way of righteousnesse is a means to obtain the honour of an hoary head God ordinarily granteth long life unto good men This is most certain that God will either lengthen the lives of such upon earth or else crown them with life eternal in Heaven This lets in the second head of advice to be bestowed upon young persons Secondly To seek righteousnesse This was St Pauls counsel unto young Timothy Follow righteousnesse And the doctrine under hand is a strong argument to back it which David pressed upon his sonne Solomon when young and tender who speaking of sanctifying grace under the name of wisedom useth these words Exalt her and she shall promote Prov. 4. 3 4 with v. 8 9. thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou doest embrace her She shall give to thine head an ornament a Crown shall she deliver to thee Righteousnesse therefore will be a Crown of glory unto the green-headed as well as unto the gray-headed which should move the young to look out after it Now that my perswasion may be the more prevalent with young ones I shall commend these following particulars unto their serious consideration 1. Gods expresse command Remember now thy Creator Eccl. 12. 1. in the dayes of thy youth If you acknowledge his Soveraignty over you as your Maker is it not rationall that you should suddenly submit unto his government 2. The examples of such young ones who came in unto 2 Chron. 34. Dan. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 15. God graciously in the morning of their age Josiah Daniel Shadrack Meshach and Abednego as also Timothy but especially set Christ before your eyes who when he was Luk. 2. 42 51. twelve years old did famously expresse the power of grace Do you judg godlinesse commendable in them wherefore then do you not endeavour imitation 3. The advantages of seeking grace betimes early in the Heb. 3. 7 8 13. Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit 1 King 14. 3 with 13. Mark 10. 21. Discipulum minimum Christus amavit plurimum Joh. 21. 20. Pro. 22. 6. Quo semel est imbutae recens Joh. 15. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 58. morning of youth I shall name some of them without enlargement viz. The work will be to your selves the more easie as the bowing of the twig while tender and to God the more acceptable when the first fruits are consecrated unto his Majesty Christ is said to love the moral young man and it is conjectured that John had the more tender respect because he came unto Christ so soon The gracious seasonings in youth will also make the conversation more savoury afterwards And the sooner you undertake Gods service the more glory you shall bring unto his Name the larger recompence likewise your selves shall receive Finally this will be an encouragement unto your hopefull addresses unto the Lord as need may require Mark Davids manner of pleading in prayer O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Now Psa 71. 17 18. also when I am old and gray headed O God forsake me not 4. The necessity of endeavouring to be godly in the time of youth This might be sundry wayes manifested Because then most subject to satisfie many sinfull corrruptions As the boyling pots cast up the most scum so in the heat of youth there are strongest inclinations to passions revenge lasciviousnesse intemperance c. In which respect the Apostle saw cause to give Timothy this counsel Fly youthfull lusts but follow righteousnesse faith charity peace c. And the 2 Tim. 2. 22. breaking forth of wickednesse in youth will breed bitter complaints in old age As the aged are wont to feel pain in those bones which were bruised or broken when they were young Thou writest bitter things against me saith Job and makest me Job 13. 26. to possesse the iniquities of my youth Ephraim also maketh pittifull moan bearing the reproach of youth Yea suppose you Jer. 31. 19. should be secured from all grosse evils while young yet if ever the Lord bring you home unto himself by the power of Nimis serò ad te veni Domine an effectual calling this will be a cut upon your hearts as it was to Augustine that you came in to God no sooner How will you bewail your folly and great ingratitude unto Mal. 1. 8 13 14 God that the devil hath been gratified by your first-fruits and that only the refuse dregs and withered stuff of old age is reserved for God And if the Lord should punish your obstinacy in youth with finall impenitence how sad would your reckoning be at the last day for this is most certain that when you have sowed your wild oats and satisfied the sinfull desires of youth for all these things God will bring you Eccl. 11. 9. to judgement The Lord give young ones to dwell upon these meditations and to lay them seriously unto their hearts Here I might justly take up a great lamentation considering that aversness unto the power of piety which is every where to be found amongst young people notwithstanding instructions convictions ministerial perswasions together with some motions of Gods Spirit upon their hearts with which their souls are assaulted for good from time to time They will acknowledge the reasonablenesse of our advice they will shed tears Impius foelix sic simul esse cupit being reproved for their regardlesnesse of God and of their own souls yea they will make fair promises of amendment for time to come But alas alas poor foolish creatures how carelesse in seeking to keep these spiritual sparks alive in their own bosomes How soon do these good motions die within Bonum quaris malum facis in contraria curris August Inter mortis metum vitae tormenta miscre fluctuant Seneca them They would have the Crown tendered but will not resolutely hold on in the use of Gods means to obtain it Fain they would save their souls and yet satisfie their sinfull lusts also And thus they fluctuate as a wave upon the sea carried hither and thither by contrary windes Whereas they should upon a serious consideration whether it be better to serve God or the devil to save the soul or to hazard the losse of it unto eternity work themselves unto an unmoveable determination to seek the Crown of glory in the way of righteousnesse Thirdly To yeeld due reverent respect unto aged persons especially to such in whom the power of grace doth most eminently appear Mr Cartwright upon my Text presseth this duty arguing from our honouring them whom men Crown unto such to whom God assigneth the Crown of glory As there should be testifications of high respect unto all such so especially 1. To our natural parents Honour thy Father Exod. 20. 12. 1 Tim. 5. 17. and thy Mother 2. And to those whose Office and faithfulnesse in discharging
Gray Hayres CROWNED WITH GRACE A SERMON Preached at Redriff Aug. 1. 1654. At the Funerall of that Reverend eminently Learned and faithfull Minister of JESUS CHRIST Mr THOMAS GATAKER PROV 20. 29. The beauty of old men is their gray head PROV 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour ISA. 43. 4. Since thou wast pretious in my sight thou hast been honourable LONDON Printed by A. M. for George Sawbridge at the Sign of the Bible on Ludgate-hill M. DC LV. To the Reverend and my much HONOURED BRETHREN the Presbyterian MINISTERS of the Gospel within the Province of LONDON Brethren THe sad occasion of this Sermon and not any opinion of its worth hath moved me to presume upon this Dedication I know that you are sensible of the smart of that providence which having not long since removed worthy Dr Gouge and M. Whitaker hath also taken from us famous Mr Gataker and the rather because they all were not only members of but also cordiall friends unto our Provinciall Assembly And these our late losses may well minde us of Mr George Walker M. Herbert Palmer M Edwards M John Gere M. Robrough M. Love c. the death of many more of our brethren whose hearts heads and hands went along with us in the setting up and exercising of the Presbyterian Government in our respective Congregations with mutuall assistance Classicall and Provinciall both for the Ordination of Ministers and the more pure administration of the Sacraments Hereby doubtless the Lords voice crieth to the City Mic. 6. 9. more particularly unto us the Ministers thereof Oh that his Majesty would make us men of wisedom exemplartly to see his Name This is the advice of the Holy Ghost Hear the rod and who hath appointed it Brethren I will not undertake to teach you who are able to instruct others what use should be made of these dolefull dispensations Have we not cause to complain that we did neither thankfully prize nor fruitfully improve their Ministeriall gifts graces and experiences as we should and might have done And seeing they though dead do still speak by their usefull Books printed or their holy Lives remembred or by both should not we be conscientious imitators of their constancy and fidelity in those wayes of holy truth discipline and worship which were heartily approved by them even unto their death Moreover Because so many active members of our Province are translated ought not we who survive to strengthen one anothers hands the rather unto double industry with undaunted courage in our whole Ministeriall imployment and to be the more affectionately frequent in prayer that our good God would make up our loss by the more abundant communications of his peculiar grace And although this saying may be sighed out with sorrow we heretofore had the society and assistance of the forementioned fellow-helpers because now we have them not yet may it also be a matter of incouragement because our Presbyterian path hath been trodden without fainting yea with joy by the foot of them whose remembrance will be as a sweet perfume unto posterity Having spoken thus much give me leave upon the same account Mr Cortwright M. Hildersham M. Dod. M. Gleaver M. Dorrell M. John Paget M. Bradshaw M. Ball c. to minde you of some few good old Nonconformists unto whom many more might be added who many years since when under Prelaticall power and oppression endeavoured by preaching printing praying and suffering to introduce this Presbyterian government which we do now exercise Though those men disliked the use of superstitious Ceremonies yet they opposed their tenents and practice who separated from the Church of England condemning it and the Ministry of it as Antichristian But they studiously sought to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace whose labours God blessed to the conversion of thousands of souls and to the maintaining of the power of godliness all their dayes and whose profitable Works do still praise them in the gate But what need I look so farre backward seeing we can easily remember a great company who formerly joyned with us here in London in setting up and exercising Dr Harris D. Arrowsmith D. Tuckney D. Wilkinson D. Chambers D. Wallis M. Lea. M. Timothy Dod. M. Cawdry M. Blake M. Burgess M. Gower M. Roberts M. Burdall M. Strickland M. Cauton M. Fisher M. Allen Gear c. the Presbyterian government besides the many others in the severall parts of the Land who now are of chief note for Learning and Piety in both Universities and other places whose hearts and prayers I am confident still go along with us for our incouragement As this bright clowd of so many witnesses some in Heaven and some on earth may be relieving unto our mourning hearts under our great loss so blessed be God we have not yet cause to complain with the Prophet that there is no cluster * Mic. 7. 1 2. for though much contempt is cast upon us by many who rather seek great things for themselves in the world then the things of Jesus Christ as an inconsiderable number yet we have I will speak it to the praise of the Lord threescore Presbyterian Ministers within the precincts of our Province who preach profitably and live godly who are not tainted with the erroneous tenents either of the Arminians Antinomians or Anabaptists And the most high will I humbly hope incouragingly appear farther for us in these pathes which as our consciences be perswaded are chalked out in the Scriptures of truth for the welfare of his Churches and the honour of his own Name by Jesus Christ Upon all the glory shall be a defence Isa 4. 5. I will conclude this my address unto you my much honoured brethren with this hearty prayer that you may hold on in this good old way till you be gray-headed nothing doubting but that your heary heads will be a Crown of glory being found in these wayes of righteousness Your loving brother and fellow labourer in the work of the Gospel SIMEON ASHE Novemb. 24th 1654. PROV 16. 31. The hoary head is a Crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousnesse WHosoever knew this Reverend man either by his own acquaintance or the true Report of others whose Funerall doth occasion this great Assembly will acknowledge that my Text is suitable unto the occasion of our meeting The Lord make my Sermon as serviceable as I know my Text to be seasonable These Proverbs are grave Sentences full of worth and weight which are the rather to be pondered seriously because of the Authours wisedom and authority The Proverbs of Solomon the Son of David King of Israel They are intire Prov. 1. 1. Propositions especially from the beginning of the 10th Chapter and therefore for the most part to be considered without any context or coherence at all Every Proverb is like a precious Pearl tending to inrich all them with spiritual
of righteousnesse Though people who are under no higher principles then sense and humane reason are of another opinion They blesse Psal 10. 3. Mal. 3. 15. Psal 49. 6. with 18. the covetous whom God abhorreth and they do call the proud happy because set up when others are abased because delivered when others are in distresse yea though many boasting themselves in the multitude of their riches do blesse their own souls yet both God and all those whose judgements are guided by his word are of another minde My text telleth you the thoughts of wise Solomon and if you will hearken unto his father David you shall understand that his apprehensions were not different The Saints saith he and the excellent in whom is all my delight Whence it is notable that the Psal 16. 2. Psalmist there doth not only express his judgment personally but he typically reports the sense of Christ to give to understand that himself a man according to Gods heart yea and Christ Jesus infinitely above himself give this estimate of holy persons that they are incomparably excellent And if this be not sufficient to clear the truth of my inference consider his confident assertion to Saul his Courtiers who prided themselves in their Courtship and despised him as a man rejected Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Psal 4. 3. Exod. 19. 5. with ca. 33. 16. godly for himself whereas all other persons whatsoever are looked upon by the Lord as lumber these are his peculiar treasure 2. The second corollary is this If righteousnesse be a Crown though it be attained in old age only then how much more honourable are they who have been found in the way of righteousnesse all their life long from their youth till their heads are gray This great commendation did appertain Psal 71. 18 18 unto David O God saith he thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works Now when I am gray headed O God forsake me not And this honour St Paul putteth upon Andronicus and Junia They are of note among the Apostles who also were in Christ before me It maketh Rom. 16. 7. very much to the credit of Christians when grace which blossomed upon them in the spring of their youth doth abide green and flourishing in the winter of their age This might be many waies illustrated 1. They have served the Lord sundry Apprentiships It is an honour to stand to have a setled abode as servants before Kings Thus the Queen of Sheba Pro. 22. 29. expresseth her self in reference unto them who alwaies waited upon King Solomon Happy are thy men and happy are 1 Kin. 10. 8. these thy Servants who stand continually before thee Now this and greater then this is the renown of them who have been for many years not only retainers but dwelling-servants with the Almighty 2. They have often been in the field with Christ their Captain they have fought many battels and have received many wounds under his Colours and command The holy Ghost hath seen cause to record in holy Pages some of Davids Worthies who had made many brave adventures and 2 Sam. 23. done famous exploits in years past and gone And what more ordinary then for Souldiers to set forth their own commendations by relating how many years attending on the Army with hazards run and wounds received Now the old Souldiers Enumerat milec vulnera of Jesus Christ are much more worthy high respect having been found all along in the waies of righteousnesse Such a standard-bearer was Samuel who received press-money 1 Sam. 3. from God while he was a childe and could when gray-headed so pleade his righteousnesse that it will be alwaies remembred to his credit and reputation I am old and gray-headed 1 Sam. 12. 2 3. Behold here I am witnesse against me before the Lord and before his Anointed whose Oxe have I taken or whose Ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you But alas how few amongst them who have had power in their hands can we finde that in their age are thus found in waies of righteousnesse 3. They have endured manifold oppositions losses and hardships from cruell persecutors Many hot Summers have scorched them and many cold winters have pinched them they have suffered much from open enemies and fained friends because of their couragious faithfulnesse to Jesus Christ not daring to depart from the way of righteousnesse The Apostle Paul reckoneth up his sufferings as so many Ensigns of honour I will glory also saith he And in what 1 Cor. 12. 18. doth he glory why he tels you In stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft Of the Jews five times I 23 received fourty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods 24 once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a day I have been in the deep In journeying often in perils of 25 waters in perils of robbers in perils by mine own Countreymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils 26 in the Wildernesse in perils in the Sea in perils amongst false brethren In wearinesse and painfulnesse in watchings often 27. in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse And Paul the aged and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ Philem. 9. Thus this ancient Champion of Christ seems to look upon his severall many years hardships as so many Pearls with which his Crown was beautified and enriched And doubtlesse they are so in the account of all them whose judgements are rectified by the word of truth The Third Consequence or Use of Information is this That it is a very advantagious service to be instrumental in promoting the work of Gospel-righteousnesse in the hearts and waies of men because by means hereof they receive no lesse then a Crown of glory Hence it was that Saint Paul writeth thus to Philemon Thou owest unto me thine own self Philem. 19. How infinitely beyond all sublunary accomodations are the revenues which come in by grace The Crown is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon the children of men and no gain is comparable to that which is received by godlinesse Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having the promise 1 Tim. 4. 8. of the life that now is and of that which is to come yea the greatest profit which we are capable to receive from God himself is to be made partakers of his holinesse and the fruit Heb. 12. 10 11. of righteousnesse is from peculiar paternall love proper to them whom God doth discipline as his Adopted children This I note both to discover unto the people of the world who are their best Friends and to work in their hearts more high estimations of the