i<t8 nJppearances of the Son of god eoniint againfi him with aPower whichhe was no way able to withtand, he feared that he would utterly deftroy both his Perlon and hisPofierity, v. t r. In thePromife about which their conteft was, the bleffed feed, with the whole Church -fiate and Wor- (hip of the Old Teftament was included ; fo that it was the greateft Controverfie, and had thegreateft weight depending on it, of any that ever was amongti the Sons of men. Wherefore to fettleJacob'sright, to preferve him with his Title and Intereft, He whowas principally concerned in thewhole matter, lothhere appear unto him; fome efpecial particulars ofwhich manifeftation of himfelfmaybe remarked. f. C. Firfi, He appeared in the farm of a man, 1ö9 W' 5 pati', Aman wreffkd with him: A man he is called fromhis dhapc, and his aétions ; he wrcfiled, p ti'l that is, faith R. Menachem in Rafhi, 1ayrn he duffed ; this faith he, is the fenfe of p]ta, for p01315 9y s7+'1t My, they ffirred up the duff with their feet, as men do in ear- nefi wrefiling ; or as himfelf wouldhave it, in allufion to another word, and to fig- nifie the cloftng with their arms to callone another down, as is the manner of Wrejf- lers. A great contention is denoted, and an appearance in the formolaman s fur- ther manifelled by his touching the hollowof Jacob's thigh. §, It. Secondly, He is called an'Angelby Jacob himfelf Gen. 48. x6. The Angel that delive- red me. Thiswas the greateft danger that ever Jacob was in, and this he remembers im his blefsing of Jofephschildren, praying that they may have the prefence of this Angel with them, who preferved him all his life, and delivered him from that earn- nent danger from his Brother E eu. And he calls him, 4taxZ -ita`1r n-; The Angel the Redeemer t, which is the name of the Promifed Melab, as the Jews grant, Ifa. 59.v. zó. `IND j1tw? 31 s And the (Gel, the Redeemer fball come to Zion. Andhe is exprelly called the Angel, Hof. r 2. 14. 12. Thirdly, This man in appearance, this Angel in Office was in Name and Nature Godover all bleffed for ever. For in the firfi place, Jacob prayes folemnly unto him for his blefsing, Gen. 32. 26. and rcfufeth to let him go, or to ceafe his fùpplicatioris umill he had bleffed him. 2. He dothCo, he blelfethhim, and giveth him a double pledge or tokenof it in the touch of his thigh, and change ofhis name; giving him a name to denote his prevalency with God, that is with himfelf. 3. From hence Jacob concludes that he had feen God; and calls the name of the place, the Face of God In the fecond place, Gen. 48. 16. Beides that' he inuscates this Angel for his Prefence with, and blefsing on thechildren ofJolepho which cannot regard any but God him- felf without. grofs Idolatry, it is evident that the Angel who redeemed him, v. 16. is the fame with the God who fed him, that is the Godof his Fathers. And this is yet more evident in the Prophet. For with regard unto this ftory of his power over the Angel, he fayes,. he had power with God;, and proves it, becaufe he hadpower over the Angel andprevailed. And he thews whereby he thus prevailed, it was by weeping andmaking fupplications untohim, which he neither did, nor lawfully might do unto a created Angel; and therefore tome of the Jews apply thofe words, he wept andmade fupplications unto the Angels delire to Jacobto let him go; foolifhly enough; and yet are they therein followed by tome late Criticks, who too often pleafe themfelves in their curioities. Again this Angel was he whom he found; or whofound him in Bethel, an account whereof we have Gen. 28. v. zo, 2t, 22. and Chap, 35. y. 1. Now this was no other but he unto whom Jacob made his Vow, and entered into folemn Covenant withal that he fhould be his God. And therefore the Prophet adds cxprdfly in the loft place, v. 5. that it was the Lord GodofI-fts,whom he intended. 13. Fromwhat hathbeenfpoken, it is evident, that he who appeared unto Jacob, with whom he earnelily wreliled byTears and Supplications was God, and becaufe he was fent as the Angel ofGod, it muttbe force drfiinét Perlon in theDeity, condefcending unto that Office ; andappearing in the form of a man, he reprefented his future Af- fumption of our humane nature. And by all this did God inflruok the Church in themyfferie of thePerfan of the Meah, and who it was that they were to look for in theblefsing of the Promifed Seed. 4 r4 Exod. 3. v, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And Mofes came to the Mountain ofGod to Horeb. And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the middeff of a bulb ; and he looked, and behold, the bulb burned with fire, and the bufh was not confirmed. And Mofes Paid, I will turn afele and fee this great fight, why the bulb is not burned. And when the Lordfaw that he turned afide tofee, God called unto him out of the middeff of the brefb, andPaid Mofes, Mofes, and bePaid bere am I. And be [aid; draw not nigh hither
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