shall serve
the younger." But, according to the prophecy to which he refers, it was
said to Rebecca, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people
shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger
than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger." Nothing can
be plainer, we think, than that this prophecy relates to the descendants
of Jacob and Esau, and not to the individuals themselves.

This view of the above passage, if it needed further confirmation, is
corroborated by the fact that Esau did not serve Jacob, and that this part
of the prophecy is true only in relation to his descendants. Thus the
prophecy, when interpreted by its own express words, as well as by the
event, shows that it related to "two nations," to "two manner of people,"
and not to two individuals.

The argument of St. Paul demands this interpretation. He is not discussing
the plan of salvation. The question before him is not whether some are
elected to eternal life on account of their works or not; and hence, if he
had quoted a _prophecy_(207) from the Old Testament to establish that
position, he would have been guilty of a gross solecism, a _non sequitur_,
as plain as could well be conceived.

For these reasons, we think there can be but little doubt with respect to
the true meaning of the passage in question. And besides, this
construction not only brings the language of the apostle into perfect
conformity with the providence which God is actually seen to exercise over
the world, but also reconciles it with the glory of the divine character.

In regard to the meaning of the terms _loved_ and _hated_, used in the
prophecy under consideration, there can be no doubt that the
interpretation of Professor Hodge is perfectly just. "The meaning is,"
says he, "that God preferred one to the other, or chose one instead of the
other. As this is the idea meant to be expressed, it is evident that in
this case the word _hate_ means to _love less, to regard and treat with
less favour_. Thus in Gen. xxix, 33, Leah says, she was hated by her
husband; while, in the thirtieth verse, the same idea is expressed by
saying, Jacob 'loved Rachel more than Leah.' Matt. x, 37. Luke xiv, 26:
'If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother,' &c. John xii,
25."

No one will object to this explanation. But how will the language, thus
understood, apply to the case of individual election and reprobation, as
maintained by