he called that place Peniel, which means the Face of GOD.

After this, after having stood Face to face with GOD, how should Jacob fear the face of any living man? So when he saw that Esau was coming very near, he gave the children into the care of their mothers, putting Rachel and Joseph last of all, in the most safe place and then went calmly forward to meet his brother. Jacob made very humble and lowly obeisances, and then Esau ran to meet him, and embraced Jacob lovingly, and fell on his neck and kissed him; and they both wept

-sorrowing no doubt over their past quarrels, and also softened with remembrances of their boyish days, and of the venerable father and the tender mother whom they had in past days grieved with their quarrels.

After awhile Esau saw the women and children, and asked about them, and Jacob told his brother that they were the gifts God had graciously given him; and he brought them. separately to be made known to Esau. Esau asked too about the droves of cattle he had met, and when Jacob said they were a present meant to find grace in his brother's sight, Esau at first refused to take them. But Jacob in

treated him, saying, "Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand, for therefore have I seen thy face, as though I had seen the Face of GOD, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough."

Then Esau accepted the present, and he begged Jacob to travel with him into Seir; but Jacob chose rather to follow gently because of the women and young children. Henceforth the two brothers were reconciled.

THE DEATH OF RACHEL.

FOR Some time Jacob dwelt at a city of Canaan called Shalem, until the LORD desired him to leave that place, and go to Bethel, and build there the altar to GOD that he had vowed when he was flying from the anger of Esau.

Forthwith Jacob obeyed, and he and all his family went to Bethel, and built the altar. Then GoD again appeared to Jacob and blessed him, repeating that his name should henceforth be Israel, and promising that many nations and kings should descend from him, and that the

land promised to Abraham and Isaac, should indeed belong to Jacob's children. Then Jacob travelled on, for he had not yet come to his father Isaac. But when they reached Ephrath, or Bethlehem, Rachel was taken very ill, and just after the birth of a second son, she died. Perhaps on her deathbed Rachel remembered sadly her impatience formerly with GOD when He gave her no children, for as her soul was departing, she called her baby Benoni, which means 66 the son of my sorrow." But Jacob loved this little one more than all his other children for Rachel's sake, and he would not call him by that mournful name, but instead named him Benjamin-or "the son of my right hand." Then Jacob buried Rachel, the wife he had so fondly loved, in Ephrath, (that Bethlehem where in future years our Blessed LORD was to be born.) He set up a pillar to mark her grave, and very many years after, the place was known as Rachel's sepulchre (1 Sam. x. 2.)

Then Jacob journeyed on till he came to Mamre, in time to see his old father Isaac once more, and a joyful sight it must have been to the aged patriarch, who had parted from Jacob, never expecting to see him again in this world.

But he was now a very old man, being one hundred and eighty years old, and he died, and his two sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, by the side of Abraham and Sarah.

After Isaac's death, the two brothers separated, as their cattle was too numerous to find pasture in the same country. So Esau dwelt in the land of Seir, and his children became kings and princes in Edom; and Jacob and his children, according to GOD's command, dwelt in the Land of Promise,-Canaan.

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.

TIME went on, and Joseph, Rachel's eldest son, was seventeen years old. He was a great favourite with his father, both for Rachel's sake and because he was a holy gentle boy. Israel made more of him than of his elder brothers, and gave him a coat of many colours, which made them very jealous. Besides, when Joseph was out keeping the sheep with his brothers he saw them doing many wicked things, and these he told to their father. So that altogether the elder brothers hated Joseph, and could not even kindly to him.

Another thing happened which made the elder brothers dislike Joseph still more. He told them of a dream he had, in which God set forth what was to be Joseph's future story.

Hear, I pray you," Joseph said, "the dream which I have dreamed. For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about and made obeisance to my sheaf." Then the brothers were very angry, and said, "Shalt thou indeed reign over us ? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us ?"

But God sent Joseph another dream of the same sort that the sun and moon and eleven stars all made obeisance to him.

When Joseph told this dream to his father and brothers, Israel checked him from thinking that he was to be greater than the rest, but he saw that God had sent the vision to the boy, and in his heart stored it up, wondering what GOD had in the future for his darling son. But Joseph's elder brothers grew every day envious and bitter against him. One day when Israel's eldest sons were all taking care of their father's sheep at Shechem, he called Joseph, and sent him out thither to see how all was, and whether

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