God to bring down any from riches to poverty, or from honor to difgrace, remember that he visits his people in mercy for their correction, and his enemies in vengeance for their punishment; fo that, whether you are the one or the other, you have no charter of fecurity from the fame calamities.

(4) Think much of mortality, and the innumerable fufferings which are every where to be feen among our fellow creatures. The wife man tells us, Ecclef. vii. 2, 3. "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feafting: for that is the end of all men, "and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better "than laughter: for by the fadnefs of the countenance "the heart is made better." There are fome who, from mere tenderness of heart, and a strong attachment to fenfual delight, are not able to look upon fcenes of mifery and diftrefs. They fly from them, therefore, and deceive themselves into a dream of fecurity by intoxicating pleafures. But, my brethren, it is infinitely better to fortify yourselves against the fear of death, by faith in him who is the refurrection and the life; and then the frequent obfervation of others in affliction, will have the nobleft and most falutary influence in mortifying worldly affections. You may also fometimes fee the triumph of faith in the joyful departure of believers, which is one of the moft edifying and comfortable fights that any Chriftian can behold.

(5.) In the last place, I would recall to your minds, and earneftly recommend to your meditation, what made a principal branch of the doctrinal part of this fubject," the "crofs of Chrift." By this the believer will indeed crucify the world. Reason and experience may wound the world, fo to speak; but the cross of Chrift pierces it to the heart. Shall we murmur at the cross, when our Redeemer bore it? Are not the thoughts of what he suffered, and what we deserved, fufficient to eradicate from our minds every the leaft inclination to what is provoking to him? Are not the thoughts of what he purchafed, fufficient to deftroy in our hearts the leaft difpofition to place our happiness here? The thoughts of the crofs of Chrift are ftrengthening as well as inftructive. We are drawn as it were by the pow VOL. I.

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er of fympathy, emboldened by his example, and animated by his conqueft. Is not the Chriftian, when he is in full contemplation of this great object, faying, 'O most mer'ciful Saviour, fhall I any more idolize that world which 'crucified thee? fhall I be afraid of their fcorn who infulted thee? fhall I refufe any part of his will, who, by 'the cross, has glorified thee?'

Let us conclude by attempting to fay, in faith, what God grant every one of us may be able to fay in the awful hour of the laft conflict: "O death, where is thy fting! "O grave, where is thy victory! The fting of death is “fin, and the strength of fin is the law; but thanks be to "God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus "Chrift."

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FERVENCY AND IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYER.

SERMON 11.

GENESIS xxxii. 26.

And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

MY

Y brethren, real communion with God is a bleffing of fuch ineftimable value, that it cannot be fought with too great earneftness, or maintained with too much care. If it is no fable, that God vouchsafes to his people, on fome occafions, a fense of his gracious prefence, and, as it were, vifits them in love; with what fervor fhould they defire, with what diligence fhould they improve, so great a mercy! In a particular manner, when a good man hath in view, either an important and difficult duty, or a dangerous trial, it is his intereft to implore, with the greatest importunity, the prefence and countenance of God, which only can effectually direct him in the one, and fupport him in the other. This, my brethren, ought to be our concern at prefent, as we have in view a very folemn approach to God, viz. laying hold of one of the feals of his covenant: what trials may be before us, or near us, it is impoffible to know.

The words I have read relate to a remarkable paffage of the patriarch Jacob's life. He was now returning from Padan-aram with a numerous family, and great fubftance, and had received information that his brother Efau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. We are told, v. 7. of the chapter, that he was "greatly afraid and "diftreffed," being, in all probability, quite uncertain

whether his brother was coming with a friendly or a hoftile intention; or rather, having great reafon to fufpect the latter to be the cafe. He rofe up, we are told, long before day, and fent his wives, his children, and cattle, over the brook Jabbock and as it follows, in the 24th verse, “ Ja"cob was left alone: and there wrestled a man with him, "until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that "he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of "his thigh and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he faid, Let me go, for the day breaketh: and he faid, I will not let thee "go, except thou blefs me."

Some of the fathers, and alfo fome of the Jewifh writers, fuppofe, that all this was done in prophetic vifion, to reprefent to him the difficulties that were yet before him, which, by faith and patience he was to overcome. But it is more reasonable to think, that this was in truth the appearance of an angel to him; and indeed most probably of the angel of the covenant; because, from the paffage itfelf, it appears that he had " prevailed with God." The fame thing we are affured of by the prophet Hofea, chap. xii. 3, 4. "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, "and by his ftrength he had power with God: yea, he had "power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept and made

fupplication unto him: he found him in Beth-el, and "there he spake with us." From this paffage also we learn, that it was the fame who met with him at Beth-el. Some think, with a good deal of probability, that this attack was made upon him by way of punishment for the weakness of his faith; that though he had received the promife, he fhould yet be under fo great a terror at the approach of his brother. In this indeed he was an example of what happens to believers in every age. Paft mercies are forgotten at the approach of future trials; therefore the fame God who vifited at Beth-el, and promifed to be with him, now meets him in difpleasure, and threatens to deftroy him; but by "weeping and fupplication" he not only obtained his prefervation, but a further blefling. It is alfo the opinion of many, that the wrestling or conflict was literal and real for fome time, and that Jacob perhaps

took it to be one of Efau's attendants who had come to furprise him in the night; but that at laft he perceived his mistake, when the angel, by a flight touch of his thigh, fhewed him, that, if he had pleased, he might eafily have deftroyed him. Then, as he had contended with his fuppofed adversary, he now continues the ftruggle, by infifting upon a bleffing; which he obtains, in fuch terms as carry in them a commendation both of his conftancy and importunity v. 28. "And he faid, Thy name fhall be "called no more Jacob, but Ifrael: for as a prince haft thou

power with God, and with men, and haft prevailed." The last part of this verfe is fuppofed indeed to be wrong tranflated; and that it fhould be," as a prince thou haft "had power with God, and therefore much more fhalt "thou prevail over men:" which was a promise not only of present security, but of future profperity and conqueft.

But though this remarkable event had a particular and immediate relation to Jacob, there is no doubt, that the Spirit of God, in putting it on record, had a purpose of further and more extenfive usefulness. It is plainly an example of importunity, and, as it were, holy violence in prayer. So uniform and general has this fenfe of the paffage been, that fervency and importunity in prayer has been generally called wrestling with God. This is a fubject which well deferves our most serious attention; the rather that I am forry to fay, the practice has fallen into much difrepute; and I am afraid the expreffion itself is in fome danger of being treated with derifion. In difcourfing further on this fubject, I fhall,

I. Explain and illuftrate a little the nature and fubje&t of this holy wrestling and importunity in prayer. II. The duty and reasonableness of it.

III. The great benefit arifing from it. And, IV. In the last place, I fhall make fome improvement of the fubject, for your inftruction and direction.

I. FIRST, then, I am to explain and illuftrate a little the nature and fubject of this holy wrestling and importunity in prayer, Wreftling neceffarily fuppofes fome refiftance or oppofition to be overcome. Prayer indeed, of