the priest of the family. His was the honour and privilege of conducting their religious worship, and of offering up the sacrifices. He had the principal dignity and authority among his brethren. He was entitled to a double portion of the father's property. And, what was of more value than all these, he was the son with whom the covenant, originally made with Abraham, in some of its peculiar privileges, was renewed and kept in force. He and his descendants were to inherit the land of Canaan for a perpetual possession; among them the knowledge and worship of the true God was to be preserved ; and one of them, at length, would be the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

Such a birthright, bringing along with it, by the gracious gift of God himself, and his solemn promises, so many blessings especially of a religious kind, to the parents and their children who were affected by it, was beyond all price. Every thing of a worldly nature which a father could bestow upon a son,houses or tents, lands, flocks, herds, gold and silver, was nothing in comparison with it; while, at the same time, it included, as we have seen, some temporal advantages of no inconsiderable value.

It was truly a very unreasonable and exorbitant demand which Jacob made of a brother, suffering severely from fatigue and hunger, to require him to give up such a birthright for the mess of pottage that had been prepared. It showed very strongly his selfish and avaricious feelings. It showed, what is true of all men, that however they may be regarded as the friends of God. and be so indeed, (as Jacob might have been at that time,) there is still remaining sin in their hearts. Temptation may bring this sin out, as it did in the instance before us; and good men, as well as others, need continually to pray and to strive against it.

Esau's distress was so great, and he, both foolishly and wickedly, placed such little value upon his birthright, that he exclaimed; Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me."

"And Jacob said, Swear to me this day: and he swear unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

In the epistle to the Hebrews, he is cen

sured severely for doing it. Paul calls him

66

a profane person, who for one morsel of meat, (or food,) sold his birthright;”—a person who disregarded the covenant and promise of God which secured the peculiar privileges of this birthright to him, and even despised it; thus treating God himself, the Author of it, with disrespect and irreverence.

He was afterwards very sorry for what he had done, not because he had done wrong and offended God, but because he had lost his birthright, and the privileges and honour connected with it. He would, if possible, have prevailed upon Isaac to repent of having bestowed it, and his peculiar blessing upon Jacob, and to restore it to him again. He sought this with tears and earnest supplications. But it was too late. It could not be done. He set so little value, when he sold it, on this precious gift of God, that to punish him for his contempt of it, he must lose it for ever.

Have you any valuable birthright, my young friend, which you are in danger of esteeming too lightly, or of treating with contempt, and thus, like Esau, of despising God himself who gave it? You may not be

the heir of any large possessions, or privileges, or honours. On the contrary, you may be expecting nothing of this kind from your parents, or from any other persons. You may be poor with regard to the things of this world.

But you have a birthright, worth more than any thing which the richest and most powerful monarch in the world can bestow upon you. It is a birthright to be sure, not peculiar to the eldest son in a family, or to the eldest daughter, or to any one of the children in particular. It is common to all. Each may have it, and enjoy it to the full, without preventing the rest from having it, and enjoying it to the full also.

You are born an heir of immortality. At your birth you came into this world with a body, indeed, that is to die and turn to dust, but with a soul, that is to live for ever.

You were born in a land where the true God is known, and his Son Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation through him; where the Bible can be had by every one who wishes to have it; where the Sabbath and the preaching of God's word is enjoyed; where the means of instruction, both on week days,

and in the Sabbath-schools, abound; and where the Spirit of God is ready, at all times, and is waiting, to aid you in securing the pardon of sin through the blood of Christ, and the eternal friendship and favour of God.

You were born in a land in which you can have these inestimable privileges. In the right use of them, under the influence and blessing of God, and through the merits and intercession of Christ, you can obtain an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan to joys that will never end, and of the degree and extent of which you can form no conception. Remember Esau and what he lost. Take care, lest you despise your birthright. Take care, lest you neglect, and fail to trust in, that Saviour who purchased it for you with his own blood. Treat him with contempt; and continuing to do so, you are lost for ever!