A STORY is told about Benjamin Franklin. On the day he was seven years old, his mother and brothers gave him a few pennies.
He wanted to spend them right away, and was given permission. He asked his mother if he might have more when they were gone.
His mother said, “No, I cannot give you any more, so you must be very careful how you spend what you have.”
The boy, ran down the street. The faster he ran the louder the pennies jingled in his pocket, and this was like music to him.
He asked himself, “Shall I buy candy or toys, candy or toys?” He was fond of both.
He had not had much candy nor many toys in his life, so this was to be quite an event.
It was hard for him to decide which he wanted most, he kept saying, “Candy or toys! candy or toys?”
As he was running along he saw a boy blowing a whistle, “I want a whistle,” he said, and ran off to the store to buy one.
“Have you any whistles?” he asked the store keeper.
“Yes we have lots of them. Do you want to buy one, my lad?”
“I’ll give you all these pennies for one of them,” said Benjamin. He did not think about asking the price.
Benjamin gave the man his pennies, and after counting them, the man said, “All right, here is your whistle.”
Now Benjamin was happy, and off he ran home as fast as his little legs could carry him, all the while blowing his whistle.
When he saw his mother, he exclaimed, “A whistle! a whistle! Just hear me blow it.”
“How much did it cost?”
“All the pennies I had!”
“Well! well!” said his mother, “did you spend all we gave you for that whistle?”
“Yes, all you gave me.”
“That’s a dear whistle Benjamin. You had enough money to buy a number of things.”
Now I want to tell you about someone else who made a bad bargain. You can read his history in Gen. 25:27-3427And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:27‑34). His name was Esau, and he had a younger brother named Jacob.
Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; while Jacob was a plain man who lived in a tent.
One day as Esau was coming home from a hunting trip, tired, hungry, and faint, he saw his brother Jacob preparing a meal for himself. No doubt, the food appealed to Esau, especially at the time, as he was so very hungry and tired. He begged Jacob to give him, some food.
Jacob said, “I will, if you will sell me your birthright.”
Esau replied. “Behold, I am at the point of death, what profit shall this birthright be to me?”
Of course, Jacob saw that this was a fine bargain for him, and willingly gave his foolish brother some of his food.
Do some of our readers say, “How silly of Esau to do that. Why did he not wait, and ask his mother for something to eat?”
We quite agree with you; he was foolish to give all that he possessed for just one meal. Just as Benjamin Franklin gave all his money for just one whistle.
Poor Esau, he was so sorry after he had thought over his bad bargain, and wanted his birthright back; though he begged with tears, Jacob would not give it to him.
How many since Esau have done just as foolishly, and are doing so still. God is offering untold blessings to boys and girls if they win come to Him, and confess they are sinners. He wants to give them the sinner’s blessing—the birthright —a wonderful Saviour, and all spiritual blessings in Him. But so many, like Esau, choose rather the foolish pleasures of this sinful world, —the tin whistles, and the pottage, —and thus they sell their never dying souls. The day will come when all who do so will regret it, but their tears and pleadings will not avail.
Take the Saviour now, while He calls you. Make the Lord your final choice.
“Be in time, be in time;
While the voice of Jesus calls you,
Be in time.
If in sin you longer wait,
You will find no open gate,
And your cry be just too late,—
Be in time.”
ML 03/16/1924