But this act was followed by a still more culpable proceeding on the part of Jacob. The sacred historian informs us, that, "when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: : now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die." (Gen. xxvii. 1—4.)

Rebekah, who had overheard this conversation, was greatly displeased with Esau because he had married into the Canaanitish family of Heth; and, being extremely partial to Jacob, instantly set herself to devise means to obtain for him the blessing which Isaac was intending for Esau.

Whatever might have been the purpose and intention of the aged patriarch in the communication of this blessing,* it was clearly regarded as a matter of vital interest by every member of the family. Under this impression Rebekah hears, and determines to circumvent her husband on behalf of her favourite son. She persuades Jacob to personate his brother; she herself prepares savoury meat," and assists in rendering his disguise perfect; and he succeeds in obtaining the blessing.

This imposition upon the aged and afflicted father had been but just completed, when Esau returned to claim the promised benediction; and found, to his great astonishment and grief, that his brother had previously received the blessing," and that Isaac, although feeling he had been deceived, also felt, that the predictive promise which he had given was from heaven, and that he could not revoke it; but, on the contrary, whilst labouring to bless Esau, was constrained to confirm the benediction previously given to Jacob.

It is almost impossible to read the whole account, as

*See note D, p. 57.

given by the sacred writer, without a strong desire to know by what means it was intended to bring about the purposes of Heaven in this case. The deceit of Rebekah, and the profane falsehood of Jacob, were alike unnecessary to accomplish the divine intention. How, then, would it have been effected? This is not known. Human frailty and sin are here seen unitedly intruding into the counsel and work of God; and, instead of beholding the way and will of Heaven in all its inherent purity, we have to contemplate another scene, which, although overshadowed with evil, is full of interest,-the wisdom of God overruling and controlling the weakness, and even the wickedness, of man, for the accomplishment of his own great and gracious designs.

Esau having threatened the life of Jacob, on account of his conduct in this instance, Rebekah advises him to retire for a time; and therefore suggests to Isaac the great impropriety of allowing Jacob to marry into any Canaanitish family. Isaac enters fully into her opinion, and charges Jacob not to take a wife of the daughters of the land, but to go to Padan-aram to the house of Bethuel his mother's brother, and to take a wife from thence. In the position which Jacob now occupied, as heir to the promises, this arrangement was necessary. If his family was destined to expel all these nations, and inherit the land, it was only proper that he should form no immediate relationship with them. It is highly probable that Isaac regarded the importance of the case in this aspect; for, immediately after charging Jacob to go to Padan-aram, he said unto him, " 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 thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham." (Gen. xxviii. 3, 4.) Thus did Isaac identify the journey of Jacob, and his marriage into the Abrahamic family, with his participation in the fulfilment of the promise made to the father of the faithful.

The humble and solitary manner in which this journey was performed, has very naturally excited surprise. We see

here the heir of a princely house sent out to perform, on foot and unattended, a journey of four hundred miles through a country partly uninhabited, and partly occupied or roamed over by nomadic tribes, who, to a great extent, were rude and lawless. When it is considered that Isaac inherited the great property and influence of Abraham, this fact appears remarkable. But it is illustrative of the manners of the age. At this early period there appear to have existed none of those aristocratic distinctions which, in afterages, rendered labour derogatory to rank. The whole testimony of sacred and profane history is as uniform as it is clear and explicit on this point. When the angels in human form came to Abraham, he "hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it." (Gen. xviii. 6, 7.) Similar conduct is uniformly exhibited by the heroes of Homer, and, indeed, in all the records of early ages. This, to a great extent, accounts for the singular manner in which Jacob performed his journey.

It is probable that this young man, as he pursued his lonely way, was the subject of very peculiar and conflicting emotions. He had acquired all that was externally necessary for the fulfilment of the prediction delivered before his birth; but it was by means which rested heavily on his conscience; the more so, as they rendered necessary his exile from his father's house. In this state of mind he travelled about forty miles from Beersheba, and rested for the night at Bethel. This place is about eight miles north of Jerusalem, and was at this time called Luz. Here Jacob, having placed a stone for his pillow, lay down to sleep; and while he slept, he had a dream, in which he saw a ladder set up on the earth, which reached to heaven, and upon which, in his sight, the angels of God ascended and descended; while Jehovah stood above it, and, in the language already quoted, assured him of his particular interest in the Abra

hamic covenant, and that all its promised blessings should be fulfilled in and through him.

This vision holds a most important rank amongst the means by which the divine purposes with respect to the Abrahamic family were developed and brought into practical operation. It is not necessary to refer to the evangelical allusions which ingenious men have endeavoured to discover in this significant representation. Whatever spiritual meaning it might have been intended to suggest in after-ages, there can be no doubt that it was in a wonderful manner adapted to afford solace to Jacob's feelings, under the peculiar circumstances in which he found himself.

That his lonely and isolated condition impressed upon his mind all the occurrences which had recently agitated his family, and led to this journey, may easily be imagined. Now for the first time separated from a kind father and a tender mother, cast upon the wide world, and lying down alone in the open air, as the darkness of night gathered about him, he would naturally be perplexed with doubt as to his future course; would feel anxious to know whether the position in which he nominally stood, attained as it had been on his part by such unworthy means, would be recognised and confirmed by the God of his fathers; and whether his present journey would be crowned with a successful issue, or followed by disastrous results. In this state of mind Jacob slept, and was favoured with the vision already described. In endeavouring to apprehend the effect which this representation would have upon the mind of Jacob, it should be remembered that he had been from his childhood familiar with the doctrines of providence, and of the ministry of angels: the history of his father's house was rich in the application of these, and the family conversation must have often turned on heavenly interposition and angelic visitation. Jacob would therefore at once perceive, in the visionary scene before him, a fresh proof that, lonely as he was upon earth, he was not forgotten on high. The ladder would at once indicate the intimate connexion which subsisted between earth and heaven. The heavenly ones

who were going up and down, would bring vividly before his mind the angelic agency employed to carry out the purposes of God among men. How, in the presence of this teaching picture, did he regard his recent conduct? The truth thus clearly indicated frowned condemnation on his want of faith, and on the undue hastiness and duplicity which were consequent. He saw how foolishly and sinfully he had obtruded himself upon the purpose of God, and thus had perilled, instead of promoting, his real interest. But, besides this representation, Jacob heard the Lord himself address him from heaven, saying, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;...... and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. xxviii. 13, 14.) This communication met his case: he had been reproved, he is now comforted and encouraged. The representation showed the folly and wickedness of his conduct; he is now assured, that, notwithstanding all this, the divine purpose remains unaltered, and he is therefore recognised by God himself as the heir to the great promises which had been made to Abraham. But while this is done, he is very plainly told that he does not owe this position to the exercise of his own crooked policy: no; it is the gift of God: "To thee will I give it."

It would not be right to dismiss this part of the narrative without a passing reference to its religious effect upon the mind of Jacob. On rising in the morning, and reviewing the objects presented to his mind during the visions of the night, he exclaimed, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (Gen. xxviii. 16, 17.) It appears that the revelations of the night had affected his mind very deeply with a conviction of the Divine presence and power. Under this influence all his plans, purposes, and strength seem to have sunk into nothing, and he was left fully conscious of being entirely dependent upon Divine Providence. His mind being thus drawn off from earthly