Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-01-30
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
PROFESSOR HUGH BLACK.
Subject: Esau's Temptation.

Subject: Esau's Temptation.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-Professor Hugh
Black, of Union Theological Semin-
ary, preached Sunday in the Lafay-
cite Avenue Presbyterian Church to a
large audience. His subject was,
Esau's Temptation" He took his
text from Genesis 25::32: And
Esau said, Behold, am at the point
to die; and what profit shall this
blrthright do to me?" Professor
Black said:
We cannot suppress natural SYM
pathy with Esau in this scene he
tween the two brothers. He seems
| as much sinned against as SHINING,
and in comparison with the cunning,
crafty character of Jacob he appears
che better of the two. His very faults
lean to virtues side, we think, as we
| look at his bold, manly, impulsive
figure. There is nothing Of the cold,
| calculating, selfishness, the astute
trickery. the determination to get
his pound of flesh, which make his
brother appear mean beside him.
With our swift and random and sur
| face judgments we are inclined to
think it unjust that Esau should be
set aside in the great history OF grace
for one who could be guilty Of both
malice and fraud in advancing his
own interests. We are not at present
dealing with the character of Jacob
or We would see that this hasty judg-
lnent, true SO far as it goes, is some
thing less even than half the truth,
1 mi H,nf - - = =
B1nned and was punished through all
his life for his subtlety andselishness,
yet he was not the monster of unbroth-
erly malice merely which this scene
rInight suggest. and that he had quail
tiles of heart and spirit which made
1t inevitable that he, and not Esau,
should be chosen for the line Of Gods
purpose. Our subject Is Esau and his
weakness and fall in the presence of
his overmastering temptation.
Esau's good qualities are very evil
| dent, being OF the kind easily recog-
nized and easily popular among men.
the typical sportsman who is only
| sportsman, bold and frank and free
and generous, with no intricacies O;
character, impulsive and capable O.;
rnagnanimity, the very opposite OF
the prudent, dexterous, nimble man
Of affairs, rather reckless indeed and
hot-blooded and passionate. His vir-
tues are already, we see, dangerous
ly near to being vices. Being largely
a creature of impulse, he was, in
crisis, the mere plaything Of animal
passion, ready to satisfy his desire
without thought of consequences.
| Without self-control, without spir-
itual insight, without capacity even
to know what spiritual issues were,
judging things by immediate profit
and material advantage, there was
not IN him depth of nature out oa
which a really noble character could
be cut. This damning lack of self
control comes out in the passage Of
our text, the transaction Of the BIRTH
fright. Coming from the hunt hungry
and faint, he finds Jacob cooking
pottage OF lentils and asks for it. The
sting Of ungovernable appetite makes
him feel as if he would die il he did
not get it. Jacob takes advantage OF
his brothers appetite and offers to
] barter his dish of pottage for Esau S
birthright.
There would be more superstition
in the minds Of both Of them as to the
value of the birthright. Both OF
them valued it as a vague advantage,
but 1t meant nothing tangible; and
here was Esau's temptation, terribly
strong to man OF his fiber. He was
hungry, and before his fierce desire
for the food actually before him sucn
a thing as a prospective right of b-rsn
seemed an ethereal thing of no real
d value If he thought Of any spiritual
privilege the birthright might be sup
posed to confer, it was only to dis
miss the thought as not worth con-
sldering. Spiritual values had not
high place in, his standard OF things.
Ee could not be unaware of the ma
lterial advantages the possession ei
tne birthright would one day mean
Ee must have known that 1t was
something to be recognized as IAe
eldest son, with special rights OF in.
heFttance and precedence and aulno-'
ity after his fathers death. Tnes:
things were real enough to MIN, even
though he might have no notion OF
d eeper meaning in being the neir- q
the promise. But in the grip OF his
appetite even these temporal adVan'
tages were too distant to weigh mucl
In the presence OF immediate satisfac
tion the d1ssans appeared shaaoW.
and unreal and not worth saeTlncl1
present ensovm era fo.s- He Iesls g
is goi1lg to die, asa man OF MS LyV'
is always sure he will die il ne 90 q
not get what he wants wnen IN
passion is on him; and supposins
Ihe does die, it will be poor een
solation that he did not barter lhl
Intangible and sfadouy blessing {, o
lhis birthright. .Bekold I am at ID
noint to die; and wnat profit shal
This birlhr.gnt do to me?
The Bible writer's speak OF Esa'