صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[graphic][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][subsumed]

VI.

JACOB.

BY REV. HENRY FIELD.

THE life of Jacob abounds in incident: it is full of lights and shadows. His domestic history is not altogether happy. A succession of family quarrels and feuds imbittered a great part of his life. Hated by his brother-forced when a young man to fly for his life—an exile from home for twenty years—and then falling out with his father-in-law-and, subsequently, the contentions of his children, the loss of his wife, and the violent death, as he supposed, of his favourite child, were the dark passages of his life. His dream-his early love-his reconciliation with Esau-his recovery of Joseph, are the brighter portions of his history. The impression becomes more pleasing as the narrative advances. His character is seen to be purified by suffering, and to be exalted by the habitual exercise of religious faith; and at last his sun goes down in peace.

The unhappiness of Jacob's life was owing partly to his own selfish and ungenerous disposition, and partly to that favouritism of a weak and partial mother, which has spoiled so many sons.

Esau and Jacob were twins; they were the only children of their parents. Nature had united them more closely than most brothers; yet their dispositions were opposite, and their course of life totally different, Esau was a man of great activity and daring —a bold hunter. Jacob was more timid, and fond of nestling by his mother's side. The fearlessness of Esau naturally attracted the admiration and fondness of his father, while Jacob was the

« السابقةمتابعة »