The Institution of Christian Religion

Isaac that was less troubled with evils, yet scarce ever toke any taste of sweetness. He also felt the same vexations, that do not suffer a man to be blessed in the earth. Famine chased him out of the land of Canaan:¹ he had his wife violently plucked away from his bosom: his neighbours oft troubled him, and by all means oppressed him, so that he was fain to strive for his water: at home in his own house,² he suffered much troublesomeness by his children's wives, he was grieved with disagreements of his sons, and could not remedy that so great a mischief, but by the banishment of him whom he had blessed. But as for Jacob, he is nothing else but a notable example of extreme infelicity. He passed his childhood most unquietly at home among the threatenings and terrors of his elder brother,³ to which at length he was compelled to give place. When he was fled from his parents and his native country,⁴ beside that it was a grievous thing to live in banishment, he was nothing more kindly or gently received of his uncle Laban. Then it sufficed not that he had served seven year a hard & cruel service, but that also he must be by guile defrauded of his wife. For an other wives sake he was driven into new service, where he was all the day fried with heat of the sun, and all the night lay waking and pained with frost and cold, as himself complained. While he by the space of .xx. years suffered so hard a life, he was daily vexed with new injuries of his father in law.⁵ Neither was he quiet in his own house, seeing it divided and in a manner scattered abroad with the hatred, brawling & envy of his w•ues. When he was commanded to return into his country, he was compelled to watch an advantage to take his journey, much like a shameful running away: and yet could he not so escape the unjust dealing of his father in law, but was fain to suffer his reproaches and rebukes in the midst of his journey. Then fell he into a much more cruel distress.⁶