tarry a little longer; but Eliezer, like a diligent as well as faithful servant, was for hastening home with her, which with Rebecca's consent, he did. Accordingly she prepared for her journey, being attended with her nurse Deborah and maid servants, her relations pronouncing on her this blessing at parting; "Be thou the mother of thousands "of millions, and let thy seed possess the gates of them "which hate them."

While the faithful servant was conveying his fair charge to his master's house, Providence had so ordered it, that Isaac walking out in the evening, to meditate on the goodness of the Lord, saw his servants and the camels upon the road; whereupon he went forward to meet them. Rebecca soon observed him, and asked Eliezer who he was; and being informed that it was his master's son, she alighted, and veiled herself. Isaac with great respect received her, and conducted her to his mother's tent, which was allotted for her apartment. Soon after which, the marriage was solemnized. This union, so happily effected, under the smiles of Providence, proved the source of much satisfaction. Isaac was a very affectionate husband; and found in this new relation, consolation for the loss of his affectionate parent Sarah, whose removal, though at a very advanced age, he had sincerely lamented for a long time.

Isaac being thus happily married, the good old patriarch his father begins to entertain thoughts of another wife; and casting his eyes upon his maid Keturah,† he took her to

* Veiled. According to the custom of those countries, veiling was a token of subjection, and it is in general use throughout the eastern world to this day.

But

† Keturah. The Jewish writers are very fabulous about this Keturah, some supposing her to be the same with Hagar; but in all probability she might be dead as well as Sarah; and if she had been alive, too old to have more children. laying aside fables and conjecture, it is certain from Gen. xxv. 6. that Keturah was a servant; for if she had been a free woman, she would not have been called a concubine. But besides, the word concubine (not only here in Gen xv. 6. but also in 1 Chron. i. 32.) gives occasion to some to suppose that he married her in Sarah's life time; for concubine was a term not usually given to such second wives as succeed others, but to such as in the life-time of the first wife were partakers of the marriage-bed.

his bed, and she was his concubinary wife. By her he had six sons; to each of whom he gave a portion in his life time, and sent them eastward, that they might not stand in competition with Isaac for any part of his estate, nor settle any where in the land of Canaan, which his seed, by Isaac, was to inherit.

Isaac was forty years old when he married, and he lived twenty years with his amiable consort before they were favoured with any issue, which, however, was at length obtained in answer to his importunate prayers. Rebecca, being pregnant, perceived the children (for she had twins) struggling together within her; this peculiar circumstance startled her, and excited no small surprise as to what it might portend. Upon which she went to inquire* of the Lord, and received for answer, "That two nations" (or heads of nations) "were in her womb; and that two "manner of people should be separated from her bowels: "That one of those people should be stronger than the "other, and that the elder should serve the younger." The time of their birth being arrived, Rebecca was first delivered of Esau, who was red and hairy. His brother Jacob followed him so close, that he took hold of his heel with his hand. The boys growing up, Esau delighted altogether in the fields, being addicted to hunting; and because he furnished his father with venison, a sort of food of which Isaac was very fond, therefore he loved him best. But Jacob, who was of a less robust disposition, was beloved by his mother, being more conversant with her, and ready at hand to wait on her. By the time that these youths were fifteen years old, their grandfather Abraham departed this world, being a hundred and seventy-five years of age, and was buried by his sons Ishmael and Isaac in the cave of Macpelah, in the field which he had

* Inquire. This in those times was usually done by consulting some prophet: And her father-in-law Abraham being a prophet, (for so he is expressly called by God himself, Gen. xx. 7.) and then living, it is most probable she enquired of him.

purchased of the sons of Heth, and where about forty years before, he had buried Sarah his wife.

As for Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son, (though not his heir,) he lived many years after this, till he attained to a hundred and thirty seven years. And then leaving, as was foretold of him, twelve sons, who were all princes of nations, and possessed of towns and castles, he likewise died. And although he had been such a wild man that his hand had been against every man, and every man's hand against him, yet he died at last in the presence of his brethren, that is, a natural death, having his family and relations about him.

Esau and Jacob being grown to man's estate, it happened one day that Esau having fatigued himself extremely in the field, came fainting to Jacob, who at that very time had just made some pottage of lentils, which was of a red colour. Esau, seeing the pottage, and his spirits being very much wasted with hunger, desired his brother to let him eat with him, telling him, the more to move him, that he was very faint. Jacob, though called a plains or innocent man, knew how to take advantage of his brother's necessity, and therefore to inflame his desire the more, which was sufficiently prompted by his present hunger, and to make Esau the more fond of the bargain by delays, proposes to him to sell his birth-right. Esau through greediness not considering of what moment

*Foretold. See Gen. xvii. 20.

Hand, &c. See Gen. xvi. 12.

Lentils. A kind of pulse, somewhat like our vetches, or coarsest sort of

pease.

Plain. See Gen. xxv. 27.

|| Birth-right. Birth-right, or right of primogeniture, had many and great privileges annexed to it. The first-born was consecrated to the Lord, Exod xxii. 29. was next in honour and dignity to the parents, Gen. xlix. 3. had a double portion allotted to him, Deut. xxi. 17. and succeeded in the government of the family or kingdom, 2 Chron. xxi. 3. and therefore was a matter of the highest regard.

and advantage his birth-right was, and consulting only his present need and appetite, slightly answers, "Behold "I am ready to die, and what good shall this birth-right "do me?" Jacob finding him so indifferent, was not content with his word, but to make the bargain sure, would not part with his pottage till he had obliged his brother to confirm the birth-right to him by an oath. Esau never scruples it; and so sold his birth-right, with all those excellent privileges that depended on it, for a mess of pottage. This in Esau is called "despising* his birthright."

Isaac had hitherto made Beersheba his usual residence, as his father Abraham did before him; but a famine happening in that part of the country where he lived, he was obliged to remove. Now, while he deliberated whither to go, the Lord appeared unto him and charged him not to go down into Egypt, but to stay in the land which he should shew him, promising to be with him, and bless him; and assuring him that he would give all those countries to him and his descendants, in performance of the oath which he sware to his father Abraham, and that he would cause his family to multiply as the stars of heaven; and nations of the earth to account themselves blessed therein, because of the faith and obedience of Abraham.

Isaac, in pursuance of the divine direction, travels to the country of the Philistines, and fixes in Gerar. And here the same temptation assaulted him that befel his father in the same place: Rebecca his wife was a beautiful woman, and he, fearing the people would kill him on her account, when they enquired in what degree they were

Despising. See Gen. xxv. 34. He is also called, Heb. xii. 16. « Profane Esau." He despised the Patriarchal Blessing, wherein the promised seed was included, and of which the birth-right was an external sign; so that by selling his birth-right, he virtually renounced his right to it. Several years afterwards, he would have inherited the blessing, and sought it diligently with tears;" but he sought it too late, and not of God, by prayer and faith, but only of his fa ther. No man knows to what sad events one deliberate sin, especially of profaneness, may lead; and sin may be the occasion of great sorrow, where there is no true sorrow for sin.

related to each other, he told them she was his sister, an appellation then common among kindred in almost any degree. Isaac did not long continue unsuspected; for Abimelech (or the king) looking out of a window, saw him so familiar with Rebecca, as gave him cause to think she was his wife; and sending for Isaac, reproved him for imposing upon him, telling him confidently she was his wife. Isaac being thus charged, could not deny it, but excused himself, saying, he did it to save his life. The king at first blamed him for laying such a snare for him and his people, saying, "What is this thou hast done? one of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldst "have brought guilt upon us;" and then gave a strict charge on pain of death to all his subjects, that none should offer any injury to him or his wife.

Isaac by this protection being encouraged to tarry there longer, applied himself to husbandry, wherein he was so successful, that the land he sowed yielded him a crop of an hundred-fold, by which, and God's continual blessing upon him, he became so wealthy and powerful, that Abimelech's servants grew jealous, and to oblige him to depart the country, filled up the wells which his father's servants had digged. Abimelech himself was possessed with the same jealousy, and therefore spoke to Isaac to withdraw to some other place, because he was grown more potent than himself.

Isaac, as well to secure himself, as to make Abimelech easy, departs to the valley of Gerar, where he clears the wells which Abraham had formerly caused to be digged, and which the Philistines had filled up, giving them the names they bore before. Here he likewise dug a new well; but a quarrel happening between the shepherds of Gerar, and those of Isaac, the former affirming that those wells belonged to them, Isaac's people quitted it, calling that

* Abimelech. It is very probable this Abimelech might be the son of that Abimelech, King of Gerar, with whom Abraham had formerly made a cove

nant.