Elder Should ferve the Younger, Gen. xxv. 23. Rom. xi. 12. Not that the Elder fhould be damned to Eternity, and the Younger only faved, as 'tis hoped will appear plain and clear in the Sequel, and the contrary be plainly proved, both from Scripture and right Reason. First then, Thefe two (Jacob and Esau) were the Sons of godly Ifaac, to whom, with faithful Abraham, was the Promife of God, and to their Seed, Gen. xvii. 18. and both Jacob and Efau were bleffed in the Name of God, and in his Faith also: For (faith the Author of the Hebrews) Ifaac bleffed Jacob and Efau by Faith, Chap. xi. 20. This he wrote when he was illuftrating the invincible and mighty Power of Faith, by the many wonderful Works that had been done thereby; and doubtlefs the Faith there spoken of, is the true Faith; and whatever is foretold in and through true Faith will most certainly be fulfilled, as this great and fignificant Bleffing of Ifaac to his Sons 'was: The good, old Man, calls his eldest Son to him, being difpofed to blefs him, and bids him feek Venison, and make him Savoury Meat, Gen. xxvii. 3, 4. (fuch as he knew his Father loved) that my Soul may bless thee before I die; and Rebecca their Mother knowing (from what God had fhewed her before they were born) that the Elder fhould ferve the Younger, Gen. xxv. 23. for whom he had alfo the greatcft Love; fhe calls Jacob and opens the Matter to him, and bids him get Savoury Meat for his Father, Gen. xxvii. 14, 17, 18. which, through her Importunity, he did, and after he had prepared it, he brought it to his Father before his Brother came, and his Father bleffed him in Faith, Verse 28; but he did it against his natural Inclination; for he would have had his Son Efau to have had the Bleffing of Preference, Verfes 24, 25, because he was the eldeft Son, and by Nature it was his Birth-right; but he, in his prophane State and Condition, had despised and fold it for a Thing of little Value to his Brother Jacob; fo that Jacob, having

by his Brother's Confent, bought it of him, had a Right to it on a double Account, both by Promife and Purchase. 1ft, By the Promife of God before he was born And, Secondly, By Purchase of his Brother. But pray let it be obferved, that this was the Bleffing of Preference only, that Bleffing which Efau fought with Tears, but could not find it; neverthelefs he had a Bleffing pronounced to him by his Father, through Faith, Chap. xxvii. 39. though he does not feem to have had a right Sense thereof, for he was at Times in a prophane Spirit, Heb. xii. 16, 17. and in Enmity and Malice againft his Brother Jacob, as appears by that murthering, perfecuting Mind, that then was unmortified in him; for, fays he, the Days of Mourning for my Father are at Hand, and then I will flay my Brother Jacob, Gen. xxvii. 41. But then, as his Wickednefs was great, his Converfion must be by fo much the more glorious. It would be well if all mudering Perfecutors would (in this his Converfion) take him for an Example; for inftead of killing his Brother Jacob, when he met him on his Return to his Father's Houfe (from whence he had fled) he fell on his Neck, and kiffed him, and wept, Gen. xxxiii. 4. It is hoped that no Christian Ear will be offended to hear of the Converfion and great Change of this prophane Perfon, who, though he was not favoured with the Bleffing of Preference, or the natural Bleffing of Birth-right (which he fought with Tears, and could not find, Gen. xxvii. 38.) yet the Bleffing of God's Grace and Favour (being the free Gift of the Almighty to him) with the Fatnefs of the Earth, he had, and it was delivered to him by his Father by Faith, as faith the Apostle, in the fore-cited Epiftle to the Hebrews, Chap. xi. 20.

Which Bleffing was by their Father Ifaac thus expreffed to each of them. 1ft, to Jacob, that the Purpofe of God according to Election might stand, Rom. ix. II. 12. which Choice, or Election, before they were

born

born, or had done Good or Evil, was, that the Elder fhould ferve the Younger, or the Younger be preferred before the Elder; not that one fhould be damned, and the other faved; there is no Damnation to Eternity that we read of concerning Efau, but a choice Bleffing of God, of a quite different Nature. Unto Jacob he faid thus; God give thee of the Dew of Heaven, and the Fatnefs of the Earth, and Plenty of Corn and Wine, be Lord over thy Brethren, and let thy Mother's Sons bow down to thee, &c. Gen. xxvii. 28, 29. And, 2dly, Unto Efau he fays (exceedingly trembling) Verse 33. Behold thy Dwelling shall be of the Fatness of the Earth, and of the Dew of Heaven from above, and by thy Sword fhalt thou live, and halt ferve thy Brother; and it fhall come to pass, when thou shalt have the Dominion, that thou shalt break his Yoke from off thy Neck, Verfes 39,

40.

Thefe Bleffings have not only Respect to their own proper Perfons, but also to their Pofterity; but far from pre-ordaining them, or any of them, to Damnation; and we have good Ground to believe, from (what is above, together with) the Reformation wrought in Efau himself, much better Things of him; for it is written, When the wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness which he bath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he fall fave his Soul alive, Ezek. xviii. 27. So when a righteous Man turneth away from his Righteoufnefs, and committeth Iniquity, and dietb in them, for bis Iniquity which be bath done shall be die, Verse 26.

Having thus far taken Notice of the Purport of the Bleffings of Jacob and Efau, relating to their Perfons; who were both bleffed with the Dew of Heaven, and the Fatnefs of the Earth, I would add this Remark, "Let none curfe him or them whom God hath bleffed."

And whereas the Apoftle, reciting the Words of the Prophet Malachi, faith, Jacob have I loved, but Efau bave 1 bated, Rom. ix. 13. This was not faid of them before they were born, or had done either Good or

Evil;

Evil; but was justly denounced by the Almighty for the Cruelty and Hatred of the Children of Efau to the Children of Ifrael, as is fully and clearly expreffed by the Prophets, David, Ezekiel, Amos, and Obadiah; Pfalm cxxxvii. 7. Ezekiel xxv. 15.

xxxvi. 5. Amos i. 11, 12.

Amos i. 11, 12.

was written many Ages after.

XXXV. 1-15. Obadiah 10, to 16. and

Secondly, The next Text under Confideration is, "that the Lord hardened the Heart of Pharoah," Exod. vii. 13. But it fhould be obferved, he had first hardened himself against God and his People, and then Gcd hardened him yet harder, in order to fhew his great Power to Mortals, which well confifted with his Juftice to the Wicked and Unmerciful; for as God is merciful to the Righteous, fo he is juft in his Judgment to the Ungodly.

So that God was clear of that evil Heart of Unbelief in him, and it is but juft, and also reasonable, that when Man, having been often vifited, refufeth the Offers of God's Love, that he should vifit fuch in and with his righteous Judgment (who have flighted his Mercy and Grace) And then, according to Holy Scripure, his Destruction is of himself, but his Help "is in the Lord," Hof. xiii. 9. So that "God is true, and every Man, contradicting him, is a Liar,"

Rom. iii. 4.

Wherefore may all have a Care of hardening of their Hearts as Pharoah did, for that is provoking to the Almighty, and then he juftly gives them over to an evil Heart of Unbelief, and to a reprobate Mind, and fo they depart from the living God. The Lord faid

unto Pharaoh, let my People go, over and over, and it was the Mind of God he fhould have done it: Without those Men who hold the contrary, would make the Almighty fuch an one as themfelves, to fay one Thing, and mean another: What is that but to charge the Almighty with Hypocrify? A Thing hated of him, and his Dear Son, Chrift Jefus. No, no, Pharaoh

might have obeyed the Lord in a Day of Vifitation: But he refused, and faid, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his Voice, to let Ifrael go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Ifrael go, Exod. v. 2. And he continued to harden himself against God, and his People, cruelly perfecuting them, and forcing them to make Brick without Straw, before we read that the Lord hardened his Heart. Oh! that all hard hearted, perfecuting, unbelieving People might take Warning by him in time, before it be too late.

It is clear, he might have let the People Go; becaufe God by Mofes commanded him fo to do. And who can deny, that what God did, was more proper to foften, then to harden his Heart, by letting him fee the Miracles wrought in his Name, and the Ceafing of the Plagues he had inflicted; therefore it was poffible for him to have done what God required of him; he was not predeftinated to that Obduration, until he had hardened his own Heart; and then it was, is, and always will be, just with God to suffer his, or any other Man's Heart to become hardened, and give them up to a reprobate Mind, Rom. i. 29.

Thirdly, The following Scripture is wrefted, and falfly made use of, viz. Ifa. xxvii. 11. He that made them, will not have Mercy on them; and be that formed them, will fhew them no Favour. This Text hath, in fome of the Writings of thofe that espouse the aforefaid Doctrine, been brought to vindicate that despairing, destructive, evil Principle, of Pre-ordination of particular Perfons to Deftruction and Damnation : But this Text, with the reft, brought for that End, is grofly perverted; for in the fame Place the Cafe is fairly ftated, and the Reafon clearly fhewn, why God will fhew them no Favour, viz. "Becaufe they were withered Branches, and People of no Understanding; therefore he that made them, would not have Mercy upon them, and he that formed them, would fhew them no Favour." From whence it appears, they might have

been