replied that they did; that he was in good health; and that his daughter Rachel would be there soon, with her flock. While he was talking with them she came; and when he saw the daughter of his mother's brother, and his sheep, he went and rolled the stone which covered away the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep. When he had done this kindness for her, he told her who he was, and saluting her with a kiss, wept for joy. Rachel then, leaving him at the well, ran home in haste to tell her father whom she had met. On hearing that his sister's son had arrived, he hastened to the well to meet him, and having embraced and kissed him, brought him to his house. Jacob then gave him an account of what had been the cause of his leaving home, and of the vision he had seen by the way. Laban knew from this, that he had not left his father and mother without their consent and blessing, so he gave him a hearty welcome as his near relative, and Jacob lived with him as his guest many days.

S Jacob had not been brought up to lead an idle and useless course of life, his uncle Laban soon found that the assistance he gave in the business of the family, was deserving of some acknowledgment. So when he had been there about a month, Laban told him that he did not expect, nor was it reasonable, that he should serve him for nothing. He therefore desired him to name what his wages should be. Jacob, whose affection had been kindled towards Rachel, the lovely shepherdess, at the time of their first meeting by the well, offered to serve him seven years, if he would give her to be his wife, as

his reward for his services. To this proposal Laban readily consented; and Jacob fulfilled the period of his service so cheerfully, for the love he cherished for Rachel, that the seven years seemed to him as but a few days.

2. When the time was expired, Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled." Upon which Laban made a feast and invited his friends and neighbours to be present on the joyful occasion of the marriage of his daughter. But he deceived Jacob. It was the custom of the country for the bride to be presented to her husband in the evening, with her face veiled in token of her modesty; and Laban gave him Leah, Rachel's elder sister, instead of Rachel. The next morning, finding out the deception which had been practised upon him, he complained to Laban; who, however, in excuse for his conduct said, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger in marriage before the firstborn." And knowing Jacob's fondness for Rachel, he proposed that he should serve him another seven years for her, and on his consenting to this, he should have Rachel after he had fulfilled the week with Leah according to the custom of the country during which time the nuptial

ceremonies and rejoicings lasted.

3. Jacob consented to this proposal, and having fulfilled the seven days, married Rachel. The affection, however, which he had for her, together with the thought of the deception to which he had been subjected, induced him to slight Leah, who was not so good looking as her sister.

4. The pitying eye of God saw this, and, to comfort her, gave her four sons, but to Rachel He gave none. Leah's firstborn was named Reuben; the second, Simeon; the third, Levi; and the fourth, Judah.

As Rachel had no children, she gave her maid Bilhah to Jacob, to be his wife, as her grandmother Sarah had done with her maid. So Bilhah had two sons, the first of which Rachel named Dan; and the second Naphtali.

Then Leah, seeing what Rachel had done, gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob, for his wife; and Zilpah had two sons, the first of which Leah named Gad; and the second, Asher. It was still the desire of Leah that God would give her more children, which in His own time He did; for she had afterwards two more sons, named Issachar and Zebulun. She had also a daughter-the only one that was born to Jacob-who was named Dinah.

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It now pleased God to remember Rachel, who, till now, had only two sons, born of her maid Bilhah: for she now became the joyful mother of a son, whom she named Joseph.

5. Soon after the birth of Joseph, Jacob, having served his second seven years for his wife Rachel, was desirous to return to his own country. So he said to Laban, "Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee; and let me go." This was an unwelcome request to Laban, who replied, "I pray thee, stay with me, if I have found favour in thine eyes; for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. Appoint thy wages and I will give it thee." But Jacob said, "Thou knowest how I have served thee; and how thy cattle was in my charge. For it was little that thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased to a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now, when shall I provide for my own house also?"

6. Laban still wished him to stay, and again asked him, "What shall I give thee?" And as he continued to urge him not to leave him, Jacob at length made this proposal: That they should pass through the whole flock that day, and all that were speckled,

and spotted, and brown, should be taken away and be kept apart by Laban's sons, and Jacob should keep all the rest. Then, all that should be born belonging to those that he kept, that were brown, or speckled, or spotted, should be his, for his wages; all the rest being Laban's. To this proposal Laban readily agreed: so the flocks were separated, and he sent away all that were of these colours three days' journey, to prevent their being mixed again.

7. This dependence of Jacob on the blessing of God, for an increase of his substance, met with a good reward. For under the direction of Divine Wisdom he devised a plan for an increase of the flocks, which brought forth abundantly such as he was to have for his wages; so that he "increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses;" although Laban did all he could to prevent it, by several times altering the agreement between them.

8. When Jacob had been in Laban's

service twenty years, he one day overheard Laban's sons grumbling and complaining that he had taken away all their father's property, and had made himself rich at his expense. He saw, too, that Laban treated him with much coolness and indifference.

But the Lord was still his helper in time of trouble, and one day said to him, "Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred: and I will be with thee." On receiving this command, he sent for Leah and Rachel to come to him in the field where he was tending the flocks, and said to them, "I see your father's countenance, that it is not towards me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. You know that with all my power I have served your father: and your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said, The speckled shall be your wages, then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said, The ringstraked shall be thy hire, then all the cattle bore ringstraked. Thus hath God taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, "I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am God, who appeared to thee in Bethel, where thou anointedst to me the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.'' Rachel and Leah, hearing this account of Laban's conduct, said to him, "Is there yet any portion or inherit

ance for us in our father's house? Are we not accounted strangers by him? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do."

9. Jacob therefore having prepared all things necessary for his journey, put his wives and children on camels, and set out with all his cattle and goods, while Laban was absent from home; for he had gone to shear his sheep. Rachel also took advantage of her father's absence and secretly stole his images or household gods.

10. When he had been gone three days, tidings reached Laban that Jacob had fled. On hearing this unwelcome news, he assembled his brethren and went in pursuit; and though Jacob had the advantage of three days' start, he overtook him on the seventh day in mount Gilead.

At his first setting out, no doubt Laban meditated revenge: but God came to him in a dream by night and said to him, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." Having received this solemn warning, when he saw Jacob he expostulated with him in these words: "What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares, and car

ried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me; that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp? And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but the God of : your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. And now, though thou wouldst needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?" Jacob excused his secret departure by saying that he was afraid if Laban had known of it he would have forcibly detained his daughters: but as to the theft with which Laban had charged him—not knowing that Rachel had taken the gods-he said warmly, "With whomsoever thou findest thy gods let him not live." And to prove his innocency he bid Laban search all his goods in the presence of his friends. Upon this Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two maidservants. Not finding them there he went into Rachel's tent. Rachel knew that if

the idols should be found in her possession, both her father and her husband would be highly offended with her. So while Laban was searching the other tents she hid them in the camels' furniture and sat upon them; and when Laban entered and searched, not suspecting that they were under her, he supposed that he was mistaken in charging the theft upon them. Jacob was now very angry with Laban and said, "What is my trespass? what is my sin? that thou hast so hotly pur

sued after me. Thou hast searched all my stuff; what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge between us both. These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock I have not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it: of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was: in the day, the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my