An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 12 · Verse 4
VER. 4.
He wept, and he made ſupplication.
THis weeping of Jacob is not recorded in the Hiſtory of Geneſis, nor in all the Book of God, but only here; his ſupplication is recorded, but not his weeping: therefore his weeping was had either from hand to hand, by way of tradition, (it was known that when he wraſtled ſo with the Angel he prevailed) or otherwiſe by Revelation, but certain it was that he wept when he did wraſtle: There are many ridiculous conceits of the Jews, and ſome old Writers about this, they ſay it was A Jewiſh fiction.the Angel that fell a weeping, and prayed Jacob to let him alone, thus they carry it; But to take it generally as our Divines do, that Jacob wept, and made ſupplication, and ſo prevailed with God, Iacob's heart was preſt in the condition that he was in, and ſo preſt, that it cauſed tears to bubble from him, and no mervail though tears came from him, his heart could not but be full, for when he came to think thus with himſelf, What, after I have ſerved ſuch a hard ſervice under Laban my Uncle, and God bad me come away from him, which I took to be ſuch a great mercy from God to deliver me, yet how ſoon was I preſently in danger of my life, even my Uncle Laban purſuing of me, and God delivered me there; And muſt I now fall into the hand of my Brother? is the day come for him now to have his rage upon me? I ſee little other likelihood, his ſtrength is great, and God himſelf appears againſt me, and I have been wraſtling a great while, and I can get nothing from God, but that it's likely here I muſt die and periſh, yea, and that God ſhould leave me thus as he doth, that God ſhould appear a greater enemy to me than my Brother Eſau, and lame me: Oh! now might not this be a ſign that God intends to deſtroy me, yea, God would be gone too when I am in ſuch a ſtrait as this is; Oh! this makes him weep. As a poor child when it is in ſtraits and is crying to the mother, the mother beats it and ſtrikes it, yea, the mother Simile.will be gone and leave it in thoſe ſtraits; Can you blame the child though it cry? So it was here, Jacob was in ſtraits, and was ſeeking God, and God beats him and makes him cry, and would be gon; Oh! this doth preſs tears out of the eyes of Jacob, Oh! what will become of me now? As if Jacob ſhould have ſaid, Were it that I ſhould periſh alone it were not ſo much, but my Wives periſh, and how can mine eyes be able to ſee their deſtruction? yea, it may be they will be raviſhed before mine eyes by theſe rude Soldiers: Theſe kind of workings in Jacob's ſpirit you cannot but conceive that it muſt draw tears; he wept before the Angel, conſidering this his ſore diſtreſſed condition.
And on the other ſide, there were thoughts would make him weep too, The thoughts of his Miſery, and the reaſoning of his Faith, when he conſidered; I, but ſurely I am in the way of God though I be in a great deal of danger, I have the Promiſe of God, I have his Covenant with me, I have to deal with the Holy, Bleſſed and Gracious God in all my waies, Who knows but that my extremity may be Gods opportunity? The heart of my brother it is certainly in the hand of God, and all Creatures are in Gods hands too: Now the actings of Faith would make one to weep aſwel as of Fear and Trouble, and it were well if we could weep on both ſides: Sometimes you roul in your thoughts all the aggravations of your afflictions, and they make you weep: Now can you roul in your thoughts the aggravations of Gods Goodneſs and Mercy, and can that make you weep? The end why God brought Jacob into this condition, to fal a weeping before the Angel, it was, That he might humble him, and break his heart before he gives him deliverance; for it was one of the greateſt honors (as we intimated before) that God did for Jacob, that ever he did to man, therfore God would bring him very low before he would raiſe him ſo high, and make him fall a weeping aſwel as praying before he ſhould have the Mercy; Oh! this is Gods way, He will bring men very low, to humble them before they ſhall have mercy, therefore when mens hearts are high and lofty, ſtout and hard, they are not in a way of Mercy from God; but when mens hearts begin to break, thaw and melt, and are tender, then they are in a way of mercy, as here; So we find it often in Scripture that God intending mercy, firſt breaks the heart and melts it by mourning and ſorrowing; as Joſiah, you know that was his condition, his heart melted when he heard the Law, and God ſends preſently a Promiſe of Mercy to him: and in Ieremiah, there the Lord promiſes his People, That he will bring them with weeping, and with ſupplications, that ſhall be the way.
One Note or two more: It becomes the moſt generous and magnanimous ſpirit, to have his heart breaking, and to expreſs Note.his heart breaking with tears before God; It is an excellent thing to ſee a man of a brave ſpirit, ſtrong and ful of courage in any ſervice of God, and yet when he comes to have to deal with God, to have a melting, tender and ſoft ſpirit in his dealings with God. If you ſhould ſee now a great Captain or General that were brave and magnanimous when he was abroad in the field about any difficult work, but when he comes before God in Prayer, there he can weep like a child, there he can mourn and lament, and his heart break aſſoon as a child; this is an excellent ſpirit now, ſpirits that can turn according to what God cals them to, this way or that way, can be ſtout and hardy in a work that requires ſtoutneſs, and can be ſoft tender and yeelding in ſuch a work that requires ſuch things: Thus was our father Jacob: Oh! to have tender hearted Captains and Generals, to have couragious ſpirits, yet broken hearted ſpirits, to mix the work of Grace thus it is moſt excellent, and it becomes the moſt braveſt ſpirit in the world, not only to fall down to prayer, but to weep before the Lord; ſome men think it's too low a thing to fall a weeping in prayer, as if it were a womaniſh and a childiſh thing; Oh! it's an argument that thy heart is carnal and baſe to think, that it's for want of underſtanding, I ſay, this is evil, and it comes from much corruption in the heart for to think it either beneath a brave ſpirit, or beneath a prudent ſpirit; I'le give you one example that weeping is not beneath a Weeping ſutable to an high ſpirit.brave ſpirit, this is enough, and alſo that of David, no man did ſhed more tears in the preſence of God than David that brave Captain; but to put both together, I'le ſet before you the example of Jeſus Chriſt, in Heb. 5. 7. the text ſaith, That in the daies of his fleſh he offered up prayers and ſupplications, (how?) with ſtrong cries and tears: even Jeſus Chriſt, the Son of God, God bleſſed for ever, he that was equal with the Father, the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, he that had all ſtrength and power, and had all the treaſures of wiſdom hid in him, and the fulneſs of the God head dwelt bodily in him, and yet when he had to deal with the Father, he offers up prayers, with ſtrong cries and tears. Doth it become the Captain of our ſalvation in his ſeeking of God to weep? know then, it is not unbecoming any man or woman: Are you of the ſeed of Jacob? then when you would prevail with God labor to work your hearts even ſo as you may expreſs your affections, outwardly labor to do it in prayer, it will help to break thy heart: As a broken heart will cauſe outward expreſſions, ſo outward expreſſions will be a further cauſe to break the heart. And work thy heart by all arguments thou canſt to come to that tenderneſs and ſoftneſs, that thou mayeſt be like the Captain of thy Salvation, when thou art crying to God to cry even with tears before him, and when thy heart is ſo broken with tears, then exerciſe thy faith upon the prayer of Jeſus Chriſt. Now it is through the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt that my heart doth thus break, but I do not reſt upon theſe, God forbid that I ſhould reſt upon my enlargements, upon my breakings; No, but I will reſt upon the breakings of Jeſus Chriſt, who in the daies of his fleſh did ſend up mighty cries with tears to God, and was heard, he prevail'd. —He made ſupplication.Text.
Supplieation (or prayer) it is the great prevailing Ordinance Obſ.with God; that's the Note. It hath been the great Engin that hath carried things on in the world, Prayer, in Revel. 8. 4. The prayers of the Saints were offered up, and Rev. 8. 4. Opened.voices of Thunder, and Lightening, and Earthquakes followed when they were offered. Prayers of the Saints can move Heaven and Earth, they can prevail with the God of Heaven and Earth. The Praying Legion, was called the Thundering Legion. And Luther ſaith of prayers, they are our Guns, our Cannons, our Prayers can prevail Bombardo noſtrae.more than Cannons; The Saints have alwaies put their great ſtrength upon Prayer. It's a very obſervable Scripture. Pſal. 109. 4. For my love, they are my adverſaries (but what then?) But I pray; it is in your books, But I give my ſelf to prayer, but the words, Give my ſelf, you may obſerve printed in another diſtinct Character, which is to note that thoſe words are not in the Original, but added by the Tranſlators, and in that they dealt *For the ſenſ is more full and cleer by that addition.faithfully; but if you reade it as it is in the Hebrew it is, For my love, they are my adverſaries; but I pray: as if he ſhould ſay, that's my refuge, I account prayer to be the great help that I have, when they are my adverſaries and rail upon me, I will not rail upon them again; when they oppoſe me, I will not oppoſe them again; but I pray, I'le pray to my God, and I make account I have help enough there to reſiſt my enemies that I have. Jacob prevailed over the Angel by ſuppication. It's a good ſign of a gracious heart to lay the weight of buſineſs upon pra… But I will not enter into this common place of the excellency or power of Prayer and Supplication, but only this, It's not every prayer that will prevail ſo with God.
What prayer will then?
Such a prayer as Jacob's was, in Gen. 32. 9. there … Queſt. Anſw.ſhall find how your Father Jacob prayed, and there … excellent Ingredients; ſaith the text, And Jacob ſaid, O God of my Father Abraham, and God of my Father Iſaac, &c.
That's the Firſt Ingredient to Prayer, Faith in the Covenant of God, upon that the ſtrength of any prayr moſt depends; 1 Faith.Indeed to have ſtrong Expreſſions, and Affections in prayer are good; but Strength of Faith in the Covenant of God is the greateſt ſtrength of prayer, and it was with this ſtrength that Jacob did prevail: Oh! God of my Father Abraham, and God of my Father Iſaac, as if he ſhould ſay, Oh! thou God that haſt entred into Covenant with my Father Abraham, and Iſaac, O God, remember thy COVENANT, O God, I reſt upon … COVENANT, the COVENANT of Grace that … haſt made with them, for ſo certainly that with … hans and Iſaac was the ſame, for it's ſaid, That Circum… Rom. 4.ſion was the ſign and ſeal of the righteouſneſs that he had … Faith. And in Thee ſhall all the Nations of the Earth be bl… There was the Covenant of Grace. Now O Lord … it is the Covenant of Grace that I reſt upon in the … ſtraits. When you are in any ſtrait, and go to Go… prayer, if you can have recourſe to the Covenant … Grace, and act your ſaith upon Gods Covenant with you, Oh! that will be a ſtrong prayer. When there are but words in prayer they vaniſh as the wind, but when there is much ſaith in prayer, that makes it to prevail; the prayer of faith, that's prevalent, ſaith the Apoſtle James, Jam. 5.that's the firſt ingredient in his prayer, he made ſupplication and exerciſes faith in the Covenant.
And then the ſecond was, His appeal to God that he was 2. In Gods way… the way that he had ſet him; He could appeal thus to God; which ſaidſt unto me, Return unto thy Country, and to thy Kindred. Why Lord, am I out of my way? am I not in the way that thou haſt ſet me? I met with difficul… in my way, but Lord, thou ſaideſt to me, Return …to thy Country, thou bideſt me return; ſo that's an excellent ingredient in prayer, and ads much ſtrength, when the ſoul in prayer can come to God and ſay, O Lord, there is this and this difficulty befallen me, but Lord, I am in the way that thou haſt ſet me, I am doing thy work, I am not out of my way. For any man or woman to be out of their way that God hath ſet them in will mightily damp their hearts in prayer. And it's a mighty encouragement to prayer, and carries it on with mighty ſtrength when the ſoul can appeal to God, Lord, whatſoever ſtraits I meet withal, yet I am in thy way.
Then the Third thing in prayer, It is the pleading of 3. Particular Promiſe.…particular Promiſe, And I will deal well with thee.] God …de a Promiſe to Jacob in particular that he would deal … with him in his journy that he went. And the … faith we have to take hold upon particular promiſes that concerns the particular buſineſs we pray about, … we pray about any buſineſs, (though it's true, the … ſtrength is in the great Promiſe, the Covenant of …) But then it ads much ſtrength likewiſe to have …f particular Promiſes that concerns the very buſineſs we are about, and it's a very good thing when we go about a buſineſs that hath difficulty in it to ſearch the Word, and to ſee what Promiſes there are that doth more particularly concern the buſineſs we go about.4. Sence of unworthineſs.
The Fourth Ingredient it was, his Acknowledgment, and Sence of his own unworthineſs, and vileneſs, in ver. 10. I am not worthy of the leaſt of thy mercies and of all the truth which thou haſt ſhewn unto thy Servant. When the ſoul comes with humility before God in Prayer, and is truly ſenſible of its unworthineſs of any mercy, Lord, I am not worthy of the leaſt crum of bread, but rather worthy to be caſt out from thy preſence for ever, it's an eaſie matter for men and women to have ſuch words in their mouths, but to have this indeed in their hearts in prayer, ads very much ſtrength to prayer.
The Fifth Ingredient in his prayer it was, The acknowledgment 5. Acknowledgment of mercies, and truth of promiſes.of the mercy that he had received, and of the truth of God in fulfilling Promiſes; and both ads much ſtrength to prayer, to take notice of what God hath done for us, to take notice how God hath fulfil'd his Word in great meaſure for us: when we are praying, we many times are ſenſible only of what we would have, but not of what we receive; and the vehemencie of our deſires after what we would have, doth take away our apprehenſions, and hinders our acknowledgment of the mercies we have had already; but when thou comeſt to prayer, whatſoever thy condition be, though in never ſuch great ſtraits, yet acknowledg what thou haſt already, be willing to praiſe God in the loweſt condition that thou art in.
And then he doth proceed further, and looks back to 6. Remēbrance of former meanneſs.his former meanneſs that once he was in; For with my ſtaff paſſed I over this Jordan, and now I am become two band… that's a further expreſſion of his humility, and God. … ther mercy.
And then the next thing is the great ſence of what he 7. Deep ſence of what is prayed for.praies for, Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother, from the hand of Eſau, for I fear him leſt he will come and ſmite me, and the mother with the children. Lord, I do not ſpeak words that have expreſſions in them without ſence of my heart, for Lord, as I am crying to thee for help againſt my Brother, I do apprehend my great extremity, Lord, I fear him leſt he come and ſmite me, with the mother and the children.
When we come to prayer, we muſt not have words, Uſe.that are puft-up words, and have little in them, but there muſt be as much ſence of the thing that we pray for, as the words that we ſpeak do ſeem to import & carry with them; many times we have great words, and little ſence, and that makes our prayers to be ſo empty.
And then the next thing in his prayer it was, The ſtrong 8. Strong Arguments.arguments that he did uſe with God; though it's true, That what we can ſay to God cannot move God, yet it may move our own hearts, and God would have us to uſe ſtrong arguments in prayer; And thou ſaideſt (in ver. 12.) I will ſurely do thee good, and make thy ſeed as the ſand on the Sea which cannot be numbred for multitude. As if he ſhould ſay, Lord, how will thy promiſe be fulfill'd? dideſt thou not ſay that my ſeed ſhould be as the ſand of the Sea? now if the mother and children be cut off, what will become of thy Promiſe?
God is ſo indulgent as to ſuffer us to plead our cauſe with him. And theſe pleading prayers are ſtrong prayers, Uſe.he wept and made ſupplication, ſo he prevail'd with God. Now labor you, (if you be of the ſeed of Jacob) to pray as your Father Jacob did. But ſo much ſhall ſuffice for that Second Hiſtory, about Jacob's prevailing with the Angel.
Now the Third Hiſtory follows: He found him in Bethel, and there he ſpake with us.Text.
The words in the Hebrew are, He [will] find us in Bethel, foreignand there he ſpake with us. As if it were an encouraging word of the Angel to Jacob, that God would find him in Bethel; and indeed the Gramatical ſenſe of the words would carry ſuch a ſenſe, but rather, becauſe the Learned know that the word is often uſed for the Preter tenſe in the Hebrew, and it's more according to the ſcope of the place, to reade them as you have them in your books, He found him in Bethel, and there he ſpake with us. That is, He found Jacob in Bethel, and ſpake to Jacob, and in ſpeaking to Jacob, he ſpake unto us all.
Now for the opening of this Hiſtory, and the ſhewing Expoſ.how it ſutes with the ſcope of the Prophet in this place. We reade in Scripture of two Meetings that God and Jacob had together at Bethel, and this Text in Hoſea doth refer to them both, God finds him in Bethel two times and ſpake with Jacob, and ſpake to us both thoſe times.
The Firſt time for fear of danger he fled from his brother, 1.when his brother had miſchievous thoughts againſt him, after he got the bleſſing from him.
And the Second time (again) after his wraſtling with 2.the Angel God meets him in Bethel.
The Firſt of theſe you have in Gen 28. 10. and the Second in Gen. 35. 1. and ſo on. And it's neceſſary to refer to thoſe two Scriptures for the interpretation of this Scripture, you will not know what it means elſe.
1. He finds him in Bethel, Gen. 28. 10. yea indeed, for Jacob he lay aſleep, with a ſtone under his head, he ſaw a viſion of Angels aſcending, and deſcending from Heaven and God ſpeak excellent things unto him. But the Note is,
That God finds his People many times when they little think Obſ.of him: He comes unto his People in waies of mercy when they ſcarce dream of it: Jacob was but in a dream at this time, and yet God came in very wonderful waies of mercy towards him.
Oh! how often hath God found us in this way? how Uſe.often may many of you ſay, that the Lord hath come unexpectedly to you in waies of mercy? that you never made account of ſuch mercies as you have met withal. Oh! when unexpected mercies come, we ſhould conſider that God found us, whereas our ſins might have found us; but the mercies of God have found us out.
And the other time that God found Jacob, it was when 2he was in great diſtreſs, after his daughter Dinah had been defloured, and his ſons Simeon and Levi had committed that great outrage againſt the Shechemites, ſo great an outrage as to kill the City, and upon that Jacob and all his family was in great danger of being deſtroyed, for the act was ſo foul, that it could not but make all the people (as Jacob thought) to abhor him, and would be a cauſe that they ſhould all riſe againſt him, and utterly to cut him off, therfore in Gen. 34 30. Jacob tels his ſons, that they had made him to ſtink among the inhabitants of the Land, ſo that he was afraid they would gather together and deſtroy him and his houſe; no queſtion the diſtreſs that Jacob was in, was very great, that his daughter ſhould be defloured by the uncircumciſed ones, and that his two ſons ſhould commit ſuch an outrage, and ſhould endanger him to be deſtroyed utterly by them; For, who would have thought but that all the Inhabitants of the Land ſhould have riſen againſt him, and have cut him off? Now the next thing that we hear of, God meets with him at Bethel, and ſpeaks very gracious things to him there, and he did not only ſpeak to him, but there he ſpake with us.
That is, God meeting with Jacob in Bethel, that which he ſpake to him there concern'd us aſwel as it concern'd Jacob. An expreſſion to the ſame purpoſe we have in Pſal. 66. 6. He turned the Sea into dry land: they went through the Floud on foot: there We did rejoyce in him: For indeed the mercy of God towards the Iſralites at that time that did rejoyce them, was a matter of Rejoycing for us. Whatſoever is written, is written for our learning, 'tis as if God ſpake to us: That which God ſpake to Abraham, [I am God Alſufficient; walk before me, and be upright] he ſpake that to us, he ſpake that to thee and me. That that God ſpake to Joſhua, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee; Joſh. 1. 5. with Heb. 13. 5.that the Apoſtle to the Hebrews applies to the Chriſtians at that time: that he ſpake to us, he ſpake it to thee and me; if we be BELEEVERS, that that God ſpake to the diſtreſſed and afflicted ones in Pſal. 102. He will regard the prayer of the deſtitute, and not deſpiſe their prayer, that he ſpake to us, for in ver. 18. This ſhall be written for the Generations to come. And that which God ſpake to Jacob at theſe two ſeveral times in Bethel, it's written for the Generations to come, it's written for us, Well then, what was it? What was the ſpecial thing that God ſpake to Jacob when he found him at Bethel? and what was that What God ſpake to Iacob and to us at Bethel.to us? I'le ſhew you many things, There are nine or ten notable things to be obſerved by us, which God ſpake unto us:
The firſt thing that he ſpake to Jacob that concerns us as well as himſelf was this, That the foundation of the comfort Obſ. 1.of the Saints it is in the Covenant of God. That he ſpake to us there, Gen. 28. 13. when he appeared to Jacob, what ſaid he to him? I am the God of Abraham, thy Father, and the God of Iſaac; Jacob was flying for his life then, and this was to comfort him in his danger, I am the God of Abraham, thy Father, the God of Iſaac; then he ſpake this to us, that the foundation of the comforts of the Saints in the times of their diſtreſſes, it is the Covenant of Grace that God hath made with them, and their fathers before them.
The ſecond thing was this, That the ſeed of Jacob are Obſ. 2.the inheritors of the Land of Canaan; for ſo he told him, The Land wherein thou lieſt, I'le give to thee, and to thy ſeed. Now this concerns us, that the ſeed of Jacob ſhall inherit the Land of Canaan, That was typified by it. There are ſome that have a thought that yet there ſhall be an inheritance of the Land of Canaan by the faithful ſeed of Jacob, but however, this certainly he ſpake to us, that all the ſeed of Jacob are the Inheritors of the Land of Canaan one way or other, take it in the Litteral, or in the Typical Senſe.
The Third thing was, God would have faith raiſed to beleeve Obſ. 3.in mercies promiſed, even when there is a great deal of unlikelihood of the fulfilling of it; that's the Third thing he he ſpake of to us there; he tells Jacob there at that time when he was a poor, lone man, with his ſtaff, and no proviſion but a ſtone for his pillow, then he tells him of making good his promiſe, it was as unlikely a time as could be, a poor, lone man that Jacob was, went over with his ſtaff at that time, and that he ſhould have ſuch a Promiſe fulfill'd, and his ſeed to be ſo great, and to inherit the hand of Canaan, how unlikely was this? But God would have him to exerciſe his faith upon the Promiſe at this time when there was ſuch a great unlikelihood of it.
The Fourth thing is this, That the multiplying of the Obſ. 4.Church is a great bleſſing, for ſaith he, thy ſeed ſhall be thus and thus, as the ſand of the Sea ſhore, I'le encreaſe my Church abundantly from thy loyns.
Fifthly, Promiſes defer'd, though they are to be looked Obſ. 5.upon as certain as ever they were, Yet the Saints of God have need of renewing of Promiſes, even thoſe that have moſt faith. God renews the ſame Promiſe to him that was made; before God had promiſed to Abraham to make his ſeed great, but the truth is, that the Promiſe though it be as certain as before, yet it had been a long time and there was little come of it.
And then the Sixth thing was this, That the bleſſing Obſ. 6.which comes to the world, it is by the Promiſed ſeed. He tels him that in his ſeed all the Nations of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed; the great bleſſing of the world is, by the Promiſed ſeed, by Jeſus Chriſt.
And then the Seventh thing was, That we Gentils were Obſ. 7.in Gods heart, to do good unto us for thouſands of years ſince; Though at that time we were as Dogs, yet it was in Gods heart to bleſs us. Oh! this is a comfortable ſpeech to us, it concerns us Gentils in a more ſpecial manner, than it did them that Hoſea did propheſie to at this time.
And then the Flighth thing is, That the Preſence of God and his Protection, is the only Encouragement of the Saints in their waies. For in Verſ. 15. ſaith God, Behold, I am with thee, and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goeſt; this he ſpake to us; this the Saints ſhould make high account of.
And then the Ninth thing is, That though Promiſes be not yet fulfilled, yet God is ſtill working towards their fulfilling; Obſ. 9for ſo he tels him, I will not leave thee until I have don all that I have promiſed to thee, though you cannot ſee how my Adminiſtrations towards you do any way work for the fulfilling of my Promiſe, yet know I will not leave you until I have fulfilled my Promiſes.
And then the laſt thing is this which God ſpake to us there, he tels us of the conſtancy of his Mercy and faithfulneſs, Obſ. 10.that however things may go with us here for a while, yet the mery of God continues, the line of Gods mercy is not cut aſunder, but his faithfulneſs is carried along till all the good that he hath promiſed, or that Faith can beleeve ſhal be granted to us, for ſo he tels Iacob there, I will not leave thee till I have done that which I have ſpoke to thee of. All this he ſpake with us. That's the firſt time of Gods meeting with Iacob in Bethel.
Now the Second time that he met with Iacob in Bethel, it is in Gen. 35. 10. and there ſee what God ſpake with The Second ſtory implied in the Text.us, there God changes his Name to Iſrael, there God confirms his Promiſe and Covenant to him again as before, God there remembers his prevailing with him, and his wraſtling with him, and in that God tells us he remembers our ſervent prayers, after they are gone, yet his heart is upon them, there he confirm'd his name, Iſrael; and confirm'd his Promiſe; That's that he ſpake with us there too.
That the Saints have need of the confirmation of mercies, eſpecially Obſ. 1.the Covenant.
But then further, Gods preſenteng himſelf to the ſoul as Obſ. 2.God Almighty, that's a great help to faith. I am God Almighty, ſaith he there, thou haſt had experience of my Almighty power in turning the heart of thy Brother, and now thou art in a great danger. Becauſe thou art few in number, thou art afraid of the people of the Land, but I am God Almighty; There's little power in Thee, but there's great power in Me. The Conſideration of Gods Almighty power, is that that ſhould help the Saints in the mideſt of all their ſtraights and afflictions.
We find in Scripture that God very ſeldom when he ſpeaks of his Almighty Power, ſpeaks of his willingneſs to do them good, for that God would have his people take for granted, that's implyed in his Covenant that he made with them at firſt.
And then laſtly, When Iacob was afraid of being cut off becauſe he was few in number, now God preſents himſelf as God Almighty, and he bleſſes him now with fruitfulneſs, and tells him he will multiply him to a company of Nations, and Kings ſhall come out of his loyns; In this we have an excellent leſſon that God ſpeaks to us.
That God delights to receive his people in their fears with ſutable, Obſ. 3.and ſeaſonable mercies. Iacob was never in greater fears than at thoſe two times, yet now the Lord comes at this time of his great ſtraits, and tells him now of multiplying of him to many Nations, and that Kings ſhould come out of his loyns; at that time when he was afraid that the Nations ſhould come and deſtroy all that belonged to him, at that time God tells him that Kings ſhould come out of his loyns: Oh! the Lord delights to revive his people in their fears, and doth come with ſutable mercies to them.
Oh it ſhould teach us to be tender-hearted towards the Uſe.Saints that are in ſears and troubles, and to labor to comfort our Brethren with ſeaſonable and ſutable mercies, And eſpecially after great conflicts, that's obſervable; for Jacob had been wraſtling with God not long before, and after theſe great conflicts God comes with the manifeſtation of great mercies, this God ſpake to us there, That we ſhould not be diſcouraged, though God bring us into great conflicts; becauſe after thoſe times are the ſeaſons for God to ſpeak the moſt comfortable, and the moſt encouraging things unto us. There God ſpake to us. So you ſee the Third Story thus opened unto you, and the uſefulneſs of it, I know ſcarce a Scripture fuller than theſe two verſes.
And the Reaſon why the Prophat brings this Third Story to upbraid this people is this; as if he ſhould ſay thus;
Firſt, Your Father Jacob, he worſhiped the true God in Bethel; you worſhip the Calf in Bethel, (For you know The ſcope of the Text.that in Dan and Bethel the Calves were ſet up) as if the Prophet ſhould ſay, Are you the Children of Jacob? did Jacob worſhip an Idol in Bethel? No, God found him in Bethel, and God ſpake with him there; but you Worſhip a Calf in Bethol.
Secondly, God made gracious promiſes to your father Jacob in Bethel, you flight them, you regard them not, you go to ſhifting courſes for your ſelves and dare not rely upon Promiſes as your Father Jacob did.
Thirdly, You pollute the place that God had made his Houſe, that place where there were ſuch gracious manifeſtations of God, you pollute it. It's an aggravation of ſin to ſin in thoſe places where God hath ſhewed much mercy.
And then laſtly, You are gone from the Covenant that your Father Jacob made with God at Bethel, your Father Jacob (as God renewed his Covenant) enters into Covenant himſelf with God at Bethel, and ſaith, that the Lord ſhould be his God; But have not you forſaken that Covenant? you do not ſtand to the Covenant that your Father Iacob did make at Bethel. It follows.