Abrahams Humble Intercession for Sodom, Title page – To the reader
ABRAHAM'S Humble Interceſſion for SODOM, AND The LORD'S gracious Conceſſions in Anſwer thereunto: Containing ſundry MEDITATIONS UPON GEN. XVIII. from VER. XXIII. to the end of the Chapter. Wherein many things are ſpoken of concerning Believers drawing near to God, and the Efficacy of their Prayers; and how they may be Princes and Prevailers with God, and with what boldneſs they may come before him, and what ground they may get of him by their Prayers, and what ſweet communing they have with him. With ſundry other things worthy of our moſt ſerious thoughts, helping us to be more Spiritual and Heavenly, which may prepare us for that everlaſting Communion and Fellowſhip that we hope to arrive at, and come to in a bleſſed ſtate of Glory by Jeſus Chriſt.
By SAMƲEL WHITING, Paſtor of the Church of Chriſt at Lyn in N. E.
Jam. 5.16. The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Jam. 2.23. Abraham was called the friend of God.
Printed and Sold at Cambridge. 1666.
To the Reader.
MAny of the Patriarks, and other holy men, have been highly honoured and commended in Scripture for their ſeveral Excellencies: Abel for his bounty in the ſervice of God, in bringing in his Oblation of the firſtlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof; and it is therefore called A more excellent Sacrifice then Cain's was, Gen. 4.4. with Heb. 11.4. Enoch and Noah for their conſtant Communion with God, and taking their holy Walks and bleſſed Turns with him in thoſe evil times wherein they lived, Gen. 5.22, 24. & 6.9. Iſaac for his Chaſtity, in keeping himſelf to one wife, whom he did ſo tenderly love, Gen. 24.67. Jacob for his Princely Power that he had with God by weeping and ſupplication, and thoſe holy wreſtlings that he had with him, Gen. 32.24, 28. with Hoſ. 12.3, 4 Moſes for his Zeal, and familiarity with the Lord and for his Meekneſs in his own cauſe, though … holy fire for God's, Exod. 32.19, 20. Numbers … 7, 8. David for Thankfulneſs and Pr… … The ſweet Pſalmiſt of Iſrael, 2 Sam. 23.1. Now though all theſe were famous Believers, and ſo reported of by God himſelf, Heb. 11. yet above all, Abraham is moſt renowned for his Faith, Heb. 11.8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19. and in the Epiſtles to the Romans and Galatians that Paul writ: And this piece that is the ſubject of theſe following Meditations, holds out no ſmall part of his Faith, and ſweet familiarity, and Prevailing Power that he had with God in the ſuits that he put up to him, in behalf of thoſe Righteous ones that he thought might be mingled with thoſe vileſt of Sinners.
The main drift of the Diſcourſe, is,
1. To draw near to God in Prayer in a right manner, that a gracious anſwer may be given in to our Prayers, that ſo we may not pray in vain.
2. To diſcountenance ſin, by the deſtruction that God will bring upon ſinners, both here and in another world without Repentance, as we ſee in Sodoms Example.
3. To bear up the heads and hearts of the Lords Righteous ones, who live among bad Company, that they ſhall not be burned in their fire, but be inſtrumental to ſave the worſt of ſinners at leaſt from temporal deſtruction, as long as they continue with them.
To put all Believers upon fervent and im… Prayer for the worſt of men, if any conſiderable number of Righteous ones be found amongſt them.
5. To ſtir up the beſt to ſee their own vileneſs, and to be very humble in drawing near to God when we pray to him.
6. To meditate of Chriſt's being the Judge of all the Earth, and plead with him to do right as being ſuch a Judge, and to conſider what our duty is in our ſeveral places, that muſt one day ſtand before this Judge.
7. To beſiege and beleaguer the Throne of Grace with ſuit after ſuit, and to go away with all we can from God that is ſo ready to hear Prayer, and to go as far as ever we can or dare in asking, and to fear to provoke God then eſpecially when we pray to him, and to deſire of God that he would not be angry with us, nor with our Prayers.
8. To go about our ordinary Employments when we have been with God, as he allows, taking in ſuch Cautions as are duely to be obſerved.
9. To be familiar with God, and to commune ſweetly with him in Prayer, as he does with us in his gracious Anſwers.
Now what help may be afforded to theſe things by the following Treatiſe, is with the Lord to give, and with his Servants to pray for. A Childe when lifted up upon a Giants ſhoulders, may be carried for above his own ſtrength: A withered Hand may be ſtretched out, if Chriſt ſay the word: Weak things the Lord ſometimes chuſeth, to bring mighty things to paſs by. If the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon go together, what may not a little ſtrength do? An Hoſt of three hundred men that lap water, with their Pitchers and Lamps, what an Army of Midianites may not fall before them? I dare not ſay any thing of the Work, nor of the ſucceſs of the Work, being in Gods hand; onelyonly ſhall pray, That the bleſſing of the God of Heaven may go along with it, That Chriſt may ſmile upon it: and, as Conſtantine would ſtoop ſo low as to kiſs Paphnutius his Eye that he could not ſee with; ſo, that the Lord Jeſus would be pleaſed to condeſcend ſo far as to give a ſweet kiſs of favour to this maimed Work.
I had not thought that any thing of mine ſhould ever have ſeen the light more; but the ſhort Notes put forth before, concerning that awfull Subject of The Laſt Judgement, finding acceptance with ſome of the Saints here, and with ſome elſwhere (though ſo unworthy of ſuch a tremendous Subject, yet) I have adventured a little before I dye to ſet forth this, as being the words of a dying man, and of ſuch an one as expects death daily, if ſo be that ſuch words may ſink more deeply. And if any Souls may be prevailed with to get nearer God, and to have more ſweet communings with his Majeſty, and prevail more (through Chriſts Interceſſion) by their faith in Prayer, and thereby declare themſelves the true and genuine Children of Abraham; and my own heart be carried up more Heaven-ward, and Chriſt-ward by it, I have enough, and ſhall judge that I have not loſt my labour. No words are loſt, no labour loſt, that bring us nearer God, and nearer Heaven.
Reader, The brief Heads of the following Diſcourſe, or at leaſt the principal of them, are hinted at in this ſhort Epiſtle; Reade them, Learn them, Pray for a bleſſing upon them, diſtill them into the ſweet water of the Practice of Godlineſs. We know no more then we do. The life of Reading, is in the performance of our duty in what we learn. Words are but empty ſounds, except we draw them forth in our lives. Printed Books will do little good, except Gods Spirit print them in our hearts. Gods words written with Ink will not profit, except they be alſo written with the Spirit of the Living God. They are the bleſſed ones that know and do, Joh. 13.17. and they ever know moſt that practiſe moſt: A good underſtanding have all they that do his Commandments, Pſal. 111.10. As for Brain-knowledge, it may puff a man up, and ſo bring him down low to deſtruction; it may raiſe him high, that he may have the deeper fall into Hell; it may ſwell him like a bladder, and when the bladder breaks, then like an unskilful Swimmer, he drowns: It addes more fuell to Hell fire, and cauſeth him, except he do his Lords will, to be beaten with many ſtripes, Luke 12.47. What good have the Devils by all their knowledge? they know enough of the will of God, but do not any thing of it, and this heats the Furnace for them; and time will come, that many a wicked man will wiſh that he had never known ſo much, becauſe he hath done ſo little: for, it is but Oyl to the flame, Brimſtone to the fire, to make them burn more fiercely.
One word more, and I have done: If this Diſcourſe of a Subject of this nature may be available for the Salvation of many, or of any, I ſhall have cauſe to bleſs God for ever, and ſhall with more comfort lay down my head, and reſt in the Grave as in a perfumed Bed, through Chriſt who hath ſweetned it by his Buriall, till the Reſurrection at the laſt day.
Thine in the Lord Jeſus, Samuel Whiting.