Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/145

Rh way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

Communion with God is kept up by the word and by prayer. In the word, God speaks to us; in prayer, we speak to him. God had spoken to Abraham his purposes concerning Sodom; now from thence Abraham takes occasion to speak to God on Sodom's behalf. Note, God's word then does us good, when it furnishes us with matter for prayer, and excites us to it. When God has spoken to us, we must consider what we have to say to him upon it.

Observe,

I. The solemnity of Abraham's address to God on this occasion, v. 23, Abraham drew near. The expression intimates, 1. A holy concern; he engaged his heart to approach to God, Jer. 30. 21, "Shall Sodom be destroyed, and I not speak one good word for it?" 2. A holy confidence; he drew near with an assurance of faith, drew near as a prince, Job 31. 37. Note, When we address ourselves to the duty of prayer, we ought to remember that we are drawing near to God, that we may be filled with a reverence of him. Lev. 10. 3.

II The general scope of this prayer. It is the first solemn prayer we have upon record in the Bible: and it is a prayer for the sparing of Sodom. Abraham, no doubt, greatly abhorred the wickedness of Sodom, he would not have lived among them, as Lot did, if they would have given him the best estate in their country; and yet he prayed earnestly for them. Note, Though sin is to be hated, sinners are to be pitied and prayed for. God delights not in their death, nor should we desire, but deprecate, the woeful day. 1. He begins with a prayer that the righteous among them might be spared, and not involved in the common calamity; having an eye particularly to just Lot, whose disingenuous carriage toward him he had long since forgiven and forgotten; witness his friendly zeal to rescue him before by his sword, and now by his prayers. 2. He improves this into a petition, that all might be spared for the sake of the righteous that were among them, God himself countenancing this request, and in effect putting him upon it by his answer to his first address, v. 26, Note, We must pray, not only for ourselves, but for others also; for we are members of the same body, at least, of the same body of mankind. All we are brethren.

III. The particular graces eminent in this prayer.

1. Here is great faith; and it is the prayer of faith that is the prevailing prayer. His faith pleads with God, orders the cause, and fills his mouth with arguments. He acts faith especially upon the righteousness of God, and is very confident, (1.) That God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked, v. 23. No, that be far from thee, v. 25. We must never entertain any thought that derogates from the honour of God's righteousness. See Rom. 3. 5, 6. Note, [1.] The righteous are mingled with the wicked in this world. Among the best there are, commonly, some bad, and among the worst some good. Even in Sodom, one Lot. [2.] Though the righteous be among the wicked, yet the righteous God will not, certainly he will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. Though in this world they may be involved in the same common calamities, yet in the great day, a distinction will be made. (2.) That the righteous shall not be as the wicked, v. 25. Though they may suffer with them, yet they do not suffer like them. Common calamities are quite another thing to the righteous, than what they are to the wicked, Isa. 27. 7. (3.) That the Judge of all the earth will do right; undoubtedly he will, because he is the Judge of all the earth; it is the apostle's argument, Rom. 3. 5, 6. Note, [1.] God is the Judge of all the earth; he gives charge to all, takes cognizance of all, and will pass sentence upon all. [2.] That God Almighty never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of the creatures, either by withholding that which is right, or by exacting more than is right, Job 34. 10, 11.

2. Here is great humility. (1.) A deep sense of his own unworthiness, v. 27, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes; and again, v. 31, he speaks as one amazed at his own boldness, and the liberty God graciously allowed him, considering God's greatness,—he is the Lord; and his own meanness,—but dust and ashes. Note, [1.] The greatest of men, the most considerable and deserving, are but dust and ashes, mean and vile, before God; despicable, frail and dying. [2.] Whenever we draw near to God, it becomes us reverently to acknowledge the vast distance that there is between us and God. He is the Lord of glory, we are worms of the earth. [3.] The access we have to the throne of grace, and the freedom of speech allowed us, are just matter of humble wonder, 2 Sam. 7. 18. (2.) An awful dread of God's displeasure. O let not the Lord be angry, v. 30, and again, v. 32. Note, [1.] The importunity which believers use in their addresses to God, is such, that if they were dealing with a man like themselves, they could not but fear that he would be angry with them. But he with whom we have to do, is God and not man; and, however he may seem, is not really, angry with the prayers of the upright, (Ps. 80. 4.) for they are his delight, (Prov. 15. 8.) and he is pleased when he is wrestled with. [2.] That even when we receive special tokens of the divine favour, we ought to be jealous over ourselves, lest we make ourselves obnoxious to the divine displeasure; and therefore we must bring the Mediator with us in the arms of our faith, to atone for the iniquity of our holy things.

3. Here is great charity. (1.) A charitable opinion of Sodom's character: as bad as it was, he thought there were several good people in it. It becomes us to hope the best of the worst places. Of the two, it is better to err in that extreme. (2.) A charitable desire of Sodom's welfare: he used all his interest at the throne of grace for mercy for them. We never find him thus earnest in pleading with God for himself and his family, as here for Sodom.

4. Here are great boldness, and believing confidence. (1.) He took the liberty to pitch upon a certain number of righteous ones which he supposed might be in Sodom. Suppose there be fifty, v. 24. (2.) He drew upon God's concessions, again and again. As God granted much, he still begged more, with the hope of gaining his point. (3.) He brought the terms as low as he could for shame, (having prevailed for mercy if there were but ten righteous ones in five cities,) and perhaps so low, that he concluded they would have been spared.

IV. The success of the prayer. He that thus wrestled, prevailed wonderfully; as a prince he had power with God: it was but to ask and have. 1. God's general good-will appears in this, that he consented to spare the wicked for the sake of the righteous. See how swift God is to show mercy; he even seeks a reason for it. See what great blessings good people are to any place, and how little those befriend themselves, that hate and persecute them. 2. His particular favour to Abraham appeared in this, that he did not leave off granting, till Abraham left off asking. Such is the power of prayer. Why then did Abraham leave off asking, when he had prevailed so far as to get the place spared, if there were but ten righteous in it? Either, (1.) Because he owned that they deserved to perish,