Wesley Corpus

34.) After God had given him all this space to repent, and had expostulated with him for his obstinate impeni tence, in those solemn words, “How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?” (x. 3;) what wonder is it, if God then “hardened his heart,” that is, permitted Satan to harden it? if he at length wholly withdrew his softening grace, and “gave him up to a reprobate mind?” 56. The case of Esau is widely different from this; although his conduct also is blamable in many points. The first was, the selling his birth-right to Jacob. (Gen. xxv. 31, &c.) The next, his marrying against his father’s consent. (xxvi. 34, 35.) But it is highly probable he was sensible of his fault; because Isaac appears to have been fully recon ciled to him when he said, “My son, make me savoury meat, that my soul may bless thee before I die.” (xxvii. 4.) In the following verses we have an account of the manner wherein he was supplanted by his brother Jacob. Upon Isaac's relation of this, “Esau cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father !” (Verse 34.) But “he found no place,” says the Apostle, “for repentance,” for recovering the blessing, “though he sought it carefully with tears.” “Thy brother,” said Isaac, “hath taken away thy blessing: I have blessed him, yea, and he shall be blessed.” So that all Esau’s sorrow and tears could not recover his birth-right, and the blessing annexed thereto. And yet there is great reason to hope, that Esau (as well as Jacob) is now in Abraham’s bosom. For although for a time “he hated Jacob,” and afterward came against him “with four hundred men,” very probably designing to take revenge for the injuries he had sustained; yet we find, when they met, “Esau ran and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him.” So throughly had God changed his heart! And why should we doubt but that happy change continued? 57. You can ground no solid objection to this on St. Paul's words in the Epistle to the Romans: “It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” (ix.