LIB. Ill. Of J A c o B and E s A u. A wray what we 2re, in lpighr ofour habit. Thiswas enou!(h tO work lf'ac to a (ufpition, roan inquiry, nor to an incredulny : He rhat is goodofhimfelf,wiU hardly beleeve evill ofanother; And will rather dilhuft hisowne fenfes, then the fidelity of rhofe he rrufted: All rhefenfesarefer ro examine; none llickerh at the judgement but the Eare; to deceil•e rhar,]acobmuft fecond his diffimulation with three lyesar one breath: I am Efa,, as thoubadft me,my Venifon:one Gone entertained fercherh in another : and ifir be forced tO lodgealone, either deparrerhordyerh: !love !4cobs blelling ~ut I hare his lye.! would nor do thlt.w.ilfnlly ~which 14rob did weakly,upon conditton ofablefling: He that pardoned hts mlirmity,would curfemy cbltinarenelfe. Good IJ•4th fees his hands to try wherher his eares informedhim arighr; he feeles B the handsofhim whofe voyce he fufpefred: that honeft heart could nor thinke, that the fkinne might moreeaGly bec.,unrerfeired, then the lungs : A (mall fatisfaetion contents thofe whom gniltinelle bath not made fcmpulous : I{-ac beleeves and bleifes rhe younger Sonne in rhe garmenrs of rhe elder: If our heavenly Father fmell uponour backes rhe 6vour ofour elder brorhers 1.\.obes, weconnor depm from him unbldfed. No (ooner is ]acob gone away fidl ofrhe joyofhis bleffing,rhenEfa•,comes in,ful ofthe hopeofrhe bleffing : And now he cannorrepenr him eo havefold thar in his hunger for porcage; which in his pleafure he lhall buy again wirh Venifon.The hopes ofthe wicked fail themwhen they are at highell, whereas Gods children find rhofe comforts inextremity which they durfl norexpetl. C Now he comesin blowing, and (wearing for his reward, and finds nothing but a repulfe:lewd men when they rhinkerhey have earned ofGod,and come proudly to challenge favor, receive no anl\ver, but, Who 4rlthou; Both rhe Father and theSon wonder at each other, the one with feare,the otherwithgriefe; Ifaac trembled and E(iN wept 1 the one upon confcience, the other upon envy: Ifallcs heart now told him that he lhould not have purpofed the bleffingwherehe did · and that it wasdue tohim unto whomit was given, andnotpurpofed, hence he dur!l not reverfe thar which he had donewirhGodswill; befides his owne: For now he faw that he had done unwilling Juftice : God will find both time and meanesro reclaime hisowne, to prevent their l!ns,tomanifeftand reforme their errors. Who would have looked fOr teares from Efa"? Or who dare trull teares, when he fees themfall from fo graceD Jeffe Eyes? It was agood word, Bkjfo "' ' 11/[o my Father; Every mifcreanr canwilh himfel!e wel:Noman would bemiferable, ifit wereeoough to del!re happinelfe: Whydtd he nor ratherweep to his bwrher for the porrage; then rolfm for a bleffing? Ifhe had not then fold,hebad not needed now to beg: 1t is jull withGod todeny us rhofe favourswhich we were careleffe in keeping, and which we undervalued in enjoying Efau's reares findes n9 place for lfaacs repentance; Except it were thot he hatbdon~ that by wyle, which he llt,ould have done upon duty. No motivecan caufe a!(ODd heart to repent that he hathdone well; How happy a thing ir isroknow the feafons of~race, and nor to neglect them! howdefpeme to have known and negletled them! rhefe teores were both late and f.llfe; rherearesof E rage,ofenvy,ofcarnall dellre;worldly forrow caufeth death: yet whiles,Ef•" howles our rhus fora bletling, I heare him cry ontofhis Fathers !lore (Hajlthl•6•1 oneb/ef jing, my Fillher; )ofhis brothersCubclety (W41 ht not rightly '"lied ]acd?) I doe nor heare himblame hisown defem.He did not fee,while his Fatherwas deceived, and hisBrother crafty,thar God was jufl,ond himfelfeuncapable:he knew himfelreprofane.and yet claimes ableffing. Thofe that care nor ro ple:feGod, yet care for the outward favours ofGod, and are ready to murmure ifrhey want them, as ifGodwere bound to them, and they free.And yet fo mercifull isGod,rho.t he bath fecond bleffings for rhofe that love him not,and gives themall they care fOr. Thatonebleffingoffpecialllove is!Or nonebut Ifr•el1bur thofe ofcommon kindneifeare for them tho.t can fell their birrh-right:this blellingwasmore then Efa• coul<;! beworthy of: yet lilce a fecond Cain, he refolves z zz 0 [0
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