Wesley Corpus

“I will not destroy the city, if there be fifty, twenty, yea, ten righteous men found in it.” And are there not ten, twenty, fifty righteous men to be found in our Sodom? Dare you affirm, or have you reason to believe, that there are only twenty hundred? And will God “destroy the righteous with the wicked! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Besides, will not all these righteous men wrestle with God for their people and nation? And does he not hear the prayer? Let Moses in the spirit groan, And God cries out, Let me alone ! Let me alone, that all my wrath May rise the wicked to consume : While Justice hears thy praying faith It cannot seal the sinner's doom. My Son is in my servant's prayer, And Jesus forces me to spare. 13. I add but one reason more, why we may rationally hope that these kingdoms, sinful as they are, will not yet be given up to destruction. Religion, true, scriptural religion, the love of God and our neighbour, inviting men to avoid evil and to do good, to practise justice, mercy, and truth, is not decreasing thereim; no, it is continually increasing in every part of the kingdom; as an impartial inquirer cannot but observe, whether he turn east, west, north, or south. Now, I know no instance in all history, from the earliest ages to this day, of the Governor of the world delivering up a kingdom to destruction, while religion was increasing in it. I believe no such instance can be found. And indeed it seems to be totally inconsistent with his wisdom and good ness, and with the rules whereby He hath governed all nations from the beginning of the world. Fear him there fore with a filial fear; and you need fear nothing but him. In this sense also, one thing is needful,--the making God your friend. And when we have “a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man,” we may say with boldness, “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge: Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the depth of the sea. The flood thereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.” 1.