have been Sojourners, and that puts them upon prayer for them. Abraham knew, that though Sodom was a vile place, yet it had ſuffered Lot and his family to dwell there, and therefore prayes the rather for them that they may be ſpared, at leaſt if there were ſuch a conſiderable number of ſuch as he was.
3. He commands us to be kinde to thoſe that we have dwelt among: Deut. 23.7. Thou ſhalt not abhor an Egyptian, becauſe thou waſt a ſtranger in his land: and if ſo, he will be much more kinde himſelf, and that's a ground of godly mens praying for them.
4. He loves the Righteous, Pſal. 146.8. and will do very much for their ſakes, even for a ſinning people; and that's a ground ſufficient for godly ones to pray for them.
5. He is kinde to the unthankeful, and to the evil, Luke 6.35. much more if there be Righteous ones amongſt them; and therefore have ground to pray for them.
6. He is willing to hear the prayers put up to him in faith, Pſal. 65.2. Mat. 21.22. as he was to hear Abraham in behalf of Sodom. [But of that more hereafter, if the Lord will.]
Secondly, From the Righteous ones themſelves. 1. Their preſence is delightful to him, and may prevail much for thoſe they live among, Gen. 19.22.
2. Their prayers are not loſt that are put up for them; they are accepted, though they prevail not for ſuch a ſinning people.
3. Their grief for the ſins of ſuch is taken notice of; as Lots was for filthy Sodom, 2 Pet. 2.7, 8.
4. Their tears that they ſhed are bottled up, Pſal. 56.8. and booked.
5. Their ſighs and cries are obſerved, Ezek. 9.4.
6. Their pains they take with them to make them better, is conſidered of, as Lots among the Sodomites, Gen. 19.7, 8. Now all theſe conſidered of, what wonder is it that they plead with God, that for the ſake of ſuch God would not deſtroy, but ſpare a wicked place, where ſuch are as are in ſuch eſteem with God.
Thirdly, From the Petitioners themſelves: 1. They are friends to God, 2 Chron. 20.7. Iſa. 41.8. Jam. 2.23. and what or whom may not they prevail for?
2. They are choſen ones, Neh. 9.7. ſo was Abraham; and God cannot deny the ſuits of his choſen ones.
3. Their hearts are faithful to God, Neh. 9.8. and ſuch may prevail much for others: their Prayers ſhall not be loſt, but be like the bowe of Jonathan that turned not back, and the ſword of Saul that returned not empty.
4. They are in Covenant with God, Neh. 9.8. and ſuch cannot be denied, he cannot ſay them Nay in any thing they ſue for.
5. They are obedient to God in difficult commands, Heb. 11.8, 17. and what may not ſuch prevail for?
6. They are men weaned from the world, and live and converſe much in another world, Heb. 11.9, 10. Such a man was Abraham, and they that are ſuch, may get any thing they ask, whoever they be that they make ſuit for. All which being conſidered, no wonder that they do ſo deſire that God would not deſtroy, but ſpare a wicked place, eſpecially for thoſe good that peradventure may be found therein.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee that the moſt excellent of Saints bear great good will to the worſt of ſinners. Abraham, that prime Believer, wiſheth well to wicked Sodom, that it might not be deſtroyed: and ſo d…w many a precious Saint pray for thoſe that lin worſe then ever Sodom did. For, ſins committed under the Goſpel, exceed Sodoms wickedneſs; they love thoſe that hate them, and out of love pray for them. Such will not be brought to think that they love them, yet they are many times got into a corner to pray for them, even when they are tearing them with their tongues, and ſpeaking and doing all the evil they can againſt them. For my love (ſayes David) they are mine enemies; but I give my ſelf to prayer, Pſal. 109.4, 5. Godly ones are full of love, even to their adverſaries, and wiſh well to them that wiſh no good, but evil to them.
2. We ſee how wickedly they do, that ſo ill requite the Saints that wiſh them well, that they are the men that are had in greateſt abomination with them, Prov. 29.27. Publicans will love thoſe that love them, Mat. 5.46. theſe therefore are worſe then they, who hate them that love them, and perſecute ſuch as pray for them. Deformed perſons hate the greateſt beauty: ſo do theſe hate thoſe that ſhew forth the greateſt beauty of love to them, in praying for them. If Abraham had been in Sodom, as Lot was, they would have no more regarded him, then Lot was regarded by them. Such requital the beſt of Saints muſt meet with, and look for from an evil world.
3. We ſee what love there is in heaven, if there be ſo much on earth: Oh! how do the Saints love one another there! if while on earth they love their enemies, what inexpreſſible and inconceiveable love do they ſhew to their friends in heaven! Love, that is the bond of perfection, will tye perfection to it ſelf, for perfect will our love to Saints and Angels be. Here are ſparks, but there our love will be on a flaming fire; here are little points, but there our love will be in the full Circumference of it; here are atomes and motes of it, but there it will be in the fulneſs of it; here there are but drops, but there will be a Sea of it.
4. We ſee what love there is in God himſelf, that is Love it ſelf, 1 Joh. 4.8. He is the Everlaſting Spring, all that is in the Creature flows from him: and this love he hath ſhewn to us, when we were enemies to him, Col. 1.21. Rom. 5.10. Ours is little, but his is much. Abraham may wiſh well to Sodom, and a few other Cities more, but Gods love is infinite, he loves the whole world of his Elect, Joh. 3.16. It's great, and large; it's a Sun, a Sea: and the Sun is not ſo full of light, nor the Sea of water, as he is of Love. This Spring never dries, this Light ever ſhines, this Sun never ſets, this Sea never fails, this Fire never goes out, but warms our hearts, and will warm them to all Eternity.
5. We ſee how previous righteous ones be in the Lords ſight, that Believers dare for their ſakes deſire of God to ſpare the worſt of ſinners. They are of great account and reckoning with him; His Peculiar Treaſure, Pſal. 135.4. His Jewels, Mal. 3.17. A ſpecial people to him, Deut. 7.6. for whoſe ſake Believers are ſo bold with God, as to deſire that the worſt of men may not be taken away in their ſins. Surely they are ſuch as he takes great delight and pleaſure in; they are his choice ones, more precious then the gold of Havilah, then the golden wedge of Ophir.
6. We ſee what longings we ſhould have to be for ever with him, who loves his Righteous ones ſo, as that he will ſpare the wicked for their ſakes: for ſo Abraham makes account, in that he does ſo pray for them, Wilt thou alſo deſtroy, and not ſpare the place for the fifty Righteous that are therein? Oh how deſireable ſhould His Preſence be, that ſo tenderly loves his own, that he will he kinde to the wicked for their ſakes? who would not long to be with him, who is Love it ſelf? to die in the arms and boſom of the God of Love?
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to thoſe that hate the Righteous, that are in ſuch high eſteem with God: they do procure their own ruine the ſooner by it; for, for their ſakes they are ſpared, and not deſtroyed; and for a few of them judgement is kept off, and not executed upon a very ſinning people. For the good corn, the chaff is not burned; for the good ſeed, the tares are not ſuddenly plucked up.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to the Righteous, that for ſome worldly Accommodations chuſe ſuch places to live in, where there are many wicked men; for though God may for their ſakes ſpare, and not deſtroy ſuch a place, if there be a conſiderable number of them, yet they ſhall finde heart-breaking grief enough, as Lot did, who for outward things choſe that place, Gen. 13.10, 11, 12. with 2 Pet. 2.7, 8.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To prize Righteous ones, that God ſo highly prizeth, that Abraham made account that for their ſakes he would ſpare, and not deſtroy a ſinning people. Every one of them is more precious then the rareſt Gems and Jewels in the world: they are the excellent ones of the earth, Pſal. 16.3. no precious Pearls in the Eaſt or Weſt-Indies to be equalled or compared with them.
2. To delight to be there where many ſuch are, for they are they for whoſe ſakes a ſinning people are preſerved. Abraham deſired that Sodom might be ſpared for ſuch: it's good to be there therefore, where ſuch are, their company is to be choſen. That place is happy, that is ſet about with ſuch precious ones.
3. To do as Abraham did for Sodom, to pray for a ſinning people, if a conſiderable number of Righteous be hoped to be found there: Our Prayers ſhall not be loſt, they ſhall be accepted; and if there be not ſo many found as we hoped for, they will return into our own boſoms, we ſhall be the better for ſuch Prayers, whatever become of ſuch a ſinning people. They may be deſtroyed, as the Sodomites were, but they that pray for them ſhall have their Prayers hung upon the file in heaven, and not one of them ſhall be forgotten before God. Princes do ſometimes forget what Petitions have come before them, but God never does.