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The chiefe things of this Chapter are these.
FOr particulars, let vs remember that but euen now was en∣ded Iacobs feare of Laban, and his bad measure that he was
euer like to offer to him and his,* 1.1 had not God restrained him, and now followed presently at the ende of that the feare of his brother Esau, whome hee must meete. What sheweth this vnto vs, but the continuall succession of feare vpon feare, trouble vpon trouble, and tryall vpon tryall vnto the godly, to the true teaching of vs what to expect,* 1.2 and wherewithall not to be dismayed if it happen, for it is the lot of Gods deerest.
2 We see heere a multitude of Angells meete Iacob as hee setteth on his iourney. Where first marke the thing, and then the oportunitie of it touching time. For the thing it selfe, it truly con∣firmeth this doctrine, that God giueth his Angels charge ouer his elect to attend and defend them as shall seeme best to his great, mercy and infinite wisedome, so saith the Apostle, are they not all ministring spirits,* 1.3 sent forth to minister for their sakes which shalbe heires of saluation? so saith the Prophet, the Angels of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him,* 1.4 and de∣liuereth them: yea, hee hath giuen them charge ouer euery one that putteth his whole trust in God,* 1.5 and committeth himselfe wholy to his protection in all temptations, to keepe such an one in all his wayes. And they shall beare that person in their hands that hee hurt not his foote against a stone.* 1.6 Examples in Elizeus, in Peter, in many mo. It derogateth therefore greatly from the mercy & care that God hath for his to say euery man hath but one good Angell and one bad, for euery man and woman fearing God hath many as Iacob had heere, and euen so many as any way shall be needfull in his wisedome that euer knoweth what is expedient & fit. Secondly for the oportunitie of this vision, you see how great it was, euen then when Iacob was setting forward to meete with his brother Esau, of whome, he was very greatly afrayde, not only for himselfe, but for those with him that were as deere to him as his life. What they taught Iacob by thus appearing vnto him, we may all very easily conceyue surely euen this, that though he were weake, yet was he strong, strong I say by God, and the might of his power, who should neuer suffer him to miscary, whilst he had an Angell in heauen to send with him, but would so stand on his side against Esau, that all should be well, and with
safetie passed ouer. O this God, this God of ours, doo wee not see him? Since this booke began haue wee not seene many testi∣monies of his loue, and care not only to help and comfort, but e∣uen in the nick to doo it when there is most neede, and when his childs heare is downe in the body by some occasion. Neuer any more notable then this to Iacob heere, and therefore let vs marke it, and of them all conclude how blessed the man is that hath the God of Iacob for his help, & whose trust is in the Lord his God.
3 The next thing we may marke, is the counsell of Iacob vn∣der Gods blessing, taken of him to pacifie his brother,* 1.7 and to haue a good meeting. First he sendeth messengers to him,* 1.8 to signifie his comming, least by stealing by him he might iustly offend. Se∣condly, he deuideth his people and cattell as you see. Thirdly he prayeth. Fourthly and lastly hee sendeth a present. In all which we may note two things. First, that the godly haue neuer bin despisers of means, though their trust in God, and assurance of his helpe were neuer so great, but wisely and with good polli∣cie and discretion they haue disposed themselues to vse the same as God directed. Secondly,* 1.9 that it is lawfull to vse submission in some sort to the wicked, and that religion standeth not in stub∣bornes and frowardnes, and disdainefull, proude, and vndutifull speaches, as some imagine.
4 These messengers thus sent of Iacob to giue his brother notice of him,* 1.10 returne againe and tell him that Esau commeth to meet him with 400 men, whereupon sayth the text,* 1.11 Iacob was greatly afrayd, and sore troubled,* 1.12 not knowing what Esau meant by bringing thus many with him (which of like Esau did onely for pomp and to shew his power) but fearing the worst, as nature is apt in the very best. The thing that we are to note in it, is, how hard it is euen for Iacob, yt is a very extraordinary mā▪ to cleaue stedfastly vnto God in perill & danger, and to ouercome by faith such false feares as will muster thēselues before his eyes. We saw before how God had comforted him by yt host of Angles that met him, yet now euen now againe when hee heareth this newes, the infirmitie of flesh appeareth, and Iacob is sore afrayd. Knowe wee then our mould what it is, and if so notable a man
as Iacob, after so many incouragements, haue yet imperfection of faith, set wee it downe that great is our neede farre farre vn∣like Iacob to pray for faith, that the Lord may increase it in vs e∣uer more and more. See againe in Iacob euer as we go the life of man, feare after comfort, and comfort after feare, ebbings and flowings, risings and fallings, so wee go along, and so wee shall ende.
5 That he falleth to prayer after he had deuided his compa∣nies,* 1.13 see both the right vsage of lawfull meanes, and the true cōfort in all distresse whatsoeuer it is. The right vsage of meanes is with prayer, and the right vse of prayer is with meanes if God offer them: these, one exclude not an other, but both ioyne toge∣ther as louing friends, and thus ioyned and ioyntly vsed, the Lord giueth his blessing to the best. The true comfort in all distresse, we see heere is to flye to God by prayer, to cast vp our eyes, hands, and harts to his holy Maiestie, that hath written his faithfull in the palmes of his hands, and cannot forget them. This now is Iacobs refuge chiefe and most comfortable. O God of my fa∣ther Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, looke vpon me &c. We know how he sped, and what promise we haue at this daye if we knocke, therefore vse we the like in our distresses, and expect in comfort his assistance.
6 In the Prayer it selfe, consider how sweete it is in the childs wo,* 1.14 for him to be able to remember that his parents were godly and in fauour with the Lord.* 1.15 Then conceiueth hee comfort, that hee which loued the stock, will not cast away the branch, but gra∣ciously respect him, and therefore to his comfort he crieth O God of my father, such an one and such an one that went before me, looke vpon me, and haue mercy vpon me, thou wast his God full good and full kinde, euermore, shew mercy now to his seede ac∣cording to thy sweet promise, and so foorth. A great cause to make parents godly if there were no other, that their children euer may pray as did Iacob,* 1.16 O God of my father, &c. 2. Consider how he groundeth both prayer and hope, vpon word and promise, say∣ing, Lord, which saydst vnto me returne &c. So let vs doo, and not first do rashly what we had no warrant for, and then pray
to God for helpe, wherein we haue no promise: yea it you marke it, he repeateth this promise ouer againe in the twelfth verse, it was such strength vnto him to consider it. Thirdly not merit, but want of merit is his plea.* 1.17 I am not woorthie of the least of al thy mercies, &c. Which beateth downe all Popish pride, and biddeth them learne, that sur••ly if Iacob wanted worthines, and worthines of the least, they are no Iacobs but farre behinde him, and therefore much more vnworthie mercies many, and mercies great which yet God bestoweth. Secondly, it mightily comfor∣teth vs against that fiery dart of the diuell, wherewith hee often trobleth some weak ones, namely yt they are vnworthy vile & wret∣ched, and thus and thus vnworthie, therefore they may not pray to God nor expect frō him any fauour. Ah wicked spirit auant:* 1.18 for do we see here Iacob driuen away from God with any vnworthines, no no: but in the humble confession thereof, notwithstanding it all he commeth to God, and so doo wee comfortably and boldly. For though our vnworthines bee more then Iacobs, yet is it not the measure onely that God hateth but the thing, and if here we see the thing no reason to driue from God, where it is acknowledged, sure∣ly no more is the measure neither where that also is confessed and bewailed truly. Lastly, consider here he alledgeth his weaknes as a reason to moue God to mercy: for I feare him saith he, least hee will come and smite mee and the mother vpon the children.* 1.19 What a comfort is this that wee should haue warrant in the word to vrge God to mercy by reason of our wants? Sathan perswa∣deth vs we must runne away by reason of our wantes: but you see he lieth, and the contrary here is our comfort. Yet see this further. Iacob was comforted many waies as you sawe before, that hee should not feare, yea by an hoste of Angels that met him, and yet he feareth. This was a great infirmitie of fraile flesh in Iacob you must needs confesse, and yet so farre is Iacob from being daunted with this to keepe from God, that euen because of it hee goeth to him, and not hiding it nor fearing the discouery of it, layeth it be∣fore the Lord as an argument to moue him. How then shall we doo quite contrary to what we set here, and say O I dare not, I dare not, I am so weake and euer fearing that God will not heare mee. Moue him as Iacob moued him, & say as Iacob might haue said.
Truth Lord I haue had many comfortes and helpes of my faith to driue all feare farre from me, and to assure me of thy care, and yet Lord I feare stil, thou maist say therefore to me O thou of li∣tle faith I will no more regard thee, but Lorde such is not thy sternnes to thy children. What moued thee therfore first to yeeld me comfort, let it moue thee stil I most humbly beseech thee, for they both stil remaine, to wit thine owne goodnes and my imper∣fection. Thine remaineth, and mine is not yet gone quite as it should, Lord then helpe me for yet I feare. Thus shall we follow Iacob rightly in this place, and let him thus profit vs.
* 1.20 * 1.217 I cannot omit this godly remembrance that Iacob here maketh of his first estate when he came into the countrey, and of his estate present now when hee doth returne. With my staffe saith he, came I ouer this I orden & now haue I gotten two bandes. A notable meditation morning and euening for rich mar∣chantes, wealthie lawyers, and men and women of all degrees. whom God hath exalted from litle too much, or from lesse to more any way: and would God we thankfully might thinke of it often
8 By the way also we may consider the difference of times and maners of men.* 1.22 Then Iacob traueileth into Mesopotamia, with a staffe or rod in his hand and safe inough. Now if we wil go but to the next towne, swords and speares, and gunnes are ne∣cessary, or els we smart for it: so changed are times and men in them.
* 1.239 Then Iacob maketh readie a present for his brother E∣sau,* 1.24 the fourth and last of his Counsels as I noted before. The greatnes of which if ye marke it, sheweth vs how dearely peace in the land of Canaan is to be bought, and what we must be content to depart from for the same. Vnderstand by the l••nd Canaan, our own country and home where we haue been born and brought vp, learned and liued in the light of the truth, & how precious in our eyes should the peace therof be? What Sheep and what Goates, what Camels and Coltes, what kine and what bullockes, what treasure and substance of any condition, should we willingly part
withall, stil to keepe that? Vnderstand by Canaan, the truth of the figure euerlasting heauen, and what ought we to part withall to purchase that? Surely not with as much as Iacob doth here, but with all that euer we haue, euen life it selfe, if so the case require. For hee that loueth house or land or any thing more then that, is vnworthie of it. So then possesse wealth, that we willingly part with it, if the keeping must part vs and our heauenly country.
10 All thinges thus ordered and the presentes dispatched a∣way, night is come,* 1.25 * 1.26 and hauing gotten ouer his wiues and chil∣dren and all that he had, ouer the ford Iabbock, Iacob himself is left alone, when there commeth a man and wrestleth with him. The text saith a man, but it was God in the forme of man. Which wrestling as it was a very extraordinary thing & strange, why it should be to such as doo not vnderstand it: so was it a no∣table thing and full of instruction to vs if we do vnderstand it, and consider of the Lords dealings and purpose herein, both with Ia∣cob and others his faithful euermore.* 1.27 First then this wrestling warned and forewarned as it were Iacob, that many struglings remained for him yet in his life to be runne through and passed o∣uer, which were not to discomfort him, when they hapned, for as here, so there, he should go away with victory in the end. Second∣ly, it described out the condition not onely of Iacob, but of all the godly also with him, namely, that they are wrestlers by calling while they liue here, and haue many & diuers things to struggle withall and against, some outward, some inwarde, some carnall, some spiritual, some of one condition, some of an other, which all, yet through God they shal ouercome and haue a ioyful victorie in conclusion, if with pattence they passe on, & by faith laie hold vpon him euer in whom they only can vanquish, Christ Iesus. Thirdly, it was God, not man, yet man appearing, & God hidden, to tel and teach vs yt in all our assaults, trials, and confl••cts, it is God yt we haue to do withal, and yt entreth ye lists to wrestle with vs, to the end our strength may appear, although not God but mā or some other means appear vnto our outward eies: which thing is a mat∣ter of great moment to al faithful to be remembred euer: for we shal therby cōceiue great comfort & lesse feare, knowing yt no euil
can come in the end from such an aduersarie, whereas the igno∣rance or forgetfulnes of this maketh vs runne too violently vpon the outward causes or causers and so to offend. It mightly stand Iob that he saw it was God yt wrastled with him, & did not bare∣ly respect the second meanes. Fourthly, it discouered the strength whereby Iacob both had and should ouercome euer in his wrest∣lings, euen by Gods vpholding with the one hand, when he assai∣leth with the other and not otherwise: which is an other thing also of great profit to be noted of vs, that not by any power of our own▪ we are able to stand, and yet by him and through him conquerers and more then conquerers. Fiftly, it is said, that God saw how he could not preuaile against Iacob, which noteth not so much strength in Iacob as mercy in God euer kinde and full of mercy. Compare it with a speech not vnlike vnto it in the 19. of Genesis where it is said, I can do nothing till thou be gone, &c. Gods cannot,* 1.28 is his wil not, for loue that he hath vnto his children, and liking to be euen ouercome by their faith. Sixtly, he touched the holow of Iacobs thigh and it was loosed, so that Iacob haulted. Whereby we may see how the godly wrestle with temptations in this life and ouercome, surely sic vincunt vt vulnerentur, so they ouercome, that yet now and then they get rappes, and wipes. Da∣uid was a notable wrestler, yet sinful flesh gaue him a foule venye or two, though he rose againe like a good wrestler by true repen∣tance, and had the victorie against that fall. So all the godly by one imperfection or other, we see they get wipes, though in the end all is well by the strength of him that gat no rappe vnto sinne, Christ our dear sauiour & true ouercommer. Seuenthly, that the Lord saith to Iacob Let me go, it wonderfully commendeth Ia∣cobs tollerance of the Lords wrestlings, till himselfe gaue euer and would depart: and to vs it giueth this doctrine, that when ••od doth trie with vs by any temptation and crosse, by any as∣sault and spirituall exercise, we shuld not be content only for a day or two, or while we thinke good, but euen so long indure his good pleasure, till himselfe do giue ouer of himselfe, not prescribed nor appointed by vs: which because it is a great matter for our frailty to do, therefore we may boldly pray that the Lord would in mercy consider our strength, and according to his promise laie no more
vppon vs then hee will make vs able to beare: but giue the issue with the temptation in due time to his glory and our good. Last∣ly, that Iacob saith, Hee will not let him go except he blesse him: It teacheth vs to be strong in the Lord when soeuer we are tried, and euen so hartie and comfortable, that wee as it were compell the Lord to blesse vs ere hee go, that is, by his mercifull sweetnes to comfort our hearts, and to make vs more and more confirmed in all vertue and obedience towardes him, yelding vs our praier as farre as it may any way stand with the same, with force and violence as it were offered on our partes to the Lord, he highly esteemeth and richly rewardeth euermore. Thus did the woman of Canaan wrestle with him and would not let him goe, till hee had blessed her in her daughter.* 1.29 Thus did Anna wrestle with him for a childe and let him not goe, till shee had him: and so many others faithfull men and faithfull women in their seuerall cases. And thus doe you see how profitable a thing this wrestling of God with Iacob is, if it be well considered. Ma∣ny are the conflicts of all them that will serue God with a good conscience, and God knoweth what yet hangeth ouer any man or womans head, that they shall tugge withall before they dye. Whatsoeuer it is turne to this place and consider these thinges, follow and fulfill as the Lord inableth you this course, and Gods truth for your warrant, you shall wrestle well, and to your great comfort in the end.
11 Iacobs halting, some haue resembled, if you list to heare it in this sort.* 1.30 First that it should be token an halting posteritie that should come of him, for many of them. Others haue saide,* 1.31 that his good legge noteth the godly who walke vprightly before the Lord, and his bad legge, the wicked that euer hault and are not sound. Others, that his good legge noteth the spirit in man which is strong and willing, the bad legge, the flesh which is fraile and weake, &c. That the Iewes eate not of that part, was a ceremonie of that people who had many moe. Much bet∣ter should they abstaine from all halting in Gods seruice and true religion, then from the part that was touched,* 1.32 but that flesh and bloud is more busie in matter of shew and outward obseruance,
then in matter of weight, and inward truth. Thus let it suffise to haue profited by this Chapter.
A succes∣sion of feare to the godly.
Hebr. 1.14.
Psal. 347.
Psal. 91.11.
2 King. 6. Act 12. Ezeck. 19.
The godly vse means.
V. 3.4.5.
In wordly things. My Lord Esau.
Verse. 6.
Verse. 7.
How hard it is for the best to cleaue stedfastly & strongly to God.
The right vse of meanes.
Verse. 9.
Parents pietie a comfort to the chil∣dren.
Prayer hath her strength from pro∣mise.
Iacob plea deth no merit.
Note this comfort.
Verse 11.
Ve. 10. etc
Rich mar∣chantes consider this.
Weapons.
Verse 13.
Presents and gifts, appease anger.
Verse 24.
Iacobs wrestling.
The doc∣trine and vse of this wrestling.
Ge. 19.22.
Mat. 15. 1. Sam. 1. Cant. 3.4. 2. Kin. 4.30
Verse 31.
The Alle∣gory of Ia∣cobs haul∣ting.
Read Heb. 12.13. 1. Re. 11.21