The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-02-12

When Jacob found that, after his little
crookedness with Esau, in the matter of
venison, it would be more congenial for
him in some other locality, his father,
Isaac, called him, and blessed him, saying
that he should not take a wife of the
daughters of Canaan, but should go to the
land of Padan-aram, unto the house of
his grandfather Bethuel, and take as
wife the daughter of his uncle Laban.
Jacob went away as directed, and came
in sight of his uncle's sheep as they were
being watered at the well. Here he met
his cousin Rachel, and fell in love with
her. His uncle was truly glad to see him
and made him welcome at his house.
When Jacob proposed to serve Laban
seven years for Rachel, for his wife, La
ban thought it were better to give her to
him than to another.
But just here little joke was perpe-
trated upon the unsuspecting Jacob,
which in a measure repaid him for that
little goat-venisOn transaction. The Gus
tom of the country would not permit the
giving in marriage of the younger be-
fore the first born, and when Jacob re-
ceived his bride, behold it was not Rachel,
but the older sister Leah. Thus he had
toiled seven years for his loved one, and
had to take her older sister. Let some of
the young men of the present day, just
reflect upon this state of affairs for a mo=
ment-those of you who have called to
take pretty girl to party, or out for
sleigh-ride, and had her sad-eyed older sis
ter stick closer to you than shadow
But Jacob was not to be outdone by
the custom, and it seemed that he pos
sessed some of his mothers shrewdness.
so he made a proposition to old man La
ban to let him serve seven years more and
take them both. This was agreed to, and
by fourteen years service, he got them
both.
What an aXample of patient, faithful,
accomplishing love, this is. That a young
man could patiently wait seven, and even
fourteen years, for the girl he loved, must
seem astonishing and Incredible to the
young man of to-day, who would not toll
six months for any woman. But we may
not understand what emotions filled the
heart, or what thoughts occupied the
mind, of Jacob, during those long, weary
years, although continually cheered by
the presence of his darling AS, one by
| one, the years crept slowly onward, he
could realize that every year brought him
one year nearer the time when he could
call her his own. One year less to toll,
one year less to wait, for the full fruitinn
of his hopes. But the victory was at the
end of the long race.
If seven years could seem as but few
days unto Jacob, because of his love of
the object of his service, how much more
pleasantly must fly the time to him
whose affection reaches out beyond the
| scenes of earth, and lays hold of the glory
and beauty of the Throne of Grace? ia
cob returned to his brother Esau with
oxen, and camels, and goats, and asses,
and wives and children, and Esau loved
and forgave him. You may go into your
Fathers house with a mighty, ransomed
host, with crowns and harps of gold. 1t
requires only patient, faithful service, to
enable you to realize the full consumma-
| tion of your hopes. AS the time passes
rapidly along-and it will pass rapidly
and pleasantly, if you are faithful in the
discharge of duty, you may reflect that
there lies just beyond-not an old maid
whom you do not want, but supreme
| joy which you do want. The young man
now does not encounter the difficulty OF
Jacob, because the world is full Of pretty
girls, who will not allow their older Sis
ters to slip in and steal their husbands,
and all that ''the old man" will require is,
not that the bridegroom toll for seven
years, but simply that he be not too lazy
to make a living. In this direction the
customs of the world have certainly i'm
proved. The man who is as faithful and
patient in what he regards his line of du-
ty. as was Jacob in his pursuit of wife,
is bound to succeed. Let him first map
out course in life which he feels, he
knows, to be not only right, but that
which is best calculated to promote his
own happiness, and pursue that course
with unfaltering fidelity, and the God
who places him upon the earth will giye