g €1J~iiltatl ~tttr~ 13 theg 'tis worthnoting., What a fpeedy reward 6r his piety, and effect of his pro.yers was grant~ : Would all young men take the like courfe for aW tfe, they might meet feafonably with a Re.beclz.ah inmercy. 3. Jacob is a famous infiance of this choiceexercife, few like him; he was put ro flee, but they could not drive him from his God: Theyhad their meetingpla– ces ~nd intercourfe /where none faw: parciculary that rernarkable time:, Gen. 32 • .24. Jacob WM left alone : .And there wreftled aman t'Vith him until the ~reaki.ng of the day. 'TislikelyJacobhad fent his houthold awayan .purpofe.that he might wreft:le with God alone: I fhalJ I not difpute whether J acob\lad any extraordinary natu– ral ftrength of bady, I a~ fure .he had abundance of fpiritual ftrength of grace, nor !hall I take notice of the Hebrews fubtildifputes cqncerning this man. Hofea tells us, it was an Angel, yet withal he tell us, That by his jlrength he hadpower with God, Ho[. 12. 3,4· Therefore ~ chis· was God hitnfelf, the creating, · G 6 ~ not 4 .. crea~ed Angel, even Jefus Chrift, en• . 4 8 · 1 .. • the Angel'that Redeemed him from all evil,whomMa;– /achi ~ails., ·The Angel of the Co~enant, , Mal. 3. 1. It · was God hirnielf,Elohim,whom Jacob overcame in thi-s fl:up~ndious [ m,onom'!lchi~, or] conflict. But how did he thus prevail ? The Text faith, with,prayers and tears, he wept and made {upplication : Now he had got,ten God to a-fide ( as it \Vere) an~none came to difl:~afr him, or to part this ftrong and bldfed duel ; he is re– folved to fiick to his hold, _and not let God go, till he bleffed him : And good <jacob came offa Noble Con– queror r; and from that purchafed the famous name of I{rttel: Oh unequal matches! Ohunparallel'd conquell! The feemingly-adverfe combatant was Jacobsonly affi– fianr, and the conquered was the invincible Jehovah., and no other feconds or fpeCt~tors, !?ut the Infinite God aQd Worm Jacob, · · . . 'Mo
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