June 8

and not, like the Pharisees, pray to be seen of men—"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation." When we enter our closet we are not to leave it open, but shut to the door. But, secondly, the reason rather refers to Jacob and his circumstances—"The morning comes, and we must separate for thy sake—Thou must pursue thy journey; thy cattle, servants, and family, will require thy presence and aid." Religion is not to call us off from our relative duties, or even secular business. Every thing is beautiful in its season. We must sometimes exercise even spiritual self-denial. The privileges of the Sabbath must give place to the trials of the week. It would be more pleasing to continue an hour longer in retirement, reading the Scripture, with meditation and prayer; but the calls of the household, and the claims of our callings, bid us break off—And we must "stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."

JUNE 8.—"And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob."—Genesis 32:26, 27.

JACOB now, if not before, began to know who his antagonist was; and is therefore unwilling to separate without a blessing. He looks for a blessing from one that had opposed him, struggled with him, and disjointed his thigh. So must we "turn to him that smiteth" us, and from the very hand that wounds, seek all our relief and deliverance. "Come," says the Church, "and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." The blessing of the Lord maketh rich. It can do all things for us. Creatures can only wish us a blessing, but he commands and imparts it: and when he blesses none can reverse it.

Jacob uses no ceremony, but in reply to the demand, "Let me go," abruptly says, "I will not—except thou bless me." Was this a fit answer for a servant to his Lord and Master? When we have a promise which gives us a hold of him, we are to put him in remembrance, to plead with him, and to refuse to take any denial. There is nothing more pleasing to him than this holy violence: he loves to see us while trusting in his faithful Word, disregarding the discouragements of his Providence. The woman of Canaan was sorely tried, first by his silence, then by his seeming exclusion and contempt of her—but she persevered in her application, and was more than successful. "O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt." And when God had threatened not to go with the people, was he offended with Moses, who said, I will not stir a step further without thy presence? No; but he yielded, and said, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." Prayer is nothing without earnestness and resolution. We ask and have not, because we ask amiss; we pour forth words, but leave the heart behind. How can we expect that God should regard supplications with which we are unaffected ourselves? "If," says Bishop Hopkins, "the arrow of prayer is to enter heaven, we must draw it from a soul full bent." This is what Paul means by "praying with all prayer." He, the very same Being, who here taught Jacob importunity in prayer, teaches us also, at this moment, the value and necessity of it. "Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go

unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine, in his journey, is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man: yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?"— "Never man spake like this man."

Jacob specifies nothing in particular, but only insists upon a blessing. His present condition however would serve to explain his immediate wish. And therefore, with a view to this, the Lord said unto him, "What is thy name?" He could not ask to gain information; but upon the same principle that we are required to confess our sins, and to spread our wants before him in prayer; and which is not to inform a Being who is perfectly wise, but that we may be affected with our condition, and be prepared for the display of his mercy. It is we who are changed by prayer, not he: the land is not drawn to the boat, but the boat to the land—the result of the contact is the same. The Lord well knew Jacob's name, but he would know it from himself; and therefore he said, "Jacob"—"The same to whom thou saidst at Beth-el, when fleeing from the face of my brother, I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest: the same to whom thou saidst, when leaving my uncle Laban, Return to thy kindred, and I will surely do thee good." We have the same advantage in the question when we go to his mercy's door, and he asks who we are. "Lord, thou canst not be ignorant of me. I am that swearer, that Sabbath-breaker, that despiser of all that was good, whose feet thy goodness turned into the path of peace, and whose lips it taught to show forth thy praise. I am that backslider thy mercy reclaimed. I am that sufferer who called upon thee in the day of trouble, and was delivered—I have tried thee too much; and thou hast befriended me too often, not to be acquainted with all I am"—

"Dost thou ask me, who I am? Ah, my Lord, thou know'st my name! Yet the question gives a plea, And supports my suit with Thee.

"Thou did'st once a wretch behold, In rebellion blindly bold, Bcorn thy grace, thy power defy; That poor rebel, Lord, was I.

"Once a sinner, near despair,

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