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Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

Then Jacob went on his journey. — Heb., Lifted up his feet: indefessi cursoris instar ; as it were a generous and manly horse, refreshed with his wait by the way, he went lightly on his long journey. "The joy of the Lord was" Jacob’s "strength": Nehemiah 8:10 it became as oil; wherewith his soul being suppled, he was made more lithe, nimble, and fit for action. He that is once soaked in this oil, and bathed, with Jacob, in this bath at Bethel, will cheerfully do or suffer aught for God’s sake. Tua praesentia, Domine, Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulcem fecit , saith one. Aug. in Psalm cxxxvii. Gaudebat Crispina cum tenebatur, cum audiebatur, cum damnabatur, cum ducebatur , saith Austin. So did many of the Marian martyrs, as were easy to instance. Bernard gives the reasons: The cross is oiled, Crux enim inuncta est ,& c. Crucem multi abominantur, crucem videntes, sed non videntes unctionem . - Bern. saith he; and, by the grace of the Spirit helping our infirmities, it is made, not only light, but sweet; and not only not troublous and terrible, but desirable and delectable. From the delectable orchard of the Leonine prison: so that Italian martyr Algerius dated his letter. Act. and Mon., fol. 857. Another Dutch martyr, feeling the flame to come to his beard, Ah, said he, what a small pain is this, to be compared to the glory to come! Ibid., fol. 813. Let us pluck up our feet, pass from strength to strength, and take long and lusty strides toward heaven. It is but a little afore us; and a ready heart rids the way apace.

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And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there [were] three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone [was] upon the well’s mouth.

Three flocks of sheep lying by it. — Semblably Christ, the chief Shepherd, "feeds" and "leads his flock to the lively fountains of waters"; Revelation 7:16-17 Psalms 23:2 commanding his under shepherds, the ministers, to roll away the stone, by opening the promises, that his sheep may drink "water with joy out of those wells of salvation". Isaiah 12:3

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And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.

And they put the stone again upon the well’s mouth. — To keep the waters clean and filth free. The Turks had procured some traitor in Scodra, where Scanderbeg ruled, to poison the town well. Turk. Hist. The Pope hath endeavoured the like, by pouring out his deadly poison "upon the rivers and fountains of water" (the Scriptures) "that they might become blood". Revelation 16:4 Witness that heathenish decree of the Council of Trent; equalising, if not preferring, the Apocrypha to the canonical Scripture; the vulgar translation to the original; traditions to Holy Writ; and affirming that the Holy Ghost himseff is not to be heard, though he bring never so plain Scripture for himself; nisi accedat meretricis purpuratae effrons interpretatio , saith a learned doctor, unless the Pope may interpret it. D. Prid., Lect. de Testibus . Horrible blasphemy! Had not God’s servants need to see to the cleansing of this well, and the keeping it free from the tramplings and defilements of this foul beast? The Council of Constance comes in with a Non-obstante against Christ’s institution, withholding the cup from the sacrament. Licit Christus, post coenam, instituerit, et suis discipulis administraverit ,& c. - Caranza, Sum. Concil., sess. 13; Bee Hive of Rome, p. 12 . Before that the gospel was corrected, amended, and expounded, say the Canonists, there were many things permitted (as priests’ marriage); which now, since the time is come that all things are made perfect, are clearly abolished and taken away. When the Hussites denied to admit any doctrine that could not be proved by the Holy Scriptures, the Council of Basil answered them, by Cardinal Cusanus, that the Scriptures were not of the essence of the Church, but of the well being of it only; that the Word of God was so much the better taught the people, by how much it had less of the Scriptures in it; that the Scripture was to be interpreted according to the current rite of the Church; Tanto dignius verbum Dei tradi, quanto remotius ab omni Scriptura: eam explicandam iuxta currentem Ecclesiae ritum , … - Revius, De Vit. Pontif ., p. 235. qua mutante sententiam, mutetur et Dei iudicium . Can any hear this, and his ears not tingle? This was then the Pope’s express: for in Popish councils, the bishops and others have no more to do, but simply, inclinato capite , to say Placet to that which in the Pope’s name is propounded to them: as nothing was resolved by the Trent fathers, but all in Rome: whence grew that blasphemous proverb, which I abhor to relate. Hist. of Coun. of Trent , 497. This council was that sea, upon which the second angel poured out his vial, Revelation 16:3 and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in that sea. Cavete .

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And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence [be] ye? And they said, Of Haran [are] we.

And Jacob said. — These petty passages are recorded, when the acts of mighty monarchs are unmentioned; to show God’s dear respect to his poor servants. The lion and eagle were not offered in sacrifice as the lamb and dove were. Mr Fox being asked, whether he knew such an honest poor man, answered, I remember him well: I tell you, I forget lords and ladies, to remember such. So doth God.

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And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know [him].

See Trapp on " Genesis 29:4 "

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And he said unto them, [Is] he well? And they said, [He is] well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

And, behold, Rachel his daughter. — Note, that our least and ordinary actions are ordered and directed by God; as Nathanael’s being under the fig tree, John 1:48 … Birds flying seem to fly at liberty, yet are guided by an overruling hand of Heaven: so are our thoughts, affections, actions. Sic curat Deus universos, quasi singulos; sic singulos, quasi solos , saith Augustine, Rachel, by a divine providence, meets Jacob at the well: so doth the Church (that shepherdess, Song of Solomon 1:7-8 ) meet Christ in his ordinances. Psalms 23:2-3

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And he said, Lo, [it is] yet high day, neither [is it] time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go [and] feed [them].

Neither is it time, … — Time is a precious commodity, and must be thriftily husbanded. The common complaint is, We want time: but the truth is, we do not so much want, as waste it, as the heathen observed: a which they that do, are wastefullest prodigals: for, of all other possessions, two may be had together; but two moments of time cannot be possessed together. This made the philosopher so parsimonious of time: Nullus mihi per otium exit dies - I cannot afford to cast away a day; pattem noctium studiis vindico - part of the night I take for my studies. So did Charles the Great; and after him, Charles the Fifth, who, when at any time in the field against the enemy, spent what hours he could spare in the study of the mathematics. He had, for that purpose, as his instructor, Turrianus of Cremona ever with him. As if he had been of Cato’s mind, Cato in Orig . that great men must be able to give good account, non minus otii, quam negotii ; no less of their leisure, than of their labour. His constant custom was, saith Cicero, Cic. De Senect . to call to mind, at evening, what thing soever he had seen, read, or done, that day. King Alfred, that reigned here ( Anno Dom . 872), is said to have cast the natural day into three parts: eight hours he spent in praying, study, and writing; eight in the service of his body; eight in the affairs of state. Which spaces (having then no other engine for it) he measured by a great wax light, divided into so many parts; receiving notice by the keeper thereof, as the various hours passed in the burning. Dan. Chron ., fol. 13.

“ Qui nescit quo vita modo volat, audiat horas:

Quam sit vita brevis, nos docet ille sonus .”

a Non parum habemus temporis, sed multum perdimus. - Senec. Epist.

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And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and [till] they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

We cannot, until all the flocks. — As we are not, by the example of these shepherds, to enterprise things above our strength, Psalms 131:1 so neither to be discouraged by every difficulty; but to lend, and borrow help one of another; each man "pleasing his neighbour for his good, and serving him in love, to edification". Romans 14:1-2

“ Divisae his operae, sed mens fuit unica, pavit

Ore Lutherus oves, flore Melancthon apes .”

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