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rejoiced at the tidings, and embracing his kinfman, invited him into his house. Jacob continued there as a vifitant a whole month, during which time he conceived a very tender regard for Rachel, who is reprefented to us as a very beautiful woman. "And Laban faid to Jacob, Because thou "art my brother, fhouldeft thou therefore "ferve me for nought? Tell me, what "fhall thy wages be?" To this, Jacob, willing to fhew his tenderness for Rachel, and his wish to deserve her, replied, I will ferve thee, my brother, seven years for thy younger daughter, for, I confefs, the hath made an impreffion on my heart. Laban agreed to this; "And Jacob ferved seven

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years for Rachel; and they feemed unto "him but feven days, for the love he had "to her." Thus far the dealing was brotherly on both fides the remaining paffages of the ftory are coloured by deceit. At the expiration of the feventh year, Jacob demanded his wife; and Laban, with a fhew of much honesty, courtesy and contentment, prepared to celebrate the nup

tials of his daughter. Accordingly, the day was paffed in all that innocent gaiety, which was very early a custom on fuch occafions. Laban gathered together his people, even all the men of the place, and made a feaft. But the ftratagem which was put upon Jacob in the evening, confidered literally, was equally bafe, unbrotherly and barbarous. Inftead of the object of his affections, Laban deceiveth him with Leah. What a confufing circumftance did the beams of the morning difcover? for, behold," in the morning, it was "Leah." Notwithstanding this deception, however, he was ftill refolved to persist in his paffion for the lovely Rachel, and at length obtained her.

It is unneceffary to make farther comment on this text, than just to observe, that the paffion of love, which is almost the foundation of all poetry, is more pleafingly, and highly touched in several parts of the SCRIPTURES, than in all the pastoral, dramatic, or amorous attempts fince the fcriptures were written.

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RECONCILIATION of JACOB and Esau.

AND ESAU RAN

PASSAGE.

TO MEET HIM, AND EMBRACED HIM, AND FELL ON HIS NECK AND KISSED HIM; AND THEY WEPT.

SCENES of reconciliation go as near

to the heart as any in human nature; and the chapter, whence this text is taken, is, perhaps, as full of tender circumstances as any extant: It recites the kind interview between Jacob and Efau.

These two brothers were thrown into fome difagreement by the artifice of Rebekah, their mother, who, being partial to her fon Jacob, advised him, and put him in the way of deceiving his father, and robbing his brother of his birth-right: an error which, though certainly, on her part, E 3

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proceeding from injudicious fondness, must ever remain as a spot upon her character. And, at the time, it occafioned very serious confequences for Efau, as was very natural, hated Jacob, after the bleffing of which he (Efau) was defrauded, and he faid in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and then I will flay my brother. To prevent the execution and ill effects of this menace, Rebekah, dreading the harm which might happen to her favourite child, advised him to retire till the fury of Efau might turn away. He did fo, and a long time being now paft fince the quarrel, he was returned into his own country, with his wives and his wealth, and his little ones, whom he loved. The remembrance, however, of the wrong which he had done his brother, touched him with additional fincerity as he drew near to the land where the offence was committed. There is an honeft fenfibility about us, which makes the very trees feem filently to upbraid us as we pafs by the place where we have done an injury to a neighbour.

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