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.
Doct. XI. THat the Lord is ſo full of love to his Righteous ones, that he will ſpare a multitude of wicked ones for their ſakes.
Sodom was a City that had many in it, and they were ſinners above the ordinary ſort, but if there had been fifty Righteous within the City, he would have ſpared all the place for their ſakes.
Reaſons. 1. From the Lord. 2. From his Righteous ones.
Firſt, From the Lord. 1. He is a Merciful God, he Proclaimed his Name ſo of old, Exod. 34. The Lord, The Lord God, merciful: and ſuch a God as delighteth in mercy, Mic. 7.18. and therefore though ſuch ſinners and righteous ones deſerve no ſuch thing as mercy, yet it is meet that he ſhould have his delight. Malefactors deſerve nothing but puniſhment, but if a Prince delight in mercy, and will ſpare them, who hath any thing to ſay againſt it, but that he may take his delight? ſo here.
2. He hath promiſed, that for the ſake of his Righteous ones he will deliver great places. Job 22.30. He will deliver the Iſland of the innocent; and his Promiſes are ſure words. If a King ſay that he will do a thing, it ſhall be done, it is irrevocable, he will not call back his word; how much more will the Lord make good his promiſes, they are all faithful words, and ſtand faſt for ever.
3. He hath ſaid that he could do nothing ſo long as any Righteous ones have been in wicked places, his hands are as it were bound and tyed, Gen. 19.22. and therefore he will do much for their ſakes: He knows not how to ſmite while they are there. If the place be never ſo bad, it muſt be ſpared till they be gone. If he bury any Jewels, it ſhall not be among ſuch dunghill ſinners, they ſhall lye down in their graves with honour.
4. He orders it in his Providence, that when he hath any evil to bring upon a place, he takes away his Righteous ones before that evil come, Iſa. 57.1. Auſtin was taken away, before the City where he lived was taken by the Goths and Vandals. Parcus was removed by death, before Heidelberge was ſurprized by Spinola and his Souldiers. Mr. Whately of Banbury was tranſlated to a better plaee, before the Town was taken in the late Wars: And all theſe were removed a little before ſuch judgements came. The Corn is gathered into the barn, before the Swine are ſent into the field; ſo the godly are taken away, before any remarkable judgement come, which ſhews how favourable the Lord is to his Servants, and that great and ſinful places are ſpared while they are there with them.
5. He looks at his Righteous as ſuch as the world is not worthy of, Heb. 11.38. for they keep off judgement from the world, though they be ſo vilely and unworthily uſed in the world. They are the props and pillars of the world, under God; if they were all gathered in, the world would ſoon be burned into aſhes, and would be on a flaming fire. They are they that keep up the whole Fabrick of the Earth, and under God keep it from ruine and diſſolution.
6. He abhors and abominates the workers of iniquity, and therefore if he ſpare them, and deſtroy them not, it is for the ſakes of the Righteous that are among them: it is not for any good will that he bears to the wicked, he would ſoon make an end of them, if there were not ſome amongſt them that his Soul takes pleaſure in. Shells that are good for nothing but to be caſt away, are regarded for the Pearls that are in them: So here.
Secondly, From his Righteous ones. 1. They pray for the places they live in, that the Lord would be pleaſed to keep off judgements, and continue mercies to them; and theſe Prayers of theirs prevail: God cannot tell how to deny the ſuits that they preſent before him; Lot for Zoar, Gen. 19.20, 21. Their Prayers are ſo delightful to him, Prov. 15.8. Cant. 2.14. that even places devoted to deſtruction ſhall be ſpared for their ſakes: the ſmoke of the incenſe of their Prayers aſcends to God and to his Throne, and ſo prevails, that Gods anger cannot ſo ſmoke againſt thoſe places, as otherwiſe it would certainly do, were it not that God had ſuch regard to the Prayers of his Righteous ones in their behalf.
2. They are vexed with their filthy converſation, and tormented day by day with their unlawful deeds, 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. and this affliction of their ſouls that they ſuffer among ſuch wicked ones, God hath ſpecial regard unto, and for the ſake of ſuch mourners will ſpare thoſe places while they continue among them.
3. They by their preſence keep off the ſtroke of Gods vengeance. Great is the power of the very company of godly ones to bear off, and ſhield off a judgement, when it is ready to fall upon a wicked place. Evil men do not think ſo, but they ſhall know it when the righteous are removed from them, Iſa. 57.1.
4. They are very tender of his Name, and therefore he will ſo tender them, that for their ſakes he will do great things, yea for a ſinning people. How tender was Lot of the glory of God, that could not endure to hear and ſee what he did, without vexing his righteous ſoul from day to day? and did not God accept him for the ſparing of Zoar?
5. They keep his Commandments, and do thoſe things that are pleaſing in his ſight; and therefore can prevail with him for any thing, 1 Joh. 3.22. even for the ſparing of a very wicked place and people. They that pleaſe Princes may have any thing of them that they deſire; how much more they that do thoſe things that are pleaſing to the Lord?
6. They delight themſelves in the Lord, and therefore he will give them the deſires of their hearts, Pſal. 37.4. whatever it is that they deſire, though it be in behalf of a wicked place and people, yet even that deſire ſhall be granted to them. Such a place and people ſhall be ſpared for their ſakes.
7. They are a people near unto him, Pſal. 148.14. and therefore he will do much for them.
Ʋſe 1. for Information. 1. We ſee what honour God puts upon his Righteous ones, that will for their ſakes ſpare wicked places, and the worſt of people. Great is the reſpect that God bears to them, that for their ſakes will not deſtroy thoſe that are devoted to ruine and deſtruction. It is an honour to finde acceptance with God our ſelves, but to be ſo much in favour with him that others, of the worſt ſort, ſhould fare the better for our ſakes, this is great grace and favour, and high honour put upon us. Well may it be ſaid, He exalteth the horn of his people, the praiſe of all his Saints, Pſal. 148.14.
2. We ſee how glad evil men may be that they have any Righteous ones living amongſt them, for it is for their ſakes that they are ſpared: were they but once removed from them, which they hate and perſecute, they ſhould quickly ſee what God would do with them, and what wrath would break out againſt them; but Righteous ones ſtay his hand from ſtriking, and hinde his arm from ſmiting, keep back judgements; and he is ſo gracious, that he ſayes He will ſpare ſuch wicked ones for their ſakes. Such as are wicked ſinners may think it well for them, that they have ſome Righteous ones among them, to ſtand in the gap, and make up the hedge for them, or elſe their deſtruction would overtake and overwhelm them ſpeedily.
3. We ſee how out of meaſure ſinful they be, that are enemies to them, and do them all the deſpite they can in word and deed, that are ſuch friends to them, that for their ſakes God ſpares them, and will not for the preſent deſtroy them, while they are with them that are the Lords righteous ones. Oh the unkindneſs and deep ingratitude that is in ſuch men! and how they will anſwer it another day, it belongs to them ſeriouſly to conſider of. See Pſal. 109.4, 5.
4. We ſee that they muſt needs ruſh into great danger that malign and hate the Righteous, and requite evil for good to them, Pſal. 109.5, 6. Satan ſtands at the right hand of ſuch: and it is worthy to be had in memory that Solomon ſpeaks, He that rewardeth evil for good, evil ſhall not depart from his houſe, Prov. 17.13. Oh that ſuch would conſider of this, that forget God, and what their duty is to Righteous ones. It's bad to requite evil for evil, and forbidden Rom. 12.17. but to requite evil for good, this is that that argues great wickedneſs, and will bring the ſevereſt wrath with it. But many men are too willing to undo themſelves and theirs, that go this way.
5. We ſee how thankeful the Lords Righteous ones ſhould be to him, for whoſe ſakes he is willing to ſpare a wicked people. Were it that they had but ſo much mercy ſhewed to them to be ſpared themſelves, it would be that that they have cauſe for ever to be thankeful for; but that the Lord ſhould extend this further mercy to them, that others, that are the worſt of men, ſhould be ſpared for their ſakes, this calls for greateſt thanks. See Gen. 19.19, 20, 21.
6. We ſee what great delight we ſhould have in the Lord, that ſo delighteth in his Righteous ones, that for their ſakes he will ſpare the worſt of places, and the worſt of men. We would delight in a friend that ſo delighteth in us, as to ſpare others for our ſakes: Oh how then ſhould we delight in the Lord? Pſal. 37.4.
7. We ſee that ſurely God will not caſt away his own people, that will for their ſakes ſpare the worſt of men. They may think ſo in time of temptation, as ſome have, Pſal. 31.22. Lam. 3.18. Jonah 2.4. but they need not fear it, for he that hath them in ſuch eſteem, that others fare the better for their ſakes, how can it then be that he ſhould ſo forſake them, as to caſt them utterly out of his ſight?
8. We ſee that the prayers of the Righteous that they put up for others, are not loſt, for they keep off judgements, even from the wicked themſelves, how bad ſoever they be. There's great energie and efficacy in the prayers of Righteous ones, Jam. 5.16. [But I would but give a touch of this, we have occaſion often to make mention of it.]
9. We ſee what love Righteous ones ſhould come off with to the Lord, that for their ſakes will ſpare a multitude of the worſt of men. We cannot think what love we own him: if our hearts were as full of it as the Sea is of water, it were far too little for him. The love of Angels is too ſcant for him, how much more ours, which is but a mite to their talents, a drop to their rivers?
10. We ſee what longings we ſhould have to enjoy him for ever, that hath ſuch reſpect to us here, that for our Prayers and Preſence the worſt of men ſhall eſcape that deſtruction, that they could not otherwiſe look for. Oh who would not be with him that is ſo full of love and ſweetneſs to us here? His ſteps, as they drop fatneſs here, ſo they will pour out love and ſweetneſs there.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour to thoſe that hate the Righteous that live with them, and are never well but when they are joring at them; how would ſuch do if they were all gone? miſchief upon miſchief would ſurely come upon them: they ſhould ſee that to their coſt the Righteous were taken away from them.
Ʋſe. 3. for Humiliation to thoſe that ſay God is gone utterly from them, and hath forſaken them: Say not ſo, for the Righteous pleaſe God ſo that they prevail for others; and if ſo, God will not utterly caſt them off.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To honour the Lord that thus honours us, as for our ſakes to ſpare even wicked men. Princes are exalted when they ſpare grievous Malefactors for their ſakes that ſue to them: how much more ſhould the Lord be exalted by us, that does thus of his grace for our ſakes?
2. To do any thing for his ſake that he calls for from us, that does ſo much for our ſakes to others. The moſt difficult work we ſhould come off with for his ſake, Heb. 11.8, 17, 35, 36, 37.
3. To give up our ſelves and all we are and have to him: Does he for our ſakes ſpare wicked places? then let us be wholly his, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20.
4. To love him heartily, that out of love to us does not onelyonly ſpare us, but others alſo for our ſakes, Mat. 22.37.
5. To be without fear of the hatred of wicked men, for the miſchief of it for rewarding evil for good will fall upon their own pates.
6. To long for everlaſting enjoyment of him. If he ſo favour us here while we are among evil men, what will he do when we come in Heaven?
Ʋſe 5. for Conſolation: 1. That he will not caſt away any Righteous ones alwayes, as Pſal. 77.7, 8, 9.
2. That if he eſteem them ſo here, much more in glory.