Jacob

“ For, lo, I will save thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their captivity; And Jacob shall again be quiet and at ease, And none shall make him afraid. 28Fear not thou, O Jacob My servant, saith the Lord, For I am with thee; For I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, But I will not make a full end of thee ”

“ Thou hast decided well, Jacob—the tailor at his needle, the shoemaker at his last, the serving boy to an exacting mistress, and all those apprenticed to the various trades, have no time for improvement; but afloat there are moments of quiet and peace—the still night for reflection, the watch for meditation; and even the adverse wind or tide leaves moments of leisure which may be employed to advantage. ”

“ The keeper and the chaplain took him affectionately by the hand for the last time as an inmate of the prison, and Jacob went out, overwhelmed with emotion, as he bid adieu to these friends, and turned his eyes from the impressive memorials of his crimes and of the mercy of God to his soul.
Jacob was now to try the strength of his new principles. As he looked, the first time for years, upon the heavens and the earth, a free man, he actually felt more lonely than when buried at night in his narrow cell. ”

“ And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest, is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? 44. Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. 45. And Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar. 46. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. ”

“ Now his brother Jacob, your younger son and mine,
Doth more apply his heart to seek the ways divine.
He liveth here quietly at home in the tent,
There is no man nor child but is with him content.
ISAAC. O wife, I perceive ye speak of affection;
To Jacob ye bear love, and to his brother none.
REBECCA. Indeed, sir, I cannot love Esau so well
As I do Jacob, the plain truth to you to tell. ”

“ Jacob, did you ever see that old gentleman sail too close to the wind before?”
“I never did—I do not think that he was ever tipsy before last night.”
“Then I pities him—his headache, and his repentance. Moreover, there be his nose and the swallow-tail of his coat to make him unhappy. We shall be down abreast of the Hospital in half-an-hour. Suppose you go and give him a shake, Jacob. Not you, Tom; I won’t trust you—you’ll be doing him a mischief; you haven’t got no fellow-feeling, not even for dumb brutes.” ”

“ Jacob, I feel that thou wilt not be spoilt by the knowledge instilled into thee; but mark me, parade it not, for it will be vanity, and make thee enemies. Cultivate thyself as much as thou canst, but in due season—thy duties to thy employer must be first attended to—but treasure up what thou hast, and lay up more when thou canst. ”

“ Hear - O heads of Jacob - The metaphor of the flock is still carried on. The chiefs of Jacob, and the princes of Israel, instead of taking care of the flocks, defending them, and finding them pasture, oppressed them in various ways. They are like wolves, who tear the skin of the sheep, and the flesh off their bones. ”

“ As for Jacob, thou didst choose him to thee, and put by Esau: and so Jacob became a great multitude.
3:17 And it came to pass, that when thou leadest his seed out of Egypt, thou broughtest them up to the mount Sinai.
3:18 And bowing the heavens, thou didst set fast the earth, movedst the whole world, and madest the depths to tremble, and troubledst the men of that age.
3:19 And thy glory went through four gates, of fire, and of earthquake, and of wind, and of cold; that thou mightest give the law unto the seed of Jacob, and diligence unto the generation of Israel. ”

“ Abraham is too high for us, and Isaac is too saintly, but Jacob, faulty, disappointing, unlovable, yet by God's grace redeemed and perfected at last, Jacob is the man for us! The hope and comfort of all who have learned what they really are is that "the God of Jacob is our refuge."
PRAYER Bring us, we pray Thee, O God, into a truer knowledge of ourselves. Make us to learn how frail we are, how poor and blind and naked; to the end we may regard with due charity the shortcomings of others, and may worthily praise Thy great Mercy, who yet hast not turned away Thy face from us. For Jesus' sake. ”

“ So God rewarded Jacob by giving him more light: by not leaving him to himself, and his own darkness and meanness, but opening his eyes to understand the wondrous things of God’s law, and showing him how God’s law is everlasting, righteous, not to be escaped by any man; how every action brings forth its appointed fruit; how those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. Jacob’s first notion was like the notion of the heathen in all times, ‘My God has a special favour for me, therefore I may do what I like. He will prosper me in doing wrong ”

“ Exeat Jacob.
REBECCA. Ah, my sweet son Jacob, good fortune God thee send!
The most gentle young man alive, as God me mend!
And the most natural to father and mother:
O, that such a meek spirit were in thy brother;
Or thy sire loved thee, as thou hast merited,
And then should Esau soon be disinherited.
ACTUS PRIMI, SCAENA QUARTA. ISAAC, the husband. REBECCA, the wife. MIDO, the lad that leadeth blind Isaac.
ISAAC. Where art thou, my boy Mido, when I do thee lack?
MIDO. Who calleth Mido? here, good master Isaac.
ISAAC. Come, lead me forth of doors a little, I thee pray. ”

“ He has blessed, and I can't reverse it. 23:21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them. 23:22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. 23:23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God done! 23:24 Behold, the people rises up as a lioness, As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain. ”

“ I trust thou wilt no longer stand in thine own light, but accept the offers which, in the fulness of his heart to make redress, he may make unto thee.”
“Nay, sir, I cannot promise that; I wish to be independent and earn my own livelihood.”
“Then hear me, Jacob, for the spirit of prophecy is on me; the time will come when thou shalt bitterly repent. Thou hast received an education by my unworthy endeavours, and hast been blessed by Providence with talents far above the situation in life to which thou wouldst so tenaciously adhere; the time will come when thou wilt repent, yea, bitterly repent. ”

“ Sit, Jacob; I was thinking of thee and thine.”
“What, sir? of old Stapleton and his daughter, I suppose.”
“Even so; ye were all in my thoughts at the moment that thou madest thy appearance. They are well?”
“Yes, sir,” replied I. “I see but little of them; the old man is always smoking, and as for the girl—why, the less one sees of her the better, I should say.”
“Nay, Jacob, this is new to me; yet is she most pleasant.”
I knew the Dominie’s character, and that if anything could cure his unfortunate passion, it would be a supposition on his part that the girl was not correct. ”

“ Chapter 49
1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. ”

“ Great anxiety was felt for Jacob by all his friends, and they watched him daily to see whether he would show the same meek and quiet spirit, and as highly honour religion in the world, as he had done in his prison. He must necessarily meet the temptations of life, which might be found too strong for his, as yet untried, moral principles, and in an evil hour he might fall from his steadfastness. Of this he seemed to be well aware, and to have fortified his mind by reliance upon the grace of God. No, one was apparently more alive to his own weakness and dangers. ”

“ For the first time in his life, Jacob was treated like a man. For the first time in his life he felt that he had a friend. His heart was immediately won, his rough spirit was subdued, his generous and confiding nature was called forth, prepared to receive instruction and good from those who showed an interest in his sad condition.
No sooner had Jacob entered this prison and seated himself in his narrow cell, than he found a Bible by his side and himself alone. This was something new.He had never been in solitude before, where all was silence and solemnity. ”

“ I gave a brief account of her mother, and how she met her death in trying to escape from her husband. The Dominie mused. “Little skilled am I in women, Jacob, yet what thou sayest not only surpriseth but grieveth me. She is fair to look upon.”
“Handsome is that handsome does, sir. She’ll make many a man’s heart ache yet, I expect.”
“Indeed, Jacob. I am full of marvel at what thou hast already told me.”
“I have seen more of her, sir.”
“I pray thee tell me more.”
“No, sir, I had rather not. You may imagine all you please.”
“Still she is young, Jacob; when she becometh a wife she might alter.” ”

“ Jacob, that which thou termest independence is naught but pride.”
I could not acknowledge that I agreed with the Dominie, although something in my breast told me that he was not wrong. I made no answer. The Dominie again spoke.
“Yes; it is a beautiful world for the Spirit of God is on it. At the separation of chaos it came over the water, and hath since remained with us, everywhere, but invisible. We see his hand in the variety and the beauty of creation, but his Spirit we see not; yet do we feel it in the still small voice of conscience, which would lead us into the right path. ”

“ But, as father says, it is human nature in me, and it’s hard to conquer our natures, Jacob.”
“Will you promise me not to continue your advances to the Dominie, Mary?”
“I will not, if I can help it, Jacob. I may forget for the moment, but I’ll do all I can. It’s not very easy to look grave when one is merry, or sour when one is pleased.”
“But what can induce you, Mary, to practise upon an old man like him? If it were young Tom, I could understand it. There might be some credit, and your pride might be flattered by the victory; but an old man—”
“Still, Jacob, old or young, it’s much the same. ”

“ REBECCA. Both on thy father's blessing and mine, I charge thee,
That thy soul intend never such iniquity;
Beware by the example of Cain, I thee reed,
That thou bring not the Lord's curse upon thy head.
ESAU. And what, should I take all this wrong at Jacob's hand?
REBECCA. Forgive, and the Lord shall prosper thee in the land.
My son Esau, hear me; I am thy mother:
For my sake, let pass this grudge against thy brother.
RAGAN. Sir, your mother's request is but reasonable,
Which for you to grant shall be much commendable. ”

“ For if the time were come, thinkest thou that Jacob
Should find Esau such a lout or such a lob
To suffer him to enjoy my birthright in rest?
Nay, I will first toss him and trounce him of the best;
I think to find it a matter of conscience,
And Jacob first to have a fart, sir reverence.
When my father Isaac shall the matter know,
He will not let Jacob have my birthright, I trow.
Or if he should keep it as his own, I pray you,
Might not I live without it, and do well enou'?
Do none but men's eldest sons prosper well? ”

“ And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.
2:2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
2:3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. ”

“ I am an outcast and a slave, I the child of the wife Jacob loved. When thou wast dying, thou didst show me to my father, and bade him look on me, and be comforted for my loss. O mother, mother! hast thou no thought of thy son? Awake and see the miserable condition of thy child; shake off thy sleep; be my defence against my brethren, and comfort my father. Awake and stand up to judge my quarrel, awake and plead my cause with God! awake and look upon the desolation of the soul of my father who cherished thee, and who for fourteen years served a hard bondage for his beloved Rachel! ”

“ Friend Dux hath proved no friend, but hath led me into the wrong path: and as or the potation called Grog—Eheu, Jacobe! how have I fallen—fallen in my own opinion—fallen in thine—how can I look thee in the face! O, Jacob! what must thou think of him who hath hitherto been thy preceptor and thy guide!” Here the Dominie fell back on the pillow, and turned away his head.
“It is not your fault, sir,” replied I, to comfort him; “you were not aware of what you were drinking—you did not know that the liquor was so strong. Old Tom deceived you.” ”