The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 396

in such a maze as life is coniinun.lly tending to become, but the position of some makes thoughtfulness a special duty. So it was with Esn.u, He had the birthright. To him it specially belonged to continue and increase the prosperity and credit of the family, Yet for the sake of a single meal because in his hunger he could not wait a little he sold bis birthright. He did, inde~, mn.ke a pretext of saying as it were, "What shall it profit me to keep my birthright and lose my life?" but this very question showed that be had never made a c~reful estimate of his privileges and responsibilities. The folly of Esau's conduct is plain enough to us ; would that we could see as clearly how often it is reproduced in the reckless, self-destructive conduct of those to whom belongs the birthright of children of God! I. OUR FREQUENT THOUGHTl,ESSNESS AS TO OUR POSITION. Esa.u is called Q profane 'f)Crson. A profane person is one who treats sacred things as if they were common. Esau was himself a sacred person as the firstbom, but the thought of his peculiar position never seems t.o have gained real entrance to his mind. And so it too often is with us. The serious and sublimer side of life, the side that connects us with God, Ciirist, and eternity, is too seldom in our minds. Too seldom! Why, that is too com- plimentary a word as reg:i.rds many; they never seem to think of this side of life at all. And assuredly none of us thinks of it as we ought to do. We are more valuable in the eyes of God than we are in our own. God looks on each one of us as on a pearl of great price, but we view the pearl of our position with only swinish eyes. Il. THE ULTIMATE RESULT OF THAT THOUGHTLESSNESS. Man is made to think, and think deeply, on :I.is position, duties, and destiny; and t.o this actual course of reflec- tion he is driven sooner or later. Man cannot escape the necessities inherent in his nature. The hint here, in this parallel from Esau, is that these reflections may come too late. Omnipotence cannot bring back the past. If you have failed t.o sow in the sprin~, you cannot reap in the autumn. Nor will you be able to escape the bitterness of reflecting that this absence of the proper harvest is your own fault. Thousands in the cftrlier years of life do as Esau did. They barter the joys of self-denial and holy aspiration for self-indulgence. The fragrance of worldly pleasures rises into their nostrils, and they never stop to consider the height and depth, the breadth and length, of a life redeemed by Christ and sanctified by his Holy Spirit. Then, when the passing pleasure is past and gone, they come face to face with eternal realities, and they are not ready for them. Yet the parallel with Esau must not be pushed too far. He found no place of repentance so far as the earthly birthright was concerned. But that is not to say that Esau has lost his share in spiritual and eternal realities. Isaac could not give him the blessing that belonged to another. As long as be sought the earthly blessing lie might well seek with tears, and seek in vain. Along with the folly, suffering, and futile regrets of Esau we must take the follr, suffering, and profitable repentance of the 11rodigal in the parable.-Y. Vers. 18-24.-Binai Q/T/,d Zion. Esau bewailed his lost birthright, and yet to what did that birthright lead the posterity of him who gained it? See the posterity of Jacob gathered round the terrible mountain in the wilderness. The posterity of Esau miaht perhaps congratulate themselves on having escaped the constraints of Jehovah th;t fell so sorely on the kindred children of Jacob. If, then, this birthright, over the foolish casting away of which Esau shed such copious and fruitless tears, led to such terrible experiences, how should we guard the privilege that brings us, not to Sinai, but Zion with all its durable attractions and companionships? Such seems to be the thought ~nderlying the exhibition of these two contrasted pictures. L THE SAME GoD llUNIFESTS ms PRESENCE llil TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. Zion is very different from Sinai, but for all that Sinai must precede Zion. This, it may be said, is not true to every individual experience. Not true, perhaps, in strict sequence of time ; but every human life must know somet~ing of Sinai if it w~uld know Zion to the full. Every human being must know somethmg of the Law commg by Moses, as well as the grace and truth coming by Jesus Christ. Let no complaint be made that prea.ehers impose on the ignorant and the timid by fictitious and exaggerated terrors. J ehova.h is none the less God of Sinai because since then he has become God of Zion. Il. SINAI IS MEANT FOB THE PASSING EXPEBIENOE, ZION FOB THE PERMANENT ONE, TJ,0 children of Israel ea.me to Sinai for a. very short time, God's anger with the  OJI. XII, 1-20.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 391