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.