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23 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Philosophy and Faith

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Chapter twenty Genesis, Chapter twenty. We are here returning to the story of
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Abraham. Yet that part of it which is here recorded is not to his
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honor. The fairest marbles have their flaws, and while there are spots in
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the sun, we must not expect anything spotless under it. The Scripture,
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it should be remarked, is impartial in relating the blemishes even of its most
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celebrated characters. We have here numeral one Abraham's sin in denying his wife,
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and Abimelech's sin thereupon in taking her verse one and two. Numeral two.
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God's discourse with Abimelech in a dream upon this occasion, wherein he shows him
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his error verse three, and accepts his plea verse four through six, and
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directs him to make restitution verse seven. Numeral three. Abimelek's discourse with Abraham,
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wherein he chides him for the cheat he had put upon him verse eight
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through ten, and Abraham excuses it as well as he can Verses eleven through
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thirteen. Numeral four. The good issue of the story, in which Abimelek
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restores Abraham his wife Verses fourteen through sixteen, and Abraham by prayer prevails with
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God for the removal of the judgment. Abimelech was under verse seventeen and eighteen
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Abraham's denial of his wife v. C. Eighteen ninety eight, Verse one.
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And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh
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and Shur, and sojourn in Gerar verse two. And Abraham said of Sarah
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his wife, she is my sister. An Abimelech, king of Jurar,
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sent and took Sarah. Here is number one Abraham's removal from mam Ray,
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where he lived nearly twenty years, into the country of the Philistines. He
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sojourned in Jurrar verse one. We are not told upon what occasion he removed,
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whether terrified by the destruction of Sodom, or because the country round was
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for the present prejudiced by it, or, as some of the Jewish writers
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say, because he was grieved at Lot's incest with his daughters and the reproach
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which the Canaanites cast upon him and his religion for his kinsman's sake. Doubtless
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there were some good cause for his removal. Note in a world where we
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are strangers and pilgrims, we cannot expect to be always in the same place.
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Again, wherever we are, we must look upon ourselves. But as
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sojourners number two, his sin is denying his wife as before Chapter twelve,
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verse thirteen, which was not only in itself such an equivocation, as bordered
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upon a lie, and which if admitted was lawful, would be the ruin
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of human converse and an inlet to all falsehood, but was also an exposing
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of the chastity and honor of his wife, of which he ought to have
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been the protector. But besides this, it had here a twofold aggravation.
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One. He had been guilty of this same sin before, and had been
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reproved for it, and convinced of the folly of the suggestion which induced him
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to it. Yet he returns to it. Note it is possible that a
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good man may not only fall into sin, but relapse into the same sin
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through the surprise and strength of temptation and the infirmity of the flesh. Let
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backsliders repent then, but not despair. Jeremiah chapter three, verse twenty two,
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Number two. Sarah, as it should seem, was now with child
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of the promised seed, or at least in expectation of being so quickly according
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to the word of God. He ought therefore to have taken particular care for
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her. Now as Judges, Chapter thirteen, Verse four, number three,
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the peril that Sarah was brought into by this means the King of Jurar sent
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and took her to his house in order to the taking of her to his
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bed. Note. The sin of one often occasions the sin of others.
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He that breaks the hedge of God's commandments opens a gath to he knows not
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how many. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water verse
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three. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to
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him, behold thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou
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hast taken, for she is a man's wife. Verse four. But a
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Bimelek had not come near her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou
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slay also a righteous nation? Verse five? Said he not unto me?
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She is my sister. And she even she herself, said he is my
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brother. In the integrity of my heart and inency of my hands have I
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done this? Verse six? And God said unto him in a dream,
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yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart. For
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I also withheld from THEE sinning against me. Therefore suffered I THEE not to
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touch her verse seven. Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he
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is a prophet, and he shall pray for THEE, and thou shalt live.
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And if thou restore her, not, know thou that thou shalt surely
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die Thou and all that are thine. It appears by this that God revealed
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himself by dreams, which evidence themselves to be divine and supernatural, not only
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to his servants, the prophets, but even to those who were out of
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the pale of the Church and Covenant. Then usually it was with some regard
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to God's own people, as in Pharaoh's dream to Joseph, in Nebekinezer's to
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Daniel, and here in the bimelechs to Abraham and Sarah, for he reproved
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this king for their sake. Psalms, chapter fifty five, verse fourteen and
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fifteen numeral one. God gives him notice of his danger verse three, his
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danger of sin, telling him that the woman is a man's wife, so
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that if he take her, he will wrong her husband. His danger of
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death is for sin. Thou art a dead man, and God saying so
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all the man makes him so. Note every wilful sinner ought to be told
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that he is a dead man, as the condemned male factor and the patient
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whose disease is mortal are said to be so. If thou art a bad
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man, certainly thou art a dead man. Numeral two. He pleads ignorance
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that Abraham and Sarah had agreed to impose upon him, and not to let
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him know that they were any more than brother and sister verse six. See
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what confidence a man may have towards God when his heart condemns him not verse
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John chapter three, verse twenty one. If our consciences witness to our integrity,
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and that, however we may have been cheated into a snare, we
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have not knowingly and wittingly sinned against God, it will be our rejoicing in
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the day of evil. He pleads with God, as Abraham had done.
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Chapter eighteen, verse twenty three, wilt thou slay a righteous nation verse four.
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Not such an nation as Sodom, which was indeed justly destroyed, but
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a nation which, in this matter was innocent Numeral three. God gives a
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very full answer to what he had said. Number One, He allows his
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plea and admits that what he did he did in the integrity of his heart.
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Yea, I know it. Verse six. Note it is matter of
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comfort to those that are honest that God knows their honesty and will acknowledge it,
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though perhaps men that are prejudiced against them either cannot be convinced of it
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or will not own that they are. Number two, He lets him know
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that he was kept from proceeding in the sin merely by the good hand of
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God upon him. I withheld thee from sinning against me A Bimelek was thereby
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kept from doing, and Abraham from suffering wrong, and Sarah from both.
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Note one, there is a great deal of sin, devised and designed,
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that is never executed. As bad as things are in the world, they
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are not so bad as the devil and wicked men would have them. Two.
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It is God that restrains men from doing the ill they would do.
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It is not from him that there is sin, but it is from Him
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that there is not more sin, either by his influence upon men's minds checking
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their inclination to sin, or by his providence taking away the opportunity to sin.
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Number three. It is a great mercy to be hindered from committing sin.
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Of this God must have the glory whoever is the instrument. Samuel chapter
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twenty five, verses thirty two and thirty three. Number three, he charges
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him to make restitution. Now, therefore, not that thou art better informed,
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restore the man his wife. Verse seven. Note ignorance will excuse no
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longer than it continues. If we have entered upon a wrong course through ignorance,
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this will not excuse our knowingly persisting in it. Leviticus chapter five,
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verses three through five. The reason why he must be just and kind to
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Abraham are one because he is a prophet near and dear to God, for
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whom God does in particular manner concern himself. God highly resents the injuries done
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to his prophets and takes them as done to himself. Two, being a
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pro it, he shall pray for thee. This is a prophet's reward,
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and a good reward. It is it is intimated that there was great efficacy
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in the prayers of a prophet, and that good man should be ready to
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help those with their prayers that stand in need of them, and should make
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at least this return for the kindnesses that are done them. Abraham was accessory
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to a Bimelech's trouble, and therefore was obliged in justice to pray for him.
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Number three. It is at thy peril if thou do not restore her,
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Know thou that thou shalt surely die. Note he that does wrong,
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whoever he is, prince or peasant, shall certainly receive for the wrong which
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he has done, unless he repent and make restitution. Collosians, Chapter three,
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verst. Five. No injustice can be made passable with God, No,
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not by Caesar's image stamped upon it. A Bimelech's conduct towards Abraham b.
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C. Eighteen ninety eight, Verse eight. Therefore Abimelech rose early in
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the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their ears,
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and the men were sore afraid. Verse nine. Then Abimelech called Abraham
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and said, unto him, what hast thou done unto us? And what
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have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a
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great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done
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verse ten, And Abimelek said, unto Abraham, what sawest thou that thou
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hast done this thing? Verse eleven. And Abraham said, because I thought,
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surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will
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slay me for my wife's sake verse twelve. And yet indeed she is my
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sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of
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my mother. And she became my wife verse thirteen. And it came to
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pass when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said,
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unto her, this is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me at
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every place, whether we shall go, say of me, he is my
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brother a Bimelek, being thus warned of God in a dream, takes the
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warning, and as one truly afraid of sin and its consequences, he rises
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early to obey the directions given him Numeral one. He has a caution for
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his servants verse eight. Abraham m himself could not be more careful than he
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was to command his household in this matter. Note those whom God has convinced
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of sin and danger ought to tell others what God has done for their souls.
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That they also may be awakened and brought to a like holy fear Numeral
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two. He has a chiding for Abraham. Observe number one the serious reproof
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which Abimelech gave to Abraham Verses nine and ten. His reasoning with Abraham upon
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this occasion was very strong and yet very mild. Nothing could be said better.
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He does not reproach him, nor insult over him. Does not he
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say, is this your profession? I see, though you will not swear,
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you will lie. If this be prophets, I will beg to be
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freed from the sight of them. But he fairly represents the injury Abraham had
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done him, and calmly signifies his resentment of it. One He calls that
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sin which he now found he had been in danger of, a great sin.
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Note even the light of nature teaches men that the sin of adultery is
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a very great sin. Be it observed to the shame of many who call
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themselves Christians, and yet make a light matter of it. Number two.
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He looks upon it that both himself and his kingdom would have been exposed to
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the wrath of God if he had been guilty of this sin. Though ignorantly
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Note the sins of kings often prove the plagues of kingdoms. Rulers should,
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therefore, for their people's sake, dread sin. Number three, he charged
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urges Abraham with doing that which was not justifiable in disowning his marriage. This
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he speaks of justly and yet tenderly. He has not called him a liar
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and a cheat, but tells him he had done deeds that ought not to
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be done. Note equivocation is dissimulation. However, they may be palliated and
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very bad things, and by no means to me admitted in any case.
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Number four, he takes it as a very great injury to himself and to
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his family that Abraham had thus exposed them to sin. What have I offended
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THEE? If I had been thy worst enemy, Thou couldst not have done
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me a worse turn, nor taken a more effectual course to be revenged on
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me. Note we ought to reckon that those do us the greatest unkindness in
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the world world that any way tempt us or expose us to sin, though
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they may pretend friendship and offer that which is grateful enough to corrupt nature.
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Five He challenges him to assign a cause for his suspecting them as a dangerous
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people for an honest man to live among. What sawest thou that thou hast
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done this thing? Verse ten? What reason haddest thou to think that,
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if we had known her to be thy wife, thou wouldst have been exposed
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to any danger by it? Note a suspicion of our goodness is justly reckoned,
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a greater affront than a slight upon our greatness. Number two. The
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poor excuse that Abraham made for himself. Number one, He pleaded the bad
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opinion he had of the place. Verse eleven. Thought that within himself,
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though he could not give any good reason for his thinking. So surely the
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fear of God is not in this place, and then they will slay me.
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One little good is to be expected where no fear of God is see
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Psalms, chapter thirty six, Verse one two. There are many places and
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persons that have more of a fear of God in them than we think they
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have. Perhaps they are not called by our dividing name, they do not
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wear our badges, they do not tie themselves to that which we have an
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opinion of, And therefore we conclude they have not the fear of God in
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their hearts, which is very injurious both of Christ and Christians, and makes
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us obnoxious to God's judgment. Matthew Chapter seven, verse one. Three.
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Uncharitableness and sinceeriousness are sins that are the cause of many other sins. When
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men have once persuaded themselves concerning such and such that they have not the fear
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of God, they think this will justify them in the most unjust and un
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Christian practices toward them. Men would not do ill if they did not first
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think ill. Two He excused it from the guilt of a downright lie by
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making it out that in a sense she was his sister verse twelve. Some
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think she was own sister de Lot, who is called his brother Lot chapter
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fourteen, verse sixteen, though he was his nephew. So Sarah is called
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his sister. But to those whom he said she is my sister understood that
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she was so his sister as not to be capable of being his wife,
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so that it was an equivocation with an intent to deceive. Three. He
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clears himself from the imputation of an affront designed to abimelech in it by alleging
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that it had been his practice before, according to an agreement between him and
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his wife when they first became sojourners verse thirteen, when God caused me to
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wander from my father's house, then we settle this matter. Note one,
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God is to be acknowledged in all our wanderings. Two. Those that travel
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abroad and converse much with strangers, as they have need of the wisdom of
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the serpent. So it is requisite that that wisdom be ever tempered with the
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innocence of the dove. It may for aught, I know, be ested
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that God denied to Abraham and Sarah the blessing of children so long to punish
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them for this sinful compact. If they will not own their marriage, why
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should God own it. But we may suppose that after this reproof which Abimelech
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gave them, they agreed never to do so again. And then presently we
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read Chapter twenty one, verse one and two, that Sarah conceived verse fourteen,
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And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants,
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and gave them unto Abraham and restored him Sarah his wife verse fifteen. And
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Abimelech said, behold, my land is before thee dwell where it pleaseth THEE
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verse sixteen. And unto Sarah he said, behold, I have given thy
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brother a thousand pieces of silvere Behold, he is to THEE a covering of
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the eyes, unto all that are with THEE and with all other. Thus
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she was reproved verse seventeen. So Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed
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Abimelek and his wife and his maid servants, and they bear children verse eighteen.
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For the Lord had fast closed up all the wounds of the house of
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the Bimelek because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Here is numeral one, the
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kindness of a prince, which Abimelech showed to Abraham. See how unjust Abraham's
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jealousies were. He fancied that if they knew that Sarah was his wife,
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they would kill him. But when they did know it, instead of killing
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him, they were kind to him, frightened at least to be so by
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the divine rebus dukes. They were under number one. He gives them his
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royal license to dwell where he pleased in his country, courting his stay,
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because he gives him his royal gifts Verse fourteen. Sheep and oxen, and
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verse sixteen a thousand pieces of silver. This he gave when he restored Sarah,
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either one by way of satisfaction for the wrong he had offered to do
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in taking her to his house. When the Philistines restored the ark, being
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plagued for detaining it, they sent a present with it. The law appointed
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that when restitution was made, something should be added to it. Leviticus chapter
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six, verse five or two to engage Abraham's prayer for him. Not as
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if prayers should be bought and sold, but we should endeavor to be kind
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those of whose spiritual things we reap. First Corinthians chapter nine, verse eleven.
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Note it is our wisdom to get and keep an interest with those that
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have an interest in heaven, and to make those our friends who are the
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friends of God. Three he gives to Sarah good instruction, tells her that
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her husband her brother. He calls him to upbraid her with calling him so,
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must be to her a covering of the eyes. That is, she
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must look at no other, nor desire to be looked at by any other.
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Note yoke fellows must be to each other for a covering of the eyes.
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The marriage covenant is a covenant with the eyes like Jobs. Chapter thirty
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one, verse one, numeral two. The kindness of a prophet, which
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Abraham shade to Ebimelech, he prayed for him, verse seventeen and eighteen.
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This honor God would put upon Abraham, that though Abimelech had restored Sarah,
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yet the judgment he was under should be removed upon the prayer of Abraham,
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and not before. Thus God healed Miriam when Moses, whom she had most
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affronted, prayed for her numbers chapter twelve, verse thirteen, and was reconciled
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to Job's friends when Job, whom they had grieved, prayed for them Job
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chapter forty two, verse eight through ten. And so did, as it
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were, give it under his hand that he was reconciled to them. Note
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the prayers of good man may be a kindness to great men, and ought
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to be valued and of Chapter twenty