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 of  men! “As the  division  of  waters,  so  the  heart  of  the  king  is  in  the hand of  the  Lord:  whithersoever  He  will  he  shall  turn  it”  (Prov.  21,  1).

Hatefulness of  envy. Not  only  was  Jacob  blessed  by  God,  but,  for his sake,  God  prospered  Laban  as  well. And yet  Laban  envied  his son-in-law, and  was  unfriendly  to  him. We can  see  by  Laban’s  conduct what a foolish,  hateful,  and  unjust  vice  envy  is.

It is  noble  to  forgive.  What  is  the  feeling  of  your  heart,  as  you picture to  yourself  those  two  brothers  weeping,  and  embracing  one another ? Is it  not  a moving  sight ? Is not  Esau,  forgiving  and  weeping, a thousand times  better  than  Esau,  angry  and  vindictive? Is it  not,  therefore, a beautiful  and  noble  thing  to  forgive  those  who  have  injured  us? “Forgive us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  them  that  trespass  against  us.” Parents are  the  representatives  of  God  to  their  children. Jacob said, speaking of  his  children: “They  are  the  children  which  God  hath  given to me.”  God  gives  children  to  their  parents  to  bring  them  up  for  Him, to love  and  serve  Him. On this  account,  parents  are  to  their  children the representatives  of  God,  and  children  ought  to  honour  them  as  such.

Jesus Christ, the  Author  of  all  grace.  The  blessing  which  Jacob wrung from  God  is  a figure  of  the  great  gift  of  grace  which  Jesus Christ, the  true  Israel,  wrung  from  heaven  for  us  by  His  sufferings and death.

Do you  ever  refuse  to  make  friends  with  your brothers and  sisters,  or  any  other  children  who  have  injured  you ? Do you  not  nurse  a feeling  of  resentment? Are you  not  ill-natured to them? Do you  not  wish  them  evil? Do you  ask  pardon  of others  (as,  for  example,  your  parents)  when  you  have  done  wrong, and grieved  them? Do you  easily  begin  a quarrel? Forgive everyone from  your  heart! Be at  peace  with  everybody,  and especially with  your  brothers  and  sisters! Do not  aggravate  or strike  anyone! It is  far  better  to  suffer  wrong  than  to  do  wrong. Say to-day  an  “Our  Father”  for  all  those  who  have  done  you any injury!

ACOB had  twelve  sons,  and  he  loved  Joseph  above  all  the others, because  he  was  young  and  very  good. And Jacob made him  a coat  of  divers  colours. One day,  when  the  brothers