Esau should outrun his brother into the world, Jacob holds him fast by the heel; so his hand was born before the other's foot. But, because Esau is some minutes the elder, that the younger might have better claim to that which God had promised, he buys that which he could not win. If either by strife, or purchase, or suit, we can attain spiritual blessings, we are happy. If Jacob had come forth first, he had not known how much he was bound to God for the favour of his advancement.

There was never any meat, except the forbidden fruit, so dear bought as this broth of Jacob: in both, the receiver and the eater is accursed. Every true son of Israel will be content to purchase spiritual favours with earthly: and that man hath in him too much of the blood of Esau, who will not rather die than forego his birthright.

But what hath careless Esau lost, if, having sold his birthright, he may obtain the blessing? Or what hath Jacob gained, if his brother's venison may countervail his pottage? Yet thus hath old Isaac decreed, who was now not more blind in his eyes, than in his affections. God had forewarned him that the elder should serve the younger, yet Isaac goes about to bless Esau.

It was as hard for Abraham to reconcile God's promise and Isaac's sacrifice, as for Isaac to reconcile the superiority of Jacob with Esau's benediction; for God's hand was in that, in this none but his own. The dearest of God's saints have been sometimes transported with natural affections. He saw himself preferred to Ismael, though the elder. He saw his father wilfully forgetting nature at God's command, in binding him for sacrifice. He saw Esau lewdly matched with heathens, and yet he will remember nothing but Esau is my first-born. But how gracious is God, that when we would, will not let us sin! and so orders our actions, that we do not what we will, but what we ought.

That God which had ordained the lordship to the younger, will also contrive for him the blessing; what he will have effected, shall not want means. The mother shall rather defeat the son, and beguile the father, than the father shall beguile the chosen son of his blessing. What was Jacob to Rebecca, more than Esau? or what mother doth not more affect the elder? But now God inclines the love of the mother to the younger, against the custom of nature, because

the father loves the elder, against the promise. The affections of the parents are divided; that the promise might be fulfilled, Rebecca's craft shall answer Isaac's partiality: Isaac would unjustly turn Esau into Jacob; Rebecca doth as cunningly turn Jacob into Esau: her desire was good; her means were unlawful. God doth ofttimes effect his just will by our weaknesses; yet neither thereby justifying our infirmities, nor blemishing his own actions.

Here was nothing but counterfeiting; a feigned person, a feigned name, feigned venison, a feigned answer, and yet behold a true blessing; but to the man, not to the means. Those were so unsound, that Jacob himself doth more fear their curse, than hope for their success. Isaac was now both simple and old; yet, if he had perceived the fraud, Jacob had been more sure of a curse, than he could be sure that he should not be perceived.

Those which are plain-hearted in themselves, are the bitterest enemies to deceit in others. Rebecca, presuming upon the oracle of God and her husband's simplicity, dare be his surety for the danger, his counsellor for the carriage of the business, his cook for the diet, yea, dresses both the meat and the man; and now puts words into his mouth, the dish into his hand, the garments upon his back, the goat's hair upon the open parts of his body, and sends him in thus furnished for the blessing, standing, no doubt, at the door, to see how well her lesson was learned, how well her device succeeded. And if old Isaac should, by any of his senses, have discerned the guile, she had soon stept in and undertaken the blame, and urged him with that known will of God concerning Jacob's dominion, and Esau's servitude, which either age or affection had made him forget.

It

And now she wishes she could borrow Esau's tongue as well as his garments, that she might securely deceive all the senses of him which had suffered himself to be more dangerously deceived with his affection. But this is past her remedy: her son must name himself Esau with the voice of Jacob. is hard if our tongue do not bewray what we are, in spite of our habit. This was enough to work Isaac to a suspicion, to an inquiry, not to an incredulity. He that is good of himself, will hardly believe evil of another, and will rather distrust his own senses than the fidelity of those he trusted. All the senses are set to examine; none sticketh at the judgment,

but the ear to deceive that, Jacob must second his dissimulation with three lies at one breath: I am Esau;-as thou badest me;-my venison. One sin entertained, fetcheth in another; and if it be forced to lodge alone, either departeth or dieth. I love Jacob's blessing, but I hate his lie. I would not do that wilfully which Jacob did weakly, upon condition of a blessing. He that He that pardoned his infirmity would curse my obstinateness.

Good Isaac sets his hands to try whether his ears informed him aright; he feels the hands of him' whose voice he suspected that honest heart could not think that the skin might more easily be counterfeited than the lungs. A small satisfaction contents those whom guiltiness hath not made scrupulous. Isaac believes, and blesses the younger son in the garments of the elder. If our heavenly Father smell upon our backs the savour of our elder brother's robes, we cannot depart from him unblessed.

No sooner is Jacob gone away, full of the joy of his blessing, than Esau comes in, full of the hope of the blessing: and now he cannot repent him to have sold that in his hunger for pottage, which in his pleasure he shall buy again with venison. The hopes of the wicked fail them when they are at highest; whereas God's children find those comforts in extremity which they durst not expect.

Now he comes in blowing and sweating for his reward, and finds nothing but a repulse. Lewd men, when they think they have earned of God, and come proudly to challenge favour, receive no answer but-" Who art thou?" Both the father and the son wonder at each other; the one with fcar, the other with grief. Isaac trembled, and Esau wept; the one upon conscience, the other upon envy. Isaac's heart now told him, that he should not have purposed the blessing where he did; and that it was due to him unto whom it was given, and not purposed. Hence he durst not reverse that which he had done with God's will, besides his own: for now he saw that he had done unwilling justice. God will find both time and means to reclaim his own, to prevent their sins, to manifest and reform their errors. Who would have looked for tears from Esau? Or who dare trust tears when he sees them fall from so graceless eyes?

It was a good word, "Bless me also, my father." Every

miscreant can wish himself well: no man would be miserable

if it were enough to desire happiness. Why did he not rather weep to his brother for the pottage, than to Isaac for a blessing? If he had not then sold, he had not needed now to beg. It is just with God to deny us those favours which we were careless in keeping, and which we undervalued in enjoying. Esau's tears find no place for Isaac's repentance; except it were, that he hath done that by wile which he should have done upon duty.

No motive can cause a good heart to repent that he hath done well. How happy a thing it is to know the seasons of grace, and not to neglect them! How desperate to have known and neglected them! These tears were both late and false, the tears of rage, of envy, of carnal desire. Worldly sorrow causeth death. Yet while Esau howls out thus for a blessing, I hear him cry out, of his father's store," Hast thou but one blessing, my father?" Of his brother's subtilty, "Was he not rightly called Jacob?" I do not hear him blame his own deserts. He did not see, while his father was deceived, and his brother crafty, that God was just, and himself incapable. He knew himself profane, and yet claims a blessing.

Those that care not to please God, yet care for the outward favours of God, and are ready to murmur if they want them; as if God were bound to them, and they free. And yet so merciful is God, that he hath second blessings for those that love him not, and gives them all they care for. That one blessing of special love is for none but Israel; but those of common kindness are for them that can sell their birthright. This blessing was more than Esau could be worthy of; yet, like a second Cain, he resolves to kill his brother, because he was more accepted. I know, that whether he were a worse son or brother, he hopes for his father's death, and purposes his brother's, and vows to shed blood instead of tears. But wicked men cannot be so ill as they would; that strong wrestler against whom Jacob prevailed, prevailed with Esau, and turned his wounds into kisses. An host of men came with Esau; an army of angels met Jacob. Esau threatened, Jacob prayed; his prayers and presents have melted the heart of Esau into love. And now, instead of the grim and stern countenance of an executioner, Jacob sees the face of Esau as the face of God. Both men and devils are stinted; the stoutest heart cannot stand out against

God.

He that can wrestle earnestly with God, is secure from the harms of men. Those minds which are exasperated with violence, and cannot be broken with fear, yet are bowed with love: when the ways of a man please God, he will make his enemies at peace with him.

CONTEMPLATION II.

Of Jacob and Laban.

ISAAC's life was not more retired and quiet, than Jacob's was busy and troublesome. In the one I see the image of contemplation, of action in the other. None of the patriarchs saw so evil days as he; from whom justly hath the church of God, therefore, taken her name. Neither were the faithful ever since called Abrahamites, but Israelites. That no time might be lost, he began his strife in the womb; after that, he flies for his life from a cruel brother to a cruel uncle. With a staff goes he over Jordan alone, doubtful and comfortless, not like the son of Isaac. In the way the earth is his bed, and the stone his pillow; yet even there he sees a vision of angels. Jacob's heart was never so full of joy as when his head lay hardest. God is most present with us in our greatest dejection, and loves to give comfort to those that are forsaken of their hopes.

He came far to find out an hard friend, and of a nephew becomes a servant. No doubt when Laban heard of his sister's son, he looked for the camels and attendance that came to fetch his sister Rebecca; not thinking that Abraham's servant could come better furnished than Isaac's son: but now when he saw nothing but a staff, he looks upon him, not as an uncle but a master. And while he pretends to offer him a wife as the reward of his service, he craftily requires his service as the dowry of his wife.

After the service of an hard apprenticeship hath earned her whom he loved, his wife is changed, and he is in a sort forced to an unwilling adultery. His mother had before, in a cunning disguise, substituted him, who was the younger son, for the elder; and now, not long after, his father-in-law, by a like fraud, substitutes to him the elder daughter for the younger. God comes oftentimes home to us in our own kind; and even by the sin of others pays us our own, when