the face of the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid.” Now thou art cursed, saith God. Thou hast driven me out this day, saith Cain, and from thy face shall I be hid: I shall never more have hope in thee, smile from thee, nor expect mercy at thy hand. Thus therefore Cain's day of grace ended; and the heavens, with God's own heart, were shut up against him; yet after this he lived long, Gen. iv. 10. Cutting down was not come yet; after this he lived to marry a wife, ver. 17. to beget a cursed brood, to build a city, (and what else I know not); all which could not be quickly done: Wherefore Cain might live after the day of grace was past with him, several hundreds of years.

2. I shall instance Ishmael, Gen. xvii. 25, 26. Ishmael was a professor, was brought up in Abraham's family, and was circumcised at thirteen years of age, Gen. xvi. 12. But he was the son of the bond-woman; he brought not forth good fruit; he was a wild professor: For all his religion, he would scoff at those that were better than himself. Well, upon a day his brother Isaac was weaned, at which time his father made a feast, and rejoiced before the Lord, for that he hath given him the promised son; at this Ishmael mocked them, their son, and godly rejoicing. Then came the Spirit of God upon Sarah, and she cried, "Cast him out, cast out this bond-woman and her son; for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, with Isaac," ·Gen. xxi. 9, 10, 11. Now Paul to the Galatians, (iv. 29, 30, 31.) makes this casting out to be, not only a casting out of Abraham's family, but a casting out also from a lot with the saints in heaven. Also Moses giveth us a notable proof thereof, in saying, that when he died, he was gathered to his people, Gen. xxv. 17. his people by his mother's side, for he was reckoned from her, the son of Hagar, the son of the bond-woman. Now she came off the Egyptians, Gen. xxi. 9. So that he was gathered when he died, notwithstanding his profession, to the place that Pharoah and his host were gathered to, who were drowned in the Red Sea; these

were

were his people, and he was of them, both by nature and disposition, by persecuting as they did. But now, When did the day of grace end with this man? Observe, and I will shew you; Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised, and then was Abraham ninety years old and nine, Gen. xvij. 24, 25, 29. The next year Isaac was born; so that Ishmael was now fourteen years of age. Now when Isaac was weaned, (suppose he sucked four years) by that account, the day of grace must be ended with Ishmael, by that time he was eighteen years old, Gen. xxv. 12, &c. For that day he mocked, that day it was said, Cast him out; and of that casting out, the apostle makes what I have said. Beware ye young barren professors. Now Ishmael lived an hundred and nineteen years after this, in great tranquillity and honour with men: After this he also begat twelve princes, even after his day of grace was past.

3. I shall instance Esau, Gen. xxv. 27, &c. Esau also was a professor, he was born unto Isaac, and circumcised according to the custom. But Esau was a gamesome professor, an huntsman, a man of the field; also he was wedded to his lusts, which he did also venture to keep, rather than the birth-right. Well, upon a day, when he came from hunting, and was faint, he sold his birth-right to Jacob his brother. Now the birth-right, in those days, had the promise and blessing annexed to it. Yea, they were so entailed in this, that the one could not go without the other; wherefore the apostle's caution is here of weight, Heb. xii. 16, 17.

Take heed," saith he, "lest there be among you a fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right; for ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Now, the ending Esau's day of grace is to be reckoned from his selling of his birth-right; For there the apostle points it, lest there be among you any, that, like Esau, sells his birth-right: for then goes hence the blessing also.

But

But Esau sold his birth-right long before his death. Twenty years after this, Jacob was with Laban, (Gen. xxxi. 41. xxxii. 8.) and when he returned home, his brother Esau met him. Further, after this when Jacob dwelt again some time with his father, then Jacob and Esau buried him. I suppose (Gen. xxxv. 28, 29.) he might live above forty, yea, for ought I know, above fourscore years after he had sold his birth-right, and so consequently had put himself out of the grace of God. Three things I would further note upon these three professors.

1. Cain, an angry professor, Ishmael, a mocking one, Esau, a lustful gamesome one: three symptoms of a barren professor. For he that can be angry, and that can mock, and that can indulge his lusts, cannot bring forth fruit to God.

2. The day of grace ended with these professors at that time when they committed some grievous sin.Cain's, when he killed his brother; Ishmael's, when he mocked at Isaac, &c. and Esau, when out of love to his lusts, he despised, and sold his birth-right. Beware, barren professor; thou mayest do that in half a quarter of an hour, from the evil of which thou mayest not be delivered for ever and ever.

3. Yet these three, after their day of grace was over, lived better lives, as to outward things, than ever they did before. Cain, after this, was lord of a city, Gen. iv. 17. Ishmael was, after this, father of twelve princes, Gen. xxv. 16. and Esau, after this, told his brother, I have enough, my brother, keep that thou hast to thyself, xxxiii. 8, 9. Ease and peace, and a prosperous life in outwards, is no sign of the favour of God, to a barren and fruitless professor; but rather of his wrath, that thereby he may be capable to treasure up more wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Let this much serve for the proof of the first proposition; namely, That the day of grace ends with some men before God takes them out of this world.

Now

Now then, to shew you, by some signs, how you may know that the day of grace is ended, or near to ending with the barren professor; "and after that thou shalt cut it down:"

First, He that stood it out against God, and hath withstood all those means for fruit, that God hath used for the making of him (if it might have been) a fruitful tree in his garden, he is in this danger; and this indeed is the sum of the parable: the fig-tree here mentioned was blessed with the application of means, had time allowed it to receive the nourishment; but it outstood, withstood, overstood, all, all that the husbandman did, all that the vine-dresser did.

Signs of being past grace.

But a little distinctly, to particularize in four or fiveparticulars :

First sign, the day of grace is like to be past, when a professor hath withstood, abused, and worn out God's patience then he is in danger; this is a provocation; then God cries, "Cut it down." There are some men that steal into a profession, no body knows how, even as this fig-tree was brought into the vineyard, by other hands than God's; and there they abide lifeless, graceless, careless, and without any good conscience to God at all. Perhaps they come in for the loaves, for a trade, for credit, for a blind; or it may be to stifle and choke the checks, and grinding pangs of an awakened and disquieted conscience. Now, having obtained their purpose like the sinners of Sion, they are at ease, and secure, saying, like Agag, 1 Sam. xv. 32. Surely the bitterness of death is past; I am well, shall be saved, and go to heaven. Thus in these vain conceits they spend a year, two, or three; not remembering that at every season of grace, and at every opportunity of the gospel, the Lord comes seeking fruit. Well, sinner, well, barren fig-tree, this is but a coarse beginning; God comes for fruit. What have I here, saith God! what a fig-tree is this, that hath stood this

in my year

vine

yard,

yard, and brought me forth no fruit! I will cry unto him, professor, barren fig tree, be fruitful! I look for fruit. I expect fruit, I must have fruit, therefore bethink thyself. At these the professor pauses; but these are words, not blows, therefore off goes this consideration from the heart: When God comes the next year, he finds him still as he was, a barren, fruitless, cumberground. And now again he complains, here are two years gone, and no fruit appears; well, I will defer mine anger for my name sake, Isa. xlviii. 9. I will defer mine anger for my praise; I will refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off, (as yet.) I will wait, I will yet wait to be gracious. But this helps not, this hath not the least influence upon the barren fig-tree: Tush, saith he, here is no threatening; God is merciful, he will defer his anger, Isa. xxx. 18. he waits to be gracious; I am not yet afraid. O! how ungodly men, that are at unawares crept into the vineyard, how do they turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness! Well, he comes the third year for fruit, as he did before, but still he finds but a barren fig-tree; no fruit: Now, he cries out again, O thou dresser of my vineyard, come hither; here is a fig-tree hath stood these three years in my vineyard, and hath at every season disappointed my expectation; for I have looked for fruit in vain : cut it down; my patience is worn out, I shall wait on this fig-tree no longer.

And now he begins to shake the fig-tree with his threatnings: fetch out an ax. Now the ax is death, death therefore is called for; death, come smite me this fig-tree and withal the Lord shakes this sinner, and whirls him upon a sickbed, saying, Take him, death, he hath abused my patience and forbearance, not remembering that it should have led him to repentance, and to the fruits thereof. Death, fetch away this figtree to the fire, fetch this barren professor to hell. At this death comes with grim looks into the chamber, yea, and hell follows with him to the bedside, and both stare this professor in the face, yea, begin to lay hands upon