ye may escape that final and everlasting rejection from a heavenly inheritance, of which his history is a most lively representation.

Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright; for ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

From these words we may draw the following heads of practical meditation and improvement.

FIRST, that it is a true description of all sinners, that for one morsel of meat they sell their birthright.

SECONDLY, that repentance of some kind must, of necessity, be the consequence of sin.

THIRDLY and LASTLY, that repentance may be delayed and put off until it will be too late to be accepted.

I. First, it is a true description of all sinners, that for one morsel of meat they sell their birthright.

By the undertaking of the LORD JESUS CHRIST for a lost world, a reconciled GoD, pardon of sin, and sanctifying grace to the attainment of eternal life, are procured and freely offered to all who seek for them through the atonement made to the Almighty Father of the universe, by the sacrifice of the cross. Of these glad tidings to a world of condemned sinners the gospel is the authentic proclamation, calling upon all men every where to repent and believe, to obey and be saved-giving them the fullest assurance of another state of being, by the resurrection of CHRIST from the dead, and thereby bringing life and immortality to light, with the awful sanctions which await them under the righteous judgment of a pure and holy GoD upon the deeds done in this body. This state of reconciliation, hope, and help for sinful creatures, purchased for them by the death of CHRIST, together with the reward which is promised to the due improvement of it, is styled in Scripture the birthright or inheritance of the saints, and it is thus described on various accounts, but all referring to the procuring cause and to the qualifications for it. Thus in the most extended sense in which the expression can be taken as embracing the seed of Adam, the advantages specially revealed to all under the gospel, are, nevertheless, securely

laid up for those to whom the gospel has not come, who, according to the light of their respective dispensations, have feared GoD and wrought righteousness. For, as in the inscrutable counsel and foresight of the Almighty Father of the universe, provision was made for the recovery of fallen man through the Son of GOD, even before his creation, all who are born into the world are, in different degrees, the heirs of these mighty benefits. Hence CHRIST is called in Scripture, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and the revelation of this mystery at sundry times and in divers manners by the prophets, and finally and fully by the gospel, is by St. Paul, and for this reason, styled God's own purpose and grace, which was given us in CHRIST JESUS before the world began, and the eternal purpose which he purposed in CHRIST JESUS our LORD. It is, therefore, with the utmost propriety called a birthright or inheritable property. For GoD was in CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself, and JESUS CHRIST by the grace of GOD tasted death for every man. Nor are any debarred from this benefit who do not exclude themselves by personal sin and the neglect of timely repentance.

In a more restricted though still general sense, the benefits and advantages of the gospel dispensation are the birthright of all under its joyful sound; and the reward of that eternal life, which is therein promised to faith and obedience, is the incorruptible inheritance to which they are called. At their very entrance into life as it were, this general claim to the favour and mercy of GoD through CHRIST is appropriated in the sacrament of baptism, wherein they are made "members of CHRIST, children of GoD, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven," and as such are registered in the Lamb's book of life, as heirs of GOD and joint heirs with CHRIST-a sealed title to heavenly glory, which nothing can deprive them of but a life of sin and wickedness impenitently persisted in.

In a still more restricted and higher sense, (and to which all previous gospel advantages, when duly improved, surely bring us,) this inheritance is the birthright of those who to natural birth and baptismal regeneration have added repentance towards GoD, (for there is no man that liveth and sinneth not,) and faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, with holiness; thus VOL. II.-40

making their calling and election sure, or as St. John expresses it in his gospel, as many as received him, to them gave he power, (that is, right or privilege,) to become the sons of GOD, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Such, my brethren and hearers, according to the Scriptures, being the extent and efficacy of the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS, there can be no question of the high duty and commanding obligation all present are under, to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, and secure their title to this heavenly inheritance by such a conversation in life as becometh the gospel of CHRIST. For the gospel, with all its high, holy, and heavenly hopes, with all its encouraging and effectual helps, and with all its heart-stirring sanctions, is your birthright, my hearers; but we are instructed by the text, that this invaluable patrimony may be alienated, sold, and bartered away for a worthless consideration, and we learn from woful experience that there are, even now, many Esaus.

The counterpart of this character, then, here set forth for our warning, is found in all profligate, vicious, and wicked men ; for one morsel of meat they sell their birthright; for a present inconsiderable trifle they part with a most valuable estate in reversion; for the momentary pleasures of sin in this transitory and uncertain world, they exchange their heavenly and eternal portion in the city of the living GOD. Being shown the field containing the pearl of great price, according to our Saviour's figure in the parable, instead of selling all that they possess in order to purchase it, they madly sell the inestimable pearl purchased for them by the Son of God, for that which profiteth not.

The votaries of the world, also, who with more of decency but with equal folly lay themselves out for its riches and its honours, resemble Esau in the poor and perishing price for which they sell their birthright.

The lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God likewise realize the same ruinous self-deception, in bartering away an unfading inheritance for what, literally, perishes in the using-the

mere gratifications of sense or the transient enjoyments of pride and vanity.

But more exactly alike, and, alas! more frequent than the others, is the numerous class of careless neglecters of the gospel, of whom nothing openly flagitious and profligate can be said, on the contrary, outward respect is shown by many of them for religion, and the morality of their lives is even conspicuous; yet in the very sense in which Esau is represented as despising his birthright do they despise theirs. For neglect of the gospel can only proceed from the preference of something opposite to it, or from profane contempt of its promises and threatenings. On such an interest as that of being delivered from the curse of GoD and everlasting misery, and the obtaining the favour of the Almighty and endless felicity, not to be engaged is to be opposed, to be neutral, even, is to be counted an enemy-He that is not for me is against me, saith the Son of GOD. Hence, and still more from the reason of the thing, all under the light of the gospel, particularly all baptized persons, who are careless and negligent on this duty, who sit loose to any profession of religion, and disregard the solemn engagements of the baptismal covenant, are in fact guilty of the sin of despising their birthright, and stand in the same danger, and are liable to incur the same rejection denounced against Esau.

Let me beseech you, therefore, and all other impenitent sinners, to consider, with the seriousness it deserves, this awakening passage of Scripture-to look to those other Scripture histories, which, under various similitudes, set forth for our warning and instruction the dangerous consequences of trifling with the appointments of GoD for our salvation, and thence learn that the case of Esau is not a solitary instance of profanely despising the advantages of birth, condition, and opportunity. From Adam forward, through the whole Scripture, what do the various examples of disobedience and contempt of God therein given say to sinners of every class? For one forbidden delight Adam forfeited both that and all other delights; for the gratification of one impatient appetite Esau parted with his right as the first born, with all the high privileges both of a temporal and spiritual nature which were annexed to his birth, and of which

he could not be deprived but by his own act. For a mess of pottage, however, for one morsel of meat he bartered them away; and the consideration of his case, and of the many others of a like kind recorded for our learning, speaks to every impeni tent, careless, delaying sinner under the gospel in the words of Nathan to David-Thou art the man, Thou art the Adam, thou art the Esau, who, for a transient, perishing gratification of brute-like appetite, art selling thy birthright to an everlasting and incorruptible inheritance of glory; thou art the man who, for the momentary enjoyments of sin, for the brutal pleasures of debauchery, for the unprofitable gains of fraud, extortion, and usury, and the fleeting distinctions of worldly honour, art bartering away the solid and enduring pleasures and honours which are at the right hand of God for evermore.

But, my sin-deceived brothers and sisters, what are your gains worth, even when obtained? How long will they continue? Alas! what is our life at most but as a flower of the grass, that speedily fadeth, or as a thin vapour, a morning mist, that passeth away and cometh not again? Where are now the many whom yourselves have seen and heard of, who chased these shadows of better things but forgot the substance, where are they with their contempt of the gospel, and dissolute pleasures, and unrighteous gains, and air-built, earthly honours? Have these gone with them into the separate state? Do they now enjoy them? Alas! for the bitter exchange, the unprofitable barter, but it cannot be recalled. Yes, my dear hearers, and unless speedy repentance deliver you from the snare soon, and how soon you know not, you will have to join them in saying, with anguish of soul, All those things are passed away as a shadow and as a post that hasted by, and as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which, when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, or as when a bird has flown through the air, there is no token of her way to be found, even so we in like manner, as soon as we were born, began to draw to our end, and, having no sign of virtue to show, are consumed in our own wickedness.

Lay to heart, then, I beseech you, my friends, the warning herein given, and bear in mind, that the comparison here made