5. Lastly, Daring adventurers, daring wrestlers, worm Jacob ventured on him that formed the mountains, and wrestled with him, and prevailed too, Gen. xxii. 24. Hos xii. 4.——What, wonder to find him then venturing on the mountains themselves——He must have the blessing, and must be forwarded whatever mountains be in the way.———I proceed to
The second thing to be considered, namely the mystery of grace carried on in them by Jesus Christ, we may take it up in these two.
1. An apparently hopeless encounter they are led to by him:—worm Jacob threshing the mountains.—What a hopeless like encounter is a worm threshing a mountain; so hopeless-like are the encounters the people of God, have to make in their way to the eternal rest—These threshers are certainly threshers in hope, 1 Cor. ix. 10. But the naked eye cannot discover the ground of hope in it:—it is faith only that shews it hopeful: which sight represents it as a hopeful case: and, therefore, they must close their eyes, and threth in faith as Abraham did, Rom. v. 19.—We take up this hopeless encounter in five things.
First, The Lord lays in his people’s way mountains of difficulties quite above their strength, difficulties which they look to as a worm to a mountain before it.—2 Cor. i. 8. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch, that we despaired even of life?———However pain the way to hell be, the way to heaven will be a mountainous way in the experience of all that travel it:——they will never want mountains in the way till they come to the hill of God.
Secondly, They must not go about the mountains in their ways, shifting the difficulties which God calls them to; but they must make their way over them, threshing them down, Micah iv. 13. Arise and thresh O daughter of Zion; for I will make thine horn iron,
