Parochial and Plain Sermons

I SUPPOSE no one can read lhis chapter wlthout feeling some pity ibr Esau. He had expected that his father would give him his blessing, but his brother was beçorehand with him and 'ot the blessing instead. IIc did hot know what had happened, and he calne in to his father to be blessed, without an- suspicion that he xvas hot to be blessed. I-Ils father, full of amazemênt and distress, told him, that without klmwinz it, for he was blind and eould lmt see, he had alread" given the blessing fo his brother Jaeob, and he eould lmt reeall if. On hearing this,:Esau burst out into "a. great and exeêedillg bitter ery," as the text expresses it. Ail his hopes were disappointed in a noment. He had built mueh upon this blessing.:For Esan, when he was young, had eommitted a very great sin against God. He was his father's first-born, and in those rimes, as now among the rich and noble, if was a. great thing fo be the cldest in a familv. In Esau's case these 1)rivilcges were thc g'rcater, for they werc hc direct g'ift of God. Esau, as. bein. the cldcst born of his father Isaac, inherited certain rights a.nd privilcges which Isaac, hc long-expected heir of Abraham, had rcccived from;Abraham. Now:Esau's sin, whcn ho was a younf¢ man, had been his— he parted with his birthri'ht o his younger brothcr, Ja.cob. IIe thought lightly of God's grcat gift. How littlc he hought of if is plain by he price he took fir if. Esau had bccn huning, and he came home ired and fiint. Jacob, who had remained af home, had somc pottagc; and Esau beged for some of if. Jacob knew thc worh of he birthright, hough Esau did not; ho had faith to disccrn if. So, whcn Esau asked for potrage, he said he would give if o Esau in exchange f[,r his birthrigh; and Esau, caring nothing for the birhright, sold it o Jacob for the mess of food. This vas,- grea.t sin, as 1)cinz « conemp of a special gift of God, a gift, which, M'ter his faher lsaac, no one in the whole world had but ho. Time went on. Esau got older; and nnderstood more than bcforc thc value of he gitl whi(.h ho had hus profanely surrcndcrcd. Doubtless ho would fain have got if back again if he could; bu hat was impossible. Under these circumstances, as we find in he chapter vhich has been read in he course of to-day's Service, his fitther proposed o give him his solenm blessing belote he died. Now this blessiug in those rimes carried great weight with it, as being • ofthe nature of a prophecy, and if had been ffom the first divinely intended for Jacob; Esau had no right fo if, but he thoug'ht that in this vayhe should in a certai: se:se g'et back his birthrig'ht, or vhat w,»uld stand in its pl;tce. He had partcd with if e:tsily, and ho expeeted fo regain it easily. Observe, he showed no repentanee for what he had done, no self-rcproach; he had no fear that God would punish him. lle only regretted his loss, without humblin himscl'; aud he determined fo retrace his steps as quickly and quiclly as he could. He went fo lmnt for venison, and dress it as savoua T naeat for his father, as his father bade him. And havingg'ot ail rcady, he came with if ami stood before his father. Then was if that he learned, fo his misery, that God's gifts are hot thus lightly tobe treated; he had sold, he eould hot reeover. IIc had hoped to have had his father's blcssing3 but Jacob had reeeived it insteŒEd, tic had thou'ht fo regain God's favour, hot by fasting and prayer, but by savoury meat, by feastin" and making merry. Sueh seems, on the whole, St. Paul's accourir of the martel; in lais Epistle fo fhe Hebrews. After having given examples of faith, he bids his Christian brethren beware lest there should be any one among them like Esau, whom he ealls a "profane pcrson;" as havin" thought and acted with so littlc of real perception of thinffs unseen; "lookin diligently," he sa.ys, "lest any man fail of the grace of Goal; lest there be any fornieator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterwards, when he would bave inherited the blessing, he was rejeeted; for he found no place of repentante, hough he sought i carefully with tearst. » OEhis then is the meaning" of Esau's reat and biffer cT, which a firs sig'h we.qre disposed fo pity. It the cry of one who lins rejected God, and God in turn bas rejected him. I is the c T of one vho bas trifled with God's mcrcies, and then sougq fo regain them when if. was all too ltte. I i the crv of one who bas hot heedcd the warnin, "" Sec that ye rcceive no the grace of God in vain," and who has "corne sho¢ of flac grace of Goal'-'." It is the cL" predicted by the wise man, "Then shall they call upon [¢, but I will no answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall hot final h[e'. "' That subtiltv and keenness of lais brother Jacob, by which ho go belote him, and took the kinç- dom of heaven by violence, was God's act; if v«as God's providence punishin Esau for ibrmcr sin. ]2sau had sinned; he had forfeited his birthright., and l'.e could no "get: it: back. That cry of his, what was it like? if was like the entreatv of thc rive foo]ish Virgins 'hen the door was shut, "" Lord, Lord, open fo us; but answered and said, Verily, I sav unto you, I ]now you not. '' It was like "the teeth" of lost sonls. Yes, er 3- if well might be. Well they will mos 1.'wg'ely, who and donc despite to if.

weeping and guashing of surels, a great aud bitter may thev 'eep and crs, as have received God's grace and then presumptuous. Esau was profime in selling his birthright, he was presumptuous in claiming the blessing. Afterwards, indeed, he did repent, but when if was too laie. And I fear such as Esau was of old rime, such are too many Christians now. Thev despise God's blessings when they are young', and strong, and healthy; then, when they gct old, or weak, or sick, they do not think of rcpcntiug', but they tlaink thcy may takc aud enjoy the privileges of the Gospcl as a marrer of course, as if the sins of fol'mer ycars wcn for nothin,g. And then, pcrhaps, deafh eolnes npon them; and then after death, when i is too late, fhey would fain repent. ŒEllen they ufter a grea.t, biffer, and piereiug ery fo God; and when they see happy souls aseending townrds heaven in the fulness of Gospel blessiugs, they sa 3" fo their offended God, "131ess me, even me also, O my Father." Is i hot, I say, quite a eommon ease for men and for women fo neg'leet religion in their best &n,s? 'rhey bave been baptized, they hare been taught, their duty, they llave been taugh: fo prny, they know their Creed, their conscience has been enlightened, they have opportunitv fo eome fo Chureh. This is their bilhrig'ht, file privileges of their birth of water and of the SpMt; but they sell if,,ns Esau did. ŒEhey are tempted by Safari with some bribe of this world, and t.hey g'ive up their bioEhrigh: in exehnuge for wha; is sure fo perish, and fo make them perish with ig. Esau wns tempted by the mess of portage whieh he saw in Jaeob's hands. Satan nrrested the eves of his lust, and he g'azed on the pottaxe, as Eve gazed on ±he fruit of the t.ree bf knowledge cO of good and evil. Adam and Eve sold their birthrigh for the ri'uit of.'L tree—that was their bmgain. Esau sold his for a mess of lentils—lhat was his. And men now-a-days offert sell thcirs, hot indeed t;»r amy thing so simple as fruit or herbs, but for some evil gain or other, which al thc tilLaC they think worth purchasing al any pricc; pcrhaps tbr thc enjoyment of some particular sin, or more commonly ffw the indulgence of general earclessness and spiritual slolh, beeause they do hot like a strict lift,, and have no heart for God's service. And lhus thev are profane persons, tbr they despise the great gift of God. And then, whcn,'11 is donc and over, and their souls sold fo Satan, they never seem to uuderstand that they hare parted with their birthright. Thcy think tlmt they stand just where they did, before they followed the world, the flesh, and the devil; they take ftr granted that when they choose to become more deeent, or more reli-.ffious, Lhey have all their privileffes jus as befbre. Like Smnson, they propose to fro ou as a other limes bcfore, and shake themselves. And like Esau, instead of repenting" for the loss of the birtlarig'ht, they corne, as a malter of course, for the blessing. Esau weu ou to hun fi»r venison g'aily, and promptly broug i to his father. His spirits were higqb his voice was cheerfid. It did hot strike him that God was anr)- with him for what had past years ag'o. He thouht he was as sure of the blessing as if he had hot sold the birthrig'ht. And then, alas! the truth flashed upon him; he uttered a great and bitter ery, when il was too late. I would have been well, had he uttered il before he came for the blessing, not after if. He repented when it was too late—it had bccn well if ho had rcpcnted in rime. So I say of pcrsons who havc in any way silmed. Itis good for thcm hot to forger that thcy have silmcd. Itis good that thcy should lament and dcplore their past sins. Depcnd upon it, they will wail over them in the next world, if they wail hot lwre. Whiel is bettcr, to uttcr a biffer ery now or thon?—thon, wlen the blessing" ofeterlml lire is refuscd theln by the just Judgc af the last day, or now, in ordcr that they ma)" gain if? Let us be wise enough lo have our ag'ony in this world, hot in the next. If we humble ourselves now, God will pardon us then. Vfe ennnot eseape punishment, here or herenfter; we must take out ehoiee, whetlwr fo surfer and mourn a little now, or mueh then. Wonld you see how a penitent slmuld eome fo God? turn fo the parable of the Prodigal Son. IIe, too, had squandered away his birthright, as Esau did. He, too, came for the blessing, like Esau. Yes; but how differently lin came! he ealne with deep confession and self-.ubasement. IIe said, " Father, I hure sinned against heaven nnd before lhee, and ara no more worthy to be ealled thy son: nmke me as one of thy Mred servants:" but Esnu said, " Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me." The one came for a son's privileges, the other tbr a servant's drudgery. The one killed and dressed his venison with Iris own hnnd, and enjoyed if hot; for the olher the ttted ealf was prepared, and the ring for lis hand, and shoes for his feet, and the best robe and there wns music and dancing.

These are tlmughts, I need hardly say, especially suited to this season. From the earliest rimes down fo this day, these veeks beibre:Easter bave been set apart cvery year, for/ho particul:,r remcmbrance and coulession of out sius. From flic first age downward, hot a year bas passcd but Christians have becn exhorted to reflect how £,r thcy.lutve let o their birthright, as u preparation for thcir cl:fimin thc blessln. Af Christmas we are born ag;fin with Christ; at Easter we keep the Eucha.ristic Fcast. In Lent, by penance, we join thc two great sacraments togcther. Are you, my brcthren, prcparcd o say,is there any sinle Christian alivc who vdll dare to profcss,—that ho has hot in greatcr or lcss degree shmed against God's ri'ce mercies as bestowed on him in Baptism withom, or rather against his deserts? Who will sav that he bas so improved his birthright that the blessing" is his fit reward, without eithcr sin to confess, or wrath to deprecate? Sec, then, the Chm'ch offers vou this season for thc pmi»ose. "Nov is the accepted rime, now the day of salvafion." Now it is that, God being your helper, you are to attempt to throw off ri'oto you tle hc,vy burden of past transgression, o reconeile yourselves fo IIim who bas once alreadv imparted to you His atoning" merits, and you have profaned them. And be sure of this: that if He has nny love for you, if e sees anght of good in your soul, I[e will aNiet you, if you will hot aftlie yourselves. He will not let you esenpe. He bas ten thousand ways of purging those whom He has ehosen, from the dross and alloy with Mtieh the fine gold is defaeed. He ean briug diseases on you, or can visit you with misfortunes, or'take away your fricnds, or oppress your minds with darkness, or refuse you st.rcng'th to bear up against pain when it cornes upon you. 1[c eau infliet on you a liug'cring" and painful death. IIe ean make "the bitterness of deah pass " hot. SVc, indeed, emmot dceide in the case of others, when trouble is a 1)unishment, and whcn hot  yet this we know, that all sin brings altlietiou. Wc havc no lncans of judging othcrs, but wc may judgc oursclves. Let us judge ourselves, that we be nog judged. Let us afttiet ourselves, that God lnay hot affliet us. Let us corne belote IIim with our best otlSring's, that Ire may tbrg'ive us. Sueh adviee is espeeially suitable fo an. age like this, when there is an cffor on all hands to multiply eomforts, tnd fo gct rid of the daily ineonvenicnees md distresscs of lire. Alas! my brcthren, how do you know, if you avail yourselves of the luxuries of this world without restrain, butthat you are onlypostponing, and inereasing" by postponing', an incvitable ehastisemcnt? Hov do you know, but that., if you will hot satisfy the debt of daily sin nox5 it will hereafter eonlc upon you with interest?See whether this is hot a thought whieh would spoil that enjoyment whieh even religious persons are apt fo takc in this world's goods, if they would but adroit if. If is said that we ought to enjoy this lire as the gif of God. Easy eireumstances are g'enerally thought a special happiness; if is thought a reat point to get rid of mmoyanee or diseonlfort of mind and body; if is thoug'ht allowable and suitable fo make use of all means available for makinN lire 101easant. We

4 Lire thc Scasoz of Rczt, r«cc. desire,,'and "eonfess we desire, fo make tilne pass ag'ree-,nbly, and fo lire in the sunshine. AI1 thing's harsh,-and austere are earefilly put aside. We shrink from he rude lap of eatoEh, and the embraee of the elements, and we build ourselves houses in which the flesh may enjoy ifs lust, and he eye ifs pride. We,nim af having" all thln. af out will. Cold, and hung'er,,-and hard lodg'ing,,-and ill usag'e, and huml»le offices, and mean appearanee, are all eonsidered serious evils. And thus year follows year, to-morrow as to-day, till we think th,nt this, out,artifieial lire, is out natural st,aie, and must and ever will be. But, 0 ye sons and daug'hters of men, whag if this fait weather bu ensure the sIorm afterwards? wlmt if it be, that the ncarer vou attain fo making" yourselves as gods on earth now, the g'reater pain lies belote you iu rime fo eome, or even (if i mus be said), the more certain beeomes your ruin whe rime is af an end? Corne down, then, from your high ehambers af this season fo avert wha else may be. Sinners as ye are, aet a least like the prosperous heathen, who threw his ehoicest trinket into the water, that he lnight propitiate fortune. Let hot the year go round and round, without a break,'and intemtption iu ifs eirele of pleasures. Give baek some of God's ffifgs fo God, tlmg you nmy safely enjoy the rest. Fast., or wateh, or abound in altos, or be instant, in prayer, or deny yourselves soeiety, or pleasaut books, or easy elothing, or tnke on you some irksome task or employmcnt; do one or other, or some, or all of these, unless you sav thag you lave never sinned, and may go like Esau with a light heart fo take 3"out erown. Erer bear in mind tha l)ay whielx

Lire thc S«asoz of lcpentaucc. will reveal all thlngs, and will test ail things "so as by lïre," and which will bring • us into judglnent ere i lodgs us in heaven. And for those who have in any g'rievous way slnned or neg'leeted God, I reeommend sueh persons never to forge they ha'e sinned; if they forg if hot, God in merev will forge if. I reeommend them every day, morning and evening, to fidl on heir knees, and say, "Lord, fox, ire me my pas sins." I eommend them to God to visi their sins in this world rather than in the next. I reeommend them to o over their dreadful sins in their minds (unless, alas if makes them sin afi'esh fo do ), and o eonfess them to God again and again with grea shame, and to entrea Itis pardon. I reeommend them to look on ail pain and sorrow which cornes on them as apuuisment for what they once were; and to take it patieufiy on that aeeount, nay, joyfully, as giving hem a hope that God is pnnishing them here instead of hereafter. If they have commited sins of uncleanness, and are now in narrow cireumstances, or have undutiful children, let them take their prescrit distress as God's merciful punishment. If they have lived fo the world, and now have worldly anxieties, these anxieties are God's punishment. If they have led intemperate lires, and now are affiicted by anv malad.5 this is God's punishment. Let them hot eease fo pray, under all circnmstanees, that God will pardon flem, and give them back what the- have lost. An,l thus, by God's grace, if shall be restored to thcm, and Esau's great and bitter cry never shall be theirs.