Church : and it requires continual watchfuhiess over our own hearts, and over each other too, to prevent the more frequent recurrence of similar apostasy. To all then I would recom- mend the example of St. Paul, who " kept his body under, and brought it into subjection, lest, after having preached to others, he himself should become a cast-away ^ "J
The solemn hint with which our text concludes will furnish us with matter suited to enforce the preceding subject —
1. Think what will ere long be your views of your present conduct, if you neglect the cautions which have been now suggested —
[Lightly as Esau once thought of his birthright, he saw at last that it was worthy to be " sought," yea, to be " sought carefully" too, and that " with tears." And what will be your views of heaven when you are lying on a bed of sickness, or, at all events, the very instant that your soul enters upon the invisible world? Will an obedience to the Gospel then appear so hard a condition, that all the glory of heaven could not recompense you for complying with it ; or the mortification of some forbidden lust so insupportable a task, that hell itself, with the indulgence of that lust, was a better portion than heaven with the mortification of it? No : the pangs of Esau will be your pangs, when you find how bitter are the conse- quences of your folly, and how irreversible the doom that has been pronounced.
Not that repentance, provided it had been genuine, would have been unavailing for Esau as far as related to his eternal state. Isaac had, though unwittingly, conferred the rights of primogeniture on Jacob ; and he would not reverse his word, notwithstanding all the bitter cries with which Esau impor- tuned him to do so. And this is what is meant, when it is said, that Esau " found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Had he repented before God, he might have obtained pardon with God : as we also may do, through our Lord Jesus Christ. But, if we do not turn to God through Christ with our whole hearts, we shall find ere long the door of mercy shut against us, and in vain implore admission to that bliss which now we have despised*.]
2. Yield to the Gospel, without delay, the obe- dience which it requires —
[Infinite are the blessings which it offers to us. And what are the sacrifices which we are called to make ? Be
8 1 Cor. ix. 27. * Luke xiii. 24 — 27.