took away my Right of Primogeniture, and now he has taken away my Bleffing alfo. He farther faid, Have you not kept one Bleffing for me? Now Ifaac answered, and faid to Efau, Obferve, I have appointed him to prevail over you, and I have given his Brethren to him for Servants; I have also fuftained him with Wine and Oil. What shall I now do for you, my Son? Then Efau faid to his Father, Have you only one Bleffing? Bless me alfo, my Father. He cried and lamented: And Ifaac his Father faid, in Answer to this, Your Abode fhall be among the fat Parts of the Earth: It fhall be bedewed by the Founders from above; you shall live by your Sword, but you fhall ferve your Brother: However, when you are humbled into * Sorrow, you fhall break his Yoke from your Neck. Thus Efau hated Jacob, becaufe of the Bleffing with which his Father had honoured him: And thus intended privately; The Days of Mourning for my Father are nigh, I fhall then flay my Brother. Which Design of Efau, the biggeft Son, being discovered to Rebekah, the fent and called Jacob, her leffer Son, to her, and faid to him, Efau, your Brother, will avenge himself of you, by killing you Now therefore regard my Inftructions, my Son: Arife, fly to Haran to Laban my Brother, and stay with him for a few Days, until your Brother's Rage is appeafed. When your Brother's Refentment is diverted, and he thinks no more of what you have done, I will fend, and bring you from thence. Why fhould I lose you both in one Day? Rebekah faid to Ifaac, My Life shall give me no Joy, because of the Daughters of Heth. What is Life to me, if Jacob marries one of the Daughters of Heth, or fuch as the Daughters of the Inhabitants of this Land? ISA CHA P. XXVIII. SAAC called Jacob, bleffed him, thus directed him, and faid, You fhall not marry any of the Daughters of the Canaanites. Arife, go to Padan-aram, to the Family of Bethuel my Mother's Father, and marry from among the Daughters of Laban your Mother's Brother. May the *Mighty blefs, make you fruitful, and multiply you, fo as you may be a Multitude of People. May he appropriate to you, and your Pofterity with you, the Bleffing of Abraham, that you may inherit the Land wherein you now are a Stranger, which was fet apart by the Gods for Abra * One of the Names of God. bam. ham. So Ifaac fent Jacob away, and he went to Padan-aram to Laban, Son of Bethuel the Syrian, the Brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Efau's Mother. When Efau faw that Ifaac had bleffed, and fent him to Pa dan-aram, that he might marry from thence; that when he bleffed him, he thus directed him, You fhall not marry any of the Daughters of the Canaanites; and that Jacob regarded his Father and Mother's Inftruction, and was gone to Padan-aram; by this he understood that the Daughters of the Canaanites were not agreeable to Ifaac his Father, fo went to Ihmael, and mar ried Mahalath, the Daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's Son, and Sifter to Nebajoth. DDD The Seventh Leffon. Now OW as Jacob went from Baar-fhebah towards Haran, he stopp'd at a Place, where he stayed all Night, until the Light of the Sun returned. He took of the Stones of that Place, and made of them a Pillow for his Head, before he laid himself down for Sleep. He flept, and behold, a Ladder standing upon the Earth, with it's Head touching the Names; upon which the Meffengers of the Gods were afcending and and descending. And Jehovah ftood upon it, and faid, I am Jehovah the Gods of Abraham your Father, and the Gods of Ifaac; I have fet apart the Land whereon you lie, for you, and for your Posterity, which fhall be as the Duft of the Earth. You shall be spread from Weft to East, and from North to South: In you, and in your Seed, all the Families of the Earth fhall be bleffed. I am with you, and will preferve you wherever you go, and will bring you into this Land: I will not leave you, until I have done what I have mentioned to you. So Jacob awoke, and faid, Jehovah is moft certainly in this Place ; but I knew it not. How dreadful is this Place! This is the Houfe of the Gods, and this the Gate of the Founders. He rofe early in the Morning, and took the Stones, of which he had made his Pillow, erected of them a Pillar, poured Oil the Top of it, and called the Name of the Place Bethuel, whofe Name at first was Luz. Now Jacob thus vows a Vow; Since Jehovah the Gods is with me, preserving me in the Way in which I now walk, giving me Bread to eat, and Raiment wherewith to cloath me, and making me to return to my Father's Houfe in Peace; this Jehovah fhall be Gods to me, and this Stone which I here place upright, upon shall fhall be called * Beth-Elahim: I fhall difpofe of the Tenth of all which you shall give me, for your Service. Then Jacob +went forwards, and came to the Land of the Sons of the East. *The House or Temple of the Gods. A T last Jacob fees a Well in the Field, nigh to which there were three Flocks of Sheep lying; for they watered the Flocks out of the Well, but there was a great Stone upon the Mouth of the Well. When all the Flocks of Sheep were gathered thither, they rolled the Stone from off the Mouth of the Well, and watered the Flocks; then they re-placed the Stone upon the Mouth of the Well, as before. Jacob faid to them, From whence are you? They answered, We are from Haran. Then he farther faid, Do you know Laban the Son of Nahor? They anfwered, We do know him. After which he enquired after his Welfare, and they answered, *He is well; and there Rachel bis Daughter comes with the Sheep. Then he fays, Is it not now full * In Peace. Time |