trary, he resisted the earnest importunities, and even bitter tears of a darling son, and could not be prevailed upon to make a deliberate attempt to counteract the decree of Heaven, but voluntarily confirmed the bles sing, which he had inadvertently pronounced.

All that Isaac could do to console Esau, was, to pronounce the blessing which Gon designed for his posterity; and it is remarkable, that it was equal in value to that pronounced on Jacob's, excepting in the circumstance of supremacy, and that even this was to continue only for a season.

The practical instruction which Reason teaches us to collect from this section, seems to be, that fathers and mothers should not give a partial preference to any one of their children. That brothers ought not to endeavour to circumvent each other; that the practice of deceit and falsehood, even from pious motives, will cast an odium upon the best characters: and that parents should not entice their children into sin; nor children yield to their parents' persuasions, when their own conciences tell them, that by doing so they will offend God.

We have not, like the patriarchs, particular revelations concerning the future prosperity of our descendants; but a title to a share in the Everlasting Covenant has been purchased for us, and for our children. The means to secure this title are proposed in the Scriptures; therefore, instead of endeavouring, with a too anxious solicitude for their worldly interest, to do the work of Divine Providence in their behalf, let us instil into the minds of our children lessons of piety, and accustom them to study the oracles of God as the best rules of moral conduct; then will they be upright and sincere in all their words and actions, and affectionately united to each other, and the LORD Himself will bestow on them his choicest blessings, both temporal and eternal.

SECTION

SECTION XXXIV.

ISAAG BLESSETH JACOB, AND SENDETH HIM TO

PADAN-ARAM.

From Genesis, Chap. xxvii.

AND Esau hated Jacob, because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, then will I slay my brother Jacob.

And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau as touching thee doth comfort himself, purposing to kill. thee.

Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother, to Haran: and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away, until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life, because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged. him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people:

And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and

to

to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto

Abraham.

And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

We observed in the last section, that had the BLESSING, which was the object of contention between the two brothers, been a personal one, Esau deserved to lose it; and the same may be said in respect to Jacob, who soon found to his sorrow, that those honours, which are purchased at the expence of sincerity and truth, cannot be enjoyed with tranquillity of mind. Instead of being treated as the heir of the promises, he was obliged, in order to save his life, to leave his native home, forsake his aged father, and tear himself from the arms of his indulgent mother. He, who had been accustomed from his infancy to a quiet domestic life, was under the necessity of undertaking a long fatiguing journey of 450 miles, without a single attendant to direct his steps, or soothe` his sorrows. He was even destitute of the means of subsistence for any length of time. He could not request his father to give him a younger son's portion; and besides, Isaac was led to believe, that Jacob undertook the journey merely in search of a wife: neither could Jacob carry any great stock of provisions with him. He was indeed going to his mother's relations; but many misfortunes might befall him by the way; and it was probable the family of Laban would not receive him, or grant him a settlement among them. He had no flocks or herds to begin the world with; nor do we read that he was, like Ishmael, skilled in archery.

From

From these circumstances it is evident, that, in respect to his own immediate happiness, it would have been better for Jacob, at that time, to have lived in a subor. dinate rank to his brother:

An equal punishment fell upon Rebekah; for we may easily conceive that she suffered extreme distress of mind at first, from the apprehension that Esau would actually kill Jacob; and afterwards, from being obliged to part with the object of her tenderest affections.

Here appears then no partiality in the dispensation of Providence in respect to the two brothers; for Jacob was immediately punished, by being launched into the wide world to seek his fortune; and Esau left without a rival, to enjoy all the comforts and advantages, which the paternal roof afforded.

The threat which Esau threw out against Jacob was, in all probability, uttered while he was under violent perturbation of mind, occasioned by his disappointment of the paternal blessing; for it does not appear that he made any actual attempt to take away his brother's life, or that he retained his hatred.

Rebekah took a very prudent step, in sending Jacob to her own relations, and is not to be blamed for the excuse she made for doing so; because the desire that he should marry in her family, was doubtless one of her reasons for wishing him to go thither; and had she told the whole truth to her husband, while he was in such a weak state of health, it might have occasioned his death; at least it would have raised his anger against Esau, and there is no knowing what bad consequences might have ensued to all parties.

We may easily conceive, from the general character of Jacob, that his heart was overwhelmed with affliction, when he found, that he must leave all his tender connections behind him; and though the Sacred Histo

rian is silent in this particular, it is most likely that he felt contrition for the part he had acted.

The prayer which Isaac offered up, when he dis. missed Jacob, shews, that he was satisfied his paternal blessing had been bestowed agreeably to the Divine will; and we may also understand from it, that this blessing included every particular contained in the ori ginal blessing, bestowed by the Lord on Abraham*. This was the portion Jacob had so solicitously sought for, and with this he was contented. He asked for no provision from his father; but taking his staff in his hand †, he bade adieu to his native home, and committed himself to the care of that GOD, whose promises he firmly believed.

Esau, by degrees, became sensible of his errors. A recent instance had convinced him of his folly in selling his birth-right. He next repented that he had displeased his father, by marrying idolatrous women; and endeavoured to repair his fault by taking another wife, who he thought would be more agreeable to him: but his repentance availed nothing; nor indeed would a conduct the reverse of that which he had pursued have made any difference in respect to that peculiar blessing, in consequence of which, one branch of Abraham's family was to be separated to the LORD in an extraor dinary manner; and from whom should descend the promised seed of the woman, to bless all the families of the earth, by redeeming them from the curse threatened to mankind before the fall, in case they commit. ted sin, Thou shalt surely die.

We are left to make our own reflections on this part of Sacred History; and, therefore, are at liberty to approve or condemn, as our reason, and the knowledge