The behaviour of Isaac to the supposed Esau, shews, that he meant to make him heir to the promises at first vouchsafed by the LORD to Abraham, and afterwards confirmed to himself. The words in which he pronounced the blessing were evidently a prophecy, and they perfectly agreed with that prediction concerning the everlasting covenant, which the LORD himself had formerly declared *.

Isaac was certainly wrong in proceeding in so momentous an affair without seeking God's direction, or referring to the Divine revelation, which had been> formerly made.

However Esau might have despised his birth-right, he was not ignorant of the value of the Divine promises; nor does he seem to have been destitute of faith in them, for he readily made preparations for receiving the paternal benediction; but his faith was not productive of obedience; so far was he from being perfectly devoted † to the LORD, that he intermarried with those very nations who were designed to be cut off for their wickedness, and he transferred the birth-right to Jacob, and solemnly called upon the LORD Himself as a witness. of his willingness to forego the advantage of having Him as a God, which was a principal part of the everlasting covenant. Had the blessing been merely personal,· surely he would have deserved to lose it. And in fact it was, properly speaking, Esau who was the supplanter, or Jacob had a right to the blessing, both by Divine appointment, and the solemn resignation of Esau.

Isaac's violent agitation, when he discovered the fraud that had been practised on him, may be imputed to a sudden recollection that he had opposed the revealed will of God, in intending to give to his eldest son the blessing destined for the youngest. *Gen. xvii. 8. + Gen. xxvi. 34

It is evident that
Gen. xxvi. 34-

Isaac did not design to offend the LORD; on the contrary, he resisted the earnest importunities, and even bitter tears of a darling son, and could not be prevailed upon to make a deliberate attempt to counteract the decree of Heaven, but voluntarily confirmed the blessing, which he had inadvertently pronounced.

All that Isaac could do to console Esau, was, to pronounce the blessing which GOD designed for his posterity; and it is remarkable, that it was equal in value to that pronounced on Jacob's, excepting in the circumstance of supremacy, and that even this was to continue only for a season.

The practical instruction which Reason teaches us to collect from this section, seems to be, that fathers and mothers should not give a partial preference to any one of their children. That brothers ought not to endeavour to circumvent each other; that the practice of deceit and falsehood, even from pious motives, will cast an odium upon the best characters: and that parents should not entice their children into sin; nor children yield to their parents' persuasions, when their own consciences. tell them, that by doing so they will offend God.

We have not, like the patriarchs, particular revelations concerning the future prosperity of our descendants; but a title to a share in the Everlasting Covenant has been purchased for us, and for our children. The means to secure this title are proposed in the Scriptures; therefore, instead of endeavouring, with a too anxious solicitude for their worldly interest, to do the work of Divine Providence in their behalf, let us instil into the minds of our children lessons of piety, and accustom them to study the oracles of GoD as the best rules of moral conduct; then will they be upright and sincere in all their words and actions, and affectionately united to each other, and the LORD Himself will bestow on them his choicest blessings, both temporal and eternal.

SECTION

SECTION XXXIV.

ISAAC BLESSETH JACOB, AND SENDETH

PADAN ARAM.

From Genesis, Chap. xxvii.

HIM ΤΟ

AND Fsau hated Jacob, because 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 brother Jacob.

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 kild

thee.

Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice and arise, fee thou to Laban my brother, to Haran: and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury, turn away, 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?

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?

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people:

And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and

to

to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

We observed in the last section, that had the BLESSING, which was the object of contention between the two brothers, been a personal one, Esau deserved to lose it; and the same may be said in respect to, Jacob, who soon found to his sorrow, that those honours, which are purchased at the expence of sincerity and truth, cannot be enjoyed with tranquillity of mind. Instead of being treated as the heir of the premises, he was obliged, in order to save his life, to leave his native home, forsake his aged father, and tear himself from the arms of his indulgent mother. He, who had been accustomed from his infancy to a quiet domestic life, was under the necessity of undertaking a long fatiguing journey of 450 miles, without a single attendant to direct his steps, or soothe his sorrows. He was even destitute of the means of subsistence for any length of time. He could not request his father to give him a younger son's portion; and besides, Isaac was led to believe, that Jacob undertook the journey merely in search of a wife: neither could Jacob carry any great stock of provisions with him. He was indeed going to his mother's relations; but many misfortunes might befal him by the way; and it was probable the family of Laban would not receive him, or grant him a settlement among them. He had no flocks or herds to begin the world with; nor do we read that he was, like Ishmael, skilled in archery. From

From these circumstances it is evident, that, in respect to his own immediate happiness, it would have been better for Jacob, at that time, to have lived in a subor. dinate rank to his brother.

An equal punishment fell upon Rebekah; for we may easily conceive that she suffered extreme distress of mind at first, from the apprehension that Esau would actually kill Jacob; and afterwards, from being obliged to part with the object of her tenderest affections.

Here appears then no partiality in the dispensations of Providence in respect to the two brothers; for Jacob was immediately punished, by being launched into the wide world to seek his fortune; and Esau left without a rival, to enjoy all the comforts and advantages, which the paternal roof afforded.

The threat which Esau threw out against Jacob was, in all probability, uttered while he was under violent perturbation of mind, occasioned by his disappointment' of the paternal blessing; for it does not appear that he' made any actual attempt to take away his brother's life, or that he retained his hatred.

Rebekah took a very prudent step, in sending Jacob to her own relations, and is not to be blamed for the excuse she made for doing so; because the desire that - he should marry in her family, was doubtless one of her reasons for wishing him to go thither; and had she told the whole truth to her husband, while he was in such a weak state of health, it might have occasioned his death; at least it would have raised his anger against Esau, and there is no knowing what bad consequences might have ensued to all parties.

We may easily conceive, from the general character of Jacob, that his heart was overwhelmed with affliction, when he found, that he must leave all his tender connections behind him; and though the Sacred Histo