of which time he determined to depart. During the last few years he had become so rich and prosperous, that Laban had grown jealous of him, and Jacob was afraid that he would do every thing in his power to prevent his departure. Again and again Laban had taken every possible advantage of him; but God had so blessed Jacob that Laban's flocks and herds had many of them passed fairly into his hands; and now he dared not tell Laban that he was going. Accordingly, seizing his opportunity, while Laban was away from home sheep-shearing, he fled as a fugitive from his uncle's house, with his wives, his children, and all his possessions. Rachel also stole her father's idol-gods, and carried them secretly away with her, saying nothing of the theft to her husband.

Three days after Jacob's departure Laban heard the news, and, full of astonishment and vexation, followed after Jacob; and as the latter could travel but slowly, through the number of persons and cattle that he had with him, Laban soon overtook him. He earnestly remonstrated with him for his flight, and asked him why, if he must go himself, he had stolen his idols. Jacob replied, that he dared not tell Laban that he was going, fearing that he would have kept his daughters back by force, and that as to his idols he knew nothing of them; but that Laban might search his baggage, and whoever should be found having them in his possession should be put to death. Rachel then hid the idols among her camel-furniture, and sat down upon it, and when Laban came to search, excused herself from rising up, under the pretence that she was not well enough to stand. Laban, believing the excuse, of course found nothing; and when Jacob chid him for bringing a false charge of theft against his people, Laban was reconciled, and they parted friends.

Jacob now proceeded on his journey, and as he came near his own country, he became afraid of his brother Esau's vengeance, and sent messengers forward to speak peaceably to him, and entreat his forbearance. But hearing that Esau was advancing to meet him with a band of

400 men, his fears were redoubled, and he divided his followers and cattle into two divisions, hoping that at least one of them might escape the violence which he dreaded from his brother. At the same time he sent forward a present of several hundred sheep, goats, cattle, and camels to Esau, hoping thus to win his favour.

That night, when all his arrangements were concluded, being alone, another manifestation of the Divine favour was vouchsafed him. He met what seemed to him a man, who struggled with him, and wrestled with him until daybreak. The stranger, however, could not master Jacob, whose strength appeared too great for him; yet, when the day began, he touched the sinew of Jacob's thigh with his hand, and that moment the sinew withered up and shrank. Still Jacob held the stranger in his gripe, for he saw that it was not a man, but an angel, who was wrestling with him, and that some wonderful meaning was hidden beneath the miracle. When the angel therefore said, "Let me go, for it is break of day, Jacob answered, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And the angel said, What is thy name? And he answered, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men? And when Jacob asked his name, he would not tell him, but blessed him in that same place. And Jacob said, I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved." The whole occurrence was a miracle, to shew to the patriarch and to his descendants, both Jews and Christians, that it is the will of God that they should, as it were, wrestle with Him in prayer; and that as man is conquered in a struggle by one that is stronger, so God will suffer Himself to be vanquished by those who say to Him in love and faith, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." It was also directly designed to assure Jacob of the conquest he would gain over the prejudices and anger of Esau.

Thus signally honoured and protected by Almighty The word 'Israel' means one who is a prince, or who prevails with God.

power, Jacob went forth to meet his brother.

And

Esau's heart was touched with kindness, and he received Jacob with open arms, and clasping him about the neck, fell on his face and wept. In the afternoon, he returned to his own abode at Seir; and Jacob following slowly after him, settled at Salem, in the land of Chanaan. There, however, it was not long before his daughter Dina was foully outraged by the son of the ruler of Sichem; and Jacob's two sons, Simeon and Levi, took so frightful a vengeance for the crime, that Jacob dared no longer stay in the country, but moved on to Bethel, where he settled. At the same time he purged away from his followers the idolatrous practices which were frequently creeping in among them; for clear and strong as was the faith of Jacob himself in the one true God, it is plain that many of those who were about him were in perpetual peril of falling into the idolatry of the neighbouring tribes. Laban, his uncle, we have seen, had idol-gods in his house; and even Rachel herself appears to have set a superstitious value upon her father's images, and probably stole them under the idea that she would be benefited by having them in her possession. Still, it seems that in all these cases the religion of Jacob's kindred was not a rank and unmixed idolatry, or denial of the one only God, Jehovah; but rather a vain superstitious veneration for certain inferior gods, or supernatural powers, and such a regard for images as is forbidden to be paid to any created thing.

At Hebron, Jacob once more saw his father, Isaac, who still survived in extreme old age; and there Isaac died, when 180 years old, and was buried by his sons Jacob and Esau. Before this, Jacob had lost his wife Rachel, who died in giving birth to her second son, Benjamin.

CHAP. XIV. Joseph and his Brethren.

THE sorrows of Jacob were now multiplied, and his children became his greatest affliction. Though he had gained the birthright, and was under the special pro