An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

I shall show it in one example, as a taste for the rest; Jacob in his distress at the approach of his brother Esau, flees to God in prayer (Gen. 32.) and he doth more then speak in prayer, he argues, yea, he wrestles with God in prayer. The sum of it is set down (vers. 11.) Deliver me, I pray thee; to the undertaking of this deliverance he urgeth the Lord by no fewer then seven arguments. First, From Gods Covenant with his Ancestors, O God of my father Abraham &c. As if he had said, Remember those names with whom thou madest solemn Covenants of protection both to them and their posterity. The second is from Gods particular command for this journey, Thou saidest unto me, Return, I departed not on my own head, but by thy direction; and therefore thou canst not for thy honour, but free me from danger, seeing at thy word I am fallen into it. Thou, O Lord, art even engaged to give me defence, while I yield thee obedience. Thirdly, He puts him in mind of his promises, thou saidst, I will deal well with thee, and that includes all other promises made unto him, these he makes as a Bulwark to defend him, or as his anchor in the storm. This anchor must fail, and this bulwark be broken down before the danger comes to me. If thy promise stand, I cannot fall. The fourth is the confession of his own unworthiness. Faith is always humble, and while we are most confident in Gods word, we are most distrustful of our own desert, I am not worthy of the ⟨p. 257⟩least of thy mercies. Though I am thus bold to urge thy Covenant, yet I am as ready to acknowledge my own undesert: Thou art a debtor by the promise thou hast made to me, not by any performance of mine to thee. Fifthly, He seeks to continue the current of Gods favour, by showing how plentifully it had already streamed unto him; which he doth by way of Antithesis, setting his former poverty in opposition to his present riches, With my staff I passed this Jordan, and now I am become two bands; That is, thou hast blessed me abundantly, and shall my brothers malice blast all? am I increased only to make him abound? The sixth argument is, the greatness and eminence of his peril, vers. 11. I fear lest he will come and slay the mother upon the children; a proverbial speech in the holy language, like that of cutting off branch and root in one day, both denoting total excision, or an utter overthrow.

I shall shew it in one example, as a taste for the rest; Iacob in his distresse at the approach of his brother Esau, flees to God in praier (