they have come never the nearer to the haven of rest after all their toile and labour Whilst wicked men live they are farr from God in whose presence is life from whose favour is the comfort and crown of life they have bitternesse in their greatest sweets and death in their life The longest life of the wicked is but a moment compared to eternity the sinner of an hundred years old lives not so long but he may be truly and properly said to dye eternally To dismisse the objection briefly know that this is a generall rule of Gods own making that godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come With long life will God reward and satisfie the righteous man and at last shew him his salvation in heaven in the life everlasting When it falls out otherwise as to temporalls 't is either rare and that losse abundantly repayed in eternall life or else 't is a Chastisement for some irregular and exorbitant demeanour of our selves or others in relation to us 'T is true as the Preacher saith that all things fall alike to all that is frequently 't is so and that sometimes 't is worst in outward worldly respects with the best of men of whom the world is not worthy Yet when it is so the fault is in good men themselves God is as it were constrained for the love he beares their precious soules to make exceptions from his generall rule which is doe well and have well both here and hereafter Say ye to the righteous It shall be well with him and here the hoary head is a crown of glory and it is found in the way of righteousnesse V. And thus are we come to our fifth head to shew what is that old age which is most honourable Although all old men as old men are in that respect honourable yet they are not all Peeres of the Kingdome of heaven Some Translations render the Text When 't is found in the way of righteousnesse Surely the Elders that live well are worthy of double honour honour these Elders for they are honourable indeed 'T is recorded Act 21.16 to the honour of Mnason that he was an old Disciple Seniority in the society of Saints as Saints should have honour The Apostle Paul makes honourable mention of the Elder Converts Rom 16.7 Salute Andronicus and Junia my kinsmen and my fellow Prisoners who are of note among the Apostles who also were in Christ before me But on the other side the sinner of an hundred yeares old is accursed Esa 65.20 Or as the Wiseman saith Though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God Ecclesiastes 8.12.13 Sinners may say though never so hoary headed the crown is fallen from our head woe unto us that we have sinned If you ask why Religious old men are worthy of the greatest honour I answer 1. Because these fathers are all the sonnes of the most high every one the Son of a King of the great King of heaven and earth and they resemble their heavenly Father they who are holy as he is holy And although Gods children are an assembly of first borne yet the elder any one is in grace the greater portion of honour ought he to have from and above his brethren If the elder by naturall generation and birth be to have double honour surely the elder by regeneration and a spirituall new birth much more We find that good Shem Isaak and Jacob though younger ones got the birth-right-blessing and honour before their elder brethren 2. Because religious men are the truely wise men and the longer and greater experience any one hath had in religion he is the more wise and therefore more honourable We read Mat 2.1 that there were wise men came to seek Jesus to worship him truely they are deservedly called wise men who ever seek Jesus and when they find him worship him They say the Turkes account all fooles Saints and many amongst us Christians account all Saints fooles But the holy Scriptures which alone are able to make us wise unto Salvation teach otherwise Heare the word of the Lord Job 28.28 And unto man he said Behold the feare of the Lord that is wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding And if we will beleeve the wisest of men Solomon the Godly man is the wise man but the Sinner is the foole as appeares by his opposing the sinner the wiseman Eccles 9.18 One such wise man may be a means to deliver a City Eccl. 9.16 and upon that accompt ought to be honoured Yea 2 Sam 20.16 c 'T is recorded that a wise woman saved the City Abel that it perished not in the Rebellion of Sheba the sonne of Bichri 3. Because these religious old men are most beneficiall are the greatest blessings to the persons with whom and to the places where they live they are the Walls and Bullworks of a City they are the foundations and pillars of a Nation they are the Shields of the earth Q. But what is the speciall honour which we must do religious old men A. We must reverence them inwardly in our hearts and outwardly not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth Whilest these precious Sonns of Sion our Fathers and Elders goe on in heaven-way before us Let us stand by them and stand for them and in nothing be wanting to them and when any of them goes up to heaven before us let that be the language of our hearts which was spoken by Elisha at the taking up of Elijah my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2. We must obey these mens Counsailes and directions Let 's make them under God and the Scripture our Oracles Let the counsell of the Elders be our great and supream Councell Let 's honour these as good Job was honoured Ch 29.21 c Let 's give eare to these let their speech drop upon us let us waite for them 〈…〉 man better then his mother viz his wife but he must honour still his mother before his wife Consider her grìevous pangs in bringing us forth at first her great paines in bringing us up and she that bare with the thousand infirmities weaknesses and follies of our infancie and childhood Let her be borne withall for some weaknesses of her sex in her old age according as it is written Prov 22.22 despise not thy mother when she is old And now to conclude this Use Oh that the great peace-maker after that our families have been divided Father against Son and Son against Father the Daughter against the Mother and the Mother against the Daughter would according to his promise once made to the Jewes Mal
and the Papists about the ancient fathers of the Primitive Church The Romanists say the fathers are theirs and We say Nay but the fathers are ours nor without marvell for non sum melior patribus I am not better then the fathers is a Motto well becomming the best man and greatest Scholar 2. Because they are an help to the societies whereof they are members in respect of their wisdome and prudence much increased by their long experience in humane affairs As they are the Crown of a people so they are their councell The great court of the Jewes was cal'd the councell of the seventy Elders and the great court of Rome the Senat their Counsellours Senators from senes old men and Fathers Patres conscripti and in the New Testament the Church consistorie is cal'd the Eldership and the Church-officers Presbyters or Elders From all which we may gather that the Judgment of old men is usually better then of younger men according to that Job Ch 12 12. with the ancient is wisdome and in length of days is understanding This is likewise intimated Levit 11 32. where instead of thou shalt rise up before the hoarie head the Chaldee Paraphrase hath it thou shalt rise up before the wise And Esa 3.2 God threatens to take away frō Judah Jerusalem as the mighty man and the man of warr so the prudent and the Ancient The prudent and ancient are equivalent termes 'T is very remarkable that when Rehoboam forsook the advice of the old Counsellers he soon lost ten tribes at a clap 3. Because old men are in a sort God's deputies and vice-roys here in the world They seem nearer to approach to the ancient of daies then the young generation doe I know indeed that properly and strictly God is not old for vetus Deus aliquando non erit as novus Deus aliquando non fuit for that which waxeth old saith the Scripture is neer unto vanishing away yet he is stil'd in Scripture the Ancient of daies the Everlasting Father the God of Eternity And it is an argument that the religion of the Gentiles was not the most ancient because their Gods were but younglings their genealogy and pedegree was known It was objected by Arnobius to the heathen that not onely recens nata erat eorum religio sed et dii ipsi erant infantes parvuli and such as had need of milk and not of strong meat such as were their sacrifices of sheep c. III. Of the third How we are to honour old men 1. We must rise up before the hoarie head Levit. 19 32. God proclaimes before them as Pharaoh caused to be proclaimed before Joseph Abrech i.e. Bow the knee Or not much unlike to that which was proclaimed before Mordecai by the commandement of Ahasuerosh Loe thus shal it be done to the good old man whō the King of heaven delights to honour God who is himselfe no accepter of Persons or faces yet commands us to respect the Person or face of the old man 2 We must speak honourably of them and reverently to them 1 Timoth 5.1 2. rebuke not an elder but entreat him as a father c. In the 2 of Kings 13.14 We find even wicked King Joash King of Israel coming to visit the old Prophet Elisha when he was sick weeping over his face Oh my father my father the Charets of Israel and the horsmen thereof bewailing Elisha with the same words wherewith he had above 50 years before bewailed his master Elija Ch 2 v. 12. of the same Book 3 Give old men the honour of speaking first and the honour of due attention Job 32.7 I said dayes should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdome Let old men in Civills be your Oracles the Poets fain young Phaeton to have set the world on fire You will find it for the most part no fiction that young men are the hot-spurs the Incendiaries which set Church state on a flame IV Of the fourth How we may attain to the honour of old age I answer We may find it in the way of righteousnesse Seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Get part in the righteousnesse of Christ and as he is righteous so be ye righteous in all manner of Conversation this is indeed Via recta ad vitam longam the right way to long life yea to everlasting life for godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim 4 8. And again the fear of the Lord prolongeth dayes but the years of the wicked shall be shortned Prov 10 27. add to this that of the Psalmist Ps 55 23. the bloody and deceitfull man shall not live out half his dayes His Sun shall goe down before 't is noon But more particularly I Get spirituall saving wisdome that is get Christ and he will give thee long life Prov 16 3. and 4.20 21 22. And truly Christ the wisdome of the father he hath life to bestow and to whomsoever he will he giveth it I am the Way the Truth and the Life saith Christ that is I am the true way unto life With Christ is the well-spring the fountain of life of naturall spirituall and eternall life Ask of him and he will give thee living water He hath living water and living bread and a tree of life to give thee and he that eats or drinks of these shall live for ever David saith This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and for what did he ask and did God hear him He asked life of him and he gave him life even length of daies for ever and ever Psalme 21 4 verse 2 Long life is to be attained by our honouring of obedience to our parents and elders Exod 20. Honour thy father thy mother that they may lengthen thy dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prolongabunt dies tuos Obedient children are children of many prayers and the parents prayers are the meanes under God whereby is procured to them long life Hence Parents prayers are called blessings Besides 't is equal saith one that such as honour those by whom they receive life next under God should have their life continued and prolonged 3 If thou desirest life and lovest many dayes that thou mayest see good keep thy tongue from evill and thy lips from speaking guile Ps 34 12 13. 1 Peter 3 10. Again the wise man speaks expresly Prov 18 21. death and life are in the power of the tongue and he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life Prov 13.3 Many mens tongues are such sharp swords and razours as to cut their own throats 4. Live much in heaven if thou wouldest live long upon the earth Ps 91.14 15 16. Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high because he hath known my name He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver
old men that have forgotten God dayes without number even to this day and hour consider this your cursed latter end if you will not turn your feet into the way of righteousnesse least God tear you in peeces and there be none to deliver you For know it for a truth that the wicked and unrighteous be they old or young shall be turned into hell and all the people that forget God Againe Is old age then honourable when found in the way of righteousnesse Then hence young men may learn how farre they may honour their Fathers and Elders with the honour of imitation how farre they may follow their steps viz no farther then they walk in the way of righteousnesse then they follow Christ The old Prophet at Bethel deceived the young Prophet the Devill in the habit of an old man in Samuel's mantle deceived Saul the Gibeonites deceived Josuah and the Princes of Israel with their old mouldy bread old shooes old garments And alas how many thousands amongst us have been seduced even to oppose and fight against reformation upō no other account but this these men will change our old customes our old conversations or manner of conversation received by tradition from our Fathers And here let me freely speak unto you old men of this generation God would have had off your bark of unprofitable Ceremonies and have made you white and straight staves even staves of beauty in his hand and this would not be done without putting you in the flames of a Civill Warr a while And now be wise ye old men and as you love your selves see that you oppose not reformation if you stand in Gods way now that he comes as a Refiners fire to purify his Churches from all their tin and all their drosse he 'l burn up the old oakes of Bashan as very briers and thornes 6. And therefore let me in the next place entreat all you old men to suffer a word or two of exhortation from this Text. Be hence perswaded oh all ye Elders of the congregation to be righteous to be holy Take unto you the Crown of Religion better then a crown of starrs all you that have the crown of a hoarie head To perswade you hereunto let me commend to you these ensuing Considerations 1. That the case of a wicked old man is very dangerous and dreadfull if he dye in his sinnes he shall receive greater damnation the Furnace of Hell shall be seven times hotter for these then for young sinners Oh these bundles of Tares fully ripe these old rotten Faggots of Bryers and Thornes so wicked men are called how suddainly how terribly will they burne Certainly it shall be more tolerable for Er and Onan who were cutt off betimes in their sinnes in the day of Judgment then for the sinners of a hundred yeares old 2. The case of a wicked old man although it be very dangerous yet it is not desperate Some old festered soares have been healed some old Chronick diseases have been cured 't is not impossible to bow an old oake yea to bend the very heart of oake art can doe that God is a Chirurgeon can heale old soares a Physitian can cure old Diseases he hath an Arme can bow the heart of Oake he that can of stones raise Children to Abraham can if he please and when he please of old sonnes of Belial make Children of God He that raised up Lazarus after he had been dead foure dayes can raise up sinners who have been dead in sinnes and trespasses to the life of grace to the life of faith after they have been spiritually dead fourescore years The houre cometh and now is saith Christ Joh 5.25 When the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Note 't is said the dead without any limitation or restriction to any number of dayes moneths or years how long they have been dead The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live Again the possibility of the conversion of an old man seems to be granted or supposed by our Saviour in his conference with Nicodemus Joh 3.4 5 6 7. where our Saviour denyes not the Regeneration of an old man but taxeth Nicodemus his grosse ignorance in thinking an old man if he be borne againe must needs enter into his mothers Wombe when he is old 3. Although the conversion of an old sinner is not absolutely impossible yet 't is a hard work 't is a rare and marvellous work If a Bone be many years out of joynt it is exceeding difficult to set again now sinners are Members out of joynt as is intimated Galath 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set such an one in joynt again When our Saviour Christ raised Lazarus Joh 11. we find that it cost him more then to raise Jairus Daughter newly dead or the Widdow of Naims son carried forth towards buriall he wept he groaned in spirit he prayed he called upon Lazarus with a loud voyce Lazarus come forth and he troubled himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach us how hard a matter it is to raise an old sinner from the death of sinne to the life of grace I have read that about three hundred and sixty years after Christ there was an old man who had been a Pagan all his dayes before who in his old age hearkened after Christ and said he would be a Christian Simplicianus hearing him say so would not believe him but when the Church saw him a Christian indeed there was shouting for gladnesse and singing in every Church Caius Marius Victorinus is become a Christian An old sinner to become a young Saint is a great wonder But yet because the Conversion and Salvation of old sinners is not impossible let me perswade and direct the oldest sinners of all that hear me this day to turn their feet into the way of righteousnesse to accept of Salvation inter pontem fontem betwixt the bridge and the water as we say to accept of a pardon when thay are just turning off the ladder to accept of life now they are at the point of death hear all ye old men and your souls shall live Our Lord Jesus Christ is able and willing and ready to save old sinners if you will accept of him for your Saviour upon his own that is upon very honourable termes Beloved there is yet hope concerning your soules God is willing to pluck you yet as fire-brands out of the burning to rescue you out of the mouth of the Lyon the roaring lyon to save you out of the belly of hell that is out of the belly of that great Leviathan who in his thoughts hath already swallowed you up Oh therefore now God calls to you saying How long How long When will it once be Return return why will you dye Let every soul of you Eccho back again surely this is a faithfull saying worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners of which I am Chiefe and again How shall I escape If I neglect such great salvation God forbid but that this goodnesse of God should lead me to repentance Thus reason or commune with thy own soul before it be too late Loe I have given the devill God's and my soul's enemie the most generous refined wine my young and sprightly dayes and will God now accept can God find in his heart to accept of dregs of my old age The devill has had the the finest flower and will God be contented with the bran the devill and my sins have had a full harvest and will God to whom first fruits and all is due be satisfied with gleanings the devill has had the first-lings the best and fattest of the flock and will God accept of the halt the lame and the blind in sacrifice Oh the height and depth and bredth of the mercy of God! Oh my soul my soul thou Shulamite return return I beseech thee by these mercies of God that henceforth thou give up thy self a holy and living sacrifice unto God which is but reasonable service that thou redeem the time and doe much for God in a little time And now oh that my age might he renewed like the Eagles that God would add unto my dayes many years that the Sunne of my life might stand still and not hast to goe down for many years till I might be avenged on my lusts the Enimies of my God and of my soul till I that have done God a great deale of disservice and dishonour might doe him a great deale of service and honour Till I have been as Eminent for holynesse as ever I have been notorious for Prophanesse And now oh all ye that passe by tell me tell me what such an old sinner as I should doe to be saved To this question I answer that old men must be saved the same way that young men are saved and that is by beleeving on the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousnesse Whosoever beleeves on the Lord Jesus Christ although he be never so old a sinner shall certainly be saved shall in no wise perish but have everlasting life Doest thou see thy self lost in old Adam doest see thy self as thou art growing up out of that old stock out of that root of bitternesse fit fewell for Hell-fire doest see a necessity of being born again now thou art old or else thou must dye eternally Art weary of the body of sinne and death that old man of originall sinne which thou carriest about with thee Wouldest with all thy heart have this old man with his deeds crucified together with Christ doth it repent thee withall thy heart that thou hast lived so long to so little purpose that thou art ready to goe out of the world before thou hast done almost any thing of the work for which thou camest hither Can'st find in thy heart to come to Christ for salvation from the hell that is in sin as well as from the hell that sin deserves before thou goest out of the world Darest venture thy soule upon this crucified Jesus and know it is no venture Is there none in heaven or earth no other Saviour none that thy soul desires in comparison of him Art resolved in the strength of Christ to live in him whil'st thou livest and to dye in Christ or for Christ when thou dyest Doest desire in the matter of Justification to be found not having on thy own righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby to appear righteous before God and for the glory of God and to the Justification of thy Faith before men doest resolve to endeavour that thy hoary head may be found in the way of holynesse and righteousnesse If these things and such holy motions resolutions and qualifications as these be in thee and abound Blessed art thou that ever thou wa'st borne thou shalt not dye but live this day I assure thee salvation is come unto thy soul Jesus Christ hath given thee life a new life in thy old age Men it may be think it almost impossible that a valley of dry bones should live and say as 't is Ezek 37. can these dry bones live who would ever have said that such an old sinner should ever have proved a young convert But God that quickneth the dead he saith to his Prophets Prophesie upon these bones and say unto them oh ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord and who knows but that some of these dry bones may live Truely my prayer for these old men shall be to the God of my life and theirs that they might all live in his sight that they might all live for ever And for you all that hear me this day oh that God would bind up all your souls in the bundle of life oh that ye might have part in the first resurrection that on you the second death might have no power oh that ye might be changed from nature to grace before your change by death come that your change may be for the better and not for the worse But least any from the possibility of the salvation of the oldest and chiefest sinners take heart to put off their repentance to old age least any suck poyson from so sweet a flower take by way of Caution or Antidote these two or three Observations 1. That old sinners who have all their time enjoyed the means of grace have rarely been known to return and repent in their age when there is but a step betwixt them and death so betwixt them and hell 2. That those labourers in the Parable who came into the vineyard to work at the eleventh hour were not cald untill the eleventh hour Math 20. The Question was put by an old Indian Sagamore or governour in New England to one of the English Ministers Whether our God and Saviour would receive an old sinner such as he was The Minister answered doubtlesse he would considering this old man had never heard of Christ ' til his old age and came in when called 3. That there was a time when wisedome stop'd her eares at their crie who refufed to hear when she called Prov 1.24 Let not young sinners goe on in their sins thinking to return when they are old for that is the way never to live to be old or if they doe they rarely repent in age Yet let not old sinners despaire whoever comes unto Christ he will in no wise cast out And as for you old men whose hoarie heads are found in the way of righteousnesse Goe on and prosper and the Lord be with you Be as Noah was Preachers of righteousnesse in your generation See that ye shine as lights in the midst of a crooked generation Be examples of holinesse to younger ones call upon them to remember their Creatour betimes in the dayes of their youth teach them the way they should goe that they may not forsake it when they are old And especially ye who are fathers and mothers let the soules of your children be precious in your eyes doe not offer your sons and daughters unto devills and bring them forth and up to the great Abaddon or murtherer of soules for want of religious education Be earnest with God night and day with teares and Prayers and with your children by instruction reprehension correction exhortation that so your children may rise up and call you blessed may blesse God for you and with you Oh what a joy and rejoycing ye pious fathers and mothers will it be to you to meet Jesus Christ at the great day with such like words as he used to his father Loe here are we and the children thou hast given us of all thou hast given us have we lost none there 's never a son or daughter of perdition amongst them thine they were thou gavest them us and they have kept thy word To conclude all men brethren and fathers I beseech you to suffer the word of exhortation I speak unto you Young men and exhort saying Be ye righteous that ye may be old this will be your crown and the length of your dayes I speak unto you old men and exhort saying Oh be ye righteous and religious this will be your crown and glory better then that of a hoarie head be holy and ye shall be happy live well and live for ever And ye that have been young and religious and old religious too young Saints old Saints Oh be not weary faint not hold out ye are not far from the kingdome of heaven you are near the Goal your labour and travaile is almost at an end you shall have crown for crown for this corruptible crown of glory of old age you shall have a crown of glory which is reserved in heaven for you which is incorruptible your old bodyes shall be new cast in the grave as in a new mould and all the wrinkles cracks and flawes shall be mended and whereas you have now a crown of glory upon your head in your old age you shall then have a body all glorified and all glorious you shall be made like unto the glorious body of Christ that is you shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of your Father Instead of long life on earth you shall have eternall life in heaven You shall sit down with the holy Patriarcks Abraham Isaack and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven Yea thus blessed and glorious shall ye all be both young and old who are found living and dying in the way of righteousnesse FINIS