and be visited upon Gentiles, as well as Jews, in the world beyond the grave; when in fact, the Gentiles were never threatened with any such visitation. These judgments were not to come upon sinners, as the Gentiles were called, but upon the people of God, by whom is intended the Jews, as they are thus characterized through the whole bible, as every one, moderately acquainted with that book, very well knows.

CHAPTER VI.

THE ISRAELITES, THE DRAGON OF THE WILDERNESS.

ISAAC was forty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. Their mother before their birth, was informed that they would give rise to two nations, and that the younger should rule over the elder, contrary to the established usage of the country. Previous to the death of Isaac, when the time had arrived in which he deter

mined to give up the charge of the family to his eldest son, according to the custom of that country, he advised him of his design, and directed him to prepare him some venison, and then, receive his blessing. Rebecca heard the aged father when he gave this direction to Esau, and she called Jacob and instructed him to hasten and obtain a couple of kids, and she would prepare such food for his father as he had directed Esau to procure, and thereby obtain the blessing intended for his brother. In this he obeyed the direction of his mother.

Isaac being blind and unable to distinguish persons except by his other senses, Rebecca so disguised her younger son, by putting Esau's garments upon him, and covering his hands and neck with the skins of the kids, as to give him the appearance of being hairy, like Esau. When he came to Isaac he examined him to see if he really was his eldest, which he positively declared himself to be, by feeling of his hands, for in his voice he recognized Jacob. But the condition of hands prevailed over his hearing, and he blessed Jacob and conferred upon him the authority which belonged to the first born.

Jacob had but just obtained the blessing and

departed, when Esau came with the food he had prepared for his father, who was greatly astonished at the deception that had been practiced upon him but he could not revoke his blessing. This discovery pierced Esau through with grief, and he cried out with an 'exceeding bitter cry.' And he besought his father-'Bless me, even me also, O my father!' So great was his grief, that he lifted up his voice and wept.' And his father conferred a blessing upon him in these words. 'Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven from above. And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.'Gen. xxvii.

All of Isaac's children, except Jacob, were Gentiles or heathens, strangers to the covenant of promise. Jacob whom God named Israel, was regarded as peculiarly the father of the Jewish nation, which was in bondage in Egypt for the space of four hundred years. After this they were forty years in the wilderness, who were hence called the dragon of the wilderness, When they returned from Egypt, they drove out

all the descendants of Jacob's brethren, who were scattered far and wide, and became the founders of the Roman empire as well as some other nations. When they obtained the dominion over the whole world, subdued the Jews, destroyed their temple, subverted all their institutions, and scattered them among all the nations of the earth, then did Esau break the yoke of Jacob from off his neck with a vengeance, and in a manner to be remembered forever.

It was this strife between the Romans and the Jews, who are called the dragon, of which John speaks. And there was war in heaven ; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and - prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.' Rev. xii: 8, 9. Michael and his angels were the Roman army, which empire was raised up by the sword of Esau. They were the Gentiles who lived without God in the world. But the time had come when the Gentiles should be taken into his favor, and the children of the kingdom-those who had enjoyed his special favor, should be cast out into outer darkness, where was weeping and gnashing of teeth; by whom is intended the Jews or old red dragon,

stained with the blood of all the righteous men that had been slain since the foundation of the world.

It was this receiving of the Gentiles into the divine favor of which it is said, 'I will call them my people, which was not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved.' 'And it shall

come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there shall they be called the children of the living God.' Thus the Gentiles were received in the place of the Jews, who were the degenerate plants of a strange vine. They are received into the kingdom of Christ, by which is intended the New Jerusalem which came down out of heaven, which is a representation of the gospel kingdom. This was the kingdom out of which the Jews or the fallen part of them, which are intended by the old dragon, were cast, when they rose up against the divine commands. This dragon, be it remembered, was bound, which represents the condition of the Jews, bound by the Roman laws.

By the representation, that the dew of heaven fell on Esau, we are to understand that the blessings of Abraham, which are the privileges of