Conclusion 1. That God is sometimes so provoked by the sins of the wicked, that he will not spare them for the sake of the Righteous. So that this must not be understood as an universal standing Rule. The Lords condescending thus far to Abraham at this time, was not to intimate that if there be any Righteous men in a place, that then that place shall not fall under destroying Judgments. In the days of Elijah there were seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Yet Drought, and Famine, and Sword, (destroying judgments) came on the Land, notwithstanding there were some thousands of Righteous men therein. A fatal overthrow came on the Land of the Chaldeans by the Sword of Persia, when all the good men in the world were in that Land. Sometimes God is so highly provoked at the Sins of wicked men, at that although righteous men set themselves to deprecate impending Judgments, he becomes inexorable, ⟨p. 44⟩no entreaties will prevail with him to stay his hand. When there was a sore drought upon the Land, the Prophet Jeremiah did earnestly pray that the Judgment might be removed. God gave him a flat denial, and told him, that instead of removing that Judgment, he would bring others that should be greater; and added moreover, though Moses and Samuel stood before him yet his mind could not be toward that people, Jer. 15 1. Moses & Samuel are instanced in, because God for their sakes had more than once spared a sinful people, but then he would not do it. There is a Scripture in Ezekiel, like that in Jeremiah, viz. that, Ezek. 14, 14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own Souls by their righteousness. And many times it has been so, that destroying Judgments have come on Cities, Provinces, Nations, in which there have been not fifty, but many hundreds, it may be thousands of righteous men; yea many holy Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. When once a sinful people have filled up the measure of their iniquity, there is no preventing the judgment determined against them. It is said, in Dan. 8.23, 24. When the Transgressors are come to the full, a King of fierce countenance shall arise and destroy wonderfully.
Conclusion 1. That God is sometimes so provoked by the sins of the wicked, that he will not spare them for the sake of the Righteous. So that this must not be understood as an universal standing Rule. The Lords condescending thus far to Abraham at this time, was not to intimate that if there be any Righteous men in a place, that then that place shall not fall under destroying Judgments. In the days of Elijah there were seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Yet Drought, and Famine, and Sword, (destroying judgments) came on the Land, notwithstanding there were some thousands of Righteous men therein. A fatal overthrow came on the Land of the Chaldeans by the Sword of Persia, when all the good men in the world were in that Land. Sometimes God is so highly provoked at the Sins of wicked men, at that although righteous men set themselves to deprecate impending Judgments, he becomes inexorable, ⟨p. 44⟩no intreaties will prevail with him to stay his hand. When there was a sore drought upon the Land, the Prophet Ieremiah did earnestly pray that the Judgment might be removed. God gave him a flat denial, and told him, that instead of removing that Judgment, he would bring others that should be greater; and added moreover, though Moses and Samuel stood before him yet his mind could not be toward that people, Ier. 15 1. Moses & Samuel are instanced in, because God for their sakes had more than once spared a sinful people, but then he would not do it. There is a Scripture in Ezekiel, like that in Ieremiah, viz. that, Ezek. 14, 14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own Souls by their righteousness. And many times it has been so, that destroying Judgments have come on Cities, Provinces, Nations, in which there have been not fifty, but many hundreds, it may be thousands of righteous men; yea many holy Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. When once a sinful people have filled up the measure of their iniquity, there is no preventing the judgment determined against them. It is said, in Dan. 8.23, 24. When the Transgressors are come to the full, a King of fierce countenance shall arise and destroy wonderfully.
