man lives and not only does he give us illustrations of the carnal principle, but also gives illustrations of the "Double Cure." Of its deep rootedness and its workings I know of no better illustration than the life of Jacob; cunning, keen, farsighted, selfish, grasping, his life gives us a vivid picture of the carnal nature that has its home in the hearts of mankind. Always planning and scheming for himself, getting possession of what rightfully belongs to another, running from those wronged, endeavoring to justify himself for his acts, and when brought face to face with his old life, crying out in agony, "I fear Him." We repeat, it gives us a perfect picture of that carnal mind that God declares is "not subject to His law." (Rom. 8:7).

The pages that follow are not written, nor the position taken, regarding the life of Jacob for argument or controversy, but it does seem to us that many in their attempt to prove there is a second work of grace taught in the scriptures have sadly belittled and let down the Bible standard of regeneration in their writings and sermons and especially so, from the life of Jacob. The Bible does not teach that a soul can commit

sin and retain its justification. God cannot jus

tify willful sin.

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin," I John 3:9 and in I John 3:8, "He that commits sin is of the Devil."

John Wesley says: "He that is by faith, born of God, sinneth not; 1st, by any habitual sin, for all habitual sin is reigning, but sin cannot reign in any that believeth. Nor 2nd, by any willful sin, for his will, while he abideth in that faith is utterly set against all sin and abhorreth it as deadly poison. Nor 3rd, by any sinful desire; for he continually desireth the holy and perfect will of God, and any tendency to an unholy desire, he, by the grace of God, stifleth at the birth. Nor 4th, doth he sin by infirmities, whether in act, word, or thought; for his infirmities have no concurrence of his will, and without this they are not properly sins. Thus, he that is born of God doth not commit sin. And though he cannot say he hath not sinned, yet, now he sinneth not." Sermons, Vol. I, p. 16.

Never have we heard preached, or read, a sermon on Jacob that came within hailing distance of the above standard of Justification.

CHAPTER III.

HIS BIRTH.

And his hand had hold on Esau's Heel.-Gen. 25:26.

Isaac was the only son of Sarah, born of Abraham. When Abraham was old he called his eldest servant and exacted a promise that he would not take a wife from among the Canaanites for Isaac, but would go to Abraham's kindred and secure a wife for his son. The entire transaction is recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis. On the return of the servant, Isaac met him, and took Rebekah to be his wife. Isaac was forty years old at the time of his marriage to Rebekah (Gen. 25:20), and they lived together nineteen years with no children born to them. (See Gen. 25.26.) The Scriptures say Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren. We greatly fear that in these days of society and wickedness the entreating, if any, would be the reverse. The desire is not to have children, instead of looking forward to their coming and welcoming them when they

make their advent into many homes of today. One of the saddest things in life is an unwelcome child, and today, countless numbers are planning and scheming to defeat the plan that God has ordained to "Multiply men on the earth." When a preacher took us to task saying, "You talk as if the world was going to the dogs," we replied, "Sir, there has never been a time when there was as much wickedness upon the earth as at present." He replied, "You are greatly mistaken. It was much worse when Jesus was born, than at present." We asked, "how so?" "Why they killed all the babies at that time in their endeavor to kill the Christ;" to which we replied, "The only difference between then and now was the time they killed them! then they killed them a few months after they were born but now the killing is done a few months before they would be born." He said no more but left us immediately. We afterwards learned of the smallness of his family, and in our own minds understood why he had left us so abruptly. What a crowd of child-murderers, prenatal-murderers there are at this very hour and when they are brought face to face with the secret sin of their lives what

will they say? They cannot say they did not know for God hath said: "No murderer shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven." Isaac entreated Jehovah directly, purposely, especially for his wife. Ainsworth thinks the words imply their praying together for this thing; and the rabbins say that Isaac and Rebekah went on purpose to Mount Moriah, where he had been bound, and prayed together there that they might have a son." God heard and Rebekah bare him twin boys. The Bible states that after Isaac was born, "after that came forth his brother, and his hand had a hold on Esau's heel," and his name was called Jacob, one that takes by the heel, or supplants. (Revised Oxford Edition.) "His name was called Jacob, Yaacob, from Akab, to defraud, to deceive, to supplant, i. e., to overthrow a person by tripping up his heels, hence this name was given to Jacob, because it was found he had laid hold on his brother's heel." (Adam Clarke). "Hebrew, Yaacob, he shall hold by the foot. Akab, to supplant, to trip by the heels, and thence, metaphorically, to deceive, to defraud." (Bibilical Museum). From the above we learn that the very name of Jacob indi