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The Christian Mirror, and Other Sermons [Ed. by H. Martin].
The Christian Mirror and Other Sermons - Ed. by H. Martin Author:James Martin, James Martin General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1878 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: ESAU AND JACOB; OR, GOD'S LAW OF SELECTION. " Thus dwelt Esau in Mount Seir: Esau is Edom'' " And "Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan." -- GEN. xxxvi. 8; xxxvii. i. THE patriarch Abraham entered Canaan with the assurance that his seed should become possessors of the land, and that all the families of the earth would be blessed in him. This was the birthright to be bequeathed to his descendants. The birth of Isaac was followed by his solemn dedication to God, but this did not put an end to the anxieties of his father Abraham. He had still a double duty to perform, to keep him from forming an alliance with the idolatrous Canaanites, and yet so to train him that he would be under no temptation to leave the land. This was a task of no little difficulty. If he kept him in Canaan, he would be sure ere long to marry a Canaanite, as his cousins in Haran were not likely to come and visit the camp in Beersheba of their own accord. And if he went to Haran to visit his cousins, there was no little danger that he might never return. He therefore determined to send his faithful steward with the responsible commission to invite one of his nieces to return with the prospect of being Isaac's bride. It was no light responsibility, but Eliezer, whose faith in God was as strong as that of Abraham, simply cast his burden upon the Lord, and set out without misgiving. He took with him presents enough and ornaments enough to captivate the fancy and win the heart of any Eastern maiden, and wealth to form an adequate dowry for an Oriental princess. In all the rest, with the most...« less