_Secondly_, Another thing to be considered is this, viz. that the day of God’s grace with some men begins sooner, and also sooner ends than it doth with others. Those at the first hour of the day, had their call sooner than they who were called upon to turn to God at the sixth hour of the day; yea, and they who were hired at the third hour, had their call sooner than they who were called at the eleventh; Matt. xx. 1–6.
1. The day of God’s patience began with Ishmael, and also ended before he was twenty years old. At thirteen years of age he was circumcised; the next year after Isaac was born; and then Ishmael was fourteen years old. Now that day that Isaac was weaned, that day was Ishmael rejected; and suppose that Isaac was three years old before he was weaned, that was but the seventeenth year of Ishmael; wherefore the day of God’s grace was ended with him betimes; Gen. xvii. 24, 25; chap. xxi. 2–11; Gal. iv. 30.
2. Cain’s day ended with him betimes; for after God had rejected him, he lived to beget many children, and build a city, and to do many other things. But alas! all that while he was a fugitive and a vagabond. Nor carried he any thing with him after the day of his rejection was come, but this doleful language in his conscience, “From God’s face shall I be hid;” Gen. iv. 10–15.
3. Esau, through his extravagancies would needs go to sell his birth-right, not fearing (as other confident fools) but that yet the blessing would still be his, after which he lived many years; but all of them under the wrath of God, as was, when time came, made appear to his destruction; for “When he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears;” Heb. xii. 14–16.
Many instances might be given as to such tokens of the displeasure of God against such as fool away, as the wise man has it, the prize which is put into their hand; Prov. xvii. 16.
Let these things, therefore, be a further caution to those that sit under the glorious sound of the Gospel, and hear of the riches of the grace of God in Christ to poor sinners.
To slight grace, to despise mercy, and to stop the ear when God speaks, when he speaks such great things, so much to our profit, is a great provocation.