beauty. There are many also who wish to make themselves appear beautiful. They desire to look better than God has made them. There fore they paint their faces and dress their hair, but they know not the fear and love of God. They are not beautiful in his sight, because they are destitute of the beauties of his holiRemember, my dear children, that Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

n:ss.

So great was Jacob's love for Rachel, that he served seven years in order to obtain her for bis wife, and they seemed unto him but a few

days,

days for the love he had for her. But she was jealous of her sister Leah and angry with Jacob without cause. Jacob gave her a suitable reproof and afterwards she had the blessing that she wished for. No doubt she prayed to God for it, because it is said, "God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened unto her. How kind it is of God to remember us when we so often forget him. How kind is God to hear us when we so often refuse to hear his voice. Rachel joined with her sister in complaining of their Father's treatment. She ought not to have done this, it would have been better to be silent if she could not vindicate him; she ought not have taken pleasure in exposing his fault. To be sure, Laban had not sought her happiness or comfort, but it was her duty to forgive him. We cannot by any means commend Rachel for stealing the images that were her father's. It is supposed that there were little idols kept in the house; they were Laban's household Gods. Rachel was the wife of a man that feared God, and yet she could not forsake her idols, could not leave them behind. What are we to think

of

of her conduct in not only taking them unknown to Jacob, but keeping them concealed, when her father was searching every place he could think of, in order to find them. Let us hope that she took them away that her father might not consult them in order to know which way they had gone. Poor gods indeed, those are which can be stolen away; yet such are the gods which thousands of women and children worship in India. Jacob when he heard that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men, placed Rachel and Joseph last. Rachel had two children, Joseph and Benjamin. When Joseph was born she gave him a name, which intimated that she ex pected that God would give her another child, "And she called his name Joseph, and said the Lord shall add to me another son." As she said, so it was; Benjamin was bornand Rachel died immediately after his birth. As she was dying she looked on the infant, and called his name Benoni, the son of my sorrow, but his father changed his name and called him Benjamin.-"Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem." That place

was

tras after called so, because the Benjamites built a city there and called it Bethlehem. "And Jacob set a pillar upon Rachel's grave, and that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day." We are told this monument was a pyramid curiously carved and engraved, and that there were twelve very large stones at the foundation of this pillar, according to the number of Jacob's sons. This pillar remained for many years afterwards, even to the days of Samuel the Prophet. After Samuel had anointed Saul king of Israel, he told him that on his departure from him he should find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin, at Zelzah, and they shall say unto thee," The asses that thou wentest to seek are found: and to thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying what shall I do for my son."

Let us reflect on the death of Rachel: she had said, give me children or else I die, meaning either that she should die of grief, or else lay violent hands upon herself. How painful was the consequence, she died immediately after Benjamin her second child was born.

When

When Laban accused Jacob of stealing his gods, he denied the charge, and so sure was he that no one had taken them, that he said, with whomsoever thou findest thy Gods let him not live, for Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. This should teach us to beware how we speak when in anger, lest we should say that for which we may be very sorry afterwards.

The following extract of a letter from Mr. Patterson, Missionary at Karass, dated May 15th, 1805, was intended to be introduced into the Lecture on the death of Rachel.*

"God the Sovereign disposer of all events, has thought it meet that I should be bereaved of my greatest earthly comfort, one who appeared to me, who appeared to all who knew

*When I wrote the Lecture on Rachel's death, it was just after the death of my beloved partner, who died in a similar manner, and was intended to perpetuate her memory; but when Ireviewed the Lectures for the Press, above four years after this event happened, I thought it best to leave out the Lecture altogether, as the subject was not suitable for children and young persons.