That the way to prevail with men, it is, to prevail with God: 1This was an evidence to Jacob, that certainly he should prevail against his brother Esau, Esau came against him to destroy him, and he was afraid, God gave him a certain evidence that he should prevail, saith he, Thou hast prevailed with me, and there's no fear of prevailing with all the men of the world, now thou hast prevailed with ⟨p. 237⟩God. This indeed were a notable point, if one would speak of this at large, and a very useful point in these times, That the way to prevail with men, it is, to prevail with God: What's all the powers of men? they are all at the dispose of God; the work is done when thou hast but prevailed with God; thou heatest of great dangers that there are abroad in the world, but do thou get alone in thy closet and fall a wrestling with God, and be wrestling till thou feelest thy faith wrestling with God, then thou mayest come down and conclude the work is done; no men shall ever prevail against you that have so much interest with God, these may live joyfully in the world, never need fear the power and the rage of wicked men, they have that within them that helps them to prevail with God, and certainly man cannot prevail against them. Our rough brethren have come out against us, as here Esau this rough brother of Jacob came out against him, and yet Jacob prevailing with God, prevailed against him: And blessed be God, that when our rough brethren have come enraged against us, there hath been some amongst us have prevailed with God, and by prevailing with God, have prevailed over them, and against them: But though we are delivered from these rough brethren, yet we have rough ones in another kind still, that are against us; Oh, but let us carry our selves blamelessly, and inoffensively towards them, that yet behave themselves roughly and furiously against us, and so seek to prevail with them that way, in a constant carriage of innocence and blameless lives before them, to convince them if it be possible of all their mistakes: But above all, let us seek to prevail with God, and then God may turn their hearts, turn the hearts of our roughest and furiousest brethren, whose mouths are so opened as they are, and whose pens do go so as they do, let's prevail with God, that so at length they may come and fall upon their necks as Esau did, and to give them the right hand of fellowship;
That the way to prevail with men, it is, to prevail with God: 1This was an evidence to Jacob, that certainly he should prevail against his brother Esau, Esau came against him to destroy him, and he was afraid, God gave him a certain evidence that he should prevail, saith he, Thou hast prevail'd with me, and there's no fear of prevailing with all the men of the world, now thou hast prevailed with ⟨p. 237⟩God. This indeed were a notable point, if one would speak of this at large, and a very useful point in these times, That the way to prevail with men, it is, to prevail with God: What's all the powers of men? they are all at the dispose of God; the work is done when thou hast but prevail'd with God; thou heatest of great dangers that there are abroad in the world, but do thou get alone in thy closet and fall a wrastling with God, and be wrastling till thou feelest thy faith wrastling with God, then thou mayest come down and conclude the work is done; no men shal ever prevail against you that have so much interest with God, these may live joyfully in the world, never need fear the power and the rage of wicked men, they have that within them that helps them to prevail with God, and certainly man cannot prevail against them. Our rough brethren have come out against us, as here Esau this rough brother of Jacob came out against him, and yet Jacob prevailing with God, prevail'd against him: And blessed be God, that when our rough brethren have come enraged against us, there hath been some amongst us have prevailed with God, and by prevailing with God, have prevailed over them, and against them: But though we are delivered from these rough brethren, yet we have rough ones in another kind still, that are against us; Oh, but let us carry our selves blamelesly, and inoffencively towards them, that yet behave themselves roughly and furiously against us, and so seek to prevail with them that way, in a constant carriage of innocence and blameless lives before them, to convince them if it be possible of all their mistakes: But above all, let us seek to prevail with God, and then God may turn their hearts, turn the hearts of our roughest and furiousest brethren, whose mouthes are so opened as they are, and whose pens do go so as they do, let's prevail with God, that so at length they may come and fall upon their necks as Esau did, and to give them the right hand of fellowship;
- 1Obs. 1.
