Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 25
Verſe 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to ſlay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous ſhould be as the wicked, that be far from thee.
Doct. VI. THat it is that that Gods faithful Suppliants wiſh to be far from the Lord, to ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked: or that the Righteous ſhould be as the Wicked.
He repeats the phraſe twice, to ſhew his earneſt deſire that ſuch a thing may never be: as if he ſhould ſay, God forbid that ever ſuch a thing ſhould be; for ſo the Hebrew word Chalilah, which ſignifieth a profane thing, and that that is forbidden to be done, holds out: and the Apoſtle expreſſeth it by God forbid.
Reaſons. 1. From God the Lord; or from Chriſt Jeſus, for he is this Lord that Abraham interceded to in behalf of Sodom, as Interpreters make account. 2. From the Righteous. 3. From the Wicked.
Firſt, From the Lord Jeſus: 1. He is that juſt and righteous one, Acts 7.52. and therefore out of juſtice cannot ſlay the righteous with the wicked. Juſt men will make more account of the righteous then of the wicked; how much more the juſt Lord?
2. He loves Righteouſneſs, and hates Wickedneſs, Pſal. 45.7. and he cannot poſſibly ſuffer it, that the Righteous ſhould be as the Wicked, or ſlay the Righteous with the wicked; and therefore ſuppliants may wiſh ſuch a thing as that to be far from him.
3. He beholds the righteous with an amiable face, and looks upon them with an eye of favour, Pſal. 11.7. and therefore cannot but put a great difference betwixt the one ſort and the other, and cannot put them in the ſame condition, ſo that the one ſhould be as the other.
4. He is the Judge of all the earth; ſo the Text: and therefore cannot but do right. [But of that I muſt ſpeak more in the next Doctrine, and therefore onelyonly touch upon it now.]
5. He is wont to be merciful to righteous ones that fear him, and he cannot leave his old wont. This the Pſalmiſt pleads, Pſal. 119.132. Look thou upon me and be merciful to me, as thou uſeſt to do to thoſe that fear thy Name. It would not be according to his cuſtom and wont, it would be otherwiſe then he uſeth to do, if he ſhould not be merciful to ſuch: and how ſhould he then ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked?
6. He will render to a man his work, and cauſe every man to finde according to his wayes, and therefore humble ones may earneſtly wiſh it to be far from him, to ſlay the Righteous with the wicked. Job 34.10, 11. ſo Elihu ſpeaks, Far be it from God, that he ſhould do ſickedneſs, and from the Almighty, that he ſhould commit iniquity: for the work of a man ſhall he render unto him, &c.
Secondly, From the Righteous: 1. They are tender of his Name, and therefore he cannot but be tender of them, and let the righteous be in better caſe then the wicked. They are deſcribed to be ſuch as love his Name, Pſal. 69.36.
2. They are ſuch as it is a joy to them to do judgement, and if ſo, then much more will the Lord do judgement, and rejoyce ſo to do: and therefore cannot but put a difference between the righteous and the wicked.
3. They are ſuch as are more excellent then others be, Prov. 12.26. many wayes more excellent; in their deſcent, being born of God, Joh. 1.13. in their honourable Relation, being Brethren to Chriſt, Joh. 20.17. Heb. 2.11, 12. in their ſpiritual food, which is Chriſts fleſh that they feed upon, and his blood which they drink of, Joh. 6.55. in their ſpiritual clothing, which is Chriſts Righteouſneſs, Iſa. 61.10. 1 Cor. 1.30. in their attendance, having the Angels to encamp about them, and miniſter to them, Pſal. 34.7. Heb. 1.14. in their great Inheritance, Mat. 25.34. Now being all theſe wayes more excellent then others, it muſt needs be that a difference muſt be made between them, and that the righteous ſhall not be as the wicked; and far be it from the Lord that it ſhould be otherwiſe.
4. They are they, and they onelyonly, that God hath any glory by upon earth: the wicked bring in none to him, but put all the diſhonour they can upon him; and Iſa. 42.8. he is tender of his glory, and how then ſhould he ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked? We may plead it with the Lord as Abraham did, That be far from thee to do after this manner, to ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked, or that the Righteous ſhould be as the Wicked, that be far from thee.
5. They are ſuch as he takes pleaſure in, Pſal. 149.4. and how can this be, if he ſhould ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked? See Cant. 2.14.
6. They are ſuch as he meets in a way of favour, Iſa. 64.5. and if the Righteous ſhould be as the Wicked, how could this be? he would rather meet them like an enemy, then in a friendly way, if he ſhould ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked.
Thirdly, From the Wicked: 1. They are ſuch as the Lord abhors, his very Soul hates them, Pſal. 11.5. and ſhould not Suppliants then plead with the Lord, that he would put a difference between them and his righteous ones? See Pſal. 5.5.
2. They are appointed to wrath, deſtinated to deſtruction, 1 Theſſ. 5.9. and can the Lord then put no difference between them, but that the one ſhould be as the other? This we ſhould plead.
3. They fear not God, Pſal. 55.19. and how ſhould it be then but that he ſhould put a difference between thoſe that fear him, and thoſe that fear him not? God forbid that it ſhould be otherwiſe.
4. They are ſuch as hate the Righteous, Prov. 29.27. and therefore that the righteous ſhould be as the wicked, we ſhould plead it with the Lord, that it may be far from him to do after ſuch a manner.
5. They are the Children of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3.10. and that the Children of God ſhould be in no better condition then the Children of the Devil, that we ſhould ſtrongly plead with him, That be far from thee to do after this manner.
6. They are ſuch as whoſe ſins cry for vengeance, as theſe Sodomites ſins did. Now that the righteous and they ſhould ſhare alike in puniſhment, this were hard, and we ſhould plead hard with God, that he would not do after this manner; That be far from thee, ſayes Abraham, that be far from thee.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee that humble Suppliants have, and ought to have a ſpecial eye at the glory of God in their Supplications that they bring before him. Thus does Abraham here, he is very tender of the glory of God, would have no diſhonour to reflect upon him, by ſlaying the Righteous with the Wicked; That be far from thee (ſaith he) to do after this manner. Gods glory is that that we ſhould aim at in all our holy addreſſes in Prayer to him, as the firſt Petition in the Lords Prayer holds out to us: that's the mark we muſt ſhoot at in all we do, 1 Cor. 10.31. and much more when we come to pray to him, we are to have reſpect to the glory of his Name, and that no reproach may be faſtned upon the Holy One. His Name is worth more then the Lives and Souls of all the men in the world, and infinitely above all created Beings.
2. We ſee that they that plead moſt with God in behalf of others, are moſt like to Abraham; for ſo did he. Oh how earneſt was he in behalf of Sodom, that the Reghteous might not be deſtroyed with the Wicked! They that pray muſt plead, if they would walk in the ſteps of Abraham; That be far from thee, being twice repeated, ſhews, that (as his) ſo our Prayers ſhould be earneſt that we bring before the Lord. Incenſe was not offered without fire; nor our Prayers without fervency, Jam. 5.16.
3. We ſee what true love godly ones expreſs one towards another. Abraham out of tender love prayes, that the Righteous may not be deſtroyed with the Wicked. The truth is, there is no true love, but an image onelyonly of it in other men; but that which is love in truth, is onelyonly found among godly ones: They are partakers of the Divine Nature, and therefore ſhew forth love one to another. God is love, 1 Joh. 4.8. and where his Image is, as is in all the Saints, there is ſweeteſt love expreſſed one to another.
4. We ſee wherein true love is expreſſed; it is evidenced in our earneſt Prayers that we put up one for another. Abraham ſo judged, and therefore pleads with God in behalf of thoſe Righteous ones in Sodom, that they may not be deſtroyed with the wicked. There's no true love like that that is expreſſed in our fervent Prayers one for another. Prayer is an holy breathing, Lam. 3.56. and our love one to another is never breathed forth more, then in our Prayers each for other. They have a ſweet breath, and their love is ſweet that pray moſt fervently one for another.
5. We ſee that they that do not plead earneſtly in Prayer for Righteous ones, are neither heirs of Abrahams faith nor love to thoſe righteous ones that he earneſtly intreated for: there are thoſe that pray ſlightly and ſuperficially for them, but Abraham was fervent in ſpirit for thoſe he prayed for; That be far from thee, That be far from thee, that the Righteous ſhould be as the Wicked. Hollow, ſlight, perfunctory Prayers for others, argue that there's neither faith nor love in ſuch an heart. That fire is gone out that the bellows cannot kindle; ſo if the blaſt of our deſires be not fervent for others, the fire of love is quite put out.
6. We ſee that if we be to be earneſt and fervent in our Prayers for others, how fervent are we to be for our ſelves, and for thoſe that are and ought to be as dear as our own Souls? for our own Country, and the Land of our Nativity, Oh how earneſt ſhould we be that both we and they may be ſpared, and not deſtroyed, when other wicked ones ſhall not eſcape! we ſhould double our Requeſts for our ſelves and them, as Abraham here does, that we and they may be preſerved from the fire of his indignation. The very Heathens had a love to their Country, and their utmoſt deſires and endeavours were for the preſervation of that, as we ſee in Tully, and Pompey, and others of them. Oh what deſires then ſhould Chriſtians have, as for themſelves, ſo for their Country, that is as themſelves? Luke 4.23.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to wicked men: They are not thoſe that Believers pray ſo earneſtly for, but onelyonly becauſe of the Righteous that are among them. It was not for the ſakes of the filthy Sodomites that Abraham was ſo earneſt with the Lord, but for the Righteous that he thought might be among them, and for their ſakes deſires that the place may be ſpared.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to thoſe of Gods people that are not ſo fervent for others, as they are for themſelves. Abraham was fervent for others, and doubles his ſpeech on behalf of the righteous that he thought to be in Sodom; and if we do not double our Requeſts for others, as well as for our ſelves, we are not of the ſpirit of Abraham, nor tread in his bleſſed ſteps: and that ſhould put an holy bluſh into our faces.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To plead hard in behalf of others, and double our files, and be fervent in our requeſts for them. We cannot be too earneſt in our deſires for them; that that we ſue unto God for, is worth the ſtrongeſt, of our affections to be put forth in our Prayers for them: So Abraham thought, and ſo ſhould we.
2. To call upon us to be thankeful when we pray earneſtly for others; for, we naturally ſlack our pace in this: it is therefore ſupernaturall, and of grace, if we do as Abraham did here, and Grace is to be exalted for it.
3. To prize thoſe that are powerful Pleaders with the Lord in behalf of others, they are the children of Abraham, and ſhall be bleſſed with him. We prize thoſe that plead other Cauſes ſtrongly; Oh how ſhould they then be prized that plead ſtrongly with the Lord?
4. To be earneſt for thoſe that are dear to us, for thoſe that are our bone and fleſh, and our very bowels. If Abraham pleaded ſo for thoſe in Sodom that were Righteous, how ſhould we for thoſe that are ſo near and dear to us? the ſtrength of our hearts ſhould be put forth in our Requeſts for them.
5. To call upon us to pray earneſtly for England, the Land of our Nativity, the place of our Fathers Sepulchres: Who have we cauſe to pray for, if not for our Mother that bare us, and bred us, and dandled us upon her knees, and nurſed us by her ſides? Oh that England might yet live in Gods ſight! Oh that the Righteous there may not be forgotten, nor deſtroyed, but that the Arm of the Lord may be made bare, and be mighty for them!
6. To love the Lord, that ſtirs up any to plead for us, and to ſhew their love in being earneſt with God on our behalf. It is grace and love in the Lord towards us, and our love in the utmoſt extent and latitude of it ſhould be drawn out to him. Our hearts ſhould be filled with love, that ſets his Abrahams to plead for us; his fire ſhould kindle ours, and cauſe it to flame and fly upwards.