And so Laban and Jacob parted. Jacob's afterlife is well known to us, but of Laban we hear no more. We may well believe that it was not without emotion that he took leave of those whom he was so little likely ever to see again. "Early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place."

Some have thought that Balaam was one of his descendants; but, though by no means impossible, there is no proof whatever of it. They dwelt in the same distant land, and were both nevertheless acquainted with the true God, and were both alike cunning and covetous; but that is a slight foundation on which to build a theory. When Laban "departed, and returned unto his place," he passed out of our knowledge.

Such an end to a long course of trickery and rapacity is full of warning. He went back home daughterless, and a poorer man probably than he had been years before. In Jacob, whom he had cheated and oppressed, he had found his match. But, far more than this, God had not suffered his schemes to prosper. An open, fair, and generous line of conduct would probably have succeeded far better even in a worldly way. God often causes such men to prosper, while the crafty schemer fail. Yet not always. But even if the cunning and covetous do get what they aim at, what is it after all? Does it satisfy? However much it may be, does it prove enough? Riches are not happiness;

a successful scheme does not ensure peace of mind; and gain obtained at another's cost, and an unfair advantage taken of another's need, are not the road to a conscience at ease. Better a thousand times, to be poor, but honest and open. Best of all, to have that blessing which maketh rich, whatever else be wanting.

BENJAMIN.

F the personal character of Benjamin we know but little for certain. Yet the name

is an important one. The first king of Israel was a Benjamite; and this tribe was the only one that joined itself to Judah when the other ten revolted. Notwithstanding this union, in which the lesser was in a measure merged in the greater, the tribe of Benjamin had a character and history of its own. For taking part in a great crime, it was once almost exterminated, all the other tribes joining against it.1 Even then, however, this warlike tribe showed its usual bravery, though in a bad cause; and, long afterwards, "little Benjamin" is named the very first in the list of the tribes going up in triumph to the Sanctuary. The tribe probably had never recovered its numbers after that great slaughter, and so was called "little Benjamin;" but that it should have a prominent place, though so much reduced, shows that the tribe still kept its ancient spirit. The prophetic words of Jacob agree with this character; "Benjamin shall ravin as a 2 Ps. lxviii. 27.

1 Judges xx.

3

wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil." We have no reason to think that these words describe the character of Benjamin himself. It is rather the character of the tribe that is foretold.

But the name of Benjamin himself fills an important place: yet not so much for anything that we know of him individually, as for the persons with whom he was connected and the events in which he bore a part. Linked as his history is with that of Jacob and Joseph, it cannot but be interesting; although, as compared with them, he is but a "lesser light," and although instruction is to be drawn, not so much from his character (of which we know so little) as from his circumstances and history.

Benjamin was the only one of the children of Jacob born in the promised land; the rest were all born to him in the land of his exile. Jacob was on his return from his long sojourn with Laban. He had met Esau, and the brothers had been reconciled; he had gone to Bethel, and set up an altar in remembrance of God's former appearance to him there, and of His blessing since; and now he had left Bethel and had nearly come to Ephrath, when Benjamin was born.

Many years had passed since the birth of Joseph, the other son of Rachel; he was at this time about fifteen years old. But the name she had given so many years before to her first-born expressed a hope of a second son: "And she called his name

3 Gen. xlix. 27.

Joseph [or, adding]; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son."4 As years rolled on, and no son was given, had this expectation faded in her mind? Or did she still live in hope? We cannot tell. But if it was in a prophetic spirit that she spoke, believing that God had promised, then doubtless the hope was not dead in her, notwithstanding the long delay. God often keeps us waiting; but never fails of His word. We speak of Him as delaying; but that is only because we do not know His time. If God had indeed made known to Rachel that she should have another son, yet He had not told her when. The time doubtless seemed long to her, and often did she feel the heart-sickness of hope deferred; but, from first to last, with regard to time and every other circumstance, all happened exactly as appointed by God. So it is always. We have many promised blessings: but time, and place, and means God keeps in His own knowledge and power. We are to seek, and believe, and trust, and wait.

Rachel knew not when this other son was to be given her; and equally ignorant was she of the place of his birth, and the circumstances that would attend it. Little did she imagine that his birth would be her own death. Yet so it was. "She had hard labour;" the midwife, acquainted perhaps with her words at the birth of Joseph, encouraged her in her pains: "Fear not; thou shalt have this son also." The child was born, and so the hope 4 Gen. xxx. 24.