instance of profaneness. He sold (Ta xрwlolonia wulg suum jus primogeniti: Bez.) his right of the firstborn; (jus primogenituræ suæ) the right of his own primogeniture; the things belonging to him as the firstborn. I shall not with some admit the priesthood among the privileges of the birthright, and can give arguments sufficient to disprove it; but this is not a place to insist on these things. A double portion of the paternal inheritance appertain to the first-born by the law, Deut. xxi, 17. There was also in it a right of rule and government over the rest of the children of the family, which was transferred to Judah on the forfeiture made by Reuben, 1 Chron. v, 2; and, therefore, when Isaac had transferred the birthright and blessing to Jacob, he teils Esau, "I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given unto him for servants," Gen. xxvii, 37. But, moreover, there was a blessing that from Abraham ran in the patriarchal line, which was communicated from father to son, containing an inclosure of all church privileges, and the preservation of the promised seed. This, I confess, was distinct from the birthright, Gen. xxvii, 36. But although it were not annexed inseparably to the birthright, yet there was a just expectation that it should be conveyed according to the primogeniture. Hence, not only Esau calls it his blessing, "he hath taken away my blessing," ver, 36,but Isaac calls it so too; "he hath taken away thy blessing," ver. 35. It was not his by divine destination,as appeared, in the issue; nor had he made it his by obtaining a special interest in the promise by faith; for he had it not. But in the ordinary course it was to be his, and so in his own expectation; but God cut off the line of succession herein,and gave it to Jacob. Now as Jacob in his whole design aimed not at riches and power, wherein 44 VOL. IV. he was contented to see his brother far exceed him; but at an inheritance of the patriarchal blessing, wherein the promised seed and the church state were contained, whereunto the birthright was an outward entrance, a sign and a pledge of it; so Esau, by selling his birthright, did virtually renounce his right to the blessing, which he thought to be annexed thereto. §3. But it may be inquired how he sold his birthright, or how he could sell what was not in his own power? The word is (azɛdolo) he gave away, or he gave up. But whereas he did it for what he esteemed a valuable consideration, and made an express bargain, the sense intended in the word is, that he sold it, Gen. xxv, 33. And although he never sought the recovery of the birthright, the renunciation of which he had confirmed by an oath, yet he hoped he might retain the blessing still. It is evident how in all his actions he carried it profanely; for he discovered a great readiness to part with his birthright, and all that was annexed to it by divine institution. Being a man wholly given to his pleasures, and the love of present things, he seems scarce ever to have entertained serious thoughts, about what it was significant of, in things spiritual and heavenly. He did it on so slight an occasion, and valued it at so small a rate, as "one mess of pottage," or "one morsel of meat," that is, what was to be eaten. Regardless of what he had done, after the power of his present temptation was over, it is said, "he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way," as a man utterly unconcerned in what he had done; whereon the Holy Ghost adds that censure. "Thus Esau despised his birthright; he did not only sell it, but despised it," Gen. xxv, 31–34. This was the "profaneness" of Esau. §6. "For ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing." There is a peculiar force of persuasion and conviction, when we argue from men's own knowledge and concessions. You know this yourselves; you know it full well from the scripture, and therefore let it be of great weight and consideration with you. Esau is represented as a man under great amazement, as if he had little thought to fall into such a condition. And thus at one time or other it will fall out with all profane persons, who have refused the mercy and privileges of the gospel; they shall at one time or other fall under dreadful surprisals. Then shall they see the horror of those crimes, which before they made nothing of. "How that afterwards." This afterwards was not less, perhaps, than forty or fifty years; for he sold his birthright when he was young: now when he designed the recovery of the blessing, Isaac was about an hundred and forty years; so long did he live in his sin, without any sense of it or repentance for it. Things went prosperously with him in the world, and he had no regard in the least of what he had done, nor of what would be the end of it. But falling now into a new distress, it fills him with perplexity; and so it is with all secure sinners whilst things go prosperously with them, they can continue without remorse; but at one time or other their iniquity will find them out. (Θελον κληρονομησαι την ευλογίαν) he would have inherited the blessing. He esteemed himself the presumptive heir of the patriarchal blessing, and knew not that he had virtually renounced it, and meritoriously lost it, by selling his birthright. So the apostle here distinguisheth between the birthright and the blessing. He sold his birthright, but would have inherited the blessing: and herein he was a type of the unbelieving Jews at that time; for they adhered to the outward things of the blessing, the carcass of it, to the rejection of him who was the whole life, soul and power of it. Note; It is not unusual, that men should earnestly desire the outward privileges of the church, who value not the inward grace and power of them; but they are profane persons. §7. The event of this attempt was, that he was rejected. Not that his eternal reprobation is hereby intended, but this open, solemn rejection of him from the covenant of God, and the blessings thereof, was an evidence of his being reprobated; whence he is considered as the type of reprobates, Rom. ix, 11, 12. The refusal of his father to give him the patriarchal blessing is here intended. It is all one whether we refer (avlny) it, in the close of the verse, to the remote antecedent the blessing, or to the next, which is repentance. For that which he sought, even in repentance, (namely, the repentance of his father, or the change of his mind) was the blessing also. For it is now generally agreed by all, that there is nothing in the words, which should in the least intimate, that he sought of God the grace of repentance; nor is there any thing in the record that looks that way. And I shall rather interpret this word with Beza of the blessing, than of the repentance even of Isaac; because his cry was immediately and directly for the former. The manner how he sought the blessing, is, that he did it diligently with tears. So the apostle expresseth the record, Gen. xxvii, 38. 1. He did it when it was too late; for he had not only forfeited his right to it long before, and lived in impenitency under that forfeiture, but the sacred investiture of another in that blessing was solemnly past, which could not be recalled. 2. He sought not at all in a due manner. Outward vehemency in expressions and tears may be influenced by such considerations as are not an evidence of in ward sincerity. He sought it not of God, but only of him who was the minister of it. There are no bounds put to the infinite treasures of divine goodness, if ap plication be made in a due manner. But he sought the end without the means; he would have the blessing, but used not the means for attaining it,faith and repentance. For, notwithstanding all his sorrow and trouble, upon his disappointment he immediately resolved, as Cain in the like case, to kill his brother. $8. From the premises observe the ensuing particulars: 1. That church which tolerates in its communion men living in such gross sins, as fornication, &c. is utterly departed from the rule of the gospel. And it is also hence evident, 2. That apostatising professors are prone to sins of uncleanness; for being overcome of the flesh, and brought into bondage, as 2 Pet. ii, 19; they are slaves and debtors to it, to serve it in the lusts of uncleanness. 3. Evil examples proposed in scripture light, laid open in their roots and courses, are efficacious warnings to believers to abstain from all occasions leading to the like evils. Take warning from Esau. 4. When there is in any a latent predominant principle of profaneness, a sudden temptation or trial will let it out to the greatest evils. Thus it was with Esau; and we see it daily verified to amazement. 5. This principle of profaneness, in preferring the morsels of the world before the birthright privileges of the church, is what at this day threatens the present ruin of religion. Let men pretend what they please, it is from a spirit of profaneness that they forsake the privileges and assemblies of the church for any outward advantages; and what will be their success, we shall see in the next verse. |