Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 25
Verſe 25.—Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Doct. VIII. THat the Judge of all the Earth cannot but do right; and we may plead it with him as he is ſuch a Judge to do right.
Thus did Abraham, Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right?
For opening of which, let me ſhew,
1. Why he cannot but do right. 2. Why we are to plead it with him, as he is ſuch a Judge to do right. 3. The Ʋſes.
Reaſons of the firſt Branch.
1. He cannot but do right, becauſe he is a Righteous Judge, 2 Tim. 4.8. He is called the juſt one, Acts 7.52. and juſt Judges do that which is right; how much more he?
2. Becauſe he loveth Righteouſneſs in us, Pſal. 11.7. and therefore ſure he cannot but do right himſelf. That which we love, we put in practice, we cannot do contrary to what we love; ſo it is with Chriſt, the Judge of all the Earth, he loves Righteouſneſs in us, and therefore cannot do contrary to what he loves.
3. He commands other Judges to do right, Deut. 1.16. judge righteouſly between every man and his brother. So 2 Chron. 19.6, 7. And he that commands other Judges to do right, will certainly do right himſelf.
4. He complains of wrong dealing, and of the proceeding of wrong judgement. Hab. 1.4. The law is ſlacked, and judgement doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compaſs about the righteous, therefore wrong judgement proceedeth. Now if the Lord finde fault himſelf with wrong dealing, he cannot do wrong himſelf, but will do right.
5. He puniſheth thoſe that do pervert judgement and juſtice. The Caldeans were ſent againſt the injuſtice of the Land of Iſrael, and God took vengeance of them by them with great ſeverity, Hab. 1.6, 10. Now if the Lord puniſh iniquity and injuſtice in men, he muſt needs, as Judge of all the Earth, do right himſelf.
6. He is with thoſe that are juſt Judges, in the righteous judgement that they paſs in their Judgement-ſeats, 2 Chron. 19.6. He is with them to aſſiſt them, to direct them, to protect them, to encourage them, to uphold them, to exalt and honour them, to bleſs them: and if ſo, then he cannot but do right himſelf.
7. He reſpect's no perſons, takes no gifts, cannot be bribed or blinded with rewards. Some Judges may, but he cannot; ſome others may pervert judgement by ſuch wayes, but he will not, 2 Chron. 19.7. and therefore he cannot but do right. Let men do wrong, and deal unjuſtly, and duplicate page duplicate page do violence; yet this Judge will not, cannot, he treads never a ſtep but in the way of Righteouſneſs.
8. He will bring ſuch to judgement at the great day, as have done iniquity in Judgement-ſeats. Eccleſ. 3.16, 17. I ſaw under the Sun (ſayes Solomon) the place of judgement, that wickedneſs was there; and the place of righteouſneſs, that iniquity was there: I ſaid in my heart, God ſhall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpoſe, and for every work. Now if God will be ſevere againſt unrighteous Judges at the laſt day, how can it be but that as Judge he muſt do right himſelf?
Reaſons of the ſecond Branch, Why we are to plead it with him as he is Judge to do right.
1. Becauſe it is not meet that his Name ſhould have any diſhonour put upon it, and therefore we are to plead with him to do right: for if he could poſſibly do any iniquity (which he cannot) it would reflect diſhonour upon him. Petit. 1. in Mat. 6.9.
2. Becauſe if he did not right, he could not judge the world: it is eſſential to his Office of being Judge, to do righteouſly, Rom. 3.5, 6. and that we may plead with him.
3. Becauſe his honour is exalted by doing right. If Righteouſneſs exalt a Nation, then much more the Judge of all Nations; and therefore we may well plead it with him.
4. Becauſe all mouthes are ſtopped when right is done. It is ſo when Judges on earth do right, they that would cavil, cannot tell how to do it: So it is when the Judge of all the Earth does right, then no man dare open his mouth againſt him.
5. Becauſe when this Judge doth right, there will be loud acclamations made. As when a King upon the Throne judgeth righteouſly, all his People will ſound forth his praiſe: ſo when this King judgeth righteouſly, all will ſing aloud his praiſe, Pſal. 98. throughout.
6. Becauſe when he doth right he will be feared. It is ſaid of Solomon, when he did that that was right between the two women that contended about the living and dead childe, that All Iſrael heard of the judgement that the King had judged, and they feared the King, 1 Kin. 3.28. Oh how will then the Judge of all the Earth, when he does right, be feared of all his people? and this we may well plead.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee how unlike they are to Jeſus Chriſt, that ſit on judgement-ſeats and do not that which is right, but pervert judgement, and no not execute juſtice in the earth. There are thoſe that will turn aſide the right of the poor, and will not help the afflicted in the gate, but will deal unrighteouſly, when it is in the power of their hand to help and ſuccour helpleſs ones. The Judge of all the Earth cannot but do right; Oh how little then do theſe reſemble him? He ſhines with the rayes and beams of his Righteouſneſs, but they have not ſo much as one beam of this Sun to ſhine forth with, but are black and dark all over, and covered with Injuſtice, as the sky is covered with thick Clouds and darkneſs. In ſtead of putting on righteouſneſs, and being clothed with it, as Job ſpeaks, Job 29.14. and making judgement a robe, and a diadem, they put on unrighteouſneſs, and tye it faſt as a garment to them. Many ſuch there are in the world, but they have nothing of the Image of Chriſt upon them; The Judge of all the Earth cannot but do right.
2. We ſee that this Judge will cauſe all unjuſt Judges to ſtand before His Judgement-ſeat, and paſs a righteous Sentence upon them: Though they would do no right, yet they ſhall have right and juſtice from him at the great day of his appearing. Then he will reckon with them for all their cruelty and injuſtice, for all the wrong that they have done to his poor ones; for all the tricks and querks that they have deviſed to put off Law, and Juſtice, and Equity: then they ſhall hear his righteous Sentence pronounced upon them, and feel the ſtroke of his righteous hand againſt them. The Judge of all the Earth, that doth right, will pay them for all their wrong they have done, and the proudeſt of them ſhall know it, Eccleſ. 3.16, 17.
3. We ſee what all their Bribery will come to that they have perverted juſtice by, and all the Gifts they have been blinded with, to go out of the way of Righteouſneſs with; the Judge of all the Earth, that doth right, will reward them according to their works. Thoſe Bribes that they have taken will be fire to conſume all they leave behinde them, Job 15.34. and kindle hell fire by the breath of God againſt them, to conſume them to all eternity. Bribes are to them, as the Worm was to Jonas's gourd, that ſmote it, and withered it; they ſmite and wither their Eſtates, Names, Families; Bodies and Souls, and bring ruine and deſtruction upon them for ever.
4. We ſee what need Kings, and all the Judges of the Earth have to be wiſe, and to kiſs the Son; for he that is Judge of all the Earth cannot but do right, and they ſhall have right and juſtice from him, as well as other men. If they honour him not, obey him not, yield not homage and ſubjection to him, live not according to his Laws, lay not down their Crowns, and Scepters, and Robes at his feet; if their Laws be contrary to his, and their Sentences that they pronounce in their judgement-ſeats, come croſs to the right Rules of his holy Word, in clearing the guilty, and oppreſſing the innocent without a cauſe, let them know, that this Judge will do right to them in condemning them, and there is no reſpect of perſons with him.
5. We ſee that ſurely he will not ſlay the Righteous with the Wicked, in the day of the deſtruction of the Wicked; for, the Judge of all the Earth cannot but do right: he will put a difference between the one and the other, he will not conſume Gold and droſs together. [But of that we ſpake before.]
6. We ſee that we may not marvel, though ſometimes temporal afflictions befall the righteous, and wicked ones eſcape; for, the Judge of all the Earth cannot but do right in all his diſpenſations to his own dear ones. Something he ſees that it is juſt with him to afflict them for, and it is in love and faithfulneſs to them, and they ſee it, Pſal. 119.75. and for the wicked that eſcape theſe, there's more behinde for them, and they ſhall have right done them in another manner; they are reſerved men to another day, and for another time, 2 Pet. 2.9. Job 21.30. and thoſe afflictions of the Righteous are but as the prickings of a pin, compared with the puniſhment of the damned in Hell, which ſhall be ſtung with Scorpions to all eternity.
7. We ſee what love we owe to the Lord Jeſus, that is the Judge that cannot but do right: All men love ſuch a Judge as does right to every man; Oh what love then is this Judge worthy of, that cannot but do right to all? Every one (ſayes Solomon) ſhall kiſs his lips, that gives a right anſwer, Prov. 24.26. and if ſo, how ſhould we in way of love kiſs thoſe bleſſed lips, that as a Judge gives a right anſwer, and cannot but do right in all his diſpenſations of himſelf to us?
8. We ſee what cauſe we have to ſpeak good of his Name: All men ſpeak well of ſuch a Judge as does right to all; his name is renowned all the Country over, his fame ſpreads all a Kingdome over: Oh how well ſhould we then ſpeak of the Judge of all the Earth? how renowned ſhould his Name be? how ſhould his Fame ſpread all the world over, that cannot but do right to all? we ſhould make his Name to be remembred to all generations, Pſal. 45.17.
9. We ſee that if we would be like to him, we muſt do right to all we converſe with: do right to them in their Names, take need we wrong them not there: Exod. 23.1. Thou ſhalt not raiſe a falſe report. Do right to them in their Eſtates, take heed we wrong them not there, 1 Theſſ. 4.6. Do right to them in their Families, take heed of wronging them there: Do right to them in their Conſciences, take heed of wronging them there; impoſe nothing upon them there that Conſcience cannot bear. Conſcience, like the Eye, is a tender thing, and may not be touched too hard, beware of this. Do right to them in their Callings and Conditions of life; give Magiſtrates that that is their due, in honour, obedience, homage and ſupport in their places, Titus 3.1. Give Miniſters their due, 1 Tim. 5.17. take heed we wrong them not in reference to their Callings: and ſo we are to do them right every way, if we would be like to the Judge of all the Earth, that cannot but do right.
10. We ſee that they that do not right ſhall not have him a Friend to them, be they who they will be: They that wrong their Brethren in their Names, Eſtates, Families, or any other way, ſhall be ſure to have him to be an Avenger to them. He cannot be a Friend to any, but ſuch as do right to every one that they have occaſion to converſe with: and to have the Judge of all the Earth to be our Friend, will be worth ſomething at the great day of his appearing.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To all injurious wrongful-dealing perſons, that know not how to do right, but all the wrong that ever they can invent they are willing to do, againſt thoſe that deſerve well at their hands: Oh how will they look the Judge of all the Earth in the face, that doth right, another day?
2. To Ʋnjuſt judges, that though they know, yet will not do right, but deal unjuſtly upon their Seats of juſtice, Pſal. 82.2-5. He that does right will have ſomething to ſay to theſe one day; and then they ſhall know it had been well for them if they had done right. And though they have accepted perſons, yet he will not accept their perſons, how great and mighty ſoever they be.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation, for all that want of juſt dealing that is found amongſt us in bargaining, buying, ſelling, in breaking promiſes, in diſhoneſt dealings many wayes: Oh that we could be aſhamed of our wrong doings! when ſhall it once be? I bluſh to ſpeak what was once ſaid in one of our Pulpits; New-England hath many godly men in it, but but a few honeſt. It was true in his ſenſe, though there can be no godlineſs, where honeſty is not joyned with it, 2 Tim. 2.2.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To honour and exalt the Judge of all the Earth that doth right: Whom ſhould we exalt, if not him? If other righteous Judges be lifted up in name and praiſe, much more He that is the Great Judge, that cannot wrong any, but doth right to all.
2. To us all to follow him, and do right to all men that we have any dealings with, in bargaining, buying, ſelling; and in all our promiſes that we make, let us be true and juſt in them, though we loſe by it, we ſhall elſe never come in Heaven, nor be true Members of the Church on Earth, Pſal. 15.1, 4.
3. To have no fellowſhip with them that deal unjuſtly, they have no fellowſhip with Chriſt, Pſal. 94.20. and therefore we are to have no fellowſhip with them.
4. To give this Judge his right, that does right to all; give him his due in all the duties of love, and faith, and obedience that he calls for.
5. To leave our cauſe with him, when we are any way wronged, he will do us right: we need not ſeek to revenge our ſelves, Prov. 20.22.
6. To beware we wrong not fatherleſs ones, for this Judge will plead their cauſe, and do them right, Prov. 23.10, 11.
7. To do right to them that wrong us; this Nature ſtrives againſt, but Grace muſt like oyle be above, Prov. 24.29.
8. To long for the day of his appearing, when he will be ſure to do right to all wronged ones.