Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n
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A75708
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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.
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Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing A3958; Thomason E818_3; ESTC R207388
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59,080
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86
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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
sed decrepitam significari aetatem Cajet in Text. that though decrepid old age be suggested in the language of the Text yet Solomon doth assign it the Crown This I suggest the rather to give a check unto the young wanton wits which are apt to break jests upon the aged because of some seeming uncomelinesses which accompany that condition of life Guilty in this kinde was he who scoffingly asked the old man whose body was crooked by reason of old age Whether he would sell him a bow These green heads do not consider the greatnesse of this sin in Gods account who puts this fault into the catalogue of such miscarriages which usher in desolating judgements viz. The childe shall behave himself Isa 4. 5. proudly against the ancient And this sin is the more hainous and provoking when those aged persons are abused whose near Relations Offices of honour accompanied with the power of godlinesse do call for all expressions of respect and esteem Solomon is smart in his reproof of children who in this kinde offend towards their naturall parents The eye that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his mother the Pro. 30. 17. Ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it How many times are those brought unto the Gallows as the confessions of some in such cases have manifested through Gods just judgement who have been chargeable with guilt of this kinde And how heavy was the hand of God upon many little children for mocking Elisha the Prophet There came forth little children out of the City and mocked 2 Kin. 2. 23 24 him and said unto him Go up thy bald-head Go up thou bald-head And he turned back and locked upon them and cursed them in the Name of the Lord and there came forth two she-bears out of the wood and tare fourty and two children of them How far this derision of the man of God did reach I now enquire not whether to his Function with relation to his Master Elijah lately taken up into heaven or only unto his baldness But this is notable that childishnesse and ignorance will not secure such from divine revenge who do dare to deride the aged What therefore may they expect who have more years on their backs and should have more grace in their hearts then to adventure upon this sinfull provocation But yet there is a higher step of aggravation to be added viz. when righteousnesse it self which is the chiefest Crown of the aged is the object of mens derision when meerly the tenderness of mens consciences and their exact walking according to the Word of God doth lay them open unto the jears of men The Apostle telleth us that such despise not man 1 Thes 4. 7 8. only but God also and he rendreth a double reason thereof viz. because God hath called us to holinesse and hath likewise given us his Spirit to work it I remember the words of Solomon which are appliable to my purpose whoso mocketh the Prov. 17. 5. poor reproacheth his maker And the speech as Mr Cartwright noteth upon the place extends unto jearing at any bodily defect or deformity whatsoever whereof God is willing to be accounted the Authour How much more will the Lord interpret those derisions to reach himself which people shall dare to cast upon his own image in his servants which is Quiopus aliquod ridet ridet illius opificem Mercer their Crown and beauty For if God take himself to be concerned in the creatures affliction how much more then in that which tends to his perfection This way of wickednesse argueth a gracelesse frame of heart and to them who walk in it may be applied the sharp words of the Prophet Against whom do you sport your selves Against whom make you a wide Isa 57. 4. mouth and draw out the tongue Are ye not children of transgression a false seed Ishmael by mocking Isaac made way Gal 4. 29 30. with Gen. 21. 9 10. Psa 1. 11. for his own rejection and doubtlesse they are not farre from ruine who have travelled so long in sinne that they are got into the Chair of Scorners When I remember the heavy curse given out against Cham for mocking his old Father Jer. 9. 21 22 25 Noah for it 's conceived that he was thus far guilty when in an uncomely posture by reason of his drunkennesse I tremble to think what will become of them who break brinish jests with prophane Satyricall spirits upon Gods servants for their sanctity We reade in holy Story that Michol Davids wife despised him in her heart and spake tauntingly to him upon his zealous dancing before the Lord and the holy Ghost hath concluded the History with this report Therefore 2 Sam. 6. 16 20 23. Michol the daughter of Saul had no childe unto the day of her death And ordinarily this cursed course is attended with the heavy curse of everlasting spirituall barrennesse The Lord grant that these hints may through his blessing give some check unto that prophane boldnesse which too frequently breaketh forth amongst the children of men I proceed to the third Use which shall be for triall For Vse 3. Of Examination it much concerneth all sorts to know how this righteousnesse may be discerned which is a Crown of glory to the hoary head The necessity of this enquiry may be manifested by these two considerations 1. Because there are several mistakes in this matter of righteousnesse amongst men For there are many who only appear outwardly to be righteous when the inside discovereth Mat. 23. 28. the contrary being full of hypocrisie And there is something like unto justice which is highly esteemed amongst men though it be abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. 2. That we may neither arrogate nor deny this Crown to our selves groundlesly and also that we may be the better able to judge unto whom we are bound to give this honour which God hath put upon them For as it is the duty of all so it is the care of Gods people in this particular as in other cases to guide themselves by discretion and judgement Psa 112. 5. Four notes of the righteous Now those whom God accounteth truly righteous may be known 1. By their unlimited respect unto Gods whole will revealed in his word as the rule of their obedience for the matter of it This is the character given of Zachary and Elizabeth They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments Luk. 1. 6. and Ordinances of the Lord Therefore here the Query must be both What is the rule of our conversation and Whether our endeavours be extended according to the rules of the Scripture universally For multitudes steer their course rather according to the compasse of humane Ordinances Isa 29. 15. then divine Institutions And amongst them who seem to have recourse unto Scripture guidance many are meerly partiall picking