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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87565	A shock of corn coming in in its season. A sermon preached at the funeral of that ancient and eminent servant of Christ VVilliam Gouge, Doctor of Divinity, and late pastor of Black-Fryars, London, December the 16th, 1653. With the ample and deserved testimony that then was given of his life, by William Jenkyn (now) pastor of Black-Fryars, London.	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1654 (1654)	Wing J653; Thomason E735_22; ESTC R202634	33,219	57

into the Canaan of the Church to deck adorn the spouse of Christ he entred into the Ministry when he was in the thirty second yeer of his age an age sutable to that calling which being so weighty he durst not undertake rashly and unadvisedly I wish all those whom it concerns would take notice of it and example by him herein he laid up before the laid out he first laboured to fit himself with endowments and not till then did he put himself upon imployment He was a scribe instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.52 like an ho●sholder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old He succeeded that eminently faithfull servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Stephen Egerton in the charge of Black-Fryars to which he was unanimously chosen But as I said I principally look upon him in his ripe and full age And first God bestowed upon him a Civil maturity and ripenesse of age His Civil maturity or fulnesse of age First he had much honour How great was the confluence of hearers which in former times not onely from all parts of this famous City but of many parts of England frequented his Lectures at Black-fryars for so great was the flame of his pains that he heated those who sat a great way off from it and when the godly Christians of those times came to London they thought not their businesse done unless they had been at Black-fryars Lectures and great was the benefit which many godly people and young Ministers professed that they then reapt from his labours How was this place wherein you honour him at his death by your unwonted and great numbers thronged in his life time and so great were the Assemblies that here met to hear him and withall his tender compassion toward the multitudes of his hearers that out of this Pulpit he was wont before he began his Sermons to observe what Pues were empty and to command his Clark to open them for the ease of those who thronged in the Isles He was worthily not only for his years but his prudence and abilities accounted a father among the London Ministers and honoured as such he was chosen to be a member of the Reverend Assembly of Divines was one of those learned Divines who wrote lately the large Annotations upon the Bible He was for his wisdom and faithfulnesse worthily chosen a Trustee for buying in impropriations wherein he approved himself most faithfull and conscientiously carefull to discharge the trust committed to him nor was he altogether without the blessing of a fulnesse in respect of a wealthy and plentifull Estate in the world I know there are some who look upon a Ministers wealth as his crime when they can espie no other who out of covetousnesse care not how little they themselves bestow upon Ministers and out of envie are readie to voice them to possesse much more then they do and therefore do not instead of an hundred set down fiftie but instead of fifty set down a thousand many such back friends hath this reverend man met with for his Estate though it were not so small as either for him or his to be ashamed of yet neither was it so great as for any to envy or as some have reported For thus much I can assure you from those who very well know that his personall Estate is found short by some hundreds of pounds of his Legacies and gifts his reall Estate is not half so much as sundry have voiced it And yet had he been such an one as some have maliciously and falsly censured him an usurer he might have had though lesse grace yet more money and yet as much grace also as I fear most of those have who so unworthily have asperst him This I can assure you from many who fully knew his course and Estate particularly from the mouth of his eldest son my reverend brother who can testifie what I am about to say in this particular upon oath that in all his life-time he never did either directly or indirectly neither by himself or any other for him put any money to use and so far was he from doing so that sundry can testifie he was scarce ever out of debt for he had divers children before the inheritance which he had by his father came to him and from the time of his fathers death till his children came of age he laid out for his brother sisters and their children above two thousand pounds yea in those times wherein he was charged to have put money to use he paid interest for six hundred pounds which with the principall he himself paid though it were anothers debt and for these 20. years last past he purchased not one foot of Land unlesse ten pounds per annum and he would often say that after his death the world would know how much they were mistaken in judging of his Estate And yet through the bleffing of God upon him he was both rich in contentment with his Estate while he lived and left a comfortable subsistence behind him for all his surviving children when he died and as his children I trust shall finde the blessing of the latter so did he in his life-time expresse the grace of the former in refusing great and to him inregard of his naturall disposition as he oft professed to me desirable preferment as particularly that of the Provostship of Kings Colledge in Cambridge offered him by an honourable hand much more advantagious in worldly respects then that of his Living of Black Fryers and this he did for the tender respect which he bare to the souls of his people to which God had called him But for no fulnesse was his age so eminent His spiritual fulnesse of age as for that which principally deserves commendation I mean spiritual fulnesse This I shall briefly consider both in respect 1. Of what grace he had and 2. What good he did 1. For the former In the general he had received of the fulnesse of Christ that grace for grace whereby he was made meet for glory and which was suitable to his state and station both as a Christian and a Minister but more particularly there were three beautiful graces which eminently shin'd in this godly man in which he seem'd higher by the head and shoulders then other Christians and then most Ministers 1. The first was the grace of humility though others knew not when his face did not shine yet he knew not when it did And yet he easily could observe the least glymps or appearance of any worth in another and would acknowledge it He knew not that worth which had a beam-like bignesse in himself but he easily espied and respected that of good which was but as a mote in another This I have alwayes almost observed in him since it was my happy unhappinesse to have occasion to be so frequently in his company by reason of my employment among his people He was as it s said

the quiet grave were not the field stormy and rainy the world boisterous and unquiet The world is too much loved now when it is troublesome oh how much desired would it be were it altogether delightful 2. Secondly a full age is as a ripe shock of corn in regard of the diversity of ages and periods of a mans life 1. First the corn is sown in the ground so the seed is thrown into the womb 2. Secondly the corn doth Herbescere it is green in the tender blade and grows like an herb and this is as our childhood 3. Thirdly the corn doth grow to a stalk it doth adolescere grow and shoot up to some kinde of stature and this is our youthful age 4. Fourthly there is a full ear afterward and that is in the manhood when a man is come to some fulnesse of abilities and endowments to transact his calling to go through his duties and employments 5. Fifthly there is a maturity the corn comes to be ripe sear dry and this is old age Sixthly there is the cutting down of the corn and this is by the sickle of death as this godly man once said the sickle of death will cut down all my diseases and pains and troubles Seventhly after it is cut down it is laid up in the born when we are cut down by death we are put into our grave that is our barn Eightly when it is put into the barn then it is threshed and fanned there will come a day of Judgement wherein there shall be a disquisition a sifting and fanning of all the actions that have been done ini the World Ninthly it is set before the Master upon his table for his use the people of God shall be presented before the presence of glory they shall be Shew-bread in Heaven they are for God and shall be with God for ever I am said Ignatius to be grownd with the teeth of the wild beasts that so I may be as manchet fine bread for my Master Thirdly a full age is as ripe Corn in regard of the cost that is bestowed upon corn before it comes to maturity how much labour is laid out how much pains do men take to raise the expectation of an harvest How much plowing harrowing dunging weeding doth corn require before it be carried in and it may be that though it hath been a yeer or two in the fitting and preparing for a crop it s cut down by 2. or 3. harvest men in a day or two A Parent hath laid out a great deal of cost it may be in the Educating of a Child in the University bringing him up in the Arts nurturing him and polishing him with choisest Education and then death comes and cuts him down with his sickle in a few houres when a man is full of wind and swoln with gifts and knowledge death comes with a little prick as it were of a pin and le ts out all the wind again and all mans thoughts perish Fourthly maturity of age is like the maturity of corn in regard of hopefulnesse the husband-man sowes in hope every one expects a harvest if he hath had a seed-time old age is that which men both covet and expect If Satan and security be a mans teachers he will say I shall live long enough let the Ministers and examples of mortality say what they will No man is so old but he hopes to live one yeer longer and the youngest hopes to live to old age Fifthly a full age is like unto ripe corn in regard of continuation No tooth nor foot of the beast hath cropt or trod it down All the blasts that have befallen it all the storms that have bin cast upon it may make it bend but yet till the harvest comes it is not cut down and destroyed utterly thus it is here till God take us away by death till our time is come nothing shall take us away when that is come presently we are gone our times are not in our enemies hand for if so we should not live long enough they are not in our own hands if they were we should live too long but they are in Gods hands my times saith David are in thy hands Psal 31.15 Sixthly a full age is compared to ripe corn in regard of fitnesse for the barn and for the masters use ripe corn is onely acceptable corn onely good corn onely such as pleaseth the tooth of the feeder they that are ripe in yeers should be ripe in grace they that are full of dayes should be full of Holinesse they should be fit for Heaven if any they that have one foot in the grave should have the other in Heaven they that have white heads should not as the swan which under her white feathers hath a black skin have a black heart In a word we say toward harvest corn ripens night and day it is a country proverb when a man growes old he shouldl grow Heavenward might and day Oh he should live more in one day then heretofore he hath done in a whole yeer A full age is as ripe corn in regard of the certainty of harvest and cutting down The corn which hath stood longest meets at last with a sickle they that have lived longest must die at length and be cut down with deaths sickle the longest Summers day hath a Sun set though thy age be a Summers age yet it must end It s possible corn may be troden down and devoured by the beasts of the field withered with scorching heat or destroyed with floods but should it escape all those dangers to be sure it must meet with a sickle at the harvest Though a man escape a violent death and the many diseases incident to youth and manhood at length he must have a disease whereby he must die A Nestors a Methusalems age must end The sailes of our Times as well as of Time are daily winding up unto all the descriptions of the great age of the Patriarchs before the flood it s added and he died 8. Lastly a full age is as ripe corn in respect of the near approach of its cutting down ripe corn hath not long to stand the young may the old must dîe. How long have I to live said old Barzillai that I should go up with the King Grey hairs are deaths harbingers which with their white strokes mark and take up lodgings for death the King of terrours And thus I have opened both the branches of this second part of my Text the former setting form the season of a Saints coming to the grave properly the second Metaphorically The use that I shall make of this second Part in both its branches put together shall be two-fold I shall apply what I have said 1. To our selves 2. To the occasion Vse 1 For the first there are then these following inferences that I draw from hence if as I have described unto you a full age be here promised and such as is like unto ripe corn I

stand long the truth is their falling begins as Isidore of Pelusium speaks with their very building and being men they are subject also to the same accidents and casualties with others 2. Sinfull men T is true sin is in them and not in them in them not as their love but their load and vexation And death doth befall them and doth not befall Doth befall them as afflictive to sense as a cure of their woes as a consequent of sin but not as a curse or a wrathfull punishment but yet this repeated addition and he dyed subjoyned to the relation of the long lives of the ancient Patriarchs shewed the immoveable certainty of that threatning of death against Adams sin notwithstanding the deceitfull promise of the devil 3. They are holy men And to the grave they must come First For a resiing place Here is not their rest Rom. 7.24 Rom. 6.7 2 Cor. 5.6.8 1 Thes 4.16 their works at length follow them and they shall not follow their work any more Secondly They must be perfectly freed from sin which till death they cannot be Thirdly They must have their Crown of life and Fourthly Shall for ever be with the Lord who loves his children so well that he will not alwayes suffer them to be abroad and absent from him 2. In regard of others they must come to the grave First Some are unkind and cruel to them and haply they hurry them to the Port of the grave with a blustering storm and tempest of persecution The Saints especially Ministers of Christ are set in the forlorn hope and commonly the bullet soonest hits them Secondly Some idolize them deifie them how many when adored hath God grownde to pouder as Moses did the Israelites Calf and removed them from men when we have made them equall with God It s the great sin of the times either to deifie or nullifie men God loves neither Thirdly The living must prize them and get much good by them in a little time He who hath a book lent him but for a little while makes the more hast to read it over the Prophets and Saints of God live not ever nor are given us to use as long as we please they are but lent us and we must improve them speedily God hath held the candle of a Saints Life and a Ministers Doctrine to many idle professors many a year and he oft puts out this light to punish them for their negligence Since then even the best must come to the grave let them study to do much for God while they live The grave is a place of silence and rest Use 1 The living the living they praise and are employed for God Short seasons require speedy services The nearnesse of death should put us upon holy serviceablenesse during life as for the preserving of a sweet and precious remembrance of our selves in that generation which follows so especially for the transmitting by our examples holiness to Posterity that so a seed of Saints may be continued in the World when we are dead and gone And truely as otherwise we shall die while we live so hereby we shall live when we are dead and be like civet which when t is taken out of the box leaves a sweet savour behind it 2. Let not any settle themselves securely in this World he is a mad man that will go about to build a house upon a quaking quag-mire upon a rotten foundation The longest lived of those long-lived Patriarchs lived not a thousand years God hereby shewing that the longest life of any of the sons of men is not able to reach to that space which in respect of Gods Eternity is not a day Expect not Eternity in this life Vid Rivet in Gen. Let us live as if we were alwayes dying and yet as such as are ever to live Set not up your hopes your expectations here the grave will rub off all our worldly grandeur as a narrow hole sweepes off all the apples that the foolish hedge-hog loads her prickles withall Labour to be taken off from the world before you are taken out of it 3. Thirdly if Saints must come to the grave 3. Joh. 9.4 12.35 get good by them while they live Walk and work by the light while you have it with you Neglect not to get good by the godly in hope to enjoy them longer with you Thou mayst bewail thy over-slipt opportunities when t is too late I will not let thee go except thou blesse me you know it was the speech of Jacob to God O Lord say thou let not not such a Saint go such a Minister die till thou hast blessed me by his meanes let not his light be put out till he hath shewed me the way to heaven better 4. Fourthly if Saints must die you that live stand up in their stead if God take away pillars be not you as reeds Supply their departure by your piety and usefulnesse 5. Lastly must Saints die here is comfort in many respects they shall come to the grave they shall die but their souls shall never die the second death hath no power over them they shall die but secondly the Church shall never die they shall die but thirdly their works shall never die these shall follow them they shall die but fourthly their God shall never die the Prophets of God Do they live for ever but the God of the Prophets lives for ever Lastly they dye and therefore why should not we be willing to dye to fare as they fare Not onely the wicked but Saints dye A godly man was the first who dyed If death were not advantagious it should never be the lot of Gods beloved 2. 2. Branch of the first part This Port or place of the Saints the Grave affords us somewhat more for meditation It is a mercy not only to have a house to hide the head of the living in but to have a sepulchre in which to hide the head of the dead Obs 2 It is a mercy to have a grave Great was Abrahams provident care to purchase a burying-place for his dead God himself buried Moses his dear servant nor was the contention of the Angel about the body of Moses to hinder its burial but onely to forbid the Devil to be present at it When the Kings of Judah are recorded their burials are also frequently mentioned and those of the highest merit were buried in the upper part of the sepulchres of the sons of David 2 Chron. 32.33 Nor was it a small judgement of God inflicted upon Baasha and Jezabel to be buried in the bellies of Dogs Ier. 22 19. Or upon Jehoiakim that he should be buried with the burial of an Asse contemptibly cast into a ditch Or upon the king of Babylon Isai 14.20 that he should not be joyned with the kings in burial Neither was that a slight imprecation Psal 63.11 Let them be a portion for Foxes Nor a small threatning Jer. 14.16 That the

time is diffusive of holinesse full of good works serves his generation and hath done his work before he fals a sleep hath his Dorcasses coats to be seen after his death it is only our doing good that makes us called good we are not called good men for the good which we have within us but for the good that is performed by us that blessed Hilarion died in a good age in a full age who having served Jesus Christ seventy years when he came to die said Go forth O foul In this sence Elijah saith according to some it is enough Isai 65.20 Unlike to others who are infants of dayes that have not filled their dayes which are like emptie white paper having nothing written in them Thirdly when a person is satisfied and contented with that time and age which God hath already given him and is as the Scripture oft expresseth it full of dayes having lived as long as himself desired or as heart could wish accounting as Elijah speaks that he hath lived enough Thus Abraham Gen. 25.8 Isaac Gen. 35.29 David 1 Chro. 23.1 Job chap. 42.17 Jehoiada 2 Chro. 24.15 are all said to be full of dayes Rarus qui exacto contentus tempore vitae cedat uti conuiua satur Hor. sat 1. Omnino rerum sum satur praesentium to them there was not so much an irksome tediousnesse as a fulnesse and satiety of life they were as willing to leave this world as men are wont to be to rise from the table when they have eaten their fill It was an expression sutable to a godly man when he said Lord I am cloyd with these present enjoyments for indeed they cloy us but they do not satisfie us there is the second a fulnesse of age in regard of a Religious fulnesse Thirdly 3. Maturitas Naturalis there is a fulnesse of age in regard of a naturall fulnesse which is the fulnesse here principally intended though the other be not excluded and this naturall fulnesse of age is twofold First here is intended senectus sera a late long ripe age Senectus sera in respect of the great number of its years he shall not be taken away by an immature untimely death when he hath lived out but half his dayes the candle of his life shall not be blown out no this lamp shall not be put but go out all the oyl shall be spent his vital moisture shal be dried up gone In a word He shall not be taken away in the midst of his dayes There is a prediction Psalm 55.23 that the wicked shall not Dimidiare dies half their dayes juxta editionem vulgata i. e. live out half those dayes which according to the course of nature they might reach unto But Eliphaz here intends that Job shall go though surely yet slowly to heaven and shall not be as the corn upon the house top that wi●hers before it be grown up but shall come to his full measure of yeers and live as long as according to the course of nature could be expected 2. In this natural fulnesse is contained Senectus sana Senectus sana vegeta an hail youthful old-age sound strong vigorous and that both in respect of body and minde 1. Of body When men are free for the most part from such bodily infirmities and annoiances as old age is wont to be infested withal and are without though not such weaknesse as necessarily accompnaies the decay of nature yet such pains aches and diseases as are wont to annoy that age Health is a mercy at all times even such wherin others are wont usually to enjoy it but especially is it a blessing to enjoy it in that age wherein men most commonly want it Health in infectious times is a singular mercy and so is it in old-age which is subject to so many diseases It is not so much the decay of bodily strength as pains and diseases which make old age burdensome How choice a priviledge is it to be fat and flourishing even in old age as it is spoken in another regard Psalm 92.14 not altogether unlike to Moses who being an hundred and twenty yeers old when he died his eye was not dim nor his natural strength abated Deut. 34.7 Or Caleb who Josh 14.11 saith of himself that he was as strong as eighty five yeers as he was at fourty for war Here was a Spring in Autumn a good healthful old age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an old age sick diseased squalid the bones here are not full of the sins of youth in regard whereof there are some men older at thirty then others are at sixty they are old when they are young in regard of the diseases they have brought upon themselves by their intemperance 2. Of minde When men are not though old in yeers crazy in their intellectuals but the parts of their minde are green and youthful they being not as some twice children a great blessing it is for young men to have the parts of old men in regard of prudence and for old men to retain their youthful and pregnant abilities of knowledge fancy memory apprehension and the eyes of their minde not to grow dim and dark with old age Thus this season of coming of the grave is set forth properly in a full age 2. 2 2. Branch of the 2. Part of the Text opened Secondly it is described metaphorically in these words Like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season These words A shock of corn may as well be rendred A heap of corn the word signifies both either corn before or after its threshing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This corn is said to come in The word in the Original imports to ascend and corn may be said to ascend by bringing carrying laying of it up and it comes in in its season when it comes in in its full maturity and perfect ripenesse and so a Saint shall come to his grave in a mature age like unto a shock of corn in its season and ripenesse But why is a full age compared unto the fully mature and ripened corn In sundry respects 1. First in reagard of the variety of seasons that ripened corn must go through before it be ripe There must be storms blustering windes nipping frosts sun-shine rain go over it before it come to maturity and the frost is as good to kill the worms as the sun is needfull to quicken its growth and who is there hath-hath lived to a full ripe age that is not as ripe corn in this respect witnesse Jacob Joseph David Paul c. When man of yeers but hath been a man of variety of conditions in the world but hath met with his stormes and windes with his unkinde usage and a troublesome state here below And its good it should be so we should not be willing to be cut down by the sickle of death nor long to be taken into the barn laid up in

Note then in the first place The difference between godly and wicked men The godly mans age is a full age to him he is fill'd with age and hath a satiety of life It s far otherwise with the wicked I read not of any one of them in Scripture of whom it s said that he was full of dayes none can be full of Time but he who hath had a taste of Eternity the wicked never think they have enough either of the wealth or life of this World By their good will they would never die The miseries and calamities of this world sometimes indeed may make them impatiently weary of their lives But the godly in the midst of all their worldly solaces and enjoyments health honour wealth c. are fill'd with dayes Gen 46.30 Jacob said now let me die when he was in the midst of his greatest worldly rejoycing by the unexpected mercy of seeing both Joseph and his sons David was full of dayes when he was also full of riches and honour The wicked may be angry with the troubles of this but a Saint is enamoured with the Beauty of the next life a wicked man may be weary of life but a Saint is also desirous of death I observe Vse 2 the ●nfulness of shortning our lives a full age is a blessing promised yea a choice blessing first then those cowards are hence worthily reproved who shorten their lives by Duels the greatest cowards in the World who being pursu'd with a disgrace will run as far as hell before they look back Secondly those that shorten their lives by intemperance that dig their graves with their teeth that are felons of themselves Lascivis brevis est aetas rara senectus that swallow not only their estates and lively-hoods but their lives also down their throats these I say unkindly prevent this kinde and sweet enjoyment here promised a full age they being grown old by diseases before their time making their tumors rheums and other distempers to prevent their old age to be sure the vigour and vivacity of it These do that against themselves which the very Devils desired to shun they tormenting themselves before their time Luxury is the greatest enemy of health and hinderance of old age How many by being cast away in the surges of riot and drunkenness fall short of the Port of a full age 3. Vse 3 Thirdly great is the sin of deriding at old age and contempt of old men in their full age as when men voice them twice children silly men Dotards these scoffers imitating those children that called the Propeht bald-pate I remember a smart and fit answer which an old man once gave to a scoffing youngster the young man telling the old that his memory grew weak and frail well replyed the old man though my memory be now f●ail yet know that I have forgotten more then ever thou didst remember If he that mocketh the poor certainly he that despiseth the aged reproach th his Maker The aged must be both honourable Prov. 17.5 Lev. 19.2 and honoured before whom thou must rise up They who will not honour old Fathers seldom find their dayes to be long in the land which God gives them 4. Fourthly Vse 4 I note from hence That all the creatures should not onely be improved spiritually but particularly improved even to the putting of us in minde of death even the shocks of ripe corn the ripe wheat that is in the field should make thee consider that as that same corn must shortly be carried into the Barn so thou must be tumbled into the grave thy sleep should make thee think of the sleep of death the Autumn should put thee in minde of the day of thy fading falling leaf the setting of the Sun should make thee forecast the setting of the sun of thy life the harvest should make thee think of deaths reaping sickle the dead creatures upon which thou daily feedest should convince thee that the feeder cannot live alwayes the putting off thy clothes from thy body should instruct thee of putting off shortly the clothes of thy body The blood of the grape that thou drinkest was pressed and shed before thou couldst come to the sweetnesse of it The skins which clothe us were the cast sutes of dead beasts When thou puttest on thy clothes in the morning thou shouldst think of being clothed with new robes of the resurrection Oh could you do thus you would not onely think of but expect death in all places as death expects you every where Death may lie under your trencher may be at the bottom of every cup. The delights of the creature should not extinguish the suggestions which they give us of mortality The Ancients had their sepulchres in their places of pleasure their Gardens and of old some were wont to roll a dead-mans skil upon their table after their greatest feasts 5. Vse 5 Fifthly note that old age is a blessing 1. A full age like unto the ripe corn is here promised as an encouragement to duty and the contrary is threatned as a curse God foretels that there should not be an old man in the house of Eli. Gen. 15.15 1 Sam 2.32 Psal 55.22 It s the curse threatned against the wicked that they shall not live out half their dayes and be like the corn on the house top which withers before it be grown 2. Secondly it is laboured and contended for as a great blessing they that despise it yet desire it and would count it a mercy All thy food is taken but to patch up thy cottage that so thou mayest live till thou art an old man Physicians are but Pilots to conduct to the haven of old age All the physick that the Apothecary prepares all the Physitians prescriptions are but helps to old age beyond old age thou canst not go to old age thou wouldst fain go 3. Grace is not onely an honour to old age as it is indeed to every age But old age is a great honour also to grace they cast a mutual lustre upon one another The oldest presons most commend grace in having because in keeping it grace beautifies the youngest but it is not beautified so much by any as by the oldest These shew that after all the solicitations of sin and vanity grace is yet the best and their best beloved and that though they have served Jesus Christ so many scores of yeers yet that they esteem him the best master and are not weary of his service but that they account it impossible to change it for the best of temporals unlesse to losse O how glorious is it when there is the silver crown of gray hairs and the golden crown of grace upon one head How amiable a conjunction are the golden apples of grace in the silver picture of the hoary head 4. Fourthly it s an age of the greatest growth and perfection of grace the bringing of our graces to the greatest fulnesse in this world