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What Saith the Scripture?
http://www.WhatSaithTheScripture.com/
Forfeiting Birth-Right Blessings
by Charles Grandison Finney
President of Oberlin College
from "The
Oberlin Evangelist" Publication of Oberlin College
Lecture V
May 13, 1846
Public Domain Text
Reformatted by Katie Stewart
.
Text.--Heb. 12:15-17: "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
The transaction alluded to in this passage is one of the most affecting on the
records of scripture. One of the main points in it was Esau's despising and selling
his birthright.
In order to understand this, we shall need to revert a moment to the custom to which
it alludes. The practice originated very early, was well known in the times of Abraham
and Isaac, and even prevails still in some eastern countries, whereby the whole estate
of the father or a double portion in it, for it assumed these two different forms,
fell to the eldest son. With this was also connected a certain authority over the
younger members of the family, often regarded as the authority of the father, transferred
at his death to the eldest son.
But it is more to our purpose to notice that in pious families, certainly in the
family of Abraham, a father's blessing, solemnly pronounced as he drew near the point
of death, was one of the precious elements in the birthright of the favored son.
Nor was this all. To Abraham and to his seed a blessed covenant had been given--a
covenant which on certain conditions, pledged one class of temporal blessings--namely,
the land of Canaan and a numerous posterity; and also another class of spiritual
blessings--the Messiah in the line of his descendants, and through him blessings
on all the nations of the earth. You may find this covenant expanded in Genesis 12,
14, 17, 22 chapters; and also in respect to its spiritual bearings, in Romans 4,
and Galatians 3 and 4.
This covenant formed a precious legacy, descending from Abraham to Isaac and onward
in the line of his descendants through distant generation. Yet let it be noticed
that this legacy of blessings did not at first diffuse itself over all branches of
these patriarchal families. Abraham had an Ishmael who had no inheritance in the
things of this covenant. Isaac was the sole heir next after Abraham. And of his two
sons it seemed to be well understood that only one could have the birthright and
the blessing.
Now it can not be doubted that Esau understood all the important points involved
in this legacy of promised blessings. He knew what his birthright included; he must
have known the promises made and renewed so solemnly to his grandfather Abraham and
his father Isaac. He also doubtless understood the tenor on which these promises
were to descend to him in connection with his birthright. And yet the history shows
us how he took a course which forfeited them all. Returning at one time from the
hunting field, faint with fatigue and hunger, he said to Jacob--"Feed me I pray
thee, with that red pottage." Jacob said, "Sell me this day thy birthright."
Esau said, "Behold I am at the point to die, and what profit shall this birthright
be to me?" And Jacob said, "Swear unto me this day; and he sware unto him:
and he sold his birthright unto Jacob."
Such is the simple record given us of the circumstances of this transaction. They
serve to shew how little Esau valued the blessings which came down to him from his
godly ancestors. The appropriate reflection to be made on reading the narrative is,
not this--See how strong the temptation was, and how much to be pitied was the unfortunate
Esau who stood at the point of death and bartered away an intangible and valueless
ideality for what which was the very stay of his life; but rather this--"Thus
Esau despised his birthright." There is Esau "that profane person, who
for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."
God set His seal to this act of Esau's. He took him at his word. Esau said--I sell
it to Jacob. God confirmed the deed and it was henceforth Esau's no more. It passed
from his hands forever. The Lord suffered another train of circumstances to transpire
in which the solemn affirmation of the father transferred the birthright and the
blessing to Jacob. There is no need at this time that I should fully detail all the
circumstances--much less, that we should attempt to justify in all points the scheme
of deception by which the mother effected this end.
It may however be not amiss to remark that even before the birth of these two sons,
the Lord had clearly predicted that the law of primogeniture in their case should
be reversed so that the elder should serve the younger. She might therefore have
felt that as the time drew near when a father's blessing was to single out the favored
son, it was important that the purpose of God in respect to the younger of the two
should stand.
While we can not justify her measures, yet we may remark that God's purpose did stand.
The aged father pronounced on Jacob the ever memorable blessing--"Therefore
God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn
and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren,
and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee,
and blessed be he that blesseth thee." Gen. 27:28, 29. Scarcely had Jacob withdrawn
when Esau came, announced himself, and besought his father to arise and eat and bless
him. Now the whole truth flashed upon the mind of Isaac. He had given away the blessing--to
Jacob. It could not be revoked. He was conscious that the hand of God was on him
in giving it to Jacob and he could not recall it. He reveals the facts to Esau--Jacob
came--"I have eaten of his meat before thou camest, and have blessed him; yea
and he shall be blessed." Sad news to Esau. Yet one more effort remains. He
may perhaps get another blessing equally valuable for himself. He cries therefore
"with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father--Bless me,
even me also, O my father. Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even
me also O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice and wept." But he found no
place of repentance--no possibility of changing his father's mind--though he sought
it carefully with tears. The die is was cast forever. He himself had sold his birthright,
and God had confirmed his rash mad act, and given it to Jacob.
This is indeed one of the most affecting scenes on sacred record. It is peculiarly
striking and solemn when we regard it as a kind of faint portraiture of that everlasting
anguish and regret which will seize upon every lost sinner's heart when the truth
shall ultimately flash upon him--my soul is lost--I have sold it for a mess of pottage,
and it is lost forever.
Esau's sin consisted in despising this great blessing which belonged by birth to
him. It is plain that he set no just value upon it. Its spiritual part he seems to
have held in no estimation whatever. Suppose that he had been at the point to die
of hunger; was it nothing to him to retain even then, his hold of Jehovah's gracious
covenant? Was that a fit moment to despise his birthright and all its divinely promised
blessings?
We may next observe that from this point, the law of primogeniture seems to have
been annulled and never restored again in its full form and force as it existed before.
When Jacob came to die, he called together all his sons and gave them all his blessing.
They all alike seem to have become partakers of the promises. The birthright seemed
to diffuse itself over the whole family. Together they became a nation of God's people,
heirs in common of most of those blessings which came down to Isaac and to Jacob
in the narrow line of the birthright.
It is much to our purpose to notice distinctly the fact that when the Jewish nation
were set aside for their unbelief, a still wider diffusion of these promised blessings
took place. The apostle Paul both announces and evinces the fact that all who are
Christ's are Abraham's seed and heirs with him of this great promise. All are equally
with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, sons of the birthright, entitled to that covenant
which pledges peculiar blessings to children on the ground of the faith and obedience
of their parents. This is a point which we should by no means overlook. There is
too much of precious promise in it, it would seem, to allow us to forget or disown
it. If we were to do either, might it not be said of us that we have despised our
birthright?
Recurring to our text, I observe that the transaction alluded to there, and indeed
the whole history of the Bible, recognize the fact that this blessing may be forfeited.
Here let me read some passages, showing that God couples children with their parents
in both His promises and His threatenings. "And the Lord thy God will circumcise
thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul that thou mayest live." Deut. 30:6. "For I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit
upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as
among the grass, as willows by the water-sources. One shall say, I am the Lord's;
and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe
with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel." Isa.
44:3-5. "As for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit
that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out
of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and
forever." Isa. 59:21. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children,
and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Acts 2:38, 39. Observe here that this reveals the great law of the gospel dispensation.
The gospel reign has now begun and its spirit and its principles are now beginning
to be developed. Just here now we find the cheering announcement--"The promise,
that is, of the Holy Ghost, is unto you and to your children."
Again, we find in Romans 4, that Paul distinctly argues this great point, to show
that all believers inherit the very same spiritual covenant which God gave first
to Abraham. It was given to him not of law but of faith; hence all who have this
faith inherit it.
The same doctrine is held and argued in Galatians 3 and 4, it being there maintained
that "the blessing of Abraham comes on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that
we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith;" and the conclusion
arrived at, being that "if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise."
Thus we see that God connects children with their parents in His promises of blessings.
But let us dwell now more distinctly on the fact so plainly involved in our text--that
these blessings may be forfeited.
It is plain they may be forfeited by contempt. If either parents or children treat
them as of no value, they are in infinite peril of forfeiting them altogether, and
God may at once take the forfeiture at their hands. Such treatment on their part
must be exceedingly provoking to God, and none need wonder that God should say--If
you despise these blessings, you need not have them.
Again, these blessings may be forfeited by a delay to embrace them. There is a limit
beyond which God cannot wait on either parents, or children. This very delay implies
that the blessings are lightly esteemed. For this reason therefore God might well
arise in His displeasure and shut the door of hope and mercy.
Another obvious reason lies in the very nature of the present scenes of probation.
Life must have an end, and may end quickly.
Still again, the blessings of this covenant may be forfeited by ignorance or unbelief.
If parents do not understand its provisions or do not believe its promises, they
may so entirely fail of laying hold by faith of these blessings as to forfeit them
utterly and forever.
Again, they may be forfeited and lost through presumption. Children may tempt God
as Esau did, presuming that God will give the blessing of course, although they have
despised and sold it. Such seems to have been the case of Esau. He must have known
that these covenant blessings accompanied the birthright; and yet he acted as if
he supposed that his having foolishly sold his birthright to Jacob could not be taken
as a forfeit. He presumed either that Isaac did not know of that transaction, or
that it would not prevent his bestowing the blessing on himself even if he did. But
his presumption was only another sample of his folly.
So it is no doubt often the case that the children of pious parents tempt God and
forfeit all these blessings. They may have heard much of this covenant, and they
rely on it for their own salvation, while they put off repentance and provoke God
till he cuts them down in their sins and shuts the door against their salvation forever.
We have on record in the Bible many cases of parents and children who did forfeit
these blessings. In many ways has the Lord taught us that children will be greatly
affected by the course pursued by their parents. Curses or blessings come on them
according as their parents are faithless in God or reckless of fulfilling the conditions
of the covenant on the one hand, or are faithful on the other in labors and in prayers
for their salvation.
This principle is amply recognized in several passages, some of which I will now
refer to as illustrations. In the second of the ten commandments, we read, "For
I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate Me; and shewing
mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments." Thus in
this solemn promulgation of Jehovah's will did He most emphatically recognize this
principle that parents and children are most closely connected together, so that
for the parent's sake good or ill shall come on their children. Yet let it be here
observed that this does not imply that God punishes the child for its parent's sin.
By no means. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord most distinctly declares that
He never does this.
But there is yet scope for visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children.
A drunken father shall entail poverty, disease, and disgrace upon his offspring;
yet shall not his offspring be at all punished for his sins. The punishment of individuals
pertains to the next world and never to this. These providential circumstances which
place our earthly trail in poverty or plenty--in sickness or in health--in disgrace
or in honor--these are by no means our punishment in any proper sense. They may be
evils; and in view of their final results they may not be. It may however well be
an affliction to parents to be the guilty means of bringing disease, poverty and
disgrace upon their children. Yet God has so connected parents and children together
that such results naturally follow a parent's sins.
When the Lord condescended to show Moses His glory, "He passed by before him,
and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity,
and transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children,
unto the third and to the fourth generation." Ex. 34:6, 7.
In Lev. 20:5, the Lord expresses one of His solemn threatenings against idol worship
thus; "Then will I set my face against that man and against his family."
In the case of Achan you all remember that God visited His fearful judgments on both
the father and all his children.
These passages and cases I have alluded to, in order to show that parents often forfeit
these covenant blessings for their children.
Both parents and children may so fatally forfeit this blessing that God will not
return to renew the forfeited covenant, and reverse His decision. Isaac could not
reverse what he had done in giving the blessing to Jacob. He was probably conscious
that God had spoken through him in the blessing on Jacob, and now how could he of
his own will reverse it? He could do no such thing. He seems to have been greatly
astonished and amazed to find the blessing gone to Jacob, but he knew that God's
hand was in it, and he dared not attempt a change. Yea, said he, "and he shall
be blessed."
Parents may shut themselves out from these blessings. Of this we have a striking
case in that generation of the Hebrew people which came out of Egypt under Moses.
With an high hand and an out-stretched arm, Jehovah had led them forth; with water
from the smitten rock, and bread from heaven, had He sustained them, and with His
daily presence in the cloud and in the fire had He guided them, and now, brought
to the very verge of Canaan, perhaps already presuming that their toils were all
over, they lose all through their cruel and wicked unbelief. In the very moment perhaps
of their highest anticipations the Lord crushed all their hopes, shut and barred
the doors of the promised land upon them and doomed them to wander forty years with
their children till the plains of that wide waste were whitened with their bones.
None could enter Canaan till the unbelieving fathers were all numbered with the dead.
"Ye shall know, said the Lord, My breach of promise." Ye shall know that
though I promised to Moses that I would bring you into Canaan, yet I can not fulfil
that promise to you who have forfeited it by your unbelief and your rebellion against
Me. For good reasons God had sworn in His wrath that they should not enter into His
rest; and no entreaties or measures of theirs could induce Him to reverse that awful
oath.
In this transaction of Esau, there are many points of most solemn and affecting interest.
It teaches us this fact--that there is such a thing as sinning once too much. So
did Esau. He reached a crisis--by one fatal deed he capped the climax of his iniquity--by
one additional sin, he shut the door forever upon his own soul and cut off all hope
of ever regaining the lost blessing. Mark well his case. In a fit of faintness from
hunger and fatigue, he showed the real attitude of his heart in respect to this blessing.
He had so little regard for it that he sold it for a mess of pottage. So of the Hebrew
nation on the borders of Canaan. There is a last sin--a point in transgression beyond
which mercy cannot go--at which justice interposes, and takes the sinner's case into
His own hands.
The forfeiture of this on the part of either parents or children depends on the light
they have. Their danger is critical and their guilt great in proportion to the knowledge
they may have of the nature and value of the covenant and its promised blessings.
In the case of Esau, we must suppose that he had light enough to enable him to appreciate
the worth of his birthright. He could not but know how God had appeared over and
over again to his godly grandfather, and to his father, giving and renewing those
great and precious promises; he well enough knew that Abraham valued these promises
infinitely more than all his earthly wealth; and yet with all this knowledge before
his mind he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Well does a sacred writer
call him, "that profane person," Esau. Forcible and pertinent is the remark
of the original historian--"Thus Esau despised his birthright." No wonder
that the Lord abhorred his conduct, and stamped his reckless disregard of these great
blessings with the seal of His own indignation. Esau had too much light. His guilt
was too great; his sin could not be forgiven. See also the Hebrew nation on the borders
of Canaan. What had they seen? The uplifted hand of the Almighty ten times falling
on oppressive Egypt, and finally whelming her armies in the depths of the Red Sea;
that same Hand guiding themselves in love by fire and by cloud through the trackless
desert, spreading for them a daily table there with angel's food; smiting Amalek
before them when the hands of prayer were uplifted and upheld; rebukes from on high,
chastening and scourging them for their idolatry, their murmurings and unbelief;
all these things were fresh before their minds, for all had transpired before their
eyes with the lapse of some two or three years; and yet with all this light before
them, they dare to rebel against the Lord and will not believe His word nor trust
His power to save. "So He sware in His wrath that they should never enter into
His rest." What could have been more just than this?
Now if it be true that the Lord rejected them the more readily because they had great
light, then how important for us to enquire into our own responsibilities and dangers.
Is not our light greater far than theirs? How critical then must be our condition?
How imminent our peril of provoking the Lord to swear in His wrath that neither we
nor our children shall ever enter into His rest.
Whenever either parents or children have forfeited the blessings of this covenant,
the fact may be known by its closing up all access to the mercy seat in prayer. If
the parents themselves are rejected as the Hebrew nation were on the borders of Canaan,
the door of access is shut against themselves. They cannot pray acceptably for themselves.
If their children have forfeited their birthright like Esau, then the parents cannot
have a spirit of prayer for those children. This is plain, beyond question. It could
not be of any avail for the rejected Hebrew nation to pray that God would let them
go up into Canaan. They could not possibly have an acceptable spirit of prayer for
this object, since God had sworn in His wrath that they should not enter. The Spirit
would not help their infirmities, and make intercession in their hearts, to pray
against the fearful oath of Jehovah. Neither in the other case could it be of any
avail for Isaac to pray for profane Esau's pardon and the reversal of the sentence
against him.
If you have observed with care and extensively, you have doubtless seen many cases
illustrating this position. I have had occasion to observe many--so many that I cannot
but regard this as a most striking mark of being rejected from God's covenant. If
any of you have actually rejected this covenant, and God has taken you at your word,
you will have no longer any spirit of prayer for blessings that are to come through
that covenant; you will have no liberty of soul before God--no pleadings of the Spirit
of the Lord within you--no strugglings and agonizings of the Holy Ghost within your
heart for the souls of your children--no mighty help from the Lord, giving you power
to believe and lay hold of the covenant and really close in upon the naked word of
the Lord and say, "Lord, Thou hast spoken, now do as Thou hast said." I
recollect the case of one backslider who had long been far away from God, and during
this time his children had been growing up and hardening their hearts in sin. When
he came to awake to his condition and see where he had been and what he had done,
it was heart-rending to hear him exclaim, "I cannot pray for my children, I
have ruined their souls forever, I can get no access to God in praying for them."
Now this is no uncommon case. Parents break their covenant with God, and then He
withdraws it and holds Himself no longer bound by its promises.
Again, where the children of pious parents treat their birthright with indifference,
or disregard, as many do, and seem not to appreciate the blessing of being born of
pious parents, they may expect the God of Abraham will give them up. In every age
of the world God has recognized this principle, and has taken care to leave cases
of fearful warning on record both in sacred and in all church history showing that
His patience cannot be forever abused with impunity, and that He sometimes takes
the reckless forfeiture of His covenant at the hands of the guilty, abandoned rebel.
On the other hand the Lord has always conferred blessings on faithful parents and
faithful children. How often is it implied in the Bible that God felt Himself bound
to confer great blessings on the Jews because of their connection with Abraham. The
Psalmist touched this point when he said, "But the mercy of the Lord is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's
children; To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments
to do them." Ps. 103:17, 18.
In the same manner and by the same immutable laws of Jehovah's moral government will
great curses come upon children and upon children's children for the backsliding
and unfaithfulness of their parents.
Again, I remark that after parents have long violated this covenant by grievous backslidings,
God sometimes renews it. He has promised yet to do this to the Jewish nation when
they shall again return to Him. Thus He holds Himself ready to renew covenant with
parents even after most bitter backslidings, and after their children are on the
very verge of destruction. So wonderful is His long-suffering--so rich beyond expression
is His mercy--so does He love to bring the families of His people into His covenant
where He can bless them and show forth His faithfulness and His great lovingkindness.
When the Lord does this, it is always on the condition of repentance; it can never
happen on any other condition. His people must return with brokenness of heart, and
bitter tears, confessing and forsaking all their sins against Him. Then God for Christ's
sake can forgive and can restore. They will have the evidence of this in a returning
spirit of faith and prayer.
Now mark; perhaps I have spoken the experience of some parents here. You have some
of you felt that you could not lay hold of this covenant--you could not grasp these
promises by faith: the Lord did not write this covenant in your heart; but on your
repentance the Lord meets you with gracious pardon--writes anew His covenant on your
very hearts, and gives you thus the inward witness of your acceptance in the bonds
of that covenant. Then you felt that verily you had occasion to bless and magnify
the name of the Lord.
REMARKS.
1. The birthright of God's children is of infinite value. The Lord promised to Abraham
and to his posterity, not Canaan only or chiefly; but spiritual blessings, to children
for their parents sake; and then brought all the Christian church up on to the same
broad platform of promise, making them heirs by faith of the same covenant and of
all its spiritual blessings. And what a covenant is this! How infinitely precious
to the pious parent's heart! How glorious to God as well as blissful to man! Who
can fully estimate its value? What if you might inherit the throne and crown of Britain,
and then pass it down as a legacy to your children. Your eye would sparkle--your
heart flutter at the tidings. What if you might inherit an estate worth a million.
But how much more may you inherit in the promised mercies of this glorious covenant!
Thrones and gold are only chaff in the comparison; here are substantial, everlasting
realities.
2. Great multitudes in every age have broken this covenant and forfeited its blessings.
Even in the family of Isaac there was one who forfeited these blessings and thus
brought on himself not the blessings promised to Abraham, but the heaviest curses.
Oh, how many wayward sons have sold their birthright as Esau did, and the Lord has
shut them off from the blessings of His covenant. And how many professedly pious
parents too--strange that they should not more rationally appreciate the priceless
value of this covenant!
Suppose you inherit a throne--a crown; would you recklessly forfeit it? Would you
not say--This belongs now to my children; let me keep it for them? Indeed you would
be most earnest and watchful--you would prize it, and nothing could induce you to
be remiss in preserving so rich a good and handing it down unsullied to your children.
3. It is amazing to see how little many children realize the value of these blessings.
What! do you not understand, dear children, that great blessings are promised you
for your pious parent's sake? Do you not know the value of this birthright? Hear
David urge this plea--"Have mercy upon me, O God, and save the son of Thy handmaid."
4. Many parents have occasion for most bitter reflection upon their own folly and
guilt in forfeiting this covenant. Said a father to me--"I have no confidence
to pray for my children; they have gone from under my influence; I cannot even reach
them with my prayers." If any of you my hearers, are in this state, the only
thing you can do is to repent and plead with God to return in mercy and renew His
covenant with you. Go humble yourself before Him; entreat Him not to take your forfeiture
of the covenant at your hands and make it final and fatal.
And brethren, how pertinent are the words of Paul to this case; "Let us therefore
fear lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem
to come short of it." A promise being left us, beloved, O let us not come short!
It is possible, nay perhaps probable that there may be parents here who have already
fallen short, and lost hold of this glorious covenant. Come ye who are professedly
Christian parents--let me talk with you about this. How long since you entered into
this covenant with God for your children? How old were you then? How many children
have you thus dedicated to God? Where are they now? Where have they been? Through
much prayer and faith and most diligent keeping of the covenant, have they received
its promised blessings; or does their hard heart and wicked life bear testimony against
you? O have you forsaken this covenant, and has the Lord forsaken you and your children?
Like Eli of old, have you neglected to restrain them, and have they in consequence
plunged into fearful hardness, or possibly, crime? If you have broken covenant, will
you not seek the Lord now, if possibly He may renew it and give you a fresh hold
upon its promised blessings? It may be that you have let the promise slip, and now
can find no place for repentance though you seek it carefully with tears. Perhaps
God seems to say to you--"They shall know My breach of promise!"--awful
words!
One word to children. God has committed to you a great and sacred trust. Have you
despised your birthright? Have you made light of these blessings and vilely cast
them off? If so, the day will come when you will see your folly in bitter anguish.
Like Esau you may wail out with a great and bitter cry--"O is there no forgiveness
for me--ah is there none?"
I once had a friend whose death under the attendant circumstances was deeply and
awfully affecting. He had a pious and praying mother--a careful mother, who had watched
over his early years with Christian assiduity, and many tears. His father was a good
man, and while for some months I boarded in the family, I could not but say, "This
is a well-ordered and godly household." Rarely if ever have I seen a better
regulated Christian family, or more care taken in training children.
Some years afterwards I saw this son to whom I referred, in the great revival at
Rochester. He had been from home some time and of course away from the influence
of his parents. In this revival he acted through out like a fool. Vain, proud, giddy,
at first he took the ground that he would not be so singular as to become a Christian
alone, while none else were coming out for the Lord; but when hundreds began to gather
round the Savior's feet, he changed his tone and would not repent then, because he
said he would not disgrace himself by going with the rabble. Just so full of nonsense
and mad folly were all his positions. He lived through the revival a hardened sinner.
Next came the fearful cholera and smote him among its first victims. It swept over
his robust frame with terrible desolation, and almost in an hour he was on the bed
of death. His godly father and praying mother rush to his bedside; there is no time
for many words; the agonized son cries out, O, my father--can't you pray for your
dying son? The father is speechless. Mother, can't you pray for me before I die?
The mother can't pray. No, not even that mother. It seemed to them as if there was
no audience before mercy's throne. They could not pray for that son. You may conceive
of their deep, unutterable agony; O could you have witnessed the awful scene! A dying
son of pious parents--who could not pray himself, and for whom even a pious father
and mother can get no access to God in prayer! O could you only hear his last words
of shrieking anguish--"what, father, mother, can't you pray for your dying son!"
The oath of the Almighty had passed, and the Lord saw fit to make him an awful monument
to the whole city of His stern, His righteous, but inexorable Justice! O how all
who heard it stood aghast, and how did it make the ears of all the people tingle!
It was Jehovah's awful voice of warning!
Among these young men before me is there not an Esau? Have you not despised and sold
your birthright--you, young man, whose pious father and mother have poured out their
scalding tears for you like water, and their agonizing prayers as if they could not
be denied; but you have presumed on mercy and kept on in sin; you have resisted the
Spirit and insulted your Maker; O could you have seen that young man die, and could
you have heard his last imploring wail--"O can't you pray for your dying son;"
and could you have realized how the iron of despair entered his soul as he sunk in
the chill arms of death and all the bitterness of unutterable anguish filled the
hearts of those who had prayed for him in his childhood, but might pray for him no
more; O could you see, or only realize one scene of this sort, you might learn one
of the lessons of fearful warning by which your Maker would admonish you not to trifle
with the salvation of your soul. O! the folly of sinners--the folly of those children
of pious parents who sell their birthright for less than a morsel of meat, sometimes
even for poison. O! why will they forsake God, and slight His covenant? Why will
they forfeit His mercies and provoke His everlasting frown?
Ye who are parents, have any of you broken your covenant with God for your children?
Then come and bring along those children of the covenant, and let us all humble ourselves
before the Lord, deeply repent of all our sins, and entreat His mercy, if peradventure
He may be gracious to us and renew His covenant with us, and once more write it on
our hearts.
GLOSSARY
of easily misunderstood terms as defined by Mr. Finney himself.
Compiled by Katie Stewart
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