who, in that early day, assumed manhood, and then gave practical intimation of His divine intention, in the fulness of time, to become man, and, for a season, to tabernacle in our flesh ?)-but this Almighty Wrestler, purposing to be overcome of the worm Jacob, would first put his thigh out of joint, in order that thereafter Jacob should not take the credit of the conquest to himself. He was to overcome, but not by himself, or of his own strength; for what could a limping Jacob do with the mighty Conqueror, the omnipotent Jehovah Jesus? Thus, reader, are all the battles upon the field of grace fought and won; won by the Lord's own weapons; won by the Lord's own power, put forth in the hearts and hands of His own chosen warriors. “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." "The lame take the prey."

Oh, how wonderful that such a poor timid one as the patriarch, in and of himself, was, should be so emboldened, as to reply to the request, "Let me go, for the day breaketh," "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me."

What encouragement is this for poor sinners to betake themselves to the same all-gracious and allsufficient source, for help in time of trouble. "And He said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked Him, and said, Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy name. And He said, Wherefore is it

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that thou dost ask after my name? And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh."

CHAPTER XXV.

ESAU'S REVENGEFUL INTENTIONS UNQUESTIONABLY OVERRULED OF GOD JACOB'S ADMIRATION OF JEHOVAH'S HANDIWORK -HIS MARVELLOUS WISDOM, BOUNDLESS LOVE, AND DIVINE CONDESCENSION APPEAL TO THE LORD-A PLEA THAT HE WOULD, IN THESE LATTER AND TRUTH-DESPISING DAYS, MAGNIFY HIMSELF AND HIS OWN GLORIOUS TRUTH.

THAT Esau had set out with his four hundred men, bent on having his revenge upon Jacob, there can be no doubt; and what, under the circumstances, could the patriarch have done, if so be the Lord had not fought for him? He, according to His own previous and most gracious assurance, went before him, and was his rereward. But for this, all Jacob's plans and devices would have been without avail. In God, and God alone, was his security. And how wonderfully does Jehovah ratify His word, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him!" Now, notwithstanding the previous wrathful intentions of Esau, because the Lord's rich covenant favour alighted upon Jacob, and because God would show that all hearts are in His hand, and all circumstances under His divine control, He so works upon the mind of Esau

between whom and Himself there was no love, for distinctly is it testified, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated"-that Esau actually "ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept." And then, when Esau inquired as to the drove which he had met, and was informed, that "it was to find grace in his sight," he replied, "I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself." Well might Jacob say, in reply: "Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand : for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me."

Thus it is seen, in the overruling and well-ordering hand of God, how wonderfully He directs, and regulates, and controls all persons, circumstances, and events; so that sometimes in the most hostile characters, as well as in the most unpromising and seemingly unpropitious of matters, the whole turns out to the furtherance of God's glory and His dear children's present and eternal advantage.

Oh, what encouragement is there for the Lord's poor and needy ones! O Lord, do enable us more and more simply and entirely to look to Thee; to cast all our care upon Thee; to rely on Thee. Lead us more and more unto the sweetness and the blessedness of bringing our hard causes unto Thee, knowing that Thou hast said that Thou wilt hear them. What can we do without Thee? To whom can we look but unto Thyself? Whither shall we flee but unto Thine own gracious arms? O Lord, Lord, help, help;

help Thou us with a little help. Turn not a deaf ear to our cry. Vouchsafe, we implore Thee, to give heed. As Thou didst appear for Thy worm Jacob of old, so do Thou appear for us. Be mindful of Thy promise. Do as Thou hast said. Make bare Thine Almighty arm, and come forth afresh in delivering acts, so that revenues of praise and adoration may redound unto Thy great and glorious name. O Lord, Lord, we would fain be wrestling Jacobs, until Thou dost Thyself make us prevailing Israels. We want Thee to speak to us even as Thou didst unto him. We would have Thee indulge us as Thou didst him, with a "Let me go, for the day breaketh," on purpose that we may reply to Thee as he did, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." O Lord, deign to hear, condescend to bless. Dost Thou ask our name? Ah, full well Thou knowest who we are, what we are, and what we want,—the healing word, Lord; the "Go in peace;" the "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." This, Lord, is what we want. This is what we crave. Oh, turn not away Thy lovely face. Deny us not. Give heed, we pray Thee, to our supplication. Let it evermore be said of Thee, in regard to Thy poor and needy suppliant, "and He blessed him there." Let it stand good in our day, even as it did in the patriarch's day. Let it in these last days, amid all the scoffs, and scruples, and scepticism of Thine enemies,-let it, we pray Thee, anew be declared, "and He blessed him there." There, in the trial-spot-there, in the temptation-spot-there, in the deep, deep trouble-spot-there,