The Example of Esau, a Warning to Sinners

Lest there be any fornicator or prof ane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right. — Hebksws xii: 16.

The conduct of Esau is adduced by the apostle to illustrate the danger of sinners who reject the gospel of Christ. The story is this. “Esau came from the field, and he was faint. And said to Jacob, feed me with that same red pottage, for I am faint. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birth-right. And Esau said, behold I am at the point to die, and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” We cannot believe that he was on the point of starvation in his father’s house. The meaning is that he would forego no worldly gratification for the sake of spiritual blessings. Life is short, and I am determined to make the most of it. ‘’And Jacob said, swear unto me this day. And he sware unto him, and he sold his birth-right unto Jacob. And then Jacob gave Esau bread, and pottage of lentil es, and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birth-right.”

The birth-right included a double portion of his father’s substance, together with supreme authority in the family. But this was not the most important part. It included a prophetic blessing, with which were connected great spiritual privileges. These were the things which Esau despised — and on this account he is denominated by the apostle, a profane person. And this is what gives the passnge so much point in illustrating the conduct of sinners in selling the blessings of the gospel.

What do they sell? — How ? — For what? — The
consequences.

1. What do they sell? All the blessings purchased by the blood of Christ, and offcMed to men in the gospel — pardon of sin — peace of conscience — joy in the Holy Ghost — and a title to an eternal inheritance among the saints.

“The Lord said unto Abraham, lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward. For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.” This was only a type of those blessings which are presented to the sinner in the gospel — a crown — a kingdom — an inheritance incorruptible, undehled, and that fadeth not away. All these things are offered in the gospel.

2. How? — By resisting the strivings of the Spirit. All these blessings are intimately connected with the strivings of the Spirit, by whose influence alone, the sinner is made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

Now the sinner like Esau, may be unwilling to forego the pleasures of sense. He may set a higher value upon them than upon the salvation of his soul; and for the sake of securing these pleasures, he may resist the Holy Ghost, and seal his everlasting doona. “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.”

3. For what does the sinner sell the blessings of the gospel 1 Not for value received; — l)ut for mere trifles — one morsel of meat — a momentary gratification, he parts with the joys of heaven. It may be for the sake of present ease — or for a title of worldly honor — a pnff of noisy brealh — or perhaps for the sake of obliging a companion, who is the enemy of God — or for the sake of indulging some beloved lust.

In the indulgence of these pleasures, the conduct of the sinner may be attended by the stings of conscience. It is true, no one expects to complete the bargain. But many do it. Temptation comes, and conviction goes.

Now I would ask the sinner to consider well for what he is about to part wnth heaven. Count the cost. ‘’ Thus saith the Lord, ye have sold yourselves for nought.” 0, for what trifles sinners sell their souls. Lysimachus, king of Thrace, suffering under extreme thirst, offered his kingdom to the Getse, for the means of quenching it. His exclamation, when he had drunk, is very striking. ‘’ Ah! wretched me, who for such a momentary gratification, have lost so great a kingdom.” How applicable this to the case of him who, for the momentary pleasures of sin, parts with the kingdom of heaven.

4. The consequences. “Afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing” — My hearers, there is an afterwards. 0, if there was not, we would not trouble the sinner. Forty-five years afterwards when Esau would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. How different now are his feelings. The story is related in the 27th chapter of Genesis. When he found that God in his providence had given the blessing to Jacob, though it was in accordance with his own voluntary conduct, how did he then feeH When he heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry. O, how great, and exceeding bitter will the cry of the sinner be, when it is forever too late to retrieve his loss. He said to his father, ^’ Bless nie, even me also, 0, my father.” But he found no place of repentance. He could not induce his father to cfiange his mind, though he sought it carefully with tears. So it will be with the sinner. On the judgment of the great day, he will cry, Lord, Lord, open unto me, but the door will be shut.

Reflections.

. What great consequences are sometimes connected with little circumstances. For one morsel of meat — for the indulgence of one sinful appetite or passion, under certain circumstances, heaven is bartered away.

When the sinner is anxious for his soul, one word of contempt dropped in his ear — one sneering look, may occasion the loss of his soul — his absence from one interesting meeting of inquiry, may terminate in the loss of his conviction, and the loss of salvation. How great the danger of the sinner! ‘’If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ‘?”

2. What a solemn thing it is to live. The sinner is on trial once for all.

“Let us not lose the living God,

For one short dream of joy,
With fond embrace cling to a clod,

And fling; all heaven away.”