with each other, and with the lot to which he was born, for this more or less models the character of every man. The lot of Jacob had not fallen upon the fairest of grounds. Life, especially the former part of it, did not run so smoothly with him as with his father Isaac-so that he might be tempted to say to Pharaoh towards the close of it naturally enough, that "the days of the years of it had been evil.” The faults of his youth had been visited upon his manhood with a retributive justice not unfrequent in God's moral government of the world, where the very sin by which a man offends is made the rod by which he is corrected. Rebekah's undue partiality for her younger son, which leads her to deal cunningly for his promotion unto honour, works for her the loss of that son for the remainder of her days-his own unjust attempts at gaining the superiority over his elder brother, entail upon him twenty years slavery in a foreign land—and the arts by which he had made Esau to suffer, are precisely those by which he suffers himself at the hands of Laban. Of this man, the first thing we hear is, his entertainment of Abraham's servant when he came on his errand to Rebekah. Hospitality was the virtue of his age and country; in his case, however, it seems to have been no little stimulated by the sight of "the ear-ring and the bracelets on his sister's hands," which the servant had already given her*-so he speedily made room for the camels. He next is presented to us as beguiling that sister's son, who had sought a shelter in his house, and whose circumstances placed him at his * Genesis, xxiv. 30. mercy, of fourteen years' service, when he had covenanted with him for seven onlyendeavouring to retain his labour when he would not pay him his labour's worthhimself devouring the portion which he should have given to his daughters, counting them but as strangers.* Compelled at length to pay Jacob wages, he changes them ten times, and in the spirit of a crafty griping worldling, makes him account for whatever of the flock was torn of beasts or stolen, whether by day or night. When Jacob flies from this iniquitous service with his family and cattle, Laban still pursues and persecutes him, intending, if his intentions had not been over-ruled by a mightier hand, to send him away empty, even after he had been making, for so long a period, so usurious a profit of him. * Genesis, xxxi. 15. I think it was to be expected, that one who had been disciplined in such a school as this, and for such a season, would not come out of it without bearing about him its marks; and that oppressed first by the just fury of his brother, which put his life in hazard, and drove him into exile, and then oppressed still more by the continued tyranny of a father-in-law, such as we have seen, Jacob should have learned, like maltreated animals, to have the fear of man habitually before his eyes. Now that it was so, is evident from all the latter part of his history. He is afraid that Laban will not let him go, and therefore takes the precaution to steal from him unawares, when he is gone to a distance to shear his sheep. He approaches the borders of Edom, but here the ancient dread of his brother revives, and he takes the precaution to propitiate him or to escape him by measures which breath the spirit of the man in a singular manner. He sends him a message it is from "Jacob thy servant" to "Esau my lord." Esau advances, and he at once fears the worst. Then does he divide his people and substance into two bands, that if the one be smitten, the other may escape-he provides a present of many cattle for his brother-he commands his servants to put a space between each drove, apparently to add effect to the splendour of his present -he charges them to deliver severally their own portion, with the tidings that he was behind who sent it—he appoints their places to the women and children with the same prudential considerations that mark his whole conduct; first the hand-maids and their children; then Leah and her |