often visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him. If this was the case, such mothers would doubtless bring their offspring up in their own persecuting spirit; while, on the other hand, their fathers would instruct them in the worship and ways of God. of God. But as the bloody persecuting spirit of Cain grew up, under the infernal tuition of desperate and impenitent mothers, against all the instruction and example of their fathers, spiritual wickedness broke forth into the world, and filled the earth with violence; no wonder then they are called mighty men, when grown mighty in spiritual wickedness; no wonder that they are called men of renown, as the desperate brood of Cain could do no less than applaud or renown them for it.

I think that Esau committed the same sin when he sold his birthright, that being typical of the sonship and pre-eminence of Christ Jesus, who is called the firstborn among many brethren, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. Secondly. It was a figure of the priesthood, which was annexed to the firstborn, and therefore a figure of the grand priesthood of the Son of God. Thirdly. It was a figure of the privileges of all real Israelites; Israel is my son," says God, my firstborn." Fourthly. His birthright was figurative of pre-adoption, Gal. iv. 6. Fifthly. It prefigured a spiritual birth, Gal. iv. 29. Now as his birthright was typical of the sonship, pre

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eminence, and priesthood of Christ, and likewise of the pre-adoption, glorious privileges, and regeneration, or spiritual birth of the elect, his birthright was a typical privilege to him; so his father was also a typical man; he was a type of Christ, as the promised seed, and a type of the elect, as neirs of promise. So likewise was his inheritance a typical inheritance; the land of Canaan was a type of the holy covenant, called a covenant of promise; the land of Canaan is called the land of promise. Secondly. It was a type of heaven, which is called the better country; the city of Salem, which was in this land, was a type of the metropolitan above, called a city, which Abraham and Isaac sought, that had foundations, whose maker and builder is God. Isaac's blessing was typical of the blessings of an everlasting gospel; and Isaac's seed a type of all the chosen Israel of God. Now as Esau's birthright was typical both of the sonship of Christ and of his elect, it was holy and sacred; therefore Esau is said to be a profane person for selling it; and as he sold it for a morsel of meat, he is brought in as making a god of his belly, preferring that, and despising the other; hence it is said, he ate and drank, and got up and went his way; thus Esau despised his birthright. He called God to witness at the sale of it, and swore by his name to Jacob when he gave it up, therefore he could never inherit the blessing without being perjured; nor could he inherit by law, the inheritance being entailed on

the firstborn, Deut. xxi. 15-17; nor had he a promise from God to look to. Hence it is said, that "when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." How could Esau inherit the blessing, when the choice of his own free-will was against him? he had chosen the pottage, and despised his birthright; what place could he find for repentance, when the witness of God, whom he called in at the sale, was against him? the oath of God, which he swore, was against him; the law of God, which was written in his heart, was against him; this made him cry out, when conscience accused him; there was no promise that he could look at or credit, to afford a ground of repentance; and the revealed will of God was against him; "The elder shall serve the younger;" and his own father's declaration was against him; "I have blessed [Jacob], yea, and he shall be blessed." Impenitence and absolute rebellion now took place in his heart; he saw that the daughters of the land pleased not Isaac his father; and that the fear of a marriage with them had caused much grief of heart to his mother, Gen. xxvii. 46. Then went Esau and took two wives, the first in opposition to Isaac, and to Christ, his antitype; the second in opposition to Rebecca, and to the church, her antitype; which was a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebecca. Thus Esau was left to the freedom of his own will; and he chose the mess of pottage, a part in this life, as

every natural man will do; while Jacob was preserved in Christ Jesus, and called, as all the rest of the elect are.

This sin is called presumption, or a presumptuous sin; and is opposed to all sins committed through weakness, ignorance, or through the force of temptation, as being committed willingly, daringly, deliberately; against light, against knowledge, against clear conviction; rejecting the word of God, and reproaching the God of the word, and that in the open face of his priest or minister; as it is written, " And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him: and it shall be forgiven him. But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment; that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him." And again; "If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise and get thee up the place that the Lord thy God shall choose; and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sen

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tence of judgment; and thou shalt do according to the sentence which they shall shew thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee thou shalt do; thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, either to the right hand or to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest, that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away evil from Israel." Thus, Madam, there is a sacrifice allowed for the sins committed in ignorance, though dreadfully heinous. By ignorance you must understand it of a person destitute of gospel light and knowledge; and here it was Paul took refuge after his dreadful persecution of the saints, "But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." Mark that, ignorance and unbelief; but there is no atonement for presumption; hence David prays, "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let not them have dominion over me, so shall I be upright before thee, and innocent from the great transgression."

This great sin appears again in the old law; there is mention made of some, who though they did not, like Esau, sell their birthright, yet they sold their possession, which was typical of a part in God's covenant; and it went out of the reach of redemption, and out of the reach of the jubilee ; redemption prefigured the great ransom of Christ,