SHEEP. The Sheep or Lamb was a very common Sacrifice of the old Law. When Moses speaks of this kind of Victims, he never omits to appoint,1 that the Rump must be laid whole upon the Fire of the Altar. This was the most delicate and valuable Part of this Animal. In the East there are seen Sheep, whose Tails or Rumps are all over fat, and weigh sometimes five and twenty Pounds or more. Those of Tartary, according to the Testimony of John Kinson, are so large, that they weigh sometimes eighty Pounds. Those of Indostan have also their Tails large and heavy, and their Wool very short and fine. The Tails alone of the Sheep of Madagascar weigh fifteen or sixteen Herodot. l.3. c.113.Pounds. Herodotus says, that in Arabia are seen two sorts of Sheep of a singular Kind. Some have their Tails so long, Busbeg. Ep. 3.that they reach even three Cubits, and if they are suffer’d to draw them along the Ground, they are much bruised, and become ulcerous. Therefore the Shepherds of that Country are forced to make little Carriages, upon which they lay the Tails of these Sheep, and draw them about with them where-ever they go. The other Sheep are not less extraordinary; they have their Tails two Cubits long, or about three Feet. Busbequius tells us in his Voyage, that some of this sort are found in Asia Minor. In eam aliquando magnitudinem accrescit, ut duas rotulas cum media tabella subjici necesse sit.
When Jacob was employ’d in Mesopotamia, in feeding the Sheep of his Gen. xxxi. 12, 13, 14.Father-in-law Laban, the Angel of the Lord appear’d to him, and said: Lift up now thine Eyes and see, all the Rams which leap upon the Cattle are ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled. At the same Time he discover’d to him a Secret, to make all the Sheep be produced of different Colours, by means of Branches of Trees, half peeled and half with the Bark on; which were to be placed near the Troughs at which the Sheep drank. The Matter is related at full length in the thirtieth Chapter of Genesis; as also how Laban alter’d and changed Jacob’s Wages several times. We shall not dwell upon that, but shall content ourselves to examine three things. First, whether the Artifice here made use of by Jacob were natural or miraculous. Secondly, in what Jacob’s Request consisted, for the Text does not clearly explain it. And thirdly, whether this Artifice of Jacob may be look’d upon as lawful, fair, and allowable.
As to the first Question, it is agreed, that the Females of all Animals, have received from Nature a very great Power of communicating to their Offspring certain Inclinations, Antipathies, Figures, Marks, and Colours. We have so many Evidences of this from every Day’s Experience and Observation, that it cannot by any means be doubted. Women have experience of this every Day; and we see it especially in domestick Animals, which are more exposed than others to receive Impressions from the several Objects that are presented to their View. Horses, Dogs, Cats, Pigeons, Fowls, tame Rabbits, are often of different Colours, and their Young generally take the Colour of what strikes the Imagination of the Dam the most forcibly at the Time of Conception. This is what is observed by both antient and modern Philosophers;2 and this is what St. Jerome,3 and St. Austin i, and the greatest Part of the Commentators acknowledge after them, upon the present Question. Therefore there was nothing miraculous in what Jacob did in this Matter; but the Miracle consisted in the Appearance of the Angel, who discovered to him in a Dream a natural Method of propagating Sheep of different Colours.
As to the second Difficulty, we think that Jacob requir’d of Laban, 1st, Every thing that should be born spotted and of several Colours, both of the Sheep and Goats. 2dly, What should be produced quite black, or with some white Spots. He left to Laban whatever should be quite white, both among the Sheep and the Goats. After this Laban and he separated from the rest whatever was wholly white, both among the Goats and Sheep, and Laban left all these Animals to the Care of Jacob, thinking that Sheep or Goats would be produced from them only of one Colour. This was to make Jacob’s Condition the least favourable to him that was possible, and would certainly have been so, had he not prevented it by a Stratagem. The party-colour’d Branches of Trees laid at the Watering-places, had the same Effect upon the Imaginations of the Sheep and Goats, as party-colour’d Sheep and Goats themselves would have had. As to Laban, he took under his own immediate Care all the Animals of different Colours, that might naturally be presum’d to produce young ones of different Colours.
A second Artifice of Jacob was, not to expose the party-colour’d Branches at all times, nor to all sorts of Sheep or Goats; but only to expose them in the Spring, that he might have his Young in Autumn; and, on the contrary, to let Nature proceed in her ordinary Course in Autumn, that Laban might have the Lambs conceived in Autumn, Boch. de animal. sacris.and yean’d in the Spring. Or according to others, he expos’d his Branches only to the best and strongest Ewes in the Flock, letting the others take the natural Course. Besides, it is thought, that when the Number of Lambs and Kids of several Colours was sufficient, instead of the striped Branches he expos’d these Lambs and Kids, which would produce the same Effect.
As to the third Difficulty, it is objected, that Jacob made use of a kind of Trick to out-wit Laban. No doubt but Laban understood the Bargain made between him and Jacob in the most obvious and natural Sense, in which Jacob was to yield up to him all such Lambs and Kids as should be produced white, and reserve to himself only the black ones, or party-colour’d; and instead of honestly pursuing this Intention, he has Recourse to an Artifice unknown to Laban, and of which he had no Suspicion, to make the greatest Part of the Kids and Lambs fall to his own Share. This appears to be directly contrary to all the Rules of common Honesty and fair proceeding. It signifies nothing to say, that Jacob had a Right to do himself Justice against the Incroachments and Iniquity of Laban, who for so many Years had made him no Recompence for all the Service he had done him; for according to the Rules of true Morality, No-body is to make himself a Judge in his own Cause, nor to take it upon himself to do himself Justice. Besides, in Strictness, what did Laban owe to Jacob? Had he not obliged himself to serve Laban fourteen Years for his two Daughters? After this Term was ended, Jacob had nothing else to do but to withdraw. But the best Argument for Jacob’s Vindication is this, that God himself approved of his Conduct, and suggested this Method to him by the Mediation of an Angel. This Judge, infinitely Just, saw Laban’s Injustice, and intimated to Jacob a sure Method how he might grow rich at Laban’s Expence, without giving Laban any just Cause of Complaint, if he consider’d the Matter in Strictness and Rigour. Is it not allow’d every one to make Use of his own Industry, and to advance his Interests by Art and Stratagem, especially when he has to deal with Persons of Laban’s Character?
By the Name of Sheep, the Scripture often understands the People; We are thy People, and the Sheep of thy Pasture. And Ps. lxxviii. 3. Ps. lxxx. 1. Matth. xv. 24.elsewhere, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a Flock. Jesus Christ says, that he was sent only to the lost Sheep of Israel. The Righteous are often compared to Sheep, exposed to the Violence of the Wicked, to the Fury of Wolves, to the Slaughter. Psal. lxiii. 22. Æstimati sumus sicut oves occisionis. At the last Judgment, the Just, being represented by Sheep, shall be at the Right-hand of the Sovereign Judge, and put in Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Saviour says, that Deceivers are Wolves that are cloathed in Sheep’s Cloathing. Matth. vii. 15.
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