The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-07-21

Rector OF 81. Marks Episcopal Church.
Ing the present seemed everything and ;he
future nothing 20 Esau. He easily found
an excuse for doing what he wanted To de-.
ne said. ! wall dle OF hungtr II l don't Sei
this dinner. ard then what use Will my
b.rthright be- This was ? falsehoOd by
which h. tried 70 deceive himself. He was
In no danger OF dying OF hungcr. His GpEs-
those easy excuses We all make TO ourselves
for wrougdoiug
so ne made the trade-his birthright for
a mess OF red pottage. This little choice
made early in life was Of momsutous conSs-
Gods purpCSc with ihe Hebrew people Was
not to he fulfilled through him. ne was
shut out from being the father Of the chos-
on people. AfteTwErd he came To u-dyr-
stand something ~ what 10 had lost. but
Il was too late. Time and circumstance hal
moved on. and rendered impossible whit
earlier might have haen. our text does not
mean th-tI II Wa too late for repentance.
u Is never too late Tor repentance while
lif" lasts. What II means : mat " W.
too ,ate 10 make repentance effective. too
late to restore things TO their former state.
"Esau has become the Typ" Of all th-
young. who forget Z greater morrow IN tn
fascination Of a tempting TO-DAY. And his
futile sorrow Is tire type Of al 80 tears
shed In the face 81 inexoraoie :aie for
what might have been.
1T Is the privilege Of man ovc- the brute
to look forward ard see the fHr-on CorSe-
"nt moment consecrated and sacred with
the destiny Of all the coming years.
He sees that each act of his - not mere
Is something v-nicn begins now and IN n
moment VII ONLY belong TO Yesterday. He
sees that each act is the beginning OF q
wave Of causstioa which viii run forw ard
Tar into the future. and which Tor good or
~ Will rock or wreck the salp N winch
he sails over the strange sea OF life.
Every act % ours Is binding or losing
the future.
..Tae Rible has many instances Of Eseu's
story. The children, Of Israel are In the
E-z-yF- fNap FORGET fhafr hfuh ideals the
splendid destiny Just ahead. yea. forget
God himself. and turn to sin and animal
would soon have come int" the promised
land ard found there the f-uitiou cf their
hopes. AS IL was. they were deemed I'M
worthy. and left to die in the Wilderness
81 Moses IN an arrogant hour lost and for
fci.si the opportunity Cf entering the prom
ised land. which he had l"uEed for with
the best AMBITION nf his heart But later
Instances are not lacking. Alexander the
Great. in drunken rsysl. killed mis- best
friend and lail up undyins Temorse. s.
tire uuhrtdicd RIGHTEOUSNESS 81 Nap0leon'S
earlier years broke down his iron physique
an the fateful morning Cf Wa.crl-a vas
passed IN a stupor which lost him the I'm
pIrc Of Europe.
Alas, that We have still more modern
Instances and not less conspicuous. Sixty
greatest throne IN hiStOry. As hc ~rpv u
! manhCOd there faced HIM two careers.
there hattlei IN his hlocd two diverse ten
denotes. Ont inheritance vas from IN
cesturS who disSraCcd the name Of King.
on the other hand. re drew life fr1rl a
mother pure and lofty minded. Tire incar-
nation % personal and domestic virtues:
from n father lofty minded. Pc. sels-dcny-
ing. faithful 10 every duty. oDsdlent 70
conscience and 70 Geo. II these two ten
denotes Tarred in his blood they also pre-
scented themselves as two alternatives 10
his mind All that wealth and station and
unchecked power could give 20 CRAFTY the
senses. the nppsti;es. the passions. the de-
sire FOR pleasure. offered themselves On the
one hand. IN the other was the oppor-
tnnity TO lead a high and clean and up
right lie. SO that he might Ne worthy the
great place unmeriied fortune had planned
for him
III the temptations were great 20 live
the life OF the senses, 50 were the IN
c%cntiveS great 10 Sc, n high example. 20
merit the rssDoCt. the generation. the ETat!-
tude. the affection Of millions % people.
what an opportunity to write high on the
pillars Of enduring fame a name unrarn-
iShed. ? name sublime. n name acceptable
70 Gcdt Alas all the world knows the
choice that was made: Row the pleasures
OF the hour oUtweighed the compensations
% the years.
How the b~accarat table and the race
track and the divorce court told their story