in this manner on one side of the brook Jabbok,
he started the next day to overtake his family, and he placed his four
wives and their children in a certain order, preparatory to meeting
his brother Esau. By and by Esau comes along with quite an army of
men, and he meets the forward company, consisting of Bilhah and Zilpah
and their children—two of Jacob's wives and their polygamous
offspring. He continues on until he meets Jacob's third wife, and
finally he comes to the fourth and her children, with whom Jacob was,
and turning to Jacob he says, “Who are all these women and children?”
Jacob answered, “These are they whom God hath given thy servant.”
What! God give to Jacob more than one wife, and a number of polygamous
children! Is that so? Well, Jacob saysso, and we are informed that he
was then converted, that this meeting between Jacob and Esau took
place, and this declaration of Jacob was made after his conversion at
the brook Jabbok. Now, would you suppose that a converted man would
make such a declaration, about his wives and children as Jacob made to
Esau, if it had not been true? If a man now-a-days declares that God
has given him more wives than one, and a host of polygamous children,
he is accused of blasphemy, yet Jacob, after wrestling with an angel,
declared that such was the case with him: he knew it was so and he
acknowledged the hand of God. After he reached the land of Canaan we
find that God continued to give to this man revelation after
revelation, suited to the circumstances; and