8o6 - Contemplations. L 111. I 1I. thatwhichhecouldnotwinne: Jfeitherbyfhife, orpurchafe, orfuit wecan A . •attainefpirimall b!e!lings , we are happy : If J~<•h bad ccmefortbfirfl: behad not knowne how much be was bound ro God for the fal'ot of his ad~>ancement. Therewas never any meat, except theforbidden fruit, fo deare.bougb~~pbis broth of l4Cob ; In both thpeceiver ~nd theEatet?s ac.cUlf<d ~ ~ery true foJJife.of Ifratlwrllbe,content to purcbafe fprmuall favorswrm·earthly'; "And rhat'nlan barb in him too much of the blood of Efou , which will not rathtrdyethen forgoehis birth-right. Butwhat bath careleffe E;(•H lqfi '· ifhavin~ fold his birth-r!ghc, be may obraine thehlefiing ? Or what bat!\ IAcoh gamed, rfhts brothers Vemfon may countervaile his Pottagd Yet thus bathold Iji:~e decreed; whow.as not now more blind in his B eyes, then in his affetl:ions : God had forewarned him that the elder fhould ferve the yonger, yet Iji:ac goes about tobleffe Eji:H. It was not fo hard for Ahr•i>•m ro reconcile Gods promife and Ifoact facrilice, as for Ijitac to reconcile the fuperioricy of Iacoh with EfaHs benedillion:forGods hand was m chat in this nonebut bisowne: Tbe deareft ofGodsSaintshave been fametimes tranfporred with na?Jrall affellions : He faw himfelfe preferred to ifmatl, though the elder; he faw hrs Father wtlfully forgemng nature at Codscommand, in bindinghim for facrilice ; He faw Efa, lewdly marched with Heathens; and yet he will remember nothing, but, E f4• ismy firfi borne ; but howgratious is God, that when wewould, will not let us finne: And fo orders our aCtions, that wedoe not what we will, but what we ought. C ThatGod which had ordained the Lordfhip m the younger, will alfo contrive for him the ble!ling; what hewill have effelled, !hall not want meanes: theMother !hall rather defeat the Sonne, and beguile the Father, then the Fatherfhall beguile the chofen fonne of his bleffing. :What was Jocohto Rebtcca motf then Efa~ ? Of what mother dorh not more affect theelder' ? But nowGod inclines t~e love Of th~ Mother to theyounger, again{llthecufiomeofnacure, becaofethefarher loves the elder, againfl d:le promife :.1 TheaiRtl:ionrofrh~ Parents atedivided, tbaahe promiCemight be fulfilled ; Rtheuaes crafcfballanfwer If4ai:s partiality : If~~e would unjufrly curne Eji:u into Iacoh, Rehtc<a doth .s cunningly curne I~eoh into E.Ji:• .- ber defire was good, her meauesweretlnlawfuU: God doth oft-timeseMhis jufl will 1 byourweakeneffes; yet neirbercherebyjufiifyingou! infirmities, nor blemifhing D his owne actions. · Here was nothing but counterfeiting ; 'u f.oined Perfon, afained Name, fuined Veni!On, a faincd anfwer, and yet behold, a true blelling ; but to the man, not to themeanes: Thofewere fo unfound, that I•co6 himfelfedoth more feare theircarfe then hopefor their fucceffe. Ifaac wa; now both fimple and old : yet ifhehad perceived the fraud, Id cob had beenmore fore of a curfe, th~n he could be Cure that he fhould not be perceived. • · Thofewhich are plaine-heaned in themfelves, are the biccere!lenemies todeceit inothers: Rtbtcca prefumingupon the Oracle ofGod, and herhufhandsfimplicity, dore be furery !or the danger,his counfellor for the carriageofthebufineffe,his cook for the dyec, yea, dreffes both the meat and theman : and now putswords intohis E mouth, thedi(b intohishand, the garments upon his backe, the Goats haire upon the open pares ofhis body,and fends him in thus farnifhed for the blefiin~; fianding no doubt, at the doore, to fee howwell her !effon w~s learned,howwell herdevice focceeded. And ifold If••c<hould by any ofhisfenfeshave difceroed theguife, the had fOone flept in and undertaken the blame, and urged him with the knowne will ofGod concerning ·u coht Dominion and Efi'Ms fervirude, which dtherageor aifection had made himfurget. And now the wifhesfheconld borrowEf-tongueoswellasbisgarments, that fhe might fecurely deceive211 the fenfesofhim , which bad fnffered birofelfe more dang~llydeceived withhis affeCtion: Buttbisispatlherremedy: herfonne mull name himfelfe Efl* wirli the voice oflacob. It is hard ifourtonguedoenat bewra
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