The Hoary Head Crowned, Sermon
Prov. 16.31.
The Hoary Head is a crowne of Glory, if it be found in the way of Righteouſneſſe.
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THE Text is the old mans Patent of Honour. The hoary head, that is old age, or the old man, is a crowne of glory, that is, is honourable and glorious, is to be reverenced and honoured by us: As we reverence thoſe upon whoſe heads men ſet crownes and Diadems of ſilver and gold; ſo eſpecially ought we to honour thoſe men, whom the God of heaven (the firſt fountaine of all Honour) doth crown with a Hoary head, or white haires, by reaſon of age. The latter part of the verſe is diverſly tranſlated; ſome have it thus, it is found, or ſhall be found in the way of righteouſneſſe: and then the ſenſe is this, honorable old age is to be attained in the way of righteouſneſſe, or to live well is the way to live long. Our laſt tranſlators have put in the word if which is not in the Originall, to note that then old men are moſt to be honoured when they are religious, when they walk in the way of righteouſneſſe. according as the Geneva tranſlation hath it. Age is a Crowne of glory when it is found in the way of righteouſneſſe. Both theſe tranſlations hold forth a truth, viz: that God doth give long life to godly & Religious men: & that we ought to give more eſpeciall honour to holy and religious old men. Thoſe men, who beſides the ſilver crown of old age, have upon their heads the golden crown of religion, are moſt honoured by God, and ought ſo to be by men. The ſumme of all may amount to thus much. viz. That a good old age which God uſually, or ordinarily, bestowes upon good men, is honourable, and glorious; or ought to render them very honourable in our eyes.
I ſhall take occaſion from this Text to treat of the honour of old age, and to that purpoſe I ſhall endevour to ſhew,
1. That old age is honourable and glorious.
2. Why old age is ſo honourable.
3. How we are to honour old age.
4. By what meanes we may attain to the honour of old age.
5. What is that old age upon which God and good men, beſtow the moſt abundant honour.
1. Of the firſt. Old age is truly honourable, Whether we conſult the law of Scripture, or the law of anture; either God's or man's Heraldrie.
1. God hath commanded us to honour the hoarie head; thus ſhall it be done to the man whom the King of heaven delighteth to honour. Levit. 19.32. Thou ſhalt riſe up before the hoarie head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God; as ever thou feareſt the Lord thy God, ſee that thou reverence age; yea 'tis the firſt commandement with promiſe. Eph: 6:7. That which requires us to honour old age under the name of father and mother, tis the firſt commandement which hath any ſpeciall promiſe annexed unto it; old men are comprehended within this commandement as fathers, and old women, as mothers. 1. Timoth: 5.1, 2. rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father and the younger men as brethren: the elder women as mothers &c. And, becauſe the mother is uſually moſt deſpiſed, therefore 'tis thought that in Levit: 19:3. God commands the fear of the mother, in the firſt place, ſaying, Ye ſhall fear every man his Mother and his Father. Again, becauſe the devill will teach us to break over the hedg where 'tis loweſt, namely to ſlight our mother in her old age, becauſe of the weakneſſe of her ſex, and of the infirmites of old age concurring together: therefore hath God not left himſelfe without witneſſe, nor us without warning againſt this ſin; But hath made eſpeciall proviſion to ſtop this gap and to make up, and make ſtrong this fence, with that ſaying Proverbs 23:22. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee and deſpiſe not thy mother when ſhee is old:
2. The Scripture makes this an argument of the diſſolution of all politie and good government in a Kingdome or State, when the aged are not duely honoured. So much is intimated: Eſa: 3:5. the child ſhall behave him felfe proudly againſt the ancient, and the baſe againſt the honourable. And indeed when once it comes to this, that every boy, or young ſtripling, dares demean himſelf inſolently towards the ancient, whom he ought to reverence & honour; then behold confuſion in every ſtate according as is threatned Eſa. 24:2, 3. Then farewell all good order and diſtinction and regard of perſons in Church and State, It was a ſad preſage of the mine of the Jewes, that they reſpected not the perſons of the Priests, and that they favoured not, or accepted not, the elders, or ancients. Lament: 4:16: If we underſtand the place of the Jewes, as ſome: Or elſe it is accounted barbarouſneſſe even in an enemy, not to reſpect calling, or age, not to reſpect the Priests, not to favour the Elders, if we underſtand the place of the Chaldeans, as others. Agreeable hereunto we read in 2: Chron: 37:17: that the King of the Chaldees had no compaſſion on young man or maiden, old man or him that stooped for age.
3. We find in 1: Sam: 2:30: that when God threatned Eli's houſe to degrade them from their honour; he preſently addeth v: 31, 32, 33: (once and again) there ſhall not be an old man in thy houſe: and a third time: all the increaſe of thine houſe ſhall dye in the flower of their age: But on the contrary, to dye in a good old age, is ſpoken of as a bleſſing, Job 5:26: thou ſhalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a ſhock of corne commeth in in his ſeaſon: that is, as the corn ſtands againſt all stormes of wind and rain untill it be fully ripe, and then is gathered into barn, (being firſt made up in ſhocks,) ſo ſhalt thou ſtand upon the earth, and not be ruined, or reaped whilſt thou art green, till thou art ripe and full of dayes; and then, and not till then, ſhalt thou come to thy grave as ripe corne into barne. Yea 'tis promiſed to Jeruſalem, after the returne from the Captivity, Zachar: 8:4: that there ſhould yet old men and old women dwell in her streets, and every man with his staff in his hand for verie age. Let me add that Romans 9:4. 'tis reckoned amongſt the honourable priviledges of the Iſraelites (as that Jeſus Chriſt was their brother according to the fleſh, ſo) that theirs were the Fathers. And thus much may ſuffice for the Blazoning of this ancient Coat of Honour according to Scripture Heraldrie.
I might alſo ſhew, how the Gentiles, who had only the light of nature, yet did reverence and honour old age. Plato in his Common-wealth, ordered, that the Elders ſhould be honoured. Ovid tels us how of old time they were reverenced amongſt the Romanes. Lib: 5. Faſt.
Magna fuit quondam capitis reverentia cani,
Inque ſuo precio ruga ſenilis erat.
Juvenal ſaith, that in the golden age, they counted it a capital crime if a young man, (though a rich man, did not riſe up to an old man, though a poore man,) Juve: Sat. 13.
Credebant hoc grande nefas & morte piandum,
Si Juvenis vetulo non aſſurexerit. &c.
And this may ſuffice to have been ſpoken for the proof of the firſt thing propounded, namely, that old age is honourable and glorious
II. Of the ſecond. viz: Why old men are ſo honourable.
1. Becauſe they are an honour to the place where they live: living monuments of Honour. They honour us, and therefore 'tis but reaſon we ſhould honour them. Antiquity is very attractive; that ſide old men goe on uſually bears the greateſt ſway and authority: Old men are loadſtons to draw younger ones their way. And truly there was not ſo great a conteſt about the young child before Solomō whoſe it was; as there is to this day betwixt us Proteſtants 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. 'Tis 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 onelyonly 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 hotſpurs the Incendiaries, wch 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 'tis 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: foreign 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 'tis 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 him, and honour him: with long life will I ſatiſfy him and ſhew him my ſalvation. When God ſees men earthly minded, 'tis juſt with him to bring them ſpeedily to the earth, to ſay unto them Earth Earth Earth hear the word of the Lord: Earth thou art and unto Earth ſhalt thou return; I ſee thou art an Earthworm, and to the wormes of the Earth ſhalt thou goe: Thy fleſh ſhall be for meat unto the wormes of the Earth. Oh get more and more, nearer & nearer acquaintāce, with God; who is our life and the length of our dayes: In his favour is life; the ſenſe & aſſurance of his love is a Cordiall wil renew our strength and renew our youth, like the Eagles. Moſes who talked with God as a man with his friend, Oh how vigorous freſh and lively was he how green and flouriſhing was he to, and in, old age. Deut: 34.7. 'tis ſaid his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated: Enoch walked with God, and was tranſlated and ſaw no Corruption.
The beloved diſciple John, who lay moſt in the boſome of Chriſt, and had afterwards the greateſt revelations of the mind of Chriſt concerning his Church; He it was who ſurvived all the reſt of the Apoſtles upon earth. Paul likewiſe, who whilſt he lived upon earth was rapt up into the third heavē, He was ſuch an one as Paul the aged (ſo he ſtyles himſelfe) before he dyed: he had the Crown of old age before the Crown of Martyrdom.
But you'l ſay, many times the beſt and towardlieſt children, & moſt righteous young mē, dye ſooneſt, & never attain to old age: are cropt either in the bud or bloſſom, or whilſt they are green & flouriſhing, whilſt their breaſts are full of milk, and their bones of marrow. We uſually ſay, of thoſe who are remarkably forward in Religion and goodneſſe above their fellows, they are not like to live long, they are too good for this world. foreign, whom God loves beſt he takes firſt. How is it then, you teach us, that Religion and righteouſneſſe, holineſſe, and heavenly-mindedneſſe, are the way to attain to a good old age? eſpecially, when 'tis ſomtimes notoriouſly known that wicked men have the largeſt portion, as of the things of this life, ſo of life it ſelfe.
Anſ. As concerning religious children which dye ſoon: I anſwer, It may be their Parents doate too much upon them; It may be, they Idolize them: As the wicked Iſraelites ſometimes offered their children unto Idols, unto devils; So too often 'tis ſeen, that good Parents are too too apt to make little gods, that is indeed Idols of their children. And hence God is provoked to take from ſuch Parents the deſire and delight of their eyes, and the dearly beloved of their ſoules. Parents, you may kill your children with overmuch kindneſſe: You may kill the child with overloving it, as the Nurſe doth ſometimes with overlaying it. If you lay or hang too great a weight, or lean too hard, (that is truſt too much) upon one of theſe young and tender branches, you will ſoon break it off the Tree of life. Children are flowers; if you carry them too much in your boſome, they will wither and dye. Oh then forſake not the living God; If you would have right to the living child, leaſt God call this ſinne to remembrance, and ſlay your child even the choyceſt of them.
Or, 2. I ſay it may be, God takes away ſuch children from the evill to come; either from temptations which they are likely to be expoſed unto, and in danger to be overcome by; or from the evill day coming upon the place where they lived. God ſaies in ſuch caſes, oh my ſonne, or oh my daughter, enter into thy chamber, ſhut the door, till theſe calamities be overpaſt. When there's danger abroad, then Parents look out and fetch home their little ones; and ſo doth God.
Or, 3. I affirme, that theſe children live much in a little time; that theſe children are young in years as Joſias was, 2 Chron: 34.3. but old in grace; that theſe are the children which dye an hundred years old, as 'tis Eſ: 65.20. theſe are like nimble Racers, who run as far in an houre as ſome heavy heeld horſes will goe in a day: theſe are apt ſchollers, who having betimes learnt their leſſon, may have leave to goe home the ſooner: their work is ſoon done, and the Lord of heaven and earth call them home to receive their reward.
Or 4. It may be ſaid, that theſe children's loſſe of temporall life is abundantly recompenced with eternall life. God promiſed long life, and he gives them everlasting life, doth he doe them any wrong? he promiſed them a penny in ſilver, and payes them a pound in Gold, yea a talent of gold, and is he not as good, and better then his word? he promiſed ſuch the ſilver crown of old age, that corruptible crown, and he gives them the crown of glory, of everlaſting life, a crown which is incorruptible, and fadeth not away.
As for good men who dye young, thoſe who are the glory of their time, and yet dye in the flower of their age; I ſay, 'tis either becauſe of ſome diſobedience, or unrighteouſneſſe before grace, or after grace received, for wch God pleaſeth thus temporally to correct them; of this latter ſort were the unworthy Communicants at Corinth. 1. Cor. 11. to whom the bread of life became, through their default, the bread of death. Or becauſe men do at too much upon theſe men, and begin to give the glory of God unto theſe, upon whom they ſee his image and ſuperſcription. Or, where 'tis otherwiſe, the caſes and examples are very rare; a few exceptions from the generall rule; and ſuch as have, although a ſhort life, yet a ſweet; ſuch as have the life of life, that is, the comforts and bleſſings of life in abundance, whilſt they live, ſuch as have enough of the things of this life, and of life it ſelfe as much as is good for them, and of the favour of God very much, which is better then life it ſelf: and when they dye, they are paid with uſurie in heaven for the loſſe of a temporary life here. Of whom I may ſay, in a ſenſe, as it was ſaid of Enoch, they are not, becauſe God hath taken them; they walked with God, & they are tranſlated to him.
As for wicked men, who ſometimes attain to a long life, it may be ſaid that they are a great while, rather then that they live a great while, as it was ſaid of one, diu fuit, non diu vixit: and, as we ſay of a ſhip, which hath been a long time toſſed too and fro by ſtormes and tempeſts, but hath not all that while tended towards the harbour, that ſhe hath been thus long driven to and fro, but hath not thus long ſailed: So we may ſay of wicked men, they have been a great while toſſed to and fro in the ſea of this world, but they have not ſailed long, becauſe 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, 'tis either rare, and that loſſe abundantly repayed in eternall life; or elſe 'tis a Chastiſement for ſome irregular and exorbitant demeanour of our ſelves, or others in relation to us. 'Tis true as the Preacher ſaith, that all things fall alike to all; that is, frequently 'tis ſo, and that ſometimes 'tis 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 'tis 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. 'Tis 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: 'Tis 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: 4.) Convert or turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and of the children to their fathers, left he come and ſmite our land with a curſe.
3. Then honour old men, eſpecially religious old men. It was Idolatrie, to fall down and worſhip the golden Image, that Nebuchadnezzar had ſet up; but 'tis Religion, to fall down and worſhip, with Civil worſhip or reverence, the religious old man, whom God hath ſet up. Goe forth, O ye ſons and daughters of Jeruſalem, and behold the good old man, with the Crown wherewith his heavenly father hath crowned him, in the day of his hoary head.
4. Is a good old age to be found in the way of religion and righteouſneſſe? Oh then let the young generation, who deſire to live long, and to ſee good dayes, let them hence be exhorted to pietie and holineſſe. Come ye children, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the way to live to be honoured old men; live well if you would live long, The more you live to God, the longer you'l live in the world. the Papiſts have a ſaying, that Nemo ſeneſcit dum interest Miſſae, that is, that no man is never the older for the time he ſpendes in hearing Maſſe. Truly the time we ſpend in religion, and religious exerciſes, is time well ſaved, is time redeemed. They that wait on the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, their youth ſhall be renewed like the Eagles. Pſ: 103. But as for evill doers, the Lord ſhall wound the hairie ſcalp, and the hoarie head too, of him that goes on in his wickedneſſe if he live to age. Well therefore doth the wiſe man adviſe, Eccleſiastes 7.17. Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou fooliſh, why ſhouldest thou dye before thy time? Men naturally deſire to prolong their dayes: To this end, what dyet will they not keep? what exerciſes will they not uſe? what Medicines will not they take? skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life. The Princes and Potentates of the earth have their Phyſitians to counſell them alway what courſe to take, that they may live long upon the earth: But behold I ſhew unto you all this day a more exellent way; and that is the way of the text, the way of righteouſneſſe. Get the Crown of religion, if you would have that other crown of a hoarie head. The ſame way that leads to Eternall life, leads to a long life.
More particularly; as ever you would live to a good old age, Beware of thoſe ſpeciall ſins, which ordinarily cut the thred of mens lives before the time; which either as thieves doe wast, or as winds blow out the candle of life before it is burnt half to the ſocket.
1. As firſt, If thou deſireſt to live to be old, take heed of Cains ſin, the ſin of blood-guiltineſſe: he that is guilty of of blood, may Juſtly fear, leaſt every one that meets him ſhould ſlay him. The Hue and Crie, the blood-hound, the Avenger of blood, doth ordinarily overtake ſuch before old age. Juſtice ſaith, Give him blood to drink for he is worthy.
2. The ſin of uncleaneſſe, whether naturall, or unnaturall. For Onan's ſin the Lord ſlew him. God rained down fire from heaven upon the unclean Sodomites and deſtroyed them ſpeedily; the Lord made a ſhort work with them: and Prov: 7.22. 'tis ſaid, He that followes an harlot, goes as an Oxe to the ſlaughter. Shechems ſin of uncleanneſſe with Dinah, coſt him, his father and the Shechemites their lives. So Amnon's inceſt with his ſiſter Tamar coſt him his life.
3. Diſobedience to Parents. When Hophni and Phinehas hearkned not to the voyce of their father, it was a ſigne and preſage that the Lord would ſlay them. Abſolom's rebellion, againſt his father David, cauſed his ſun to ſet at noon. When the children of Bethel mock'd the Prophet Eliſha, ſaying, goe up thou bald head &c, (that is, why doeſt not thou goe up to heaven after thy maſter) two ſhee Bears tore 42 of them. 2 King: 2.24.
4. Covetouſneſſe, eſpecially if dyed in oppreſſion, and injustice. Immoderate cares, feares, and exceſſive turmoyling, the uſuall concomitants of them that will be rich, do naturally ſhorten the life of man: but beſides an untimely death ſeems to be the penalty denounced againſt this ſinne, according to the Statute Law of the great Lawgiver, Jerem: 17.11. As the Partridge ſitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; ſo he that getteth goods, and not by right, ſhall leave them in the mid'st of his dayes, and at his end ſhall be a foole. As the Partridg gathereth eggs together to ſit on, and to hatch, but hatcheth them not, her eggs either proving windy and addle, as they ſay it oft falleth out with thoſe eggs which ſhe hath produced (as ſhe doth frequently) without the company of the male, or otherwiſe miſcarrying, (the male many times breaking them that he may have the company of his mate.) Or elſe (as ſome others think) the Partridge, or Heb: foreign Kore, having got together the eggs of other Fowles; and ſitting on them as her own, untill they be hatched, they then leave her, and keep with, and follow thoſe of their own kind. So Covetous men deſirous to enrich themſelves by oppreſſion, and taking from others that which is not their owne, and ſitting brooding upon the eggs, or baggs, which they have thus gathered together, at laſt theſe their riches take themſelves wings and fly away. Prov: 23.5. or they are taken from them. Luk. 12.20.
5. Is the hoarie head a crown of glory, if it be found, or when it is found, in the way of righteouſneſſe? then hence we learn, that want of religon in an old man is a great abatement of honour in his Coat. The beſt flower in his garland, the choyceſt pearle of his crown, is wanting, The old ſinner, together with his crown, hath a curſe upon his head; the ſinner of a hundred years old is accurſed. As God and man love an old Friend, ſo they hate and abhorre an old Enimie. Old ſinners are like old toads, and old ſerpents, the fulleſt of poyſon, and therefore moſt abominable. He is an old Thiefe, (ſaith the Judge) away with him, Away with him, 'tis not fit ſuch an one ſhould live. So ſaith God, he is an old Idolater, drunkard, unclean perſon, ſwearer, &c: I have borne with him theſe forty, fifty, or ſixty years and upwards, I crowned every one of thoſe years with my goodneſſe, but (ungratefull, unworthy, wretch!) he hath gone on to rebell againſt me, and goes on to this day and will not turne; Now therefore, oh ye evill angels, this night, or this week, or this yeare, ſee ye that yee require his ſoule of him; or els, oh death let not his hoarie head goe down to the grave in peace, (as David charged Solomon concerning Joab, 1 King: 2.6.) or, oh thou ſword of the Lord, his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood (as David charg'd Solomon concerning Shimei. 1 King: 2.9.)
Oh conſider this, ye 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; 'tis 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, 'tis 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 'tis a hard work; 'tis 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. foreign 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, foreign, 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 'tis 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.
End of the text · Thomas Hodges, The Hoary Head Crowned (1652)