Well then, he goes to Laban, he flies to Syria: that is, to his Uncle Laban, when he comes there he serves him, yea, he was a Servant to him for twenty years together in a low condition, so you find it in Gen. 31. 38. he saith there, He had served him twenty years, and in all this time he found Laban, though his kinsman, very rough to him; as many times young people coming to their kindred find them very rough and hard towards them. Laban was very churlish towards him: and very 1false to him, yet Jacob goes on and endures all the heat of the day, and the cold of the night, and Isaac his Father was alive all this while, and yet we never read that Isaac sent to him all this time, a thing much to be wondered at, there was never any intercourse that I read of between his Father Isaac and him all this while, but lives from his Father, though his Father, a rich man and a great man, and yet he goes on in a humble, patient, and quiet way, depending upon God to make an issue out of all his sufferings, and God did at length make a very glorious issue out of all, though Laban used him hardly. Now being Isaac's son and he had the blessing, one would have thought that Laban should have been willing to have bestowed a daughter upon him, nay but he serves for a Wife, and when he had served him, yet he was deceived with a Leah, which was a very great injury to Jacob, Laban urged her upon him; and it's a very great part of roughness, and rigidness, and cruelty in Guardians, or Parents, or any that have the Government 2of others, to force Wives upon them for their own private advantage, to force Wives upon their Children or Kindred, those matches seldom come to good; though God turned this to good, yet I say they do seldom come to good, these forced matches, it's that which is the undoing of many men and women, young women ⟨p. 391⟩to be so used: but Jacob saw no remedy, Fulfil her week, 3that is, the week of the Festivity of her Marriage, that is, confirm this match first; he would have had that Wife that he had served for, nay saith Laban, confirm this 4match, for Laban knew that except he had willingly afterwards gone in to her, he had not been bound to her as a Husband, but Laban would have him make sure and own her for his Wife, and then we will agree together, you shall sieve serve years more for Rachel, and you shall have her;
Well then, he goes to Laban, he flies to Syria: that is, to his Uncle Laban, when he comes there he serves him, yea, he was a Servant to him for twenty yeers together in a low condition, so you find it in Gen. 31. 38. he saith there, He had served him twenty yeers, and in all this time he found Laban, though his kinsman, very rough to him; as many times yong people coming to their kindered find them very rough and hard towards them. Laban was very churlish towards him: and very 1false to him, yet Jacob goes on and endures all the heat of the day, and the cold of the night, and Isaac his Father was alive all this while, and yet we never reade that Isaac sent to him all this time, a thing much to be wondered at, there was never any intercourse that I read of between his Father Isaac and him all this while, but lives from his Father, though his Father, a rich man and a great man, and yet he goes on in a humble, patient, and quiet way, depending upon God to make an issue out of all his sufferings, and God did at length make a very glorious issue out of all, though Laban used him hardly. Now being Isaac's son and he had the blessing, one would have thought that Laban should have been willing to have bestowed a daughter upon him, nay but he serves for a Wife, and when he had served him, yet he was deceived with a Leah, which was a very great injury to Jacob, Laban urged her upon him; and it's a very great part of roughness, and ridgedness, and cruelty in Guardians, or Parents, or any that have the Government 2of others, to force Wives upon them for their own private advantage, to force Wives upon their Children or Kindred, those matches seldom come to good; though God turned this to good, yet I say they do seldom come to good, these forced matches, it's that which is the undoing of many men and women, yong women ⟨p. 391⟩to be so used: but Jacob saw no remedy, Fulfill her week, 3that is, the week of the Festivity of her Marriage, that is, confirm this match first; he would have had that Wife that he had served for, nay saith Laban, confirm this 4match, for Laban knew that except he had willingly afterwards gone in to her, he had not been bound to her as a Husband, but Laban would have him make sure and own her for his Wife, and then we will agree together, you shall seve serven yeers more for Rachel, and you shal have her;
- 1Kindred.
- 2Parents or Guardians may not force Wives or Husbands upon Children.
- 3Gen. 29. 27. Expounded
- 4Note. Marriage founded on consent.
