with a mistaken and an unholy pity, presume to take the part of those, whom He excludes from mercy? Far be such a conduct from us. I think, my brethren, you must by this time see that there is no just ground for the misunderstanding which I have stated above; and I trust that if you should hitherto have been disposed to entertain a thought of Esau's being unjustly treated, you will henceforth for ever dismiss it from your mind.

But perhaps you say, Esau repented. Is there not pardon, and mercy, for the pe• nitent? The Scriptures require us to re'pent of our sins, and promise, that if we do repent, we shall be forgiven. Yet the text ⚫ tells us that Esau found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with 'tears.' This was the other misunderstanding which I stated. And is it not a great misunderstanding? In fact so far as the text is concerned, there is no ground whatever for supposing that Esau was a penitent : for the repentance of which the Apostle speaks has no reference to the state of Esau's heart: it refers merely to a change in his Father's mind. "Esau found no place of repentance" that is, he found no way of revoking the act which his father Isaac had done. He could not prevail with him to change the direction which he had now given to the Blessing; to take it back from Jacob, and to

bestow it on him. He could not alter the divine purposes, and his Father's mind, though he sought to do it carefully with tears. This, and this only is the meaning of the expression in the text. And so far therefore as the supposition of Esau's repentance rests on this ground, it is totally without foundation. Nor if we look at the particulars of his conduct, shall we find any better ground. It is true "he lift up his voice and wept ;' "he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry." But tears alone do not prove a man a penitent. He who truly repents, will condemn himself; will take shame to himself; will confess his guilt; will grieve that he has offended God; and will earnestly desire forgiveness. But do we find any of these things in Esau's language and behaviour? We see in him no confession of sin, no acknowledgement of guilt, no cry to God for mercy. Instead of accusing himself, he throws all the blame on Jacob. Instead of condemning his own profaneness, in having sold his birthright, he merely complains of his brother's injustice in having treacherously taken it from him: and so far from repenting of his Sins before God, he secretly resolves in his heart, whenever a favourable opportunity shall offer, to avenge himself, and to slay his brother.Esau then was not a penitent. His tears were the tears of disappointment and vex

ation, not of contrition and godly sorrow. His grief was that of a person who finds too late that he has made a foolish and a ruinous bargain; the grief of a criminal at the place of execution, who bitterly laments the punishment which his folly and wickedness have brought upon him.

We see then with how little truth it can be said, that the example of Esau contradicts the general tenor of the Scriptures, by giving countenance to the supposition that any truly penitent Sinner shall be rejected. In fact he is brought here as an instance of an impenitent sinner: of one who, from the prevailing love of sin, and of the world, suffers his religious advantages to go unimproved; profanely slights, and resists the grace of God; nor discovers the folly and wickedness of his conduct till it is too late to alter it, and to escape the dreadful consequences. It is in this light that we must view the example of Esau, if we hope to profit by it. And accordingly I now proceed,

II. To show some of the Practical Admonitions, which his example, when thus un derstood, suggests to our consideration.

1st. We are here admonished that we also have a birthright; a birthright, as important in itself, and as valuable to us, as that of Esau was to him. We have exceeding great

and precious promises given to us, to every one of us, to high and low, to rich and poor, (for there is no difference,) even the promise of God in Christ. Consider what these promises are; the promise of every thing pertaining to life and godliness; the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come; the promise of pardon of sin; of reconciliation with God; of his special favour and protection; of adoption into his family; of the renewal and sanctification of our natures; of the consolations of the Spirit; of victory over death, and the grave; of everlasting life, and glory in the kingdom of Heaven. These are the Blessings promised in the Gospel-Covenant; Blessings, in which, as professed Christians, we have a presumptive interest. At baptism our name was put into the charter-deed: and on our attaining to that Faith and Repentance, which are the stipulated requisites, we may plead our title to the blessings promised, and may claim them for our own. This is our birthright; in substance the same with Esau's, but far surpassing it in the light and clearness with which it is revealed. In a word, our birthright is our privilege of knowing, worshipping, and serving God in the Gospel of his Son: the opportunity, with which we are favoured of working out our Salvation with fear and trembling: the time and the means

vouchsafed to us, for securing to our souls an everlasting inheritance in the world of light and glory.

2dly. We are here reminded of the Way in which we may despise this birthright. We have seen how Esau despised his. He made light of it. He accounted it of no value. He sold it for a mess of pottage. He bartered it away for a morsel of bread. He deliberately preferred worldly, sensual, temporal gratifications, to the divine favour and promises. This was his sin. It proved him to be a wicked man, an irreligious per son, without any real fear of God, or faith in His word. Let us then remember, that if we act in the same manner, in the same spirit with Esau, it will prove us to be persons of the same character with him. If with him we sell our birthright, we shall with him be accounted by the Lord "profane."And yet how many, it is to be feared, are acting thus, and treading in Esau's steps! How many are making light of Christian privileges, and Christian prospects; setting no value on the means of grace and the hopes of glory, and bartering away the promise of an eternal inheritance for some trifling, earthly, perishing possession or enjoyment! Think not that you are free from Esau's sin, merely because you may not have sold your interest in the Gospel by some