June 9

Mercy heard and set him free, Lord, that mercy came to me.

"Many years have passed since then, Many changes I have seen, Yet have been upheld till now; Who could hold me up but thou?

Thou hast helped in ev'ry need, This emboldens me to plead; After so much mercy past, Canst thou let me sink at last?"

JUNE 9.—"And he sa, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there." Genesis 32:28, 29.

THUS he was knighted on the field. He had two names, and both of them were gained by wrestling: the one by wrestling with his brother in the womb; the other by wrestling with the angel at Peniel. Jacob signifies a supplanter: Israel means a prince with God—And the reason of the new name was, that he had "power with God and with men, and had prevailed." That is, he had pre- vailed with God, and this was an assurance that he would prevail with man—his brother Esau, and every other foe. These go to- gether. If God refuses to hear us, creatures will help in vain; and if God be for us, who can be against us? "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." How much is it our interest, to secure his favour, who has all events at his disposal, and every heart under his control? Yet some, to engage the friendship of mortals, will offend and provoke him who can turn the wisdom of the wisest into foolishness, and the strength of the strongest into weakness.

We can hardly wonder that Jacob asked and said, "Tell me, I pay thee, thy name." Yet it appears to have been more curious than wise. There is much of this tendency in us all; and it is a proof of our depravity, that we are equally disposed to neglect what is plain and useful, and to pry into things which we have not seen, and which, if discovered, could be of little avail to us. This is a world of action rather than of science. The humblest Christian will know more in a moment after death than the most laborious research can acquire now in months and years. The Scripture therefore never indulges a vain curiosity that would draw us off from the one thing needful. Instead of gratifying Peter when he in- quired after the destiny of John, our Savior rebuked him: "What is that to thee? follow thou me." And when the Apostles would become students of prophecy; and asked, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" he said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." He therefore here said unto Jacob, "Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there." This furnishes us with an opportunity to remark two things. The first regards our infirmities in prayer. We often know not what we ask. The second, God's method in answering us. He grants us while he denies. If he refuses us, he gives us something