ban's dealings with him, and the honesty and fidelity of Jacob in his service; therefore he determined. to reward Jacob, and punish Laban. We are told, that God revealed to Jacob in a dream, that the cattle should be thus spotted; and very probably in the same dream GoD ordered him to make use of pilled rods in the manner he used them; and assured him, that if he did so, the favour which he had promised of increasing his wages should follow. We have frequent instances in Scripture, of Gon's appointing persons to perform some actions in order to receive his blessing; and that, in one of these two ways: sometimes they are directed to do some action, upon which they should receive some sign or token, that what was promised them should be performed. Thus Abraham was to take a heifer of three years old, and a she goat, and a ram, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon, and to lay them in order for a sacrifice; and then he was to receive an assurance, that he should inherit Canaan. At other times they are commanded to perform some action which might testify their be lieving in Gon, and depending upon his promise; and upon doing such action the favour promised was to, follow. Thus Naaman the Syrian, when he came

a

now, and go out of this land, and return into the land of thy father, and I will bless thee-then follows: And Jacob took green poplar. rods, &c. The carly transcribers, through, whose hands we have received our present copies of the Bible, may have dropped some such passage as this, which very fully answers to what Jacob afterwards told his wives. a Gen. xv. 9.

1

to beg of GoD a cure of his leprosy, was directed to wash seven times in Jordan; his washing in Jordan was to be an evidence of his believing that God would heal him; and upon giving this evidence of his belief, he was to be cured. Now this was the case of Jacob here before us: GoD had told him, that he had seen all that Laban, had done to him; but that he would take care that he should not hurt him; and that he designed to turn all Laban's contrivances to defraud him of his wages, so much to his advantage, as that they should tend to the increase of his prosperity; and then GoD commanded him in token of his belief and dependance upon him, to take the pilled rods, and use them as he directed. Jacob believed, and did as he was commanded; no more thinking, that the pilling white streaks in green boughs, and laying them in the troughs where the flocks were to drink, was a natural way to cause them to bring forth speckled and ring streaked cattle, than Naaman did that washing in a river was a cure for the leprosy; but in both cases the favour expected depending upon the special providence of GOD, the particular directions of GOD were to be performed in order to obtain it. But, 3. I do not think it can be proved, that the method which Jacob used is a natural and effectual way of causing cattle to bring forth speckled and ringstreaked young. As almost all the conjectures of the ancient heathen writers upon the powers of nature had their first rise from some hints or facts in the Hebrew writings; so, perhaps, what is offered by

2 Kings v. 10.

Aristotle, and other ancient writers, about the effects which impressions made upon the imagination of the dam may have upon their young; might be first occasioned by this fact thus recorded in the Hebrew scriptures, or by some remarks of ancient writers made from it; but it is observable, that the ancient naturalists carried their thoughts upon these subjects much further than they would bear; and we, who live in an age of far better philosophy, do not find, that we know so much as Aristotle thought he did upon these subjects. The effects of impressions upon the imagination must be very accidental, because the objects which should cause them may, or may not be taken notice of; as any one would find, who should try Jacob's pilled rods to variegate his cattle with. The waters of Jordan may cure a leprosy, or Jacob's pilled rods produce spotted cattle; either of these means may have the desired effect, if a particular providence directs them; but without such providence neither of these means may have any effect at all. I might add farther, 4. If we should allow that the pilled rods, as Jacob used them, might naturally produce the effect upon Laban's cattle which followed; yet since, as I before hinted, we have no reason to think Jacob remarkably learned beyond Laban and all his children, for it is not probable that he alone should know this grand secret, and all other persons have not the least suspicion of it; we can at most only suppose that GoD directed him to what he did in this matter. In Hezekiah's sickness, the

" Isaiah xxxviii. 21.

prophet directed an application of figs in order to his recovery, and Hezekiah recovered upon the appli cation of them; but since this application was made not by any rules of physic then known, but by a divine direction, we must ascribe the cure immediately to Gon himself, even though it may possibly be argued that figs were a proper medicine for Hezekiah's distemper. They were not then known or thought to be so, and therefore human skill or prescription had no part in the cure. Thus in Jacob's case; if it can be supposed that pilled rods may be naturally a means to variegate young cattle; yet unless we can think he knew that the use of them would naturally have this effect; and that he used them," not in obedience to a special direction from Gon, but merely as an art to get Laban's cattle, we cannot lay any blame upon him; it cannot, I think, be supposed that Jacob had any such knowledge. GOD Almighty determined to punish Laban for his injustice, and reward Jacob for his fidelity; therefore he revealed to Jacob the manner in which he designed to bless him, and ordered him to do an action as a token that he embraced God's promise, and expected the performance of it. Jacob faithfully observed the orders which were given him; and Gon blessed him according to his promise. Now there is no reason for us to think, that Jacob knew of, or used any art to over-reach Laban, and get away his cattle; but the true conclusion is what Jacob himself expressed in his speech to his wives. Ye know, that with all my power, I have served your father: and your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times;

but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, the speckled shall be thy wages, then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, the ringstraked shall be thy hire, then bare all the cattle ring-straked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them unto me.d

Jacob, finding Laban and his sons every day more and more indisposed towards him, took an opportunity, and contrived matters with his wives, and separated his own from his father-in-law's cattle; and retiring in a private manner, passed over Euphrates, and made towards Mount Gilead. He was gone three days before Laban heard of it; who, when it was told him, gathered his family together and pursued him for seven days, and overtook him at Gilead. From Haran to mount Gilead must be above two hundred and fifty miles; so that Jacob made haste to travel thither in ten days, going about twenty-five miles each day; and Laban's pursuit of him was very eager, for he marched about thirty-seven miles a day for seven days together; but he was resolved to overtake him. When he came up with him, he purposed in his heart to revenge himself upon him; but here GoD was pleased to interpose, and warn Laban not to offer Jacob any evil. Hereupon, when he came up to him, he only expostulated with him his manner of leaving him, and complained that he had stolen his teraphim, which Rachel, fond of the memory of her ancestors, had, without Jacob's knowledge, taken

d Gen. xxxi. 6–9.

f Ver. 14:

Gen. xxxi. 17.