courfe of his pilgrimage; for it appears that he was the most afflicted of all his race, both on account of the treatment he met with from Efau, from Laban, and from God himself.--5. Very early he began to ftruggle with his rough brother Efau, who carried his enmity to fuch a high pitch, as to refolve to murder him for no other fault than excluding him from the privilege of birthright, which himfelf had justly forfeited, by felling it for a morfel of meat; and therefore when he would afterwards have inherited the bleffing, he could not by all his tears induce his father to bestow it upon him.-6. In vain fhall you think, O profane Efau, to thwart the unalterable decree; for the elder fhall ferve the younger, and the pofterity of Jacob fhall put garrifons in thy ftrong holds.-7. With his ftaff he p. fed over Jordan, an exile from his father's houfe; he ferved for a wife, and returned again with much fubftance, having multiplied into two bands.- -8. He fpoiled Laban of his fubftance 3 was afflicted by the world, harraffed by the devil, and and perfecuted even by God himself.--5. Early, very early he felt the effects of the world's undeferved malice. And his rough brethren the Jews were fo highly incenfed against him, as to imbrue their hands in his blood. And wherefore did ye thus hate him O ye malicious Jews! It was because you gloried in your birth-right, and could not endure that the kingdom of God fhould, according to his doctrine, be taken from you and transferred to the defpifed Gentiles, though you had juftly forfeited all title to fuch a glorious prerogative by your great contempt of fpiritual and heavenly bleffings.-6. But be of good chear, ye children of Jefus Chrift, your Lord and Master has overcome the world. And the time fhall come, when the faints of the Most High fhall take the kingdom; and it fhall be faid, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah - -7. With the staff of his cross he passed over the Jordan of death; and wandering an exile and idols. But when he followed after him, to rummage Jacob's tents, he found nothing that belonged to him. And when he departed from Jacob, the angels of God met him, and he called the place Mahanaim. But the conflict which Jacob had with God was by far the most mysterious affliction. Never was the patriarch in greater diftrefs. Retired from his family, and all alone, expecting his brother Efau to come upon him with four hundred armed men, he pours out his prayer to God; and there wreftled a man with him till the breaking of the day, to whom he wept and made fupplication. But at laft he is victorious; his life is preferved; and he obtains the bleffing. from heaven, his Father's And as Jacob was obliged to go down to Egypt in his old age, to preferve his life from a cruel famine; D fo Chrift Jefus fled into Egypt when he was a child, to preferve his life from a bloody tyrant, Afterwards was the faying of the prophet fulfilled, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son*." And, laftly, As Jacob left the world bleffing his fons, fo Chrift left the world bleffing his apoftles. But he was alfo a type of the myftical body of Chrift, and indeed of every faint,-whether you view him as chofen in the womb,-ftriving at his birth,— buying the birthright,-meeting the angels of God, wrestling with the Angel of the covenant, or buried in Canaan after a troublefome life. Behold in all these an emblem of every one who is an Ifraelite indeed. His election in the womb fignifies how all the feed of Jacob are chofen to falvation. "Was not Efau Jacob's brothert," his elder brother and indeed a ftronger child for his hairy fkin portended the vigour of his conftitution. Yet was he not chofen to inherit the patriarchal bleffing. The happy perfons whom he chufes to inherit the bleffings of eternity, are fo far from being better than other their fellowcreatures, that for the moft part, they are greatly inferior both in the endowments of the mind, and outward worldly distinctions. "Even fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight!" His ftruggling at his birth, when he took hold of his brother's heel, might be intended to fignify, that every ery true Ifraelite muft ftrive, before he come to the poffeffion of thofe bleffings that are defigned for him in the purpofe of God. Electing love indeed prevents, but not excludes our fighting the good fight of faith, and laying hold upon eternal life. Miferably fhall they be difappointed, who dream of feizing the kingdom of heaven without violence. When the hufbandman can reafonably hope, that indolence will fill his barns with plenty; when the foldier can think that victory will prefent him with her palms, without ftriking a blow; then may the yawning Chriftian whom it grieves to work out his own falvation with fear and trembling, expect to reap fruit unto life Matt. ii. 15. † Matt. i. 2. † Matt. ix. 26. eternal, and tread upon the high-places of his spiritual foes. His buying the birth-right for pottage, ludicrous as it seems, perhaps may denote the high esteem which all the true feed of Jacob have of fpiritual bleffings. O wretched exchange to barter for the fatisfaction of a moment what was more valuable than an hundred lives! Profane Efau, was it nothing valuable to inherit the bleffing of Abraham, to be the progenitor of the Meffiah, and to entail on thy pofterity the true knowledge of God? All this was undervalued, when the birthright was defpifed. Ye Efaus of the world, take to yourfelves your prefent fenfual gratifications; and efteem nothing good but prefent fatisfactions, fill your bellies with the hidden treasure of God, and for the fhort-lived pleafures of fin, renounce your part in heavenly felicities, and bury, without one figh, each glorious hope. But let the houfe of Ifrael labour for the meat that endures to everlasting life; let them implore the chearful light of God's countenance; let them enjoy the vifion of his face in righteoufnefs; and when infpired with thefe blisful expectations, all fublunary joys fhall in comparison be no more regarded than was thy pottage, Jacob, in comparifon of the birthright. His receiving the bleffing from his father in the garments of Efau, which his mother arrayed him with, may be viewed as a faint fhadow of our receiving the bleffing from God in the garments of Jefus Christ, which all the children of the promise do wear. When found in Chrift, and clothed with the perfumed robes of righteoufnefs imputed, the gårments of our elder brother, our gracious God and Father will forget our finful imperfections, and beholding no iniquity in Jacob, nor perverfenefs in Ifrael, will blefs us with all fpiritual bleffings in Chrift Jefus. It was not the feigned venifon, but the borrowed garments, that procured the bleffing. Even fo we are not bleffed by God for our good works, however pleasing unto him, but for the righteousness of our Redeemer : for fhould we prefume to appear in the presence of JEHOVAH, without this moft neceffary precaution, of putting on the Lord Jefus Chrift, our performances, however fpecious, could meet with no acceptance, but the evil which Jacob greatly feared would come upon us; we would procure to ourselves a curfe, and not a bleffing. : His meeting the angels, after his interview with Laban, when he called the name of the place Mahanaim, was not only defigned to animate his courage amidst the dangers that furrounded him in that journey; but also to hint unto us what is the distinguished privilege of all the children of Jacob in their militant ftate for "the angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him*." The defpifer of his birthrigh, whofe refentment Jacob dreaded, comes indeed escorted by four hundred men. But what were thefe to Jacob's invifible guard? This honour have all his faints, who come to the innumerable company of angels, the miniftrant fpirits of the heirs. of falvation, and the bright guardians of the juft. His wrestling with the Angel, who doubtless was the Captain of the hoft that appeared to him in the likeness of a man, (a prelude of his future incarnation,) over whom he obtained the victory, and from whom he received the bleffing, when he wept and inade fupplication,-may be confidered as a figure of that great fight of affliction which the beloved of the Lord may lay their account with in the night of this world. Even the Lord himself may feem to stand against them with his right hand as an adverfary. But as the mighty wreftler with Jacob affumed no greater ftrength than might be overcome, fo God, that is faithful, will proportion the trials of his people to the strength he has given them. And by their trength (which yet is not their own) they fhall pre. vail; for he that is in appearance againft, is really for them, and ftronger for them than against them. If he cafts down, it is but with his left, but he upholds them with his right hand. Mysterious, but comforting truth! hard to exprefs, but sweet to know. Never was Jacob more happy, than when he seemed Pfal. xxxiv. 7. |