Christs Forgiveness of True Christians is a Preceptive Pattern, Quotation 2
The Priests—Shall keep My Charge, & ſhall Teach My People the Difference between the Holy and the Profane, and cauſe Men to Diſcern between the Unclean, and the Clean,
Ezek. 44.15, 16, 23.
Holy Striving againſt Sinful STRIFE.
GENESIS XIII. 8.
And ABRAM ſaid unto LOT, Let there be NO STRIFE, I Pray Thee, Between ME, and THEE, and between My Herdmen and Thy Herdmen; For We are Brethren.
DIVINE is the Record, Inſpired & Renowned the Perſon, and moſt Gracious and Exemplary the Speech not Preſented unto you; and by you to our Joy & to the great Glory of the God of Peace, practically Repeated, and graciouſly Exemplified giving a bleſſed Demonſtration that you are the Genuine Children of Abram.
The famous Patriarch Shem was yet alive, (who was Abrams Great Grand-fathers Great Grand-fathers Great Grand-father) When Abram (the Tenth from Shem) was Called forth to be both Prieſt and Prophet of the moſt High GOD, and was Owned and Bleſſed by Melchizedeck as Heaven's Special Favourite; and acknowledged by the Hittites to be a Mighty Prince, Itinerant among them, having no leſs than three hundred Train'd Soldiers (Victorious Warriours) in his Princely Houſehold; having alſo a plentiful Herd for the Suſtenance of his Numerous Family.
In Abram, we ſee that a man may have much of the World, and yet not be a Worldly man; He may be Loaden, for Wealth, and yet Wing'd for Heaven; he may be a mighty Prince among men, and yet be a mighty Prince with GOD. God loſt nothing by the Honourable Maintenance he beſtowed upon his Prophet-Eliezer was not a more faithful Stewerd to Abram, than Abram was unto GOD: Abram's Purſe was full, yet his Heart was free; he was not poor in the World, yet was he rich in Faith: and, Whoſoever has an Abraham's burden of Wealth upon him, he has need of an Abraham's Faith to ſupport him from ſinking and breaking under it. Abram's Heart was not lean, by Faith continually feaſting on the Promiſes; although his Herds were fat, being put to Forage upon the Commons of the Canaanites; who were not ſo Churliſh (as too many now-a-days) to deny a Prophet of God (differing from them in Religion) what they could ſpare from themſelves; for their Iniquities were not yet full.
Abram had his Croſſes as well as his Comforts. The God and Father of the Fatherleſs had made Abraham a Father unto Fatherleſs Lot, and for many years they had much ſolace one in another. Satan envy'd this Comfort to Abraham, and the Bountiful God deſign'd him a greater: Lot muſt be Diſ…is'd (he not being in the Line of the Promiſed LORD MESSIAH) and muſt not be Abra…ms Heir. That ſo Iſaac (the Son of the Promiſe) might be Embraced. Abrahams and Lots Herdmen quarrel about Paſturage: This was a dangerous Trap for their Godly Maſters; Abraham was aware of it, and dreaded to be taken in it; he would not fall into a Sinful Strife with his Godly Ne…hew for all the World; it went very near his heart to think of parting with his dear Kinſman and Companion, but the ODIOUSNESS of Strife, and the abhorrence and horrour which he had of it, put him upon it. Farewel Lot, rather than farewel Love & Peace; He & Lot had better Separate than Altercate, better part aſunder, than quarrel together; far better live and love at a diſtance, than live together at Sinful Variance.
In our Text Abraham manifeſts his dear Reſpect unto Lot, & his dreadful Averſion unto Strife. He Uſhers in his Treaty with Intreaty; [I pray …e,] He introduces his motion for parting (which immediately follows) with that which was the only reaſon for his making of it, viz. His An…pathy to Strife, and Reſolution againſt it: All Sinful Strife was abominable to him; he could endure none of it; [Let there be NO Strife between me and thee, &c.] And he juſtifies his Reaſon by alledging their mutual Relation, (which ought to be preſerved inviolate, and not be profaned by Strife) [For we are Brethren] We are near in Blood, & nearer in Religion: If we live in Strife, as Carnal Idolaters do, our Sin will be much greater than theirs; we ſhall diſhonour God more than any others, and diſparage our Holy Religion; and ſhall do greater miſchief by the perniciouſneſs of our wicked Example: Sinful Strife is bad in all men, but will be moſt vile, odious, and atrocious in us: Surely we ought in a moſt holy manner to ſtrive and endeavour againſt this moſt ſinful Strife of Godly Brethren.