by the Conquered, Christ was figured. So then that Angel, who is understood to be the Lord
Jesus, saith to Jacob, “Thou shalt not be any more called Jacob, but Israel shall thy name
be,”3653 which is by interpretation, “Seeing God.” After this He touched the sinew of his
thigh, the broad part, that is, of the thigh, and it dried up; and Jacob became lame. Such was
He who was conquered. So great power had this Conquered One, as to touch the thigh, and
make lame. It was then with His Own will that He was conquered. For He “had power to
lay down” His strength, “and He had power to take It up.”3654 He is not angry at being
conquered, for He is not angry at being crucified. For He even blessed him, saying, “Thou
shalt not be called Jacob, but Israel.” Then the “supplanter” was made “the seer of God.”
And He touched, as I have said, his thigh, and made him lame. Observe in Jacob the people
of the Jews, those thousands who followed and went before the Lord’s beast, who in concert
with the Apostles worshipped the Lord, and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed
is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.”3655 Behold Jacob blessed. He has continued
lame until now in them who are at this day Jews. For the broad part of the thigh signifies
the multitude of increase. Of whom the Psalm, when it prophesied that the Nations should
believe, speaketh, saying, “A people whom I have not known, hath served Me; by the hearing
of the ear it hath obeyed Me.”3656 I was not there, and I was heard; here I was, and I was
killed. “A people whom I have not known, hath served Me; by the hearing of the ear it hath
obeyed Me.” Therefore, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”3657
And it goes on, “The strange children have lied unto Me;” concerning the Jews. “The strange
children have lied unto Me, the strange children have faded away and have halted from their
paths.” I have pointed out Jacob to you, Jacob blessed and Jacob lame.
4. But as arising out of this occasion, this must not be passed over, which may haply of
itself perplex some of you; with what design is it, that when this Jacob’s grandfather Abra-
ham’s name was changed (for he too was first called Abram, and God changed his name,
and said, “Thou shall not be called Abram, but Abraham”3658); from that time he was not
called Abram. Search in the Scriptures, and you will see that before he received another
name, he was called only Abram; after he received it, he was called only Abraham. But this
Jacob, when he received another name, heard the same words, “Thou shalt not be called
Jacob, but Israel shalt thou be called.”3659 Search the Scriptures, and see how that he was
3653 Gen. xxxv. 10.
3654 John x. 18.
3655 Matt. xxi. 9.
3656 Ps. xvii. 43, 44, Sept. (xviii. 43, 44, English version).
3657 Rom. x. 17.
3658 Gen. xvii. 5.
3659 Gen. xxxii. 28, xxxv. 10.
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On the words of the Gospel, John i. 48,’When thou wast under the fig tree,…