A B c Contemplations. THE THIRD BooK. Of Jacob and Efau. allrhe Patriarkes, none made folirtlenoyfe in theWorld as Ifaac ; nonelivedeither fo privately,or fo innocently: Neither know I whether bee epproved himfelfe a better fonne or an Hufband, Fortheone~ he gave himfelfe overtotheknif~of his Farher, ;and mourned three yeeres for his Mother : for rhe orher hefought not to any handrnaids bed, but in a chafie forbearance referved hirnfelfe for rwenryyeares fpace, and prayed: Reb<cc4 was fo long barren, his prayers proved more 'effdtuall then his feed. D Aclafifheconceived, as iffhehad beenmore thenrhedaughterinlawtos•rah , whofefonnewasgiven her, notoutof_rhepowerofNarure, but ofberhufhands Faich. ' God is oft better to us then we would : Ifoac prayes fors fonne; God gives him rwoatonce: Now, lheisnoleffe troubled wich chefir.ifeofthechildrenin her wombe, then beforewirhrhe wane ofchildren: we know not when wearepleafed; chat which'we delire, ofc-times difconrenrs us more in thefruition; wee are.ready to complain both full andfalling. BeforeKthec<"aconcelved,(bewas ateafe: Before fpirituall regeneration there is all peaceinthe foule: No fooner is the newman formed in us, but rhe flelh conflictswirh the fpirit: There is noJgrace where is nounquieroeffe: Efa" alonewould not have frriven: NatUre will ever agreewithitfelf; Never any Hthtce4conceived onely an Efo" ; or Wlls fo happy as to conceive none but a ]acob; She rnufr be the motherofboth, that (be may h•ve both joy and exercife. Tbis firife began early; Every true Ifr•tlite begins his warre wita his being. Howmany actionswhichwe know nor of, are not without prefage and figniE fication? Thefe two were the champions of two Nations; the field was their mothers wombe; their quarrell precedencyand fuperioriry; Efo" gor theright ofNature, ]•co6 ofgrace : yer that there might befeme pretenceofequality, lefi E J4* !hould out-run hisbrother into theWorld, 'ja<ao holds himfafi by the heele: Sohis haod was born before rhe other$ foot:But becaufe.Ef""was fome minutes theelder; that the youngermight have better claime ro,that which God hadpromifed, he buyes Zzz that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=