Genesis xxxii. 26
It is evident, especially from Matt. xiv. 36, what a salutary and healing power Jesus must have possessed. He came into the land of Gennesaret. Scarcely had he left the vessel and stepped on shore, than he was immediately recognized. The people of that place sent out into all the country round about, in order to make it every where known. A number of sick persons from far and near, who labored under a variety of diseases, were brought to him, and they besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched it were made whole, whatever might have been their complaint.
“How much it is to be regretted,” might some one think, “that Jesus is no longer upon earth!” But wherefore? If he could heal the sick, even at a distance from them, he must still be able to do so now that he is ascended up on high. And it would be highly derogatory to him to pretend, that Jesus is now so shut up in heaven, that it is impossible for us to experience, or become conscious of anything more of him since he has said, £ Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world!’ But it would also be a matter of regret, if we had such an abundance of temporal things as to render Jesus indifferent to us, because he no longer heals our bodily diseases, except through a medium. We all require his medical aid, his healing power, in a more important sense than the people of Gennesaret experienced it — I mean with respect to our souls, whose disease is called sin; the natural consequence of which, is death, eternal death. Of this we must necessarily be healed; and may be so, although we cannot, and ought not, to accomplish it as of ourselves. Jesus is also our physician, and so full of healing power, that he is at the same time the medicine. If we wish to be healed, we must at least touch the hem of his garment. Thou art clothed with light,’ says David, ‘and art very glorious.’ The glory of Jesus Christ is a perfect glory. The skirt of his garment is his meekness and humility, which fit him to be the physician of such diseased creatures as we. His invitations and promises are the hem which we ought to touch. It is not permitted to eveiy one to approach the great and the mighty upon earth; but the contrary is the case with the monarch of the skies. We may touch him, if we entreat him to let us do so. And we really touch him by the feeling of our wretchedness, and by our sincere longing and desire for the sanctification of our souls, by prayer, and particularly by believing confidence. But what benefit was derived from thus touching Jesus? All who did so were made whole. And such is still the case. Jesus retains the reputation of being a perfect, and at the same time the only, physician of souls. Deeply feel thy need of him, and then thou wilt also say with Jacob, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.’
GENESIS XXXII. 26.
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not lei thee go, except thou Hess me.
IN the remarkable event recorded in this and the two preceding verses, one wonder succeeds another. The Son of God puts Jacob’s thigh out of joint; but Jacob, so far from losing courage, throws himself upon the neck of him who had deprived him of all his strength, that he may be borne by him, since he is no longer able to stand of himself. A new wonder now occurs; the Son of God entreats Jacob — the victor the vanquished — the strong the weak — to let him go. But Jacob wisely takes advantage of the opportunity, and replies, c I will not let thee go except thou bless me.’
‘Let me go,’ says the ‘Son of God to Jacob; and these words belong to those wondrous expressions, of which there are many in the Scriptures — to those expressions which, at first sight, seem to intimate something absurd, and yet bear upon them the impress of Divine wisdom. If we were desirous of producing a whole series of such paradoxes, of such seeming contradictions, they would be such as the following: c When I am weak,’ as Paul says, ‘then am I strong.” As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.’
( Let me go.’ Was he in earnest, or did he merely dissemble? Dissemble? Who can think that of him who is faithful and true. If he had been in earnest, it would have been an easy thing to extricate himself from the arms of Jacob, It was therefore a new temptation, into which he led the patriarch. It would have been ill for the latter, if he had let him go; he would have miserably sunk upon the ground, the Son of God would have vanished, and with him the blessing which he obtained by holding him fast.
* Let me go.’ Could he not have dislocated his arms; which is an easier matter than putting a hip out of joint? No, his powrer did not extend so far, because it necessarily remained within the limits assigned to it by the Divine promise, * I will do thee good.’ But the dislocation of Jacob’s arms, the extricating himself from them; the hasting away without conferring a blessing, would not have been a benefit, but an injury; and this he certainly could not inflict for his word’s sake.
* Let me go.’ Did he need for this purpose the consent of his friend 1 Assuredly he did. He had established the covenant of grace with him, and with all the spiritual descendants of Abraham, according to which he engaged to be their shield and their defence. He has bound himself to bless them and to do them good, and cannot free himself from this obligation, which he has confirmed with an oath, without the consent of those in alliance with him; and he himself has, in their regeneration, imparted such a feeling to them, that they never can nor will consent to it. f When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” If we deny him, he will also deny us; if we believe not, yet he remaineth faithful, he cannot deny himself. (2 Tim. ii. 12, 13) Our unbelief cannot, render the faith of God without effect.’ (Rom. iii. 3) But did he really desire that Jacob should exonerate him from the obligation to do him good? Certainly not: but he wished to have the pleasure of seeing how firm, by his grace, are the hearts of his allies, even when many waters of affliction go over them; and how the seed of God remains in his children. It was therefore uncommonly pleasing to him, when Job exclaimed, ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him;’ and equally so when his disciples said, * Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life;’ and in the same manner when his church continues to cleave firmly to him in the extremity of tribulation and temptation. He himself is the author of this constancy; and hence it is, that it is so pleasing in his sight; for he takes pleasure in all his works. What joy it will have caused him at being unable to shake off Jacob; when the latter held firmly by his word, and did not suffer himself to be moved away from the spot, whatever the Lord might say or do to him, after he had once engaged to do him good; that he even threw himself upon his neck, after he had deprived him of the ability to stand alone, and continued immutably firm, when it was said to him. ‘Let me go!’ And what pleasure it still causes him, when the Christian does not suffer himself to be dismayed by afflictions and temptations, but even then cleaves to his word and his grace, when every thing seems against him; when he continues faithful unto death!
1 Let me go.’ The Lord said this to the Patriarch, to try him whether he really loved him who attacked him so severely, and caused him such sensible pain. That which the Lord here says to Jacob, was said to Job by his wife, Dost thou still retain thine integrity, although God visits thee with such unheard of afflictions?’ Take leave of him and let him go. It is in reality no small attainment, not only to act patiently in tribulation, but even to glory in it, and not to doubt for a moment of the goodness, compassion, and merciful kindness of the Lord. And when induced to complain with the church, in Isaiah lxiii. 15, ( Where is the sounding of thy bowels and thy mercies towards me? are they restrained V still to say, ‘Doubtless thou art our Father;’ to confess with David, ‘Thy way is in the sanctuary;’ and with Jeremiah, in his Lamentations, 1 Thy goodness is every morning new!’ This is no easy matter.
In the present season of distress, God has certainly given many of his children an opportunity of refusing to learn this lesson; and the Tempter may have said to many, what the enemies of Jesus called out to him, when he hung upon the cross: ‘He trusted in God, let him deliver him now.’
* Let me go.’ The Lord spoke thus to the Patriarch to put his faith, to the test, and ascertain whether he would still cleave to the promise,-’ I will do thee good,’ although the hostile conduct of the Son of God seemed to prove just the contrary.
Faith has various gradations: at one time, it is a faith which arises from seeing, feeling, tasting, and from the Lord’s drawing near in loving kindness and tender mercy to the pardoned soul, in such a manner that the individual is able to say, “I believe, not merely because of thy word, but because I experience in myself that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the soul.” This is valuable experience, sweet in the sensation, and precious in the fruit. But faith, which seems in these circumstances to be uncommonly strong, is in reality very weak. It supports its steps with the staff of -sensation. Sensible joy in the Lord is its strength. It has its foundation more in itself than in the Lord; and often sinks down to the extreme of despondency, when the transports it previously felf*diminish. A higher degree is, not to see, and yet believe; pray according to the word, and believe that the prayer will be answered, although there is no tangible proof of it; believe that the Lord’s ways are goodness and truth, although reason does not see them to be so.
But it is a step further still, wheif we believe in hope, where nothing is to be hoped for — nay, even against hope, and against feeling. Thus the Captain of our salvation believed, in defiance of every thing to the contrary, when, forsaken of God, assaulted by the visible and invisible world, he hung upon the cross for three hours together, full of pain in body and soul. God laid him in the dust of death, and yet he called him, in faith, his God.
This is the highest degree of faith. He who is desirous of exercising it, must be established in the knowledge of the mystery of God, and far advanced in the denial of himself; the joint of confidence in his own strength and wisdom, must be considerably dislocated; he must be able to look pretty deep into the heart of Jesus, and yet say with Paul, 4 We are perplexed, but not in despair.’ (2 Cor. iv. 8) ‘I believed, therefore have I spoken.’ (Psalm cxvi. 10.)
‘Let me go.’ Jacob’s courage was also put to the test. “Let him go,” he might have thought. “Thy tears, thy prayers, have been altogether fruitless. He has put thy thigh out of joint, and what else does the pain of it tell thee, than ‘that he cherishes no favorable sentiments towards thee. Who knows what injury he may still occasion thee 1 Although he sees that thou must miserably sink to the ground, and thus, without even. being able to escape from Esau, must fall into his cruel hands, yet he desires thee to let him go.” But Jesus had already taken care that he should not be able to let him go, by leaving him no choice, but placing him under the necessity of cleaving to him. No, Jesus must himself repulse him, and let go. his hold of him; but this he did not do, and rejecting is what Jesus cannot do; for he has said, ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’ Hence we must exercise courage, or else give up all for lost. Jacob was constrained to act thus. *
O happy souls, whom Jesus has ‘wounded in such a manner that he alone can heal them, and whom he binds to himself by the feeling of their misery; to whom he leaves only the choice between life and death; and who are compelled to say with Hosea, * Come and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he v ill 5* bind us up. He will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.’ (ch. vi. 1, 2) Happy is he who feels com pelled to continue cleaving, though he may be under the necessity of persevering in doing so, even to the end of his life, without receiving consolation; because, unless he does so, he sees nothing but death and destruction before him! O wait on the Lord; though he tarry, be of good courage and undismayed, and wait, I say, on the Lord!
6 Let me go.’ What courage must this have imparted to Jacob! For what did the words imply? That the Son of God was in his power, aijd that he would not depart, unless Jacob gave his consent to it; and this he had himself rendered impossible. What a futile reason was that which he adduced, ( For the day breaketh.’ “Let it break,” might Jacob have replied, “what is that to me 1 I have a thousand reasons why I will not let thee go, and even the breaking of the day is one of them. A painful day is approaching. I am afraid of my brother Esau. I stand in especial need of thy blessing. Thou dost well to remind me of it, that I may cleave to thee still more closely.”
O how pleasing must it have been to Jesus, that his pupil stood the test so well, and “that his good work shone forth in such’ a lovely manner in him! In consequence of the promises which are given us, Jesus is also in our power in like manner; and however wonderfully he may deal with us, as his name imports, yet he can deny neither himself nor his word. If he reproaches thee with being a sinner, justify him in doing so; but plead with him, in return, that he is the Savior of sinners. Confess that he is in the right, when he sets before thee thy unbelief, thy wretchedness, and and thy ilnworthiness; arid set his word before him, ‘Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ When he was an infant, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes; and his promises are now the cords of love by which we may hold him fast. And the best of all is, he holds us fast; otherwise timid Jacob would have taken to flight at the first attack. O how lovely! he was afraid of his brother Esau, but not of the Son of God, even when he dislocated his thigh.
* Let me go.’ How wonderful, that he declared himself vanquished at the very moment when Jacob was unable to do any thing more! As long as Jacob, resting on his feet, was able to defend himself, his antagonist also did his best against him. But no sooner are his feet no longer of any use to him, and Jesus must be alone and entirely his support, than he becomes so wholly and solely; and Jacob, when unable to do any thing more, can now do all things through Christ, who strengthens him; in whom he has righteousness and strength, and who himself deprived him of his own strength.
In the Divine life the same thing is wont to occur. At the commencement, we are generally able to do many things; we form noble resolutions, and expect to fulfil them faithfully, in which we succeed to a tolerable extent. We arm ourselves with a multitude of laudable maxims and noble motives. We hear and read the word of God with unction and devotion. We pray much, and with fervor. If we commit a fault, we repent of it bitterly, and renew our good resolutions.
But what generally happens afterwards ?•» The fervor in prayer expires, and the oppressed heart can scarcely relieve itself by sighs and ejaculations; it can seldom shed a tear, and must experience, to its sorrow, that theWord is in the right to speak of ’ stony hearts.’ Gladly would the individual feel the right kind of sorrow at it; but he seems to himself to be hardened. And if he prays, where is the fervor 1 where the faith? And yet no prayer is heard, unless it be offered in faith. Where is devotion? when even the reception of the holy sacrament itself cannot restrain the wandering mind, however much he may strive to occupy himself only with good thoughts.
And the good resolutions? Oh, he no longer knows himself, whether they are altogether sincere! He feels, indeed, self-love, unbelief, and hardness of heart; but how to alter it, unless the Holy Spirit does it; and how to obtain Him, when he prays so wretchedly, is then the question.
The Christian then feels like Jacob did, when his hip was out of joint. He supposes he. must irrecoverably fall a prey to the wretchedness which he fears. If Jesus does not accomplish the work entirely; if he be not the beginning, middle, and end; if we are not saved by grace alone; there is at least nothing more for him to hope for. The name of Jesus alone, and the word grace, sustains him in some measure, while every other support gives way.
But how does the faithful Shepherd act under these circumstances? This is the real time of mercy. O what does the poor man now perceive! His Savior and his Gospel. He recognizes his supreme faithfulness in having humbled him, although he thought his Lord and Master acted strangely, and intended evil towards him. He now finds that the Lord permitted him to succeed in nothing, although he could not conceive before why he did not listen to his anxious supplication. He now understands that the Lord hedged up his way with thorns, to make him take the right one; and led him into the desert, that he might speak kindly to him.
After having suffered the loss of his own strength, he now succeeds in the very same way in which Jacob succeeded, whilst casting himself entirely upon Him who is all to us.
‘Let me go.’ This is like the sporting of Eternal Wisdom in the ’ habitable parts of the earth, which she often repeats, in order to have her delights with the
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A similar circumstance is mentioned concerning Moses, in Exod. xxxii. This man of God remained a long time upon Mount Sinai, on which God had given his law. At length the people said, ‘We know not what is become of the man;’ and induced the brother of Moses to make them a golden calf. He did so, and they honored it as their God — ate and drank, played and danced, around it. The Lord informed Moses of it and said to him, * I see that this is a stiff-necked people; now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and
I will make of thee a great nation.” Without the consent of his servant, the Lord would do nothing; and Moses so adroitly took advantage of this condescension, that he took the forgiveness of the people’s sin with him from the Mount, And how ably did he oppose the Lord with his own weapons! He confesses the wickedness of the people, but pleads with him also his word, his oath, and the honor of his name: and binds his arm, as it were, although already lifted up to punish. For God always acts only in accordance with his word.
The Syrophenician woman is also a remarkable instance of this. It was assuredly only to help her, that the Savior took a long journey to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. But just as if he would have nothing more to do with helping and delivering, he went into a house, and would not that any one should know he was there; but, fortunately, he could not continue hid. His arrival became known; and, happily, a poor afflicted Canaanitish woman heard of it. She besought him, pitiably, to help her; Lut Jesus did not even look back, much less answer her a word. He let her cry on, and walked unmercifully forward. But could his heart have been seen, it would have been evident how it melted with compassion. The disciples, highly astonished at the extraordinary behavior of their Master, intercede for the poor woman; but they are repulsed, and that in a manner which would have deprived even the distressed mother of all courage, had not the Lord continued secretly to impart fresh courage to her; ‘I am not sent,’ said he, ’ but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;’ and not. to people like this woman. But she will not take a refusal; she blocks up his path, falls at his feet, and exclaims, ‘Lord, help me!’ She had even now to sustain the severest test, and is told in reply, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to give it unto dogs.’ * Yea, Lord,’ answered she, ’ it is certainly not right; do not treat me therefore as a child, but as a dog, to which the crumbs are given which fall from the table.’ Jesus is now overcome; * O woman, he exclaims, * great is thy faith! Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.’
After his resurrection, he joined himself to the two disciples going to Emmaus. He spake to them in such a manner, that their hearts began to burn with love and joy whilst he expounded the Scriptures to them. He holds their eyes, and they walk forwards with him, and listen to him, without knowing who he is. At length, towards evening, they arrive at the inn. His love is too great for him to leave them, and yet he wishes to have the pleasure of being invited by them.. He makes therefore as if he would go further, whilst rendering it impossible for them to let him go. They urged him to remain, or more properly, they compelled him; which gratified him much. He remained therefore. Whilst breaking the bread, their eyes were opened. They knew him, and the same moment he vanished.. Theh* joy was too much for them alone: they hastened back to Jerusalem, and there all was joy, animation, and triumph. He was risen indeed.
Lazarus, his friend, dies; although he is informed of his sickness, and sends word that it is not unto death.
He remains quietly in his place: he suffers the friend whom he loves to expire. Lazarus is buried, and lies four days in the grave. AIL hope is at an end. Jesus surfers Mary and Martha to weep and mourn, although he loves them also, and does not once visit them. He even almost confuses their faith: for Lazarus is dead, although he had said, ‘The sickness is not unto death.’ At length he comes, but too late; and now stands and weeps with them, although he might have helped them. ‘Ah, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died,’ says Mary, and falls weeping and almost heart-broken at his feet; and no one can refrain from weeping, not even he himself. All at once he exclaims ( Lazarus, come forth!’ and the dead man again comes to life, after he had been dead four days. For Christ’s word and promise must be fulfilled, what ever happens: and Abraham went by no means to too great lengths, in hoping, after receiving the Divine promise, where nothing was to be hoped for.
* Let me go.’ If many of those who belong to Christ, who surrender themselves to him with heart and hand, are to be sirnamed Jacob and Israel, as we read in Isaiah xliv., they will have to pass through a similar conflict to that described.
( Let him go,’ says the world and sin, at first, to the heart which is desirous of resigning itself to Jesus; as if we should fare better in the service of sin, than in following Jesus. It may violently and variously incite and tempt us to withdraw our hearts from Jesus, and no longer strive against it, but submit ourselves to it. The world advises us to let Jesus go, and whispers, ‘Why wilt thou renounce the company and amusements thou hast hitherto enjoyed, and trouble and shorten thy days? Consider what others will say to it. Who can live in such a manner? It is not even necessary; and if it were, it is still time enough. It seeks to gain only a particle of our hearts, because all the rest easily follows. If Jesus himself was obliged to endure such temptations, as when it was said, ‘All tnis will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me!’ we must also be satisfied to bear them, and show ourselves as good soldiers of Christ.
Satan also says, c Let him go,’ even as he deceitfully promised Jesus himself the whole world, if he would let God go, and serve the prince of this world. As long as he is able, he takes away the word from the heart of man. When he can no longer succeed in this, and the individual begins to think with all earnestness of his salvation, he then tries to depict godliness as much too difficult; the heart of Jesus as full of wrath and displeasure; and to persuade him that it is now too late, and that it will not avail, whatever trouble he may give himself; he is either too great a sinner, or is much too small a one in his own eyes. ‘Trouble not the master,’ therefore; what will it avail? pacify thyself as well as thou art able, and let the serious thought of Jesus and thy salvation go. And he may even go so far as to quote what the despisers say in Mai. iii. 14, * It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts V
Yea, even as Jesus once said to his disciples, ‘Will ye also go away V and here said to Jacob, •’ Let me go V he also informs us, that if we will follow him,we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross; that the path is narrow on which he leads us, and that we must not expect continued enjoyment, but also sensible sufferings. If he often lets us pray a long time before he comes to our aid, or conceals himself anew, when we supposed we had really found him, and when we cannot perceive by his guidance that he loves us, cares for us, will do all things well, “but seems, on the contrary, to be opposed to us, as in the case of Jacob — he then, as it were, says to us ‘Let me go.’
In such a situation, the Christian has a fine opportunity of giving a proof of his estimation of Jesus, and of his earnestness in seeking salvation, of showing what is the object of his desire and choice, what he clings to, and what he is willing to offer up. Job went so far in this as to declare, that he would rather die than part with his integrity. Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac, the dearest and the best he had in the world. The Apostles, and many thousands of other Christians, did not shun bonds and imprisonment — nay, even every torture, and the most horrible death, to win Christ.
The Savior is not only able, but frequently really: gives his people such an insight into his heart, so full of love, grace, and truth, that, like Jacob, they clearly perceive that they may ask in his name what they will, in the certainty that he will grant it them; and, in a certain sense, must do so, for his faithfulness arid his truth’s sake.
Their hearts become so enlarged, that they feel the entire emphasis of the passage, * He that spared not his own Son, but freely gave him up for us all — how shall he not with him also freely give us all things!” Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.’ Jacob’s heart expanded so much at the words, ‘Let me go,’ that he answered, ‘I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.’ But more of this another time. At present I only add:
If you are desirous of becoming true and sincere Christians, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye believe in God — believe also in Jesus Christ. If sometimes your path is strange, incomprehensible, and painful, you have no reason to fear. Be not dismayed, when you can accomplish nothing more by your own strength; for Christ makes you weak, only that his strength may be perfected in your weakness. But, whether courageous or fearful, do not forsake Jesus.
1 Faithful is he who hath called you, who also will do it.’ Amen.