" . . . Thus Esau despised his birthright."
People who are baptized into the church, and who yet are not faithful to Christ "despise their birthright." They are given unique and blessed privileges in the covenant; but, instead of taking advantage of them, and being good stewards of them, they treat them with contempt.
God will have more patience with those who never had such blessed opportunities (of hearing and living the gospel), than those who did, but who squandered them. Are you a churchman? If so, then you are either faithful, hypocritical, or apostate. Be counted among the faithful, by grace.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Confused brains cause unsettled hearts."
--Obadiah Sedgwick, in "Christ's Counsel to His Languishing Church"]
