God reproved the three friends of Job; but he healed Job of his disease, blessed him with greater riches than he had possessed before, and gave him, also, another family of sons and daughters, many servants, and large possessions.

NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.

Job- to repent,' 'to praise ;' it is generally supposed that this much tried yet highly favoured servant of God, lived in the time of Abraham;

others consider that he lived in the time of Moses.

obtained leave-without the Divine permission, not even Satan himself can inflict injury upon one of God's child

ren. 1 Cor. x. 13.

tempt-try or prove; Job's profession

of faith in God and submission to his will was tested by severe afflictions. James v. 11 and 1 Peter i. 7.

Sabeans-the descendants of Sheba, one of Shem's posterity; their territory lay in the northern part of Arabia, between the Red Sea & the Indian Ocean. calamities-troubles; painful bereave

ments.

bowed-fell prostrate; this expressive mode of showing respect, humility, and grief still prevails in the East. submission-the yielding up of one's own will unreservedly. 1Pet. v. 6.

God's will-made known by those painful dispensations which were not the result of Job's folly or wickedness, but which had their origin in the sovereign will of Him who has power to give life or to take it away.

smitten..a sudden personal affliction manifested upon him. Eliphaz-God my strength;' a native of Teman, a city of Idumea.

Bildad a resident of Shuah, a district

east of Arabia Petrea.

GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

it was first settled by the descendants of Uz-an extensive district in Idumea; Uz or Huz, one of Shem's posterity.

IDUMEA-the country to the south of Canaan, called also Edom; it extends

into Arabia Petrea and to the borders of the Red Sea; it was first inhabited by a powerful tribe called Horites, and afterwards by the descendants of Esau, who are called Edomites; its climate was agreeable, and its soil aggravated increased; made more fruitful, and it was defended by a distressing by their suspicions of his natural fortress of rocks. moral rectitude.

Zophar-forward ;' a citizen of Naamah, in Edom.

'Mount Seir.'

Less. 13.

"I WAS NOT IN SAFETY, NEITHER HAD I REST, NEITHER WAS I QUIET; YET TROUBLE CAME."

Of all my race there breathes not one,
To comfort or deplore me;
Pain wakes a pulse in every bone,
And death is closing o'er me.
Still doth his lifted stroke delay,
Protracted tortures dooming,
I feel ere life has pass'd away,
His very worm consuming.

Night spreads her mantle o'er the sky,
And all around are sleeping,
While I in tears of agony,

My restless couch am steeping.
I sigh for morn-the rising day
Awakes the earth to gladness,
I turn with sickening soul away
It smiles upon my sadness.

A crown of glory grace'd my brow,
While nations bent before me;
Princes and hoary sires would bow,
To flatter and adore me.

To me the widow turn'd for aid,
And ne'er in vain address'd me;
For me the grateful orphan prayed,
The soul of misery bless'd me.

I rais'd the drooping wretch that pine'd
In lonely anguish lying;

Was balm unto the wounded mind,
And solace to the dying;
Till one stern stroke of all my state,
Of all my bliss, bereft me;
And I was worse than desolate,
For God himself had left me.

All hope on earth for ever fled
A higher hope remaineth;

Ev'n while his wrath is o'er me shed,
I know my Saviour reigneth.

The worm may waste this withering clay,
When flesh and spirit sever;
My soul shall see eternal day,
And dwell with God for ever.

DALE.

JACOB OBTAINS ESAU'S BIRTHRIGHT. [2347-1635 B.C.

12. THE HISTORY OF ISAAC. HE BLESSES HIS SONS.

Genesis xxv. 20-xxviii.

Abraham died at the age of one-hundred-and-seventy-five years. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. Twenty years after Isaac and Rebekah were married they had two sons. The Lord told Rebekah before they were born, that the elder should serve the younger. This was fulfilled many years after in their descendants. Esau was the first-born, and Jacob was the younger son. Esau was a

cunning hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a 'plain man dwelling in tents. Esau came from the field weary and faint. He asked Jacob for his red pottage. Jacob would not give it to him except for his birthright. Esau thought his birthright was of little use, and sold it to Jacob for his pottage. They were then thirty years of age.

There was a famine in Canaan, and Isaac went to Gerar. God confirmed to Isaac the promises he had made to Abraham. Isaac told the men of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister. The king afterwards reproved Isaac for his deceit. Isaac's flocks and herds increased very much. The herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac's herdsmen about the wells of water. Isaac left Gerar, and dwelt in Beersheba. Some years after, Ishmael died in the presence of his brethren.

When Isaac was old his eyes were dim, and he could not see. He called his son, Esau, to bless him. Rebekah wished Jacob to have the blessing, and she and Jacob deceived Isaac. Isaac gave Jacob the first-born's blessing, saying, “ God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be every one that blesseth thee." When Esau came in, Isaac knew that he had been deceived, and he blessed Esau also, saying, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy

PERIOD II.] JACOB FLEES INTO PADAN-ARAM.

brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck." Esau hated Jacob for having obtained their father's greatest blessing; and he said he would slay Jacob. Jacob fled to Laban, his mother's brother, at Padan-aram; on his way he had a vision at Bethel. God promised to protect and bless him in all places, and bring him again into Canaan.

NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.

His sons, &c.-though living at a distance from one another, it would seem that they maintained a friendly inter

course.

fulfilled-took place as had been fore

told.

Esau-'covered with hair;' he was of a daring, hasty spirit; resentful, but forgiving; it does not appear that he was under the influence of the fear of God. He was called Edom, or 'red.' from the circumstance of selling his birthright for a mess of red pottage.

Jacob-heeler,'' supplanter'; he was a man of domestic virtues and affections; eminent for piety; a man of faith and prayer. In all his troubles he sought for succour from God alone, whose hand he recognised in all the affairs of life.

cunning-clever in the chase; skilful in the pursuit of one's calling. Exod. xxxv. 35; 1 Kings vii. 14.

plain-quiet; prudent; fond of home; not given to daring exploits.

tents are still used in the East. Esau's life sometimes compelled him to take shelter in trees and caves, or to lie exposed upon the ground; Jacob preferred the calmer life of dwelling in tents. Lesson 2, 'tents."'

dim-a film had obscured his power of sight; as old age advances a gradual decay of the senses takes place.

Jacob was the object of God's special
deceived-Rebekah being aware that
favor, felt, as was natural, peculiarly
anxious about him; but this feeling
was not kept in proper subjection to
the law of God, hence she conceived
a plan for deceiving her husband, into
which Jacob unhappily fell. She did
this to render sure the promise of God
that 'the elder should serve the
younger; but he who promised that
Jacob should have the sovereignty
over his brother was able to bring it
to pass, without necessitating any of
injustice. Lesson 13, 'deceived.'
his children to acts of dishonour and

hated-a feeling of indignation and contempt at Jacob's deceit; and dislike and resentment towards him for having obtained that blessing which some years before he had bartered for a mess of pottage. Esau's hatred did not however continue to the end of his

GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE.

birthright-the chief blessing belong-life; Lesson 13. 'reconciled.' ed to the first-born by right; still it might be forfeited voluntarily, as in this case, or on account of crime; I Chron. v. i. The chief blessing included special consecration to the

PADAN-ARAM-a district in the northern part of Mesopotamia in which some of Abraham's kindred were settled.

JACOB SERVES LABAN.

PRAYER OF JACOB.

[2347-1635 B.C.

"I AM WITH THEE AND WILL KEEP THEE IN ALL PLACES WHITHER THOU GOEST."

O God of Bethel! by whose hand
Thy people still are fed;

Who, through this weary pilgrimage,
Hast all our fathers led!

Our vows, our prayers, we now present
Before thy throne of grace;
God of our fathers, be the God
Of their succeeding race.

Through each perplexing path of life
Our wandering footsteps guide,
Give us each day, our daily bread,
And raiment fit provide!

O spread thy covering wings around,
Till all our wanderings cease,
And at our Father's love'd abode
Our feet arrive in peace!

Now with the humble voice of prayer

Thy mercy we implore;

Then with the grateful voice of praise
Thy goodness we'll adore.

LOGAN.

13. JACOB SERVES LABAN. HE RETURNS TO

CANAAN.

Genesis xxix--xxxiv.

Jacob came into the land of the people of the east; he inquired for Laban, the son of Nahor, when he came to a well at Haran. To this well Rachel, a daughter of Laban, came to water her father's sheep. Jacob made himself known to Rachel, and Laban received him with much kindness. While Jacob lived at Padan-aram he kept the flocks of Laban, his uncle. He agreed to serve Laban seven years, for his daughter Rachel. Laban deceived him, and gave him ·Leah. He served again other seven years for Rachel. He married both Laban's daughters, and he had many children.