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Gen_32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Ver. 24. And Jacob was left alone.] Purposely, for secret prayer: so the Church gets her into "the clefts of the rocks"; {Son_2:14} Isaac, into the fields; Daniel, to the river’s side; Christ, into the mount; Peter, up to the roof, or house top; that they might pour out their prayers and solace themselves with God in secret. This a hypocrite may seem to do, either of custom or vain glory: as the Pharisee went up to the temple to pray solitarily, as well as the publican; the temple being then, in regard of ceremonial holiness, the place as well of private as public prayer. "But will the hypocrite delight in God? will he pray always?". {Job_27:10}
There wrestled a man with him.] In a proper combat, by might and slight; to the raising of dust, and causing of sweat; as the word importeth. This strife was not only corporeal, but spiritual; as well by the force of his faith, as strength of body. "He prevailed," saith the prophet, {Hos_12:4} by prayers and tears. Our Saviour also prayed himself into "an agony"; {Luk_22:44} and we are bidden to "strive in prayer," even to an agony. {Rom_15:30, óõíáãùíéóáóèáé } Nehemiah prayed himself pale. {Neh_2:2} Daniel prayed himself "sick". {Dan_8:27} Hannah prayed, striving with such an unusual motion of her lips, that old Eli, looking upon her, thought her drunk. {1Sa_1:13} Elijah puts his head betwixt his knees, as straining every string of his heart in prayer: {1Ki_18:42} "he prayed, and prayed," saith St James; and, by his prayer, he had what he would of God. Whereupon also he infers (as a result) that "the effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much," if it be "fervent" {Jam_5:16-17, åíåñãïõìåíç } or working; if it be such as sets all the faculties awork, and all the graces awork, then it speeds. Every sound is not music; so neither is every uttering petitions to God a prayer. It is not the labour of the lips, but the travail of the heart. Common beggary is the easiest and poorest trade: but this beggary, as it is the richest, so the hardest. A man can with more ease hear two hours together than pray half an hour, if he "pray in the Holy Ghost," as St Jude hath it. {Jdg_1:20} He must strive with his own indevotion, with Satan’s temptations, with the world’s distraction: he must wrestle with God, and wring the blessing out of his hands, as the woman of Canaan did: he must "stir up himself to take hold of God," {Isa_64:7} as the Shunamite did of Elisha, {2Ki_4:30} as the Church did of her spouse, {Son_3:4} and "not let him go" till he bless us. This is to wrestle; this is to threaten heaven, as Gorgonia did, thus to be modestly impudent and invincible, as her brother speaks of her; in beseeching God, to besiege him, and get the better of him. as Jacob; whose wrestling was by "weeping," and his "prevailing" by praying.