is indeed no such admonition here expressly given. For no such admonition was in the text required. The circumstances are related, exactly as they fell out. And the hearer is left to form

for himself the obvious reflections following:

If this history gives me so much pain and shame in behalf of Jacob and Rebekah, let me watch that I give no cause for the like concern to them, whose feelings are interested in my upright conduct. If it is probable that they supposed themselves justified in the means, by the importance of the end they had in view; let me observe how easily any man may be deceived, in calculations of such gain as this; and let me therefore make it my settled rule, never wilfully to do ever so little known evil, in order to gain ever so great seeming good. If Jacob, having once entered into the plot, was led, step by step, of necessity, as it seemed to him, from one act of falsehood to another; what a lesson have I here against once encroaching upon truth, what a warning not to make the least compromise with sin; lest I become entangled in the endless mazes of iniquity! And was it Jacob, who thus fell, Jacob, the chosen of the Lord? Who then shall make sure of standing safe? Who must not be aware that his state on earth is full of danger? who must not apprehend that he will often have to pray, for God to lift him up when falling, as well as to strengthen him when he stands? And did the son who thus beguiled his father, succeed, notwithstanding many and great troubles, in being reconciled to his brother, and rearing up a numerous family, to enjoy the blessings here pronounced? Did he mightily wrestle with God, and prevail? See ch. 32. 28. Did he prevail to inherit in his children's children, blessings infinitely more precious than "the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine;" infinitely above all comparison with sovereignty over nations, supremacy amongst brethren, or the having it declared for certain, "Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee"? Then which of us need despair? Who shall not be encouraged to repent? Who shall not feel assured of pardon? Who that prays shall be refused the Holy Spirit of God, to help him to amend; and an inheritance eternal in the heavens, for the exceeding great reward of his amend

ment?

Lord, teach us to pray; for without Thee we know not how. Lord, intercede for our petitions; for without thy help our prayers are vain. Lord, do Thou pray in our behalf; and we are sure that God, who heareth prayer, will give us the blessing we desire.

Esau disappointed, intreateth Isaac for a blessing.

30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob ? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him : and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

LECTURE 55.

The hopeless condition of those whom God condemns. Few can read this history without concern for Esau. Few can help pitying the distress of the son, and the disappointment of his aged father. Nor is it probable but that the Holy Spirit of God, under whose direction this history was written, designed that we should herein mourn with them that mourn. But pity must not be our only feeling, when distress and anguish come on those, who oppose themselves to the will of God. There are other emotions to be exercised, when God is pleased in any signal method to fulfil those words of his prophet, "Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be

lightly esteemed." 1 Sam. 2. 30. We ought to glorify God. We ought to praise Him in the greatness of his power. We ought to magnify his wisdom, justice, goodness, and strength. And whilst we lament for our brethren who must suffer, and labour for their deliverance whilst there yet is hope, and also watch for ourselves that we perish not; we must also be exercising our souls, by the contemplation of God's righteous judgments, against that solemn hour, when the wicked shall go into everlasting fire, and yet the righteous be able to feel the fulness of joy.

Many will at that hour undergo the disappointment of Esau; many who having sold their spiritual birthright for the pottage of pleasure upon earth, still vainly imagine that they shall be able to secure a blessing in the end. When one who has been at first a repentant sinner, and then a faithful saint, has scarce gone out from receiving a sentence of mercy, to enter into the joy of his Lord; another who has presumptuously expected to stand safe in his natural advantages, will begin to cry, Lord, Lord, and will find, when it is too late, that no tears of anguish will avail to change the mind of Him, whose sentence once pronounced, whether for good or evil, stands fast for evermore. What a moment of unutterable agony will that be, for them who shall be then shut out from heaven! And how great must be the glory, how far beyond all conception the happiness of heaven, that the joy of entering into it cannot be alloyed, even by the "exceeding bitter cry" of them that are shut out!

In the case of Esau, in the loss of blessings on the earth, though the birthright, and the chief advantages attending it, were taken from him; there were others that remained. He might have the portion of the second son, though not of the eldest. Of "the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven," there was enough for both. And though he must upon the whole serve his brother, yet there might be a time when he should for a season break the yoke from off his neck. At the day of judgment, and in respect to the blessings of eternity, there is no alternative for them that shall be shut out from heaven, but to be cast down to hell. And from those flames there is no escape. That yoke can no man break off from his neck. What horror for such as there abide, to know that there they must abide for ever; to have no hope in themselves; to excite no sympathy in saints or angels, though they joy in the repentance of a sinner; to meet with no mercy at the hand of God, though "God is love!" 1 John 4. 8. Save us, even us also, O heavenly Father, from such an end as this! From all blindness of heart, from contempt of thy word and commandment, from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation, good Lord, deliver us!

Esau threateneth Jacob. Rebekah contriveth for his escape. 41 And Esau hated Jacob be- Haran; cause 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 bro

ther Jacob.

42 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.

43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to

44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

45 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?

46 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?

LECTURE 56.

Being God's creatures, we are bound to do his work. Esau hating Jacob because of Isaac's blessing, is a fearful instance of that envy, malice, and uncharitableness, which came at the first with sin into the heart of man, and of which we must remember many traces, and perhaps are still aware of some, in ourselves. Hence it came to pass in times of old, that like as Esau said in his heart, I will "slay my brother Jacob," so men who would not themselves believe the Gospel, resolved to put believers to death. Hence have sprung other kinds of persecution besides slaying with the sword; as imprisonment of the body, or injury of property, or reproach and ridicule directed to prey upon the mind. Let us be sure that we take no part in any such proceedings. Let us hate no one, on any account. Much less let us feel hatred, because of any blessing vouchsafed to another, but denied to ourselves, by God. Least of all let us bear malice against our brother, for any spiritual privileges or advantages, any gifts he may have received, any proficiency he may have attained beyond our own. Now is the time when we have to mourn, the bridegroom being away from us. Far be it from us to take such an opportunity, as Esau would have done, for oppressing one another in the absence of our Lord. Rather whilst we suffer in the loss of his presence, let our hearts be softened with affection one towards another. Rather let us take occasion, whatever wrongs we may have met with, freely to forgive each other, even as God has for Christ's sake forgiven us.

Esau, it seems, not only formed this wicked purpose in his heart, but expressed it aloud; so that it reached his mother's

ears.

Her affection for Jacob prompted her to send him at once out of the reach of his "brother's fury." And in doing so, she appears to have felt at the same time somewhat of a mother's regard for Esau. "Why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?" For if Esau had slain Jacob, it would have been the office of Jacob's nearest of kin, according to a custom still prevalent in the east, to take all measures in his power for slaying Esau. We see in this matter, a part of the same settled plan of Rebekah, to secure the blessing to her son Jacob, and his seed, at all events. Otherwise instead of sending away Jacob, until Esau had forgotten what had been done unto him, we might rather have expected her to urge her favourite son to express contrition to his brother, and to offer any reparation in his power. Such at least, we may be sure, is our duty; such would be our duty if we had defrauded any one, if we had supplanted any one. Instead of flying from threatened vengeance, we ought to give ourselves up to the demands of justice; endeavouring at the same time by the expression of sorrow, and the offer of restitution, to obtain a sentence of mercy.

But no such straightforward conduct seems to have accorded with the policy of Rebekah. For here again, it must be observed, in order to pave the way for the departure of Jacob to Haran, instead of mentioning her fears for Jacob's life, she pleaded with Isaac her apprehensions lest he should take a wife, like Esau, "of the daughters of Heth." And here again, as we find afterwards, her scheme succeeded. Jacob was sent away in safety; and with the blessing confirmed to him, and enlarged. And the purposes of God in his behalf were forwarded, and fulfilled, partly by those means, in his children after him. This indeed is sure to be the case, whether we do evil in direct opposition to God's will, or under the plea of forwarding his pleasure. Yea, whether we do evil, or do good, his will and pleasure are sure to be fulfilled. But then it makes all the difference to us; whether we have been doing evil or doing good; it makes all the difference to us, both for time and for eternity. God's creatures we are, and He will have us do his work. But how miserable is the case of those who do it grudgingly, or of necessity! How mean is his esteem of those, who do it not as He commands, but after the devices and desires of their own hearts! How highly are they honoured, and only they, who both purposely do his work, and purposely do it according to his will!

O God, may it be our pleasure to do thine! May it be the height of our ambition to be willing ministers to thy glory!

0. T. VOL. I. PARTI