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Ver. 13. Said to Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh?] The wife’s sin reflects upon the husband. But Solomon shows that some wives are so intemperate and wilful, that a man may as well hide the wind in his fist, or oil in his hand, as restrain them from ill doing. (Proverbs 27:15,16) Liberum arbitrium, pro quo tantopere contenditur, viri amiserunt, uxores arripuerunt, saith one wittily. Heidfeld.
Ver. 14. Is anything too hard for the Lord?] He can do all things possible and honourable. He cannot lie, die, deny himself, for that implieth impotency. “He could do no mighty work” in his own country “because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5,6) He could not, because he would not. He can do more than he will, as “of stones raise up” churches, (Matthew 3:9) call for “legions of angels,” (Matthew 26:53) create more worlds in an instant. But whatsoever he willeth, that he doeth in heaven and earth, and none can say, what doest thou? “Our God can deliver us”. (Daniel 3:17) “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”. (Matthew 8:2, &c.) I will return to thee, according to the time of life.] He returned not personally, that we read of; but virtually he did, by making good his promise at the appointed time. That of Dr Sands, afterwards Bishop of Worcester, is wonderful, and worth relating. He, departing the land for fear of Queen Mary, took his leave of his host and hostess, who was childless, and had been married eight years. When the wind served, as he went toward the ship, he gave his hostess a fine handkerchief, and an old royal of gold in it, thanking her much, and said, Be of good comfort; ere that one whole year be past, God shall give you a child, a boy. And it came to pass, that day twelve months later, lacking one day, God gave her a fair son. Act. and Mon., fol. 1894.
Ver. 15. I laughed not: for she was afraid.] And well she might; for as everybody hath its shadow, so hath every sin its fear. Her sin she saw was detected, and her conscience she felt was troubled; hence her fear. Nay, but thou didst laugh.] A lie must be roundly reproved, and the truth asserted. She laughed but within herself, but as good she might have laughed out aloud; for God searcheth the heart. “I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was in my country? (Jonah 4:2) No, Jonah, it was not thy saying, it was only thy thinking: but that is all one before him who understandeth thy thoughts afar off”. (Psalms 139:2)
Ver. 16. To bring them on the way.] A special piece of courtesy, and much spoken of in Scripture. (3 John 1:6 Acts 20:38 21:5 Romans 15:24 1 Corinthians 16:11 Titus 3:13)
Ver. 17. Shall I hide from Abraham?] My bosom friend. He shall be both of God’s court, and his council. His “secret is with them that fear him”. (Psalms 25:14) The kings of Israel had some one courtier, called the king’s friend by a specialty, to whom they imparted arcana imperii, state secrets. Such an office had Abraham about God, who calls him “Abraham my friend.” See what our Saviour saith to all his, John 15:15. “This honour have all his saints.”
Ver. 18,19. Seeing that Abraham, &c.] God’s first motive here is, from his own antecedent love to Abraham, as the second from his consequent.
Ver. 19. For I know him.] God hath a quick eye to see our good works. He weighs and rewards every circumstance. Christ could tell, that the people had come from far to hear him; that they had fasted three days; that they were in a wilderness, where they could not cater for themselves; that if they should be sent home so, they would faint by the way. (John 6:5-14) What was it that he took not knowledge of? “I know thy works, and thy labour” in doing them. (Revelation 2:2) That he will command his children, &c.] A good householder, whatsoever he gets abroad, he brings home to his family, as bees bring all their honey to the hive. “The lips of the righteous feed many”; (Proverbs 10:21) those under his own roof especially. Well fare Popery for that. Old folks will tell us that, when in those days they had holy bread given them at church, they would bear a part thereof to those that did abide at home. The way to get more, is to share what we have, according to that, Habenti dabitur. (Luke 8:18) No man hath received aught from God for private use: neither is any one born for himself, much less newborn. He that hid his talent was soon loose it.
Ver. 20. Because their sin is very grievous.] Or, very heavy; such as the very ground groans under; the axle of the earth is ready to break under it. Sin is a burden to God. (Amos 2:13) It was so to Christ; he fell to the ground when he was in his agony. It was so to the angels, who sunk into hell under it. It was so to Korah and his company; the earth could not bear them. It was so to the Sodomites; they were so clogged with this excrement of naughtiness, as St James calleth it, (James 1:21) that God came from heaven to give their land a vomit. η περισσεια κακιας
Ver. 21. I will go down now, and see, &c.] The Sodomites sinned as freely and securely as if God knew nothing. Now therefore he is come to know, that is, to give them to know that he knew all, as well as if he had been in their bosoms.
Ver. 22. Abraham stood yet before the Lord.] And without such to stand and pray, the world could not stand: they bear up the pillars of it. Oh, the price with God, and profit to men, of praying persons! God will yield something to such, when most of all enraged (Matthew 24:20) or resolved. Lot was saved for Abraham’s sake, when all the rest perished.
Ver. 23. And Abraham drew near.] A privilege proper to such as have “a true heart,” “full assurance of faith,” and “a good conscience”. (Hebrews 10:22) “The hypocrite shall not come before him” (Job 13:16) He must stand without as a vagrant at the gate, that knows not whether the master is providing for him an alms, or a cudgel. But the upright comes into the parlour; yea, “dwells in God’s presence,” (Psalms 140:13) in the light of his countenance. Wilt thou also destroy the righteous?] Single suits speed not: we must back them with sound arguments, and reason the case with God concerning his judgments. (Jeremiah 12:1)
Ver. 24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous.] Charity presumes the best, hopes the best. The disciples could not imagine that Judas was so very a traitor: each one suspects himself sooner than him. And when our Saviour said, “What thou doest do quickly”; they thought he had meant of making provision, or giving something to the poor. (John 13:27-29)
Ver. 25. Shall not the Judge, &c.] He “fills his mouth with arguments”. (Job 23:4) Let us also: this will increase faith and fervency.
Ver. 26. If I find fifty righteous.] The saints are the salt of the earth, that keep the rest from rotting and putrifying.
Ver. 27. Which am but dust and ashes.] Gnaphar veephar, χονις et cinus; none so humble as they that have nearest communion with God. The angels that stand before him, cover their faces with two wings as with a double scarf. (Isaiah 6:2)
Ver. 28. Peradventure, &c.] [See Trapp on “Ge 18:29”] [See Trapp on “Ge 18:30”]
Ver. 29. And he spake unto him yet again.] Cum in colloquium descendimus cum Deo, replicemus licet, duplicemus, triplicemus, et quadruplicemus. The bolder we make, the better welcome. Alsted.
Ver. 30. I will not do it, &c.] If God so yielded to Abraham interceding for wicked Sodom, will he not hear us for his labouring Church? Joab never pleased David better, than when he sued to him for Absalom. What shall we think of God in like case? How angry is he with those that “help forward” the anger! (Zechariah 1:15) How ready to answer those that speak to him for his Church, “with good words, and comfortable words!” (Zechariah 1:13) Yea, should there be no praying Christians among us (as there are many thousands), yet there is hope, if any of another kingdom make intercession for us, as Abraham here did for Sodom, to the which he was a stranger.
Ver. 31. Behold now, I have taken upon me.] [See Trapp on “Ge 18:29”] [See Trapp on “Ge 18:30”]
Ver. 32. Peradventure ten shall be found there.] Lo, all the slavery and misery they had sustained hath not yet made ten good men in those five bad cities. Till God strike the stroke, and work upon the heart, afflictions, God’s hammers, do but beat upon cold iron. The wicked are no whit better by them, but much the worse; as water becomes more cold after a heat, and naughty boys more stubborn and stupid after a whipping.
Ver. 33. And the Lord went his way.] Abraham bargined with the Lord so long, till he had brought him down from fifty to ten: and mark, that he stopped begging ere God stopped lessening. Let us find praying hearts, and he will find a pitying heart.