Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Commentary on Genesis 18 · Verse 26
Verſe 26. And the Lord ſaid, If I finde in Sodom fifty righteous within the City, then I will ſpare all the place for their ſakes.
WE now come to the Lords firſt Anſwer that he maketh to Abrahams firſt Requeſt; viz. That if there were fifty Righteous found there within the City, he would ſpare all the place for their ſakes.
Whence we learn this Note in general in the firſt place, which is,
Doct. IX. THat the Lord is a God hearing Prayer, and granting the deſires of his Servants that ſue to him, Pſal. 65.2. 1 Joh. 5.14, 15.
For opening of which, let me ſhew,
1. How it does appear that he is a God hearing Prayer, and granting the deſires of his Servants that ſue to him. 2. How he hears them, and grants their deſires. 3. Why he hears and thus grants. 4. The Ʋſes.
Queſt. 1. How does it appear that he is a God hearing Prayer, and granting the deſires of his Servants that ſue to him?
Anſ. 1. In that he is a Great King, Pſal. 47.2. & 95.3. and they that are great Kings have open ears, and inlarged hearts, to grant the deſires of thoſe that ſue to them. Ask on my mother (ſayes Solomon) for I will not ſay thee nay, 1 King. 2.20. What is thy petition, Queen Eſther? and it ſhall be granted thee: And what is thy requeſt? and it ſhall be performed to the half of the Kingdome. Great Princes think it their honour thus to do, Eſth. 7.2. how much more the Lord, who is the Great King over all the earth?
2. In that his Servants bleſs him for this, Pſal. 66.18, 19, 20. When Princes are bountiful in granding the deſires of their Suppliants, they come off with great thanks: and their inlarged hearts in thankfulneſs, ſhews that he is a God hearing and granting the deſires that they put up to him. Great acknowledgements argue great favours, great thanks, great bounty.
3. In that his Servants have this confidence, 1 Joh. 5.14, 15. and their confidence in him does not deceive them. Confidence in an unfaithfull man, is as a broken tooth, and a foot out of joynt, Prov. 25.19. it will deceive him as a broken tooth will him that eateth, and a foot out of joynt him that goeth: but confidence in the faithful God will never deceive a man, but let him go to him in way of Requeſt for any thing that he needs that ſtands with his glory, and he ſhall have it.
4. In that he hears the cry of the young Ravens, Pſal. 147.9. and if ſo, much more will he hear the cry of his Servants that ſue to him. Ravens are of the worſt kinde of fowls, of a devouring nature, that feed of dead Carrion, and are ſometimes in want, and after their manner cry to God; and if he will hear ſuch a croking cry as that, much more will he hear the cry of his believing Suppliants, and grant them what they ſue unto him for.
5. In that he is not ſought in vain. Iſa. 45.19. I ſaid not to the ſeed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. Men may be ſued unto, and ſought, and deſired to do this and that, but ſuch ſuits may be in vain, and their expectations fruſtrate, and they may get no grant of their deſires; and be as the Nobles little ones, that came to the pits and found no water, but returned with their veſſels empty, Jer. 14.3. and ſuch men that they ſue to may be like Jobs brethren, that deceived him as a brook, and as the ſtream of brooks, (which ſeem to promiſe ſomething, but perform nothing) which vaniſh away by the heat, and are conſumed out of their place, Job 6.15, 16, 17. Thus it is with men that are ſought unto, they will miſerably fail thoſe that ſue to them, and all their requeſts will be in vain: But never any of the ſeed of Jacob ſought the Lord in vain, but found him a faithful God, having an open ear to hear, and an open heart and hand to give and grant the requeſts of thoſe that ſue unto him. See Pſal. 145.19.
6. In that he delights in our Prayers: Prov. 15.8. The prayer of the upright is his delight: Cant. 2.14. Let me hear thy voice, for ſweet is thy voice. Now Prayer being ſo delightful to him, being as it were ſweeteſt muſick and melody to him, what wonder is it if he hears and grants all that we fue unto him for. If Herod, that was delighted in a dancing Minion, would come off with whatſoever ſhe ſhould ask, to half a Kingdome, Mark 6.22, 23. Oh! what will not the Lord come off with to thoſe that ſue to him? Whatſoever they ask ſhall be granted to them, Mat. 21.22. Joh. 16.23. God will not be out-bidden by man: what he is delighted with ſhall have a greater reward then any King on Earth can give.
Queſt. 2. How does he hear them, and grant their deſires that they put up to him?
Anſ. 1. Sometimes very ſpeedily, Iſa. 58.9. Thou ſhalt call, and the Lord ſhall anſwer; thou ſhalt cry, and he ſhall ſay, Here I am: which is a marvellous condeſcendency in the great God, and hath more in it then I am able to expreſs; it is like that in Iſa. 45.11. as if Prayer had the command of the great God. But withall it holds out his ſpeedy anſwer of Prayer: So Iſa. 65.24. while they are yet ſpeaking, &c. Nehemiah got a ſpeedy anſwer to his ejaculatory Prayer, Neh. 2.4.-8. So Ezra had a ſpeedy anſwer, Ezra 8.23. So Elijah had a ſpeedy anſwer, 1 Kings 18.36, 37, 38, 39. Prayer hath wings to fly ſpeedily to heaven, and to bring a ſpeedy anſwer from heaven. See Dan. 9.23.
2. Graciouſly, Exod. 22.27. When he crieth unto me, I will hear; for I am gracious. As God is gracious to us many other wayes, ſo in ſpecial manner in hearing our prayers, and granting what we ſue unto him for. A Prince is gracious, in granting the requeſts of his Suppliants; ſo is the Lord in hearing and granting our requeſts. Prayer of faith is crowned with favour from a gracious God.
3. Juſtly, ſo as to grant all that we ſue unto him for, Joh. 14.13, 14. Mat. 21.22. He hath a full hand, and a large heart, and will fulfill the deſires of them that fear him. The Creatures, the fuller they be, the more they communicate of their fulneſs; the Sun, that is full of light and heat, the Stars that are full of ſweet influences, the Sea that is full of water, the Clouds that are full of Rain, the Earth that is full of good fruits; All theſe communicate of their fulneſs. God is a full one, and of his fulneſs we all receive: He is infinitely full, and therefore can and will fulfill all our deſires, and give a full grant to all our requeſts that we put up to him. All the Creatures fulneſs is derivative and temporary, but his is of and from himſelf, and continues a full one to all eternity, and therefore more communicative then any, then all of them: So as our Prayers get a full anſwer from him, and a full grant of all we ſtand in need of.
4. Sometimes wonderfully, and to admiration. How wonderfully did the Lord hear Joſhua in the Suns ſtanding ſtill? Joſh. 10.12, 13, 14. How wonderfully did he hear Hezekiahs deſire, in its going back ten degrees? 2 Kings 20.4. How wonderfully did God anſwer Elijah in the two Captains with their fifties? 2 Kings 1.9-12. God is a Wonder-working God, and ſometimes to admiration he hears the prayers, and grants the deſires of his Servants that ſeek to him. We are not able to count what wonders have been done by Prayer: That wonder of the Thundring Legions Prayer for Rain, when the Emperour and his Army were in ſuch diſtreſs, which was obtained by their Prayer, was a rare wonder indeed.
5. He hears them conſtantly; there's no time that they come before him ſo as they ought, but he hears, and grants what they deſire of him. Pſal. 55.17. Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud, and he ſhall hear my voice. Let me come before him when I will, I ſhall get an anſwer. There are ſome Princes on earth that never deny their Suppliants, but are all upon the giving hand: That Emperour that ſaid, He never ſent away any that came petitioning ſad from him, was ſuch a Prince. Now if Princes on earth will do … us, Oh how much more will God himſelf at all times grant that that we ſue unto him for?
6. Alwayes in time of need. Heb. 4.16. Let us come boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and finde grace to help in time of need. God does all for us according to our need; and when we need a grant of our Requeſts, we ſhall be ſure to have it. Wiſe men will give where they ſee there's need, much more the wiſe God. When we cannot tell how to be without a grant, then a grant comes from Heaven; when we know not what to do without it, then it is given, then the God of Heaven is liberal in his grants to us.
Queſt. 3. Why is the Lord a God hearing Prayer, and granting the deſires of his Servants?
Anſ. 1. From himſelf. 2. From his Servants. 3. From the Duty of Prayer.
Firſt, From himſelf. 1. He hath promiſed that he will hear and grant, Mat. 21.22. Joh. 16.23. and what he promiſeth he will perform: what he ſpeaks with his mouth, he will fulfill with his hand, 1 King. 8.24. Men often break their promiſes, and belie with their deeds what they utter in their words; but God cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. and therefore what he ſpeaks ſhall be done, He will not alter the thing that is gone out of his lips, Numb. 23.19. if he ſay that he will hear and grant, he will make it good.
2. He hereby encourageth all fleſh to come to him, Pſal. 65.2. They have many beggars at their doors that are bountiful givers: Thoſe Courts of Princes are thronged with Suiters, where the Prince's ears are open to hear, and their hands open to give: So it is with Gods Doors, many there are that lye at them; and with his Court, multitudes of Suiters throng to it with their Petitions, when Gods ear is open to hear, & his hand open to give. They are encouraged to come, when he will not ſay them nay. It is obſerved, That that gracious Emperour Auguſtus had very many that made ſuit to him; how much more then will our gracious God have many that will make ſupplication to him?
3. He hereby bindes us the faſter to himſelf in love and duty. Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, ſaith Solomon: and all look at themſelves as much obliged to them that are bountifull in giving to them: but Oh how much more does God oblige us to him by thoſe liberal grants that he makes to us! We are ready to ſay as David does, Pſal. 116.16. Truely we are his ſervants, we are his ſervants, and deſire that none may ſhew our ſelves more faithful then we. That Traitor that Auguſtus was ſo kinde unto, not only in pardoning his Treaſon, but in giving him great things, and preferring him to higheſt Honour, look'd at himſelf as one that was deeply engaged and obliged to him, and proved the moſt faithful and loyal Subject to him of all other ever after: So does God binde and tye us to himſelf in duty and obedience, by his bountifull grants that he makes to us.
4. He hereby honours himſelf by having an open ear to hear, and an open hand to give and grant what we ſue for. He is abundant in goodneſs, Exod. 34.6. and this way ſhews it. It is obſerved of Solomon, that he gave the Queen of Sheba all that ſhe asked, beſides what he gave her of his royal bounty, 1 Kings 10.13. and he honoured himſelf in ſo doing: How then does God honour himſelf in giving us all our deſire, and what we ask? there's no Royal bounty like his, he grants like a King, and like Himſelf: Other Kings have their Royal Grants, but none ſuch as his are.
Secondly, From his Servants. 1. They expect his hearing of their Prayers, and a grant of their deſires from him, and wait patiently upon him; and this gets a grant. Pſal. 40.1. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. There's nothing loſt by patient waiting at the Courts of Kings, the deſires of ſuch are granted at laſt: much leſs is any thing loſt by waiting upon the Lord, he will come with a full hand at laſt, and we ſhall have a full grant of what we ſue for. The Husbandman waits for the precious fruits of the earth, and at length hath them; ſo ſhall we by waiting have the precious bleſſings of Heaven brought in to us.
2. They believe that they ſhall be heard, and a Royal Grant beſtowed upon them, and this prevails, Mat. 21.22. Faith is a Key that opens all Locks: though Mercies ſhould be locked up from us, yet this Key will make way for the bringing them forth to us: Knock, and it ſhall be opened to you, Mat. 7.7. The door of Mercy may be faſt barred and locked, but a knock by Faith will open it to us, and open all the Treaſures of his bounty for us, that we may ſhare in them.
3. They are unwearied in their deſires, and that gets a grant: The woman of Canaan would not be diſcouraged, nor faint at ſo many denials and repu…ſes, but went on in an unwearied courſe of ſuing and pleading, and this got a grant of what ſhe asked, and what ſhe would, Mat 15.28. They that are not weary in their deſires, may have what they will, God cannot tell how to deny ſuch: If we be not weary of asking, God will not be weary of giving and granting. This crowns our Deſires, and brings in all to us. We want not bleſſings, ſo long as we want not knees to bow to him.
4. They wreſtle for a grant of their deſires, and ſo prevail, and become Princes with God, Gen. 32.28. and what that wreſtling was, we ſee Hoſ. 12.3, 4. They that wreſtled in the Olympick Games, if they got the Victory were crowned; much more ſhall they be crowned with a Royal Grant from Heaven, that wreſtle and prevail with God.
5. They ask according to his will, 1 Joh. 5.14, 15. and that prevails. Our Requeſts, when bounded within the compaſs of Gods will, obtain every thing at Gods hand. Eſthers Petitions were bounded within the compaſs of the Kings will, If it pleaſe the King; and, If I have found favour in the ſight of the King, grant me this and that, Eſth. 5.8. & 7.3. and whatever ſhe thus asked, ſhe had a grant of it: So when we pray, and frame all our Petitions according to his will, he hears and grants all that we thus ſue unto him for.
6. They ask earneſtly and fervently, and that prevails, Jam. 5.16. How earneſt and fervent was Elias? and what an anſwer had he from Heaven? 1 Kings 18.36, 37, 38. Fervent Prayer, like fire, aſcends to Heaven, and gets a grant there of all we ask, and of all that is the deſire of our hearts: we need never doubt of the ſpeeding of our Prayers, if offered up with this fire. This Incenſe, as it is Pſal. 141.2. will aſcend to God and to his Throne, and finde acceptance.
Thirdly, From the Duty of Prayer. 1. It is a Sacrifice, Heb. 13.15. 1 Pet. 2.5. and the Sacrifices that were offered up under the Leviticall Law were accepted, and were of aſweet ſmelling ſavour unto God; and ſo is this of Prayer by Jeſus Chriſt: His Incenſe perfumes our Prayers, Rev. 8.3.
2. It is the lifting up of the Soul, Pſal. 25.1. and this holds out deſire and delight, and earneſt expectation and hope of having what is ſued for; as Deut. 24.15. the poor man is ſaid to lift up his ſoul to his hire and wages, which is tranſlated, He ſets his heart upon it: ſo in Prayer we lift up our ſoul to God, to have thoſe things we ask granted to us; and ſuch a lifting up of the ſoul to God gets a grant from him.
3. It is compared to the Incenſe, Pſal. 141.2. Let my prayer come before thee as the Incenſe: now that was of a ſweet ſavour, and aſcended upward. So our Prayers are ſweet to God, and aſcend unto his Throne, are accepted, and get a grant.
4. It is compared to the Mincah, or Offering that was boiled in the Frying-pan, Pſal. 141.2. which was boiled in oyle, and offered in the evening. Our Prayers being boiled in the oyle of the Spirit, and we praying in the holy Ghoſt, Jude ver. 20. theſe Prayers are accepted of God, and get a grant of all we ask through Jeſus Chriſt.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee what a broad difference there is between our God, and the Idols that others pray unto: Our God is a God hearing Prayer, but Idols cannot hear. Baal's worſhippers, 1 Kings 18.26. called from morning to noon, ſaying, O Baal hear us: but there was no voice, nor any that anſwered. So Iſa. 16.12. Moab ſhall go to his ſanctuary to pray, but ſhall not prevail. Idols have ears, but they hear not, Pſ. 115.6. but our God that we pray to hath an hearing ear, and grants us all that we ſue unto him for: never any had cauſe to ſay that he turns a deaf ear to them when they pray aright; his ears have alwayes been open to their Prayers, 1 Pet. 3.12.
2. We ſee what great encouragement we have to come to him, Pſal. 65.2. we may go when we will, and be ſure to ſpeed; we may pray as often as we will, and have our deſires granted: he will not turn away from us, but give us what we come for. Some Princes will chide away thoſe that ſue to them, as Pharaoh did the oppreſſed Iſraelites, Exod. 5.17, 18. but our God that we ſue unto never diſcourageth them that make ſuit and ſupplication to him, but gives them all the encouragement that may be, is found of them when they ſeek him, when they ſearch for him with all their hearts, Jer. 29.13. they ſhall never go away empty from his doors, but go loaden with their laps full, with their hearts full, and all their defires like the widows veſſels, 2 Kings 4.6. ſhall be filled full: we ſhall never ſay we have gone to God, but we have got ſomething; there's a rich Treaſury in Heaven, and we have carried away not a little from it.
3. We ſee what cauſe we have to bleſs the Lord for his bounty to us, in granting our Requeſts that we put up to him: There's no friend that is kinde to us in granting our deſires, but we judge worthy of thanks; Oh how thankeful ſhould we then be to God, that hears and grants what we ſeek unto him for? Pſal. 66.20. It is the Lords Tribute that he looks for, and if we would not grudge to pay the King his Tribute, being a commanded duty, Rom. 13.7. then we ſhould chearfully come off with the Lords Tribute, and pay it in holy Praiſes to him. The truth is, we do but bungle at it here, and do it not workman-like; but we ſhall one day do it better, when we are joyned in this heavenly melody with that innumerable company of Angels, and bleſſed Souls in glory. But in the mean time we muſt be doing ſomething this way for all his bounties to us, and if not ſo well as we would, yet we are to do it as well as we can, and long for the time when we ſhall perform it better.
4. We ſee that though we have but a few friends on earth, yet we have One in Heaven that will not fail us. There is a friend (Solomon ſayes) that ſticketh cloſer then a brother, Prov. 18.24. and ſuch an one is a rare jewel, and hardly to be found: but though he be not to be found on Earth, yet God is ſuch a friend, and will hear and grant what we ſue unto him for.
5. We ſee the truth of that in Pſal. 73.28. It is good for me to draw near to God: it muſt needs be ſo, conſidering what a God he is that we go unto, that hears our Prayers, & grants us all that we ask of him. We make account that it's good to go to a Father or Friend to make our wants known, that we may have a ſupply: Oh how good is it then to go to ſuch a Father and Friend as God is?
6. We ſee what cauſe we have to delight in the Lord, that we may have the deſires of our hearts granted to us. Seeing he is ſo willing to grant, let us take the way that he preſcribes for this, and that is by delighting in him, Pſal. 37.4. He that delights in his friend, may have any thing of him, how much more may they that delight themſelves in the Almighty?
7. We ſee that we can never come off with love enough to him, who is a God hearing prayer, & granting our requeſts to us. We would think that man worthy of our love, that granted our deſires in asking; but Oh what love ſhould he have, that gives us all that we deſire of him! Our love is but a little Rivulet and Stream, but he deſerves a full Sea; our love is but a little ſpark, but he deſerves that it flame forth; our love is but a drop, but he deſerves that it ſhould be a full flowing Fountain that's never dry.
8. We ſee how unwearied we ſhould be in duty and obedience to him, that thus hears and grants: How loyal are Subjects to Royal Princes, when they come off bountifully to them? How dutiful and obedient are Servants to their liberal Maſters? they are ready at hand to ride, run, go, do any thing for them: Oh how loyal ſhould we then be to ſuch a bountiful King? and how dutiful to ſuch a liberal Maſter as God is, that gives us what we ask of him.
9. We ſee how we may be followers of God, by bearing the cries of poor afflicted ones, and granting their deſires: ſo does God to us, and ſo ſhould we to them, Epheſ. 5.1. There are thoſe that turn away from the cry of the poor, but they ſhall cry and not be heard. But ſeeing God hears us, if we would follow him we muſt hearken, and come off liberally to them, Luke 6.38.
10. We ſee that none of our Prayers ſhall be loſt that we put up to him, none of them ſhall miſcarry. We may go to men with our Suits, and be put off, and turned away, and our Requeſts may be ſlighted, and made nothing of; but God dealeth not ſo with us when we come before him in Prayer, he hears and grants, and gives to all liberally, and upbraideth not, Jam. 1.5. Some Princes have torn in pieces what their Petitioners have brought before them, as the Emperour Valens did to one of his noble Captains that had done him great Service, as Theodoret relates of him, Lib. 5. Hiſt. but our God never does ſo to his Suppliants, but they have a comfortable anſwer, and a liberal grant; they go to a Throne of Grace, and finde grace to help in time of need: their Prayers come loaden with bleſſings, and they return home bringing their ſheaves with them. Naomi complained, that ſhe went out full, but returned empty: but we go out empty to him, and return, full.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to thoſe that God will not hear, they are none of his, they regard iniquity in their heart, Pſal. 66.18. they are ſinners that delight in ſinful wayes, Joh. 9.31. they are loathſome to him, blacker then Ravens in his ſight, for he hears them when they cry to him.
Ʋſe 3. for Humiliation to the people of God, that pray much, and get no grant: ſurely there is ſome great cauſe, either they are not earneſt enough, cry not loud enough, or elſe ſlack their pace, and are not conſtant enough, or have given God cauſe to be angry with their prayers, Pſal. 80.4. or have not been ſo ſincere as they ought, or have had unfixed hearts, and been full of wandring thoughts that have marred the duty, or ſomething or other hath ſtepped between them and mercy, and it is good for ſuch to ſearch what is the cauſe, and remove it, that God may not go out of his wonted way, but may ſhew himſelf a God hearing prayer.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To honour God, and to give him this noble Title of his when we pray to him, and ſay He is a God hearing prayer. He delights to hear himſelf ſo ſpoken of; and we that finde the comfort of it, ſhould delight to mention it to his praiſe. We honour an earthly King with his Titles, how much more then ſhould we do it to this glorious King?
2. To bring our Petitions to him, he will not throw them away, nor tear them in pieces, nor caſt them at his feet in diſdain, but will have them in high eſteem, hang them upon the file in Heaven, remember them, give a grant to them: We may be encouraged to come to him, who is a God hearing prayer.
3. To be humble: for who are we that he ſhould hear our Prayers? we deſerve that when we cry and ſhout, he ſhould not hear us, and that he ſhould cover himſelf with a cloud, that our Prayers ſhould not paſs thorow. It is nothing in us that moves him to hear and grant, it is all of his Free-grace.
4. To hear thoſe that ſue to us, and give them that that they ſtand in need of, if it be in the power of our hand to do it. Why ſhould we take ſo much from God, and return ſo little to his Saints? his bounty ſhould provoke to duty, Prov. 3.27, 28.
5. To love him exceedingly that hears our Prayers; what love is ſufficient for him? If we could pour out our Souls into his boſome, all were too little for him. We think no love ſufficient for a friend that gives us what we ask; Oh what love then is enough for him that hears our Prayers, and grants us what we ask of him?
6. To rejoyce that we go to ſuch a God as both can, and will hear and grant. When power and will meet together, what ſhould hinder us from rejoycing to go to ſuch an one?
7. To believe when we pray that we ſhall be heard, for this noble Title calls us to awake our Faith when-ever we pray to him, Jam. 1.5, 6, 7.
8. To pray ſo humbly, fervently, ſincerely, conſtantly, as that we may be ſure to be heard, and a grant given out to us for what we ask, Luke 18.13. Jam. 5.16. Pſal. 17.1. 1 Theſſ. 5.17.
Ʋſe 5. for Conſolation: 1. That our labour ſhall not be loſt.
2. That though men fail us, God will not.