A Divine Legacy Bequeathed Unto All Mankind, Chapter 6

A Divine Legacy Bequeathed Unto All Mankind · Chapter 6

p. 231CHAP. VI. Advice to the Aged, for ſaving the Soul.

'TIS the Sacred Sentence and Saying of Solomon, the wiſeſt of Men, that [The Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory, if it be found in the way of Righteouſneſs,] Prov. 16.31. Which words do diſcover a moſt clear Character of a compleat Conqueror through Chriſt's love to us, Rom. 8.37. whereby he ſtrengthens us to a kind of Omnipotency, to wit, of an ability to do all things which ought to be done by us both in Active and Paſſive Obedience, Phil. 4.13. The word [Proverbs] in the Hebrew, is [Maſhalim] which is derived of Maſhal, ſignifying to Command. Oh that this Divine Proverb may have a commanding power and influence over all us Aged Perſons, ſo that all our [Gray Hairs may become a Crown of Glory to us, by their being found in the way of Righteouſneſs.] This Text is a compound ofp. 232two principal Parts, to wit, a Theſis, and an Hypotheſis, or a Poſition, and a Suppoſition: The Poſition is firſt; 'tis poſitively aſſerted, that [Gray Hairs are a Crown of Glory,] and then the Suppoſition follows, [if it be found in the way of Righteouſneſs.] There be three Enquiries here to be anſwered, the firſt, What is meant by that Phraſe of [Gray Hairs, or Hoary Head,] to which the Anſwer is,

(1ſt) Gray Hairs, and Hoary Hairs or Head, are promiſcuouſly taken in Scripture for one and the ſame thing, as in Levit. 19.32. 1 Kings 2.6, and 9. Iſai. 46.4. Gen. 42.38. and 44.29,31. Prov. 16.31. and 20.29. 2 Sam. 12.2. Job 15.10. Deut. 32.25. Hoſ. 7.9. Pſal. 71.18, &c.

Anſwer the 2d is, That Gray Hairs, Gray Headed and Hoary Hairs or Head, are all Synonymical Expreſſions with Old Age, with all thoſe afore-quoted Scriptures. Thus the Antient of Days, Dan. 7.9. and Everlaſting Father, Iſai. 9.6. is deſcribed to have Hair as white as Wool, Rev. 1.14. ſo Levit. 19.32. There this Phraſe [Hoary Head] is uſed [with the Old Man] for Doctus in Lege, one that is learned in the Law of God.

The 2d Enquiry is, What is meant by [the Crown of Glory.]

p. 233Anſwer 1ſt. This ſignifies the higheſt Honour that can be conferred upon Mankind, a Crown is above a Garland, a Miter, &c. a Crowned Head is a Title of the higheſt of all Humane Honours, and there is a great affinity in the Greek Tongue betwixt [foreign] Old Age, and [foreign] Honour; and thus the Lord commanded, [that the Aged ſhould be honoured,] Levit. 19.32. That Silver Crown of Hoary Hairs, which the Finger of God doth ſet upon the Head of Aged Perſons, doth render them Venerable, and to be Reverenced of all, even in all Places and Companies where they come: 'Twas a caution of Reſtraint in Rome, Cato Videt, &c. much more Deus Videt, &c. inſomuch that they (as it were) carry an awful Majeſty and Authority along with them, both for ſuppreſſing of Vice, and for encouraging of Vertue in their preſence, (where too much familiarity, yea and too much folly with it, do not breed contempt.)

Anſwer the 2d This Crown is of the beſt kind of Crowns; 'tis not only a Crown of Silver, (as before) or a Crown of Gold, the beſt ſort of earthly Crowns, but 'tis a Crown of Glory, and that in a double Kingdom, namely in the Kingdom of Grace here, (which is oft in Scripturep. 234called Heaven,) and alſo in the Kingdom of Glory hereafter. So that ſuch Aged Perſons as are found to be God's Friends and Favourites, (as Old Abraham had that very Title given to him no fewer than three times of being God's Friend, 2 Chron. 20.7. Iſai. 41.8. and Jam. 2.23.) they ſhall have a double Crown of Glory, firſt in this Life, they ſhall have the Crown of Reverence and Veneration from all, as Old Abraham was thus Crowned, whom the very Heathens the Hittites moſt highly honoured, ſaying to him, [thou art a Prince of God, Hebr. or a Mighty Prince amongſt us,] Gen. 23.6. even the Natural Conſcience cannot chooſe but ſtoop to the Image of God, ſtampted upon, and ſhining forth in both the Perſons, and Actions of ſuch as are eminent for Godlineſs, as Abraham was; and ſo it had been done to him before, by King Abimelech, and by Phicol the chief Captain of his Hoſt, Gen. 21.22,23. where they (with all imaginable Reverence) make their moſt Humble Addreſs to Father Abraham, that he might make an everlaſting League with them, and with their Poſterity, &c. For both this King and his Captain, as alſo did the Hittites, all plainly ſee in him a behaviour that was more than ordinary to Mankind: Theyp. 235were affraid of that Name of God, even that Glorious and fearful Name, put upon him, and called upon by him, and by all his Seed alſo, Deut. 28.9,10,58. yea ſtill the Sons and Daughters of Abraham, even all God's People are called Princes in all Lands, Pſal. 45.16. The Righteous are more excellent than their Neighbours, Prov. 12.26. tho' they be never ſo great that dwell by them, if they have only Greatneſs without Goodneſs. The Jewiſh Rabins ſay, that thoſe Seventy Souls, which went down with Jacob into Egypt, were of much more worth than all the Seventy Nations whereof the whole known World conſiſteth: Chriſt makes all his Saints to be Kings, Rev. 1.6. and to be Conquerors alſo, Rom. 8.37. they are his Glory, Iſai. 4.5. 2 Cor. 8.23. and therefore this Crown of Glory is given to them, even in this World; and if we can but become faithful unto Death, then ſhall we have given us the Crown of Life in a better World, Rev. 2.10. and we may the more have hope hereof, becauſe we are not kept by any power of our own, (which is no better than weakneſs it ſelf.) Tho' David ſaid, [I have kept my ſelf from mine Iniquity,] Pſal. 18.21,23. and the born of God keeps himſelf, 1 Joh. 5.19. but [we are kept by the power of God, p. 236through faith, unto Salvation, and we are kept for Heaven, as Heaven is kept for us, 1 Pet. 1.4,5. that we may receive the end of our Faith, even the ſalvation of our Souls, ver. 9. This great work of a double keeping, is wrought by the great Grace of God given freely to us, whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1.4.

The 3d Enquiry is, the Suppoſition, If we be found in the way of Righteouſneſs.

Anſwer. To underſtand the true meaning of this Phraſe, we muſt know, that it is not enough for us, to begin well, but we muſt end well alſo, [Exitus Acta probat,] 'tis the End that Crowns the Action: The Old Father of the Church ſaith, ſome are [Sancti Juvenes, ſed Satanici Senes,] Young Saints, yet at laſt prove no better than Old Devils; who begin in the Spirit but end in the Fleſh, as the Apoſtle's Phraſe is, Gal. 3.3. Thoſe fooliſh ones were like Nebuchadnezzar's Image, whoſe Golden Head ended in Dirty Feet: They did Run well at the firſt, but the Devil hindred them in the way, Gal. 5.7. not only making them ſtop, and ſtep back, but alſo to ſtep aſide into crooked Paths, Pſal. 125.5. and ran a whoring from God, Pſal. 73.27. therefore the Lord will lead them ſorth with the p. 237workers of iniquity: The doom of ſuch is denounced [the backſlider in heart ſhall be filled with his own ways,] Prov. 14.14. As he hath made a match with Miſchief, ſo he ſhall ſoon have his Belly full of it; as he hath ſold himſelf to work wickedneſs, as Ahab did, 1 Kings 21.25. ſo he ſhall be ſure of a ſad Paiment at laſt. He hath drawn back unto perdition, and God ſaith, [My Soul ſhall have no pleaſure in you,] Heb. 10.37,38. Such as ſteal away from their Colours, run from their Captain, and revolt from Chriſt, muſt expect no better than Martial Law; Apoſtates indeed are Renegadoes, they run away, but 'tis into the Mouth of Hell; ſo a worſe condition they cannot chooſe for themſelves: Whereas the Righteous (on the contrary) do hold on in their way, (both in their Youth, and in their Old Age,) and grow ſtronger and ſtronger, Job 17.9. He may indeed ſtumble ſometimes upon ſome Stumbling-ſtone or Block, that is laid in his way, as David himſelf had his Stumbling-time, at the proſperity of the Wicked, and his own Adverſity, Pſal. 73.13,14,15. where we find his ſtumble was ſo deep and dangerous, that he was ready to repent of his Repentance; but as he that ſtumbles, and falls not, gains ground by his ſtumbling in taking ap. 238longer ſtride thereby, ſo did David here, who upon ſecond thoughts, (ever better than the firſt) recoiling and reflecting upon himſelf, ſaying, [this is my Infirmity,] and Oh how he be beaſts himſelf for ſo ſtumbling! ver. 22. ſo fooliſh was I, and Ignorant, and even as a Beaſt before thee, my God,] the Hebrew word for Beaſt is Behemoth; which is the plural feminine Hebrew, ſignifying a Big-bellied Beaſt, full of Young Ones, (which is a clear reſemblance of Original Sin in us, the Mother of all Actual Sins,) and the ſame word [Behemoth] the Lord uſeth in his Humbling Speech to Job, Job 40.15, to 24: whereby is expreſſed, that Monſter of Beaſts, the Beaſt of Beaſts, the Elephant. By this (and by other Speeches of the ſame tendency) God ſo humbled Job, as to make him [abhor himſelf, and to repent in Duſt and Aſhes,] Job 42.5. Thus likewiſe that Holy Man Agur, who vilifies, yea nullifies himſelf to the utmoſt, ſaying, [ſurely I am more brutiſh than any Man, and I have not the underſtanding of a Man, &c.] Prov. 30.2,3. Here was true Humility, which is derived ab Humo, ſignifying the Ground, becauſe this Grace lays us flat on the ground; thus theſe godly perſons (and many more upon Scripture-record) did indeed ſtumble in thep. 239way of Righteouſneſs, yea and ſome of them very fouly, yet none of them did ſo ſtumble, as to fall finally from that bleſſed way; they all did recover themſelves by Repentance, they all did return to this way of Righteouſneſs; and they all did perſevere therein to their dying day: So their Gray Hairs became a Crown of Glory to them, being all found in the way of Righteouſneſs, Note well, we muſt all be found in that way, when both Old Age and Death alſo come to find us. Old Father Chryſoſtom ſaid, [Canities tunc Venerabilis eſt, quando ea gerit quae canitiem decent, to wit, then is Old Age moſt worthily Venerable, then is Hoarineſs of Hairs moſt truly Honourable, when only ſuch Deeds are done by it, that doth well become it both in the ſight of God and Men: We Old Ones ought to make it our exerciſe which the bleſſed Apoſtle made his, ſaying, [foreign] Herein do, I do recreate my ſelf, (as the word ſignifies) to keep a Conſcience void of offence, both toward God and toward Man,] Acts 24.16. Oh that we could make this ſame our Exerciſe, yea even our Recreation both Night and Day; uſing our utmoſt Diligence, Skill, Will and Affections, diſciplining and inuring our ſelves herein, and thereby we ſhall neither be p. 240aſhamed to live, nor affraid to die. We muſt live (as that Apoſtle did) in all good Conſcience, Acts 23.1. Good, both with the goodneſs of Integrity, and with the goodneſs of Tranquility; we muſt keep our Conſciences clear and clean, better offend all the World, yea all the Witches in the World, than offend our own Conſciences; for Conſcience is God's Spie, and 'tis Man's Overſeer; as it is God's Deputy-Judge, ſo it is Man's Domeſtick Chaplain, bearing witneſs of all our Doings and deſirings; and accordingly excuſing or accuſing, abſolving or condemning; yea comforting or tormenting us: And [if our own Hearts (or Conſciences) do condemn us, God is greater than our Hearts, and will condemn us much more,] 1 John. 3.20. Whereas on the contrary, when Hoary Hairs are not found in the way of Righteouſneſs, that Hoarineſs is ſo far from being Honourable, that 'tis rather Mucor than Canities, a naſty Mouldineſs, and not a venerable Hoarineſs. 'Tis ſad with ſuch, that the older they grow, they wax worſe and worſe, 2 Tim. 3.13. and do no better than ſtink above ground, being Dead while they Live, 1 Tim. 5.6. What can be more odious than an old Laſcivious Goat, than an old Fornicator, having Eyes p. 241full of Adultery, and that cannot ceaſe from ſin, 2 Pet. 2.14, &c. Gray Hairs and Green Thoughts make an abominable agreement, ſuch are Heteroclites in declining Nature, and Monſters of Mankind in the World; in whom it is ſo far gone with them, and Luſt hath ſuch an unlimited power over them, that neither ſtrength of Grace, as Gen. 39.9. in Young Joſeph, ſtrong Grace kept him from that great wickedneſs and ſin againſt his God: nor decays of Nature can reſtrain them from their Youthful Extravagancy, as Gen. 18.12. Sarah ſaid, (after I am old, ſhall Huſt,) old and cold is our Engliſh Proverb. It was the aggravation of Solomon's ſin that he was in his Old Age ſo eaſily drawn away from God and godlineſs by his Idolatrous Wives, 1 Kings 11.4. Oh how ridiculous it is to behold a ſinner, a Child of Fourſcore or an hundred years old! yet ſuch ſhameful ſights as theſe are denounced accurſed, Iſa. 65.20. But if we indeed be the true Sons and Daughters of Abraham, we ought to do what he did, of whom it is ſaid, that he went to his Grave in a good Old Age, or as the Hebrew hath it, with a good Gray Head, Gen. 25.8. We muſt imitate him in this herein, even all we that are Old, that we may be Good as well as Old, that we mayp. 242both Live and and Die in a good Old Age as he did; for unleſs we walk in Abraham's ſteps in this World while we live, we can never expect to lodge in Abraham's Boſom when we die. Abraham died an Old Man and full of Years, Gen. 25.8. He was as fully ſatisfied to leave the World, as men are wont to be willing to riſe from the Table, when ſatisfied to the full with Food: And thus Job ſaid, I would not live always, Job 7.16. but more of this after. It was the ſaying of Auguſtus Caeſar, (that Great Emperor, in whoſe Reign our Lord Jeſus was born) Audite me Senem vos Juvenes, quem Juvenem multi Senes audierunt, be pleaſed, Oh ye Young Men, to hearken diligently unto me, who am now Old, whom many Old Men did hear attentively when I was but Young. David ſaith, I have been Young, and now am Old; come ye Children, hearken to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Loed, Pſal. 34.11. and 37.25. Accordingly, I ſay in all humbleneſs of Soul, Oh that all People (both Young and Old) may lend an hearing Ear to me who am now very Old, whom all Perſons of all Ages did ſavingly hearken to, when I was Young; ſo that the Lord by his Grace made me a Spiritual Father to many Souls both Young and Old, Malep. 243and Female, Rich and Poor, yea Bond and Free, All theſe are one in Jeſus Chriſt, Col. 3.11. whom I have begotten in the Goſpel, (as the Apoſtle doth phraſe it,) 1 Cor. 4.15. who all riſe up and call me their Spiritual Father in Chriſt; amongſt whom there is one remarkable Paſſage I cannot but record, which indeed is worthy to be kept in everlaſting remembrance, namely, While I was Miniſter at Cottingham near Hull, that Miniſterial Charge being reſigned over to me by Famous Dr. Winter, when he went over into Ireland to be the Provoſt of the College at Dublin,) there it pleaſed the Lord ſo to bleſs my Miniſtry, as to honour me with the Converſion of many Souls, both in that place, and in other places round about. But above all, there was one Thomas Raſpin, an Old Man, and one of the moſt ſubſtantial Men in that great Town, who (through grace) had moſt evidently and moſt eminently a new work of Converſion wrought upon his heart in his Old Age, and when Gray Hairs were upon him, which indeed made him a moſt lively Servant of Chriſt to his dying day, bringing forth ſreſh Fruit in his Old Age, &c. Pſal. 92.14. whoſe Funeral Sermon I then preached, wherein I obſerved what a rare work of God this was to bep. 244effectually called in our Old Age; for beſide Abraham in the Old Teſtament, and Nicodemus in the New Teſtament, who were both called home from Idolatry, and from Ignorance, when they were Old Men: And very few more ſuch Inſtances can be found out upon Record in either Teſtament. Now ſeeing this ſignal and ſingular Favour of God was vouchſafed to ſuch a worthleſs Worm as me, about fifty years ago, when I had been but about ſeven years employed in the work of the Miniſtry; if the Lord was then pleaſed to cauſe Old Perſons ſo ſavingly to hearken unto my Miniſterial Voice, while I was ſo Young; how much more may I hope now, that all Perſons of all Ages will give their moſt diligent Attention unto that moſt weighty Advice, (for I cordially profeſs to ſpeak no otherwiſe than as an Oracle of God, unto all Aged ones, which cannot prove unſeaſonable to any that are Young; becauſe, if the Lord delight in them to lengthen out their Lives, (and not cut them off for their wickedneſs in the midſt of their days, Pſal. 55.23.) they muſt come to be Aged alſo: And therefore let all lend an hearing Ear unto that grave Counſel which I (an Old Servant of Chriſt) doth declare at this time to you in the Name of the Lord. Wep. 245are told how Moſes was fourſcore Years Old when God ſent him with God's Meſſage to Pharaoh, Exod. 7.7. to ſhew, that the words of an Old Meſſenger of God ought to take a deep impreſſion upon the Hearts of all Hearers, in caſe they be not Caſe-hardened as Pharaoh was, over and over again, both by himſelf, and by God, and likewiſe by the Devil. But I hope this is not the Caſe of any of you, (as Heb. 6.9.) tho' I mention the Caſe of Pharaoh. Now I who am very near Fourſcore may likewiſe ſay, [I am perſuaded better things of you, tho' I thus ſpeak.] 'Twas Zuinglius his practice, when he had been inveighing againſt Vice, to come off with theſe ſoft words, [Probe Vir, hoc nihil ad te,] this is nothing to thee, Oh thou Honeſt Man. So my preſent proſpect through Grace is, that I may prevail with many, either to haſten into, or to keep cloſe in the way of Righteouſneſs, if in it already; how forcible are right words, Job 6.25. eſpecially to prepared Hearts, more eſpecially when multitude of Days and Years doth teach Wiſdom? Job 32.7. I have made a long diſcourſe in diſcovering the many Characters of the true Conquerors through the Love of Chriſt. Now ſeeing every Conqueror doth win a Crown, which hath this Inſcription p. 246upon it, [Vincenti Dabo, to him that overcometh, will I give it, Rev. 2.7,10,26. and 3.5,21. and 21.7. but my preſent Task is to ſhew ſome Inſtances of ſuch Conquerors, to wit, ſuch Aged Ones as are found in the way of Righteouſneſs, the Crown of Life, the Crown of Glory ſhall be aſſuredly ſet and ſeated upon their Hoary Heads. After the general Diſcourſe upon this Subject aforeſaid, that all us Aged Perſons may come both to win and wear this bleſſed Crown, I ſhall ſpeak more particularly upon that Theme of Old Age, concerning its Nature and its Accidents, and concerning thoſe Duties which ought to attend it, whereby it may be made (like Abraham's aforeſaid) a good Old Age, &c. 'Tis ſaid to the honour of Young Men, that …acy had overcome the Wicked One, 1 John 2.13. Tho' youthful Paſſions be moſt rapid in them, then 'tis a ſhame for us Aged ones to fall ſhort of theſe, &c.

Firſt of the 1ſt of theſe, namely, its Nature, Old Age is, without all controverſie, a real Bleſſing of God, in, and of it ſelf, otherwiſe God would never have made it the matter of this exceeding great and pretious Promiſe, which he was pleaſed to annex to the Fifth Commandment, [Honour thy Father and Mother, p. 247that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee,] Exod. 20.12. Matth. 15.4. Epheſ. 6.2,3. This Duty of Children to obey their Parents in the Lord, the Apoſtle calls it a Right Duty, Epheſ. 6.1. and commends it moreover as a Duty, not only good before Men, but acceptable alſo unto God, 1 Tim. 5.4. This Fifth Commandment is called the Firſt Commandment with Promiſe, Epheſ. 6.2. that is, the Firſt Affirmative Commandment, or the Firſt in the Second Table, or the Firſt of all the Ten, with ſuch a Special Promiſe of Long Life in the Land of the Living, [that thou maiſt live long,] Epheſ. 6.3. As good Children do help to lengthen their Parents days, (ſo Joſeph did Jacob's &c.) So God for encouraging them in their Duty, doth promiſe to lengthen their Days; and if at any time God take this Long Leaſe from them here, he grants them a Freehold-Eſtate of a greater Value hereafter. If God do deny to give them the Silver of a Temporal Life in this lower World, he will be ſure to pay them moſt plentifully with the Gold of an Eternal Life in the upper and better World; whereas on the contrary, ſuch as are ſtubborn and undutiful Children, as they ſhorten their Parentsp. 248Lives, and bring down their Gray Hairs with ſorrow to their Graves: So God often doth ſhorten the Lives of ſuch wicked Children, and cuts them off in the midſt of their Days, as God did to wicked Abimelech, of whom it is ſaid, that the Lord rendred upon him the Evil which he had done unto his Father Gideon, Judg. 9.56. Yea, and Solomon ſaith, [the Eve that mocketh at his Father, (as curſed Cham did at Noah) and deſpiſeth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the Vally ſhall pick out that mocking Eye,] Prov. 30.17. God takes notice of the offending Member, and appoints this Puniſhment for it, and a ſad one too; if this be underſtood of the Infernal-Ravens, thoſe Black Devils of Hell, thoſe are curſed with a witneſs, whom the Holy Ghoſt thus curſeth with ſuch emphatical expreſſions, and in ſuch exquiſite Terms: Thoſe Ravens of the Vally are ſaid to be moſt ravenous, and the firſt thing they do to a Carcaſe, is to pick out the Eyes, as Horace ſaith,

Effoſſos Oculos Voret Atro Guttare Corvus.

And our Saviour adds to the ſaying of Solomon, [He that curſeth Father or Mother, let him die the Death,] Matth. 15.4. All this does make it manifeſt, p. 249that as a ſhort Life is a Curſe, ſo a long Life is a Bleſſing; otherwiſe as on the one hand Godlineſs would never have left to it by the Lord, ſo many precious Promiſes, as theſe, (to name but a few of the many) beſide the afore-named.

(1.) God promiſeth to his people (1.) [That he will fulfil the number of their days,] Exod. 23.26. that is, they ſhall dye full of days as Abraham, Gen. 25.8. as Iſaac, Gen. 35.29. and as David did, 1 Chron. 29.28. They all did fall like full-ripe Apples into the hands of God the right Owner, and the great Gatherer of them.

(2.) That [He will take away Sickneſs from them,] Deut 7.15. that is, he will beſtow the great bleſſing of Health upon them, which is the beſt of Temporal Bleſſings; for a ſickly Life is a lifeleſs Life, and no better than a lingring Death: Non eſt Vivere, ſed Valere, Vita, ſaith Martial, Health is the Reward of Piety, Prov. 3.8.

(3.) That [they ſhall be bleſſed in the City, and bleſſed in the Country, bleſſed every where,] Deut. 28.2,3, &c. mercy and goodneſs follows them all the days of their Lives, as David ſaith of himſelf, Pſal. 23.6. as before he had ſaid, [he asked Life of thee, and thou gaveſt itp. 250him, even length of Days, &c. Pſal. 21.4. and he deſcribing the State of a godly Man in Pſal. 91. he reckons up the mighty Power of God in preſerving his Perſon from manifold Calamities, ſo far as it conſiſts with God's Glory, and the godly Man's good; yea tho' he die of the Plague, (for the beſt are not exempted from common Calamities) yet ſhall he be ſaved from the plague of the Plague, and with long Life will I ſatisfie him, Pſal. 91.16.

(4.) Another Divine Promiſe is, [cleave unto the Lord, for He is thy Life, and the length of thy Days.] Deut. 30.20. Agreeable unto this is, that Godly Wiſdom ſhall add both length of Days and a long Life, and Peace unto ſuch as are bleſt with it, Prov. 3.2. an thus God told wiſe Solomon, [ſeeing thou haſt not asked long Life, &c. but Wiſdom of me, yet if thou wilt keep my Commands, I will add length of Days to thee,] 1 King. 3.11,14. Many more Promiſes of along Life might be added, but to avoid prolixity this ſhall ſuffice, adding only that length of Days is a tranſcendent priviledge, and deſirable in general by all Mankind. This was David's Doctrine, which he proclaimeth with a challenge to the whole World, crying (as it were) with ſound of Trumpet, [What Man is he thatp. 251deſireth Life, and loveth many days that he may ſee Good,] Pſal. 34.12. Auguſtine brings all ſorts of Mortal Men and Women, who all unanimouſly anſwered to David's Queſtion, ſaying with much eagerneſs, every one for themſelves, [Ego & Ego,] I would, and I would, &c. All Perſons do deſire a long Life, many happy Days, and a comfortable Enjoyment of all: But alas how few there be, that take right Courſes to obtain the true Happineſs according to that wholeſom Counſel which David doth preſcribe for the compaſſing of it, ver. 13, 14, 15, &c. Again,

2dly. What a bleſſing is long Life, may be farther demonſtrated by the many direful Threatnings which the Lord hath denounced againſt wickedneſs, (as before his pretious Promiſes to Godlineſs, &c.) that the Wicked ſhall not live out half his days, Pſal. 55.24. and in many more Scriptures too long here to relate, all ſhewing that a ſhort Life is a curſe, &c. yet know that in ſome caſes it is a bleſſing, as to thoſe who are taken away from the evil to come, 1 King. 14.13. and Iſai. 57.1. Juſt as when a Fire breaks forth in an Houſe, then Men carry forth their Jewels, but God conveys his Cabinet into a better World, their Souls enter into Reſt and paſs to Heaven.

p. 252The Concluſion of this 1ſt Point then is this, That ſeeing a long Life is promiſed by the Lord to the Godly, and ſhort Life is threatned by Him to the Wicked, therefore it muſt neceſſarily follow from theſe two aforenamed premiſes, that a good Old Age, and to go the Grave full of Years, and full of Graces as well as Years, (as Abraham did) is a great bleſſing of God as to its own Nature and Subſtance, &c.

The 2d Point I have to diſcourſe upon, is the Accidents of this Nature and Subſtance of Old Age, which are principally two, namely, (1ſt) The Quantity; and (2dly) The Quality of it.

Firſt, Concerning the Quantity of it, and this is twofold.

1ſt That which was more ſpecial and peculiar to the Antedeluvian Patriarchs. And,

(2dly) That which is moſt General and Univerſal to all the Poſt-diluvian generation of Mankind ever ſince Noah's Flood, not only unto this day, but alſo to the end of the World.

1ſt As to the Patriarchs, They indeed lived very long, and to a very great Old Age, yet they all did die at laſt; for the God of Nature did ordain, (upon the Fall of Adam) that Nature ſhould decayp. 253and die at laſt. NB. Note well, That none of the Patriarchs did live out compleatly a Thouſand Years; for that term of Time is reck…d as one Day, 2 Pet. 3.8. and if any of thoſe Patriarchs had lived out their Thouſand Years, then that Divine Doom upon faln Mankind, [in the Day, thou eateſt the forbidden Fruit, thou ſhalt ſurely Die,] Gen. 2.17. Now if any one of thoſe had lived beyond a Thouſand Years, then Man had not died within the compaſs of that Myſtical Day, &c. The Patriarchs indeed had a very large Quantity, and a long Leaſe of their Lives; and this was for many weighty Reaſons, of four ſeveral ſorts: (1.) Natural. (2.) Civil. (3.) Moral. (4.) Theological.

The 1ſt is Natural, becauſe (1.) There was much vertue in thoſe Herbs upon which they conſtantly made their daily Meals.

(2dly) The Climate where they lived had a moſt temperate Air, and every way moſt congruous to their Conſtitutions.

But (3dly) above all, their own Temperance from Surfeiting and Drunkenneſs, for the Old Adage is, [Plures pereunt Gula, quam Gladio,] more Perſons do die by Intemperance, than by the Sword, &c. Theſe Three are the Natural Reaſons.

p. 254In the (2d) Place, the Civil Reaſons are,

(1ſt) They lived ſo long both for the better populating of the World. And,

(2dly) For the better ſpreading of the Church of God, (out of the White Line) in the World; they lived thus long to beget Sons and Daughters for this purpoſe.

Then in the 3d Place, the Moral Reaſons are,

(1ſt) For the better inſtitution of all Arts and Sciences, &c. And,

(2dly) For the more promoting of their own Experimental knowledge, becauſe they wanted thoſe Books and Libraries which we in our days do enjoy; therefore the Lord lent them ſuch long Leaſes of Eight or Nine Hundred Years, whereby they got the greater ſtock of Knowledge by ſuch long Experience.

And in the 4th Place, The Theological Reaſon is, For the propagation of the True Religion in the World, (as was hinted above) in the White Line, the Poſteririty of Seth, as the Black Line was the Off-ſpring of curſed Cain, as is made apparent in the draught of ancient Genealogies which are drawn with a White and a Black Line, all along to diſtinguiſh the Church from the World.

NB. Note well, (1.) As the longeſt Day hath the ſhorteſt Night, ſo the longeſtp. 255Life of thoſe Patriarchs had the ſhorteſt Death; for the night of Death came upon them at the laſt; we read of no Agonies they had in their Dying, &c.

NB. Note well, (2.) As the Microcoſm, or great World was drown'd (as it were) with a Dropſie, in Neal's deluge, and ſhall at laſt be burned (as it were) with a burning Fever; even ſo the Microcoſm, or Man, who is called [the little World.] More of this afterwards.

But 2dly as to the Quantity of Leaſe of Man's Life, (ſince the Patriarchs time) which is now general and univerſal over all Mankind, we muſt know, that as the long Lives of thoſe Patriarchs, near the beginning of the World (tho' now faln under ſin) doth intimate to us, and give us a gueſs, how long Man night have lived upon the Earth, (had he not ſinned) before he had been tranſlated into Heaven, as Enoch was: So that the Age of Man began to be ſhortned after Noah's Flood, and more eſpecially after the confuſion of Tongues at the building of Babel; for Peleg (which ſignifies Diviſion, ſo called becauſe Tongues were divided in that day) and his Son Regu, and thoſe born after them, lived not above half the time of thoſe than were born before them, as Porcus notes well in his Medullap. 256Hiſtor. Eccleſ. pag. 15. NB. Note well, May not we in our Day call our Sons [Peleg] as Heber did his Son; for in a colour of building up Sion, 'tis rather a Babel, becauſe of the Confuſion of Tongues amongſt us, not underſtanding one anothers Languages, Prob Dolor, this is for Lamentation, &c. Know likewiſe, that after this diminution of Man's Age at the Confuſion of Tongues, Moſes comes and mentions a ſhorter cut of the Leaſe of Man's Life, as we are told in the Ninetieth Pſalm, which is called the Prayer of Moſes, that he made moſt probably when he ſaw the Carcaſes of the People fall ſo faſt in the Wilderneſs, and committed to Writing for the inſtruction of thoſe that were left alive, yet were doomed to Death, as Numb. 14. at large relateth; and this Prayer of Moſes is fitly placed next to the eighty ninth Pſalm, that it might be an illuſtration of that paſſage, [What Man is he that liveth, and ſhall not ſee Death? ſhall he deliver his Soul from the Hand of the Grave?] Pſal. 89.48. After this verſe, Moſes reads a Divine Lecture upon Man's Mortality, ſhewing how God turns, Man to deſtruction, Pſal. 90.3. that is, God by turning looſe upon Man divers Diſeaſes, turns him now ſoon out of the Worldsp. 257And when Moſes had ſet forth the miſery of Man's Life by many ſimilitudes, as a Watch, a Flood, a Sleep, Flower, &c.) which indeed is ſuch a Miſery, as cannot ſufficiently be ſet forth by any ſimilitudes, ver. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. He at laſt comes to determine how ſhort a Leaſe God gives Man of his Life, ſaying, [the days of our Years, are Threeſcore Years and Ten,] ver. 10. that is, as if he had ſaid, Tho' the Fathers lived much longer, yet as wickedneſs increaſed in the World, ſo Mens Days decreaſed; and now their Lives are daily ſhortned, and one Generation ſoon diſpatched away after another: All Men have a quick dimiſſion from their appearance upon the Stage of the World, and all this is done, that the World it ſelf may come the ſooner to its perpetual period. And tho' ſome [by reaſon of a more robuſt Conſtitution than others have, and therefore may attain to fourſcore Years,] yet few exceed ſeventy, and fewer attain to it; and ſuch as live longer, do pay intereſt of Pains, Sorrow and Miſery for their inlargement beyond the generality of Mankind, becauſe the Body is then much decayed, and filled with Diſeaſes, &c. And thus Barzillai accounted himſelf a very Aged Man, when he had attained to the age of fourſcore Years old,p. 2582 Sam. 19.32. ſaying of himſelf [How long have I to live, can I taſt what I eat or drink, &c? and [how long have I to live] ver. 34. that is, my Breath is corrupt, or my Spirits are Spent, my Days are extinct, and the Grave is ready for me, as Job ſpeaks of himſelf, Job 17.1. He was Senex quaſi Seminex, half dead, and felt himſelf pedetentim mori, to die by peace-meal, even ſenſim ſine ſenſu, inſenſibly yielding every day ſomewhat to Death, and therefore he tells David with a moſt thankful Heart, that it was not adviſeable for him to embrace his Royal Offer of a Courtly Life to him, who was now ſuperannuated, and was already (as it were) dead both to Meat and Muſick, all ſuch delights of the Sons of Men, Eccleſ. 2.8. Thoſe days (ſaith he) are come upon me wherein I can have no pleaſure, Eccleſ. 12.2,3,4. Therefore 'tis high time now for me, and for all ſuch Aged Ones as I am, to make and pack up our Fardles, and prepare to paſs hence into that better Country, which is Heaven, (as the Holy Patriarchs did, Heb. 11.13,14,15,16.) My continuance can be but ſhort here in this World, (ſaith old Barzillai to David) and therefore I would not now leave my Habitation, (where I may retire and reſt me from the Noiſe ofp. 259the World) but now my whole work is, a firm reſolve to make ready for Death, and to lay hold on Eternal Life, 2 Sam. 19.35,36,37. 1 Tim. 6.19. And indeed this is the indiſpenſable Duty, not only of ſuch as are Old, but 'tis neceſſary for all that are Young to do ſo likewiſe, becauſe this Quantity, and the length of the Lives of all Perſons, in all Ages, is very uncertain; the Proverb ſaith, as ſoon goes the Lambs Skin to the Market, as that of the Old Sheep; the Young may die, as well as the Old muſt die: And 'tis an old obſervation, yea and a true one, that there be more of Mankind, which die under Ten Years old, than they which live above Sixty Years. We all live in Houſes of Clay, and our Foundation is in the Duſt, eaſily cruſhed as the Moth, with the leaſt touch of Man's Finger; and much ſooner are we cruſhed with the Finger of God,) Job. 4.19. If our Cottages of Clay had a Foundation of Braſs or Marble, they might poſſibly ſtand ſome time in the World; but ſeeing our beſt Foundation is no better than Duſt, call'd Terra Fricabilis, which is ſo eaſily crumbled aſunder in the Hand of a Child: Oh 'tis no leſs than a Miracle of Mercy, that ſome of us do ſubſiſt ſo long alive upon the Earth, ſeeing the Walls of our Earthlyp. 260Tabernacles (as Paul calls the Body, 2 Cor 5.2.) are weak, and the Foundation of our Clay-Houſe is far weaker, being but Duſt, light, flying and unſtable Duſt, which is ſoon wherried and whirled about with every puff of Wind: Hence Man is not only a Clod of Clay, neatly made up by a skilful Potter, as was the firſt Man Adam, [of the Earth, Earthy,] 1 Cor. 15.47. and a Lump of Duſt. Gen. 3.19. but alſo he is but an heap of Vanity, yea at his beſt eſtate [Kol-Adam, Kol-Abel] omnis Adam eſt totus Abel, every Adam or Man, is wholly Abel or Vanity, even when he ſeems to be well underlaid on all ſides, and moſt ſetled and likelieſt to live, Pſal. 39.5,11. And again Adam Abel's compar eſt, Adam is Abel's Mate: Man is like to Vanity, and as a Shadow that hath no ſubſtance in it, or ſubſiſtence at all, Pſal. 144.4. and he not only conſumes away like a Moth, as Pſal. 39.11. as before, with the leaſt touch the Moth is cruſhed; but 'tis ſaid further, [that Man is cruſhed before the Moth, Job 4.19. It is not ſaid there, before the Lion, (that would be no wonder) but 'tis ſaid [before the Moth,] to ſhew what a poor thing Man is, when a Moth can cruſh him, that a Fly can choak him, as it did Pope Alexander; p. 261that an Hair in a Meſs of Milk may ſtifle him, as it did great Marius the Roman General, and (as ſome ſay) Pope Adrian alſo. Thus Druſlus (the Emperor, Claudius's Son,) was ſuffocated with a Pear that was caſt up and catched by his Mouth in ſport only. Thus Aemilius Lepidus was deſtroyed by a light bruiſe upon his Toe. Many ſuch Stories I might relate, of this Nature; but to be ſhort, let me add only one more, which I can both affirm and confirm upon my own knowledge, that a great Lord of this Land, (who was my Patron, &c.) that was brought to his Death, only by paring a Corn upon his Toe, which did after Gangreen, and ſtruck upwards, whereof at laſt he died. All theſe Inſtances (with many more which might be added) do demonſtrate the uncertainty of our Lives, as there is nothing more certain than our Deaths, (for that is eſtabliſhed by the great Statute of Heaven, that all Men muſt once die, Heb. 9.27.) yet as to the time of it, there is nothing more uncertain, eſpecially conſidering [how Man is deſtroyed from Morning to Evening,] Job 4.20. the Hebrew reading is, he is beaten to pieces as in a Mortar, with one Miſery upon another, until the very Breath be beaten out of his Body at length;p. 262yea and all this from Morning to Evening, that is, not only all the day long, but even all the life long; which is here (for its brevity) compared to an Artificial Day, and ſuch as no Man can be ſure he ſhall have twelve hours to his Day: For how many are there, whoſe Sun hath ſet at High-noon, even in the prime and pride of their Days they have been ſnatcht away by the Hand of Death; yea, yet higher, how many do we ſee whoſe Sun doth ſet at its very riſing; ſo that they are carried from the Grave of the Womb, to the Womb of the Grave, even from their Birth to their Burial: And aſſuredly we all every Hour, as well as every Day, do yield ſomewhat unto Death, and nearer and nearer do we approach to our latter end; yea and the longeſt liver of us hath but a ſhort cut from the firſt Riſing of our Sun, to its laſt Setting, from our Birth to our Burial: The Pſalmiſt ſaith, that [the Sun knoweth the time of its going down,] Pſal. 104.19. But this cannot be ſaid of any of the Sons of Men, that they know the time of their going down to the Grave; good Iſaac knew it not, Gen. 27.1,2. (except only Hezekiah, who by a ſpecial diſpenſation from God, knew it;) much leſs can we, that are old, know the time ofp. 263our going down, or the Quantity of our Old Age. The Jewiſh Rabbins do mention three Steps or Degrees in the meaſure of Old Age; the firſt they call [Senes,] the ſecond they name [Annoſi] and the third they ſtile [Decrepidi;] and thus they reckon, when a Man comes to be Sixty Years old, ſuch an one they reckon'd to be reached only to the Borders of Old Age, paſſing along until he ſtepped on unto Seventy Years of Age, at which Age David died, ſee after: Then Secondly, They accounted him among the Annoſos, an Old Man indeed, who lived up from Seventy to Eighty Years of Age; ſuch a Man was got a great way into that far Country of Old Age, even into that Hyperborean cold and frozen Climate, where the Snow of Hoary Hairs lay continually upon his Head undiſſolved. But Thirdly, The higheſt Step and Degree, is ſuch an one as liveth above Eighty Years old; thoſe they number among Decrepid Ones, that then are Superannuated, declining to a Doteage, in whom all the Senſes of the Body, yea, and all the Faculties of the Soul begin daily to decay, (as in Old Barzillai before-named, according to his own confeſſion unto David;) ſuch very Aged Perſons are accounted wondrous Old, as is the Expreſſionp. 264in the Old Singing Pſalms, Pſal. 90.10. for it falls out moſt commonly, that in this wondrous Old Age, we pay the deep intereſt of Pains in dolorous Diſtempers, being the time wherein, (as Solomon ſaith) we can have no Pleaſure, Eccleſ. 12.1,2, &c. and according to the Old Adage, [bis Pueri Senes] Old Perſons are twice Children; as after their Birth, ſo before their Death they become meerly Childiſh, which once did occaſion my ſelf to ſay, when I ſaw a very Old Woman, (one paſt all other Work (rocking the Cradle, that had a very Young Babe in it, behold, there is one Child rocking another; and thereupon I gave her the beſt advice I could, how it was high time for her to make ſure work for a better World. Moreover, beſide this Rabinical Animadverſion thus Spiritually Improved, we have another more Critical and Chriſtian Calculation of Man's Life, made by one of our Engliſh Martyrs, who left behind this curious Criticiſm, ſaying, [becauſe the common term of Humane Life, in the ordinary courſe of Nature, is but Threeſcore Years and Ten, according to Moſes (that Man of God's) computation, Pſal. 90.10. Now if we divide thoſe Seventy Years into four Equal Parts, then muſt it neceſſarily p. 265follow, that every Man is three parts Dead, when he doth but arrive at the Age of Fifty Years. This ſolid Obſervation doth much ſooner mind us of our Mortality, than that before of the Jewiſh Rabbins; and to the ſame purpoſe I my ſelf have (both publickly and privately) taught the like Leſſon upon the end of my four Fingers and the Thumb, ſhewing to the Eyes of thoſe I ſpake to, how the top of the little Finger repreſents our Childhood, the top of the next Finger ſhews our Youth, the top of the longeſt Finger demonſtrates our Middle Age, when we come to our foreign, or fulneſs of Height and Health; then the top of the fore Finger, (which is a little lower than the middle Finger) declares our beginning to decline by little and little; but laſtly from the top of the fore Finger to the top of the Thumb there is a great fall, and hence is it that we uſually ſay, ſuch an Aged Perſon breaks faſt in a little time; the Lord help us to learn this Leſſon upon our Fingers ends. NB. Note well, The God of Nature hath ordained, that Nature in all his created Beings muſt decay; yet this is the Sovereign Power of the Creator over all his Creatures to determine the Time, meaſure and Quantity, when the period of Nature ſhall come to decay,p. 266and be diſſolved. Thus Job acknowledges this Divine Rule and Dominion of God over all Mankind, ſaying, [his Days are determined, the number of his Months are with God; thou haſt appointed his Bounds that he cannot paſs, &c.] Job 14.5,6. that is, God hath ſet every Man the Bounds of his Time, (whether ſhorter) called here [his Days] or longer, [the number of his Months;] and whether ſhorter or longer, they have both their Bounds which they cannot paſs, no more than the unruly Ocean can paſs the Bounds that its Maker hath ſet it, Job 38.8,9,10,11. We ſhould think the ſame of the Waters of Afflictions that the Lord doth limit them, ſaying, [thus far ſhalt thou go, and no ſarther, and here ſhall thy proud Waves be ſtaid.] This Sovereign Rule and Dominion of God over Man, in determining his Time upon Earth, is made manifeſt, in ordering ſuch long Leaſes of Life to the Patriarchs, and ſuch a ſhort Term to the Lives of the following Ages: This is elegantly expreſſed thus by Tertullian, [Vitae Jugera illis, ſed nobis tantum Spithamas Deus dedit illi Gigantes fuere, nos vero Pugiones, &c.] God gave to the Patriarchs whole and long Acres of Life, but to us only a Span-breadth thereof; they were p. 267lofty Gyants, but we are puny Dwarfs; yea, and this Divine Dominion is daily apparent, as the only over-ruling Reaſon why ſome, likely to live long, do die ſoon; while others that are more weak with daily Diſtempers, do live longer than they; as well as it is the Will and Wiſdom of God, that we ſee the Sons and Daughters of Men do die daily in all Ages, in Childhood, Youth, Middle Age, as well as Old Age: And as God hath ſet Bounds to Man's Time, ſo hath he determined Man's Task likewiſe; thus John Baptiſt had his Courſe to fulfil, Acts 13.25. the word for Courſe in Greek is [foreign,] from whence the Dromedary hath his Name, which is a ſwift Creature, and will run an hundred miles in a day: Thus the Baptiſt, tho' he lived not long, but was cut off by Herod, yet he lived much in a little ſpace; he wrought hard, and made haſte in his Work, as not willing to be taken with his Task undone. Thus 'tis ſaid of David alſo in Acts 13.36. that he ſerved out his Generation, and then he fell aſleep after he had done his Generation-work according to the will of God. There is an appointed time to Man upon the Earth, Job 7.1. both for his Time, and for his Task; and he who bears up the Heavens, preſcribes ſuch a Pillar before p. 268Man, (with this Inſcription writ upon it, [ne plus ultra] thou ſhalt paſs no farther: [ſtat ſua cuique dies] ſaid Virgil of old, every Man hath his Day ſet him wherein he muſt die, his laſt Day ſtands, but all the reſt of his days to that Day are in a running poſture. Some Lutherans indeed do teach, that God hath not determined the period of Men's Days, but that it is in Man's power either to lengthen or to ſhorten them: But many Scriptures teach the contrary, that God hath ſet the Bounds of every Man's Life to a very Day (as well as his Place of Dwelling, Gen. 49.13. Acts 17.26.) and tho' thofe Bounds may be paſſed, which our Natural Conſtitution in the ordinary courſe of Nature ſetteth, yet thoſe Bounds which the Almighty Power and Providence of God ſetteth us, we can never paſs: For Job uſeth two Metaphors.

(1ſt) That of an Hireling, Job 7.1. and 14.6. Now we agree with Hirelings to work with us for a day, and therefore are they called Day-labourers.

The 2d Metaphor is, Tſaba,, warfare, foreign, Sept. Job 4.1. becauſe man's life is expoſed to Pirates, as before: Now if our life be a warfare, 'tis well known how Soldiers have their time of fighting, and their time of reſting according to thep. 269Commands of their Captain General. They muſt obey his Order for both falling on, and for falling back as he pleaſeth, ſtat pro Ratione Voluntas, his Will is a Law to them. And thus every good Soldier of Jeſus Chriſt, (as Timothy is called, 2 Tim. 2.3.) muſt be willing either to Act or to Reſt according to the Commands of the Captain of our Salvation, (as Chriſt is called Heb. 2.10.) whether private Chriſtian or publick Miniſter, we muſt all reſign up our Wills into his Will, as we read in Eccleſiaſtick Hiſtory of a famous Miniſter, (called Martinus) who being by the Lord ſeized upon with Sickneſs, 'tis recorded how he prayed, [Decumbens dico, Domine, ſi adhuc populo tuo ſim neceſſarius, laborem tuum non recuſo, &c.] that is, Lord, ſerve thy ſelf of me, for thy Service is ſweet to me; if thou haſt no more Service to command me, then, O Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit, &c. This was piouſly ſpoken, yet Old Simeon, (as we read Luke 2.29,30.) ſpake better, ſaying, [Lord, now let thou thy Servant depart in peace.] Now this good Old Man, having laid in his Heart, what he lapt in his Arms, (the moſt bleſſed Armful that he ever met with, even the Beautiful Babe of Bethleh…m) he then ſung the [nunc Dimittas] ſo called, even p. 270his Soul out of his Body, ſaying, I fear no Sin, I dread no Death, I have lived enough, I have my Life, I have long'd enough, I have my Love, I have ſeen enough, I have my Light, I have ſerved enough, I have my ſatisfaction, I have ſorrowed enough, I have my conſolation, (even the conſolation of Iſrael,) whom I and other Believers have long waited for, ver. 25. even the Meſſiah, that Menachem or Comforter, mentioned, Lam. 1 16. and yet ſinging farther, Oh, ſweet Babe, let this Pſalm ſerve for a Lullaby to thee, and for a Funeral for me; Oh ſleep in my Arms, and let me ſleep in thy Peace. All this ſweet Song Simeon concludes, with the procuring cauſe of his Sacred Muſick, ſaying, [for mine Eyes have ſeen thy Salvation.] This was his great ſatisfaction, that he had accompliſhed his Service to his Moſt Honourable Lord and Maſter, who had employ'd him all his Life in moſt Honourable Work, and who (he was aſſured) was going to pay him moſt Honourable Wages; ſeeing he had got his Saviour, foreign in his Heart, as well as foreign in his Hand, as 'tis ſaid of the Bleſſed Virgin, who therefore is ſaid to rejoice, Greek foreign, danced a Gallyard, and to magnifie the Lord her Saviour, as well as ours, Luke 1.47.p. 271But far above thoſe two Inſtances aforeſaid, to wit, (Ancient Martinus, and the good Old Man Simeon) our ſinleſs Saviour ſaith beſt of all concerning himſelf, in his laſt Prayer before his Death, ſaying, [Mine Hour is now come, O Father, Glorifie thy Son, &c. I have Glorified thee on Earth, I have finiſhed the Work thou gaveſt me to do, and now, O Father, Glorifie me with thy Self, that is, my Manhood, with the ſame Glory which my Godhead had before the World was made, John 17.1,4,5, &c. Our Lord did not did not ask his Wages before his Work was done; his Time was now come, and he was now Ripe and Ready to be gone into his Fathers Kingdom. This holy practice of our precious Redeemer is left upon Record, on purpoſe, for our inſtruction and comfort, Rom. 15.4. that it may be a Pattern to avoid that precipitancy, which prevailed over thoſe two famous Prophets (men of God) Elijah and Jonah, who both of them in a ſtrong Pang of Paſſion, deſired to Die before their Hour of Dying was come; and therefore are we told, that theſe great Servants of God were ſubject to the like Paſſions as we are, Acts 14.15. Jam. 5.17. It is a ſinful deſire for any who would be gone to Heaven, before their Workp. 272be done on Earth; we muſt rather ſay, [O Father, if thou haſt any further Service for me to do, I am willing to live longer, &c. the Will of the Lord be done, Acts 21.14.

Having thus far diſcourſed upon the firſt Accident of Old Age, (after its Nature) namely, the Quantity or Meaſure of it, which we have obſerved to be Uncertain and Various, either long or ſhort, according to the Statute-law of the great Law-giver, the Lord of Lords, &c. [who hath appointed all men once to die, &c.] Heb. 9.27. even Methuſalem, (who was the longeſt liver, upon Scripture-record, and who came the neareſt to be a Thouſand Years Old, which is reckoned a number of perfection, never attained to by any mere man.) Tho' he lived many Hundred Years, even near to a Thouſand, and begat Sons and Daughters, yet he died at the laſt; ſee my firſt Volume of the Hiſtory and Myſtery of the Holy Scriptures of Him at large.

Now I come to the Second Accident of Old Age, to wit, the Quality or Manner of it, which is either Good or Evil. Concerning the firſt, How it is a good Old Age in its own Nature, and by God's bleſſing upon it, I have already demonſtrated in the foregoing Diſcourſe; and I do deſign p. 273to enlarge much more upon that Point, when I arrive at the Third Part, (after its Nature and Accidents) to declare the Dues to, and the Duties of Aged Ones, whereby Old Age may become good indeed.

Now as touching the latter of theſe two, That Old Age is an Evil Age, that Senium & Malum convertuntur: Theſe two are convertible Terms; Solomon the Wiſe doth ſufficiently evince and evidence, in his ſaying, [Oh, Young Ones, remember your Creator, before Evil Days come, and the Years draw nigh, wherein you ſhall ſay, I have no pleaſure in them,] Eccleſ. 12.1. Wherein he begins to deſcribe,

Firſt, The weariſom evils of Old Age, from the latter end of ver. 1. to the laſt end of ver. 6. Then,

Secondly, Of the evils of Death, ver. 7. both which he brings in as two ſtrong motives, to urge Young ones to be mindful of their Duty.

For, Firſt in the General, All Authors, both thoſe that be Civil, as well as thoſe that be Sacred, do unanimouſly concur in this point, That Old Age and Miſery are very ſeldom found ſeparated. As,

(1.) Plutarch ſaith, Senectus ut Africa ſemper aliquid Novi adportat, as Affrica is never without ſome Monſter, ſo Oldp. 274Age is never without ſome Ailment.

(2). Cato ſaith, [Solet Senectus eſſe, Deformis, Infirma, Oblivioſa, Edulenta, Lucroſa, Indocilis & Moleſta,] that is, Old Age uſeth to be Deformed, Feeble, Forgetful, Toothleſs, Covetous, Unteachable and Unquiet.

(3.) Horace ſaith, [Multa Senem circumveniunt Incommoda,] Many are the Inconveniencies that do encompaſs Old Perſons, &c.

(4.) Seneca ſaith in his Epiſtle 58. and that out of his own Experience, [How are our laſt Days the very Dregs and Lees of our Lives,] when the clearer part is drawn out and ſpent, then the worſt part does ſink down to the bottom.

To add no more of Pagan Authors, ſave only Epictetus, (5.) calls Old Age, [Vita Mors, Cadaver Spirans, & Mobile Cadaver,] that is, Old Age is a Living Death, 'tis a Breathing Corps, yea a moving Carcaſe.

Now hear what Sacred Authors ſay better than thoſe aforeſaid, is too long to quote together in this place, ſeeing ſo much hath been ſhewed hereof already. The Book of our own ſmarting Experiences ſpeak loud enough to convince us of the Evil of Old Age. How many Bodily Infirmities doth daily attend us that are p. 275Aged, what Aches of the Bones, what Pains in the Joints, what Convulſions of the Sinews, what Torments of the Bowels; how dolorous are thoſe Diſeaſes of Collick, Stone and Strangury in Old Perſons; what Hollow Coughs, Diſtillations of Rhume, what Debility of Nature incroaches daily upon all our Senſes of Body, and upon all the Faculties of the Mind, our Appetites to Food, our Digeſtions of Food both feeble; ſo that in a word, Old Age is like the Common-Sewer, into which all Diſeaſes do empty themſelves; and therefore Old Age may well be called an Evil Age.

Secondly, After this General, more particularly the, The Evils of Old Age may be reduced to Three Heads, to wit, Natural, Moral and Spiritual.

(1ſt) The Evils that are Natural to it. And (1.) As to the Body, Many Diſtempers do attend it, as thoſe even now named, and many more beſide, whereof Barzillai complained, as before, 2 Sam. 19.34,35. All Aged Perſons do ſmartly feel the Burden of it, as that ancient Woman in Plautus, who being wiſhed by her Friends (that were walking along with her) to haſten and amend her pace, ſmartly …nſwered, that ſhe could not do ſo, for …he carried a great Burden upon her Back; p. 276and when no Burden did (as they ſaid) appear to their Eyes, ſhe replied again, that Threeſcore Years were paſſed over her Head, and that was her Burden. And the ſame may be ſaid by thoſe, whoſe Spirits are much ſpent, and whoſe Strength is much waſted even at that Age; for then Age it ſelf alone is a Burden, much more in thoſe that live up even to a Doteage and Uſeleſneſs. This is made more manifeſt by Solomon, Eccleſ. 12. where he declares the Decays accompanying Old Age; he ſaith according to our Engliſh Tranſlation, [then the Graſhopper ſhall be a Burden,] ver. 5. but the original word, Hebrew, ſignifies [the curvature or crookedneſs of the Back, which in Old Perſons ſtands bent like a Graſhopper; and this makes the motions of ſuch as are crooked with Age to be the more burdenſome, or the Phraſe there is Hyperbolical, intimating, that every light matter will oppreſs thoſe with their Burden, who are already become a Burden to themſelves: And beſide this Natural Evil of Old Age, as to the Body, there is a ſecond as to the Eſtate, many Loſſes and Croſſes do come upon them; as the loſs of ſome of their neareſt and deareſt Relations, and ſuch like, complaining as Old Jacob did, [who mourned for his loſt Son many days, and p. 277refuſed to be Comforted,] Gen. 37.34,35. and again, [Joſeph is not, and Simeon is not, and muſt I loſe my dear Benjamin too, as he had loſt Rachel, &c? Gen. 42.36. Tho' Jacob's mourning was only for ſuppoſed loſſes, yet he had real ones alſo, as of his beloved Rachel, &c. Many more inſtances may be mentioned, as of David mourning for the real loſs of his Son Abſolom, for whom he made ſo deep a lamentation, &c. This loſs of Relations is the greater Natural Evil, becauſe it is againſt the courſe of Nature for Parents to bury Children, whereas Children uſe to bury Parents, for one Generation paſſeth away, when another cometh; ſo that a Generation of Children doth (as it were) thruſt out of the World a Generation of Parents by Natures Law. To all this let me add my own exerciſe with this Evil, who have lived to bury eight Children out of nine, &c. And yet there is a third Natural Evil attending Old Age, as to their reſpect and reverence from the Younger Sort; alas, how are they as Lamps deſpiſed, as Old Job complains, Job 12.4,5. and more fully Job 19.15,16,17,18. and 30.1, to 11, 12, 13. where he ſighs out theſe ſad words, ſaying, [Upon my Right Hand riſe the Young, they puſh away my Feet, &c.] which explaineth what he had ſaid, ver. 1.p. 278that Younger than he was, did not only deride him, and laughed him to ſcorn, (tho' they were no better than Shagrag Dog-keepers, as he calls them, and moſt miſerably poor, ver. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.) Yet theſe Young Scoundrils dared to kick him with their Feet, or trip up his Heels to lay him along. Job was wont to have the chiefeſt Seats in the Temple, and lowly Salutations in the Market-place: He was now Ancient, and had been Honourable, as he had ſet forth at large in Chap. 29. but here he bewails his Miſery, that he cannot have a Room in any Place to ſtand in, but every paltry Boy is ready to puſh him down, &c. Thus likewiſe thoſe Ill-bred and Miſtaught Children did petulantly deride that Old Prophet Eliſha, yelling out thoſe impudent words, [go up thou Bald-pate, &c.] 2 Kings 2.23. Having nothing worſe to upbraid him with, they taunt that Head with their Scorns, which God had crowned with Honour, Prov. 16.31. And the ſame God who had thus honoured his Servant Eliſha, doth likewiſe vindicate this diſhonour caſt upon him, ordering two She Bears (poſſibly robb'd of their Whelps) to worry forty and two of thoſe Ill-natur'd Children: As their Childhood did not excuſe them, ſo their Idolatrous Parents p. 279were puniſhed in being writ Childleſs, for giving them no better Education; ſee more of this in my Third Volume on this ſame Hiſtory. NB. Note well, Suppoſe any of us Aged Ones be at any time derided by Younger ones, this may allay our Grief, that God doth not lead us into any untrodden Path, for our Betters have gone before us therein, &c.

The Second and Third Evils, to wit, Moral and Spiritual, which do attend Old Age, may be put together, and briefly improved. As,

(1ſt) The Moral Evils are, (1.) An over-eagerneſs in a greedy ſeeking of Wealth, and yet a niggardly unwillingneſs to ſpend what is gotten; no not ſometimes to ſupply the Neceſſities of Nature, &c.

(2.) A dull, ſlow and cold pace in all proceedings of Buſineſs, yea with a timorous and fearful temper of Mind, and yet fretting and chafing at the ſame dulneſs and backwardneſs that he beholds in others under him.

(3.) The Old Man is of a moroſe Mind, hard to be pleaſed himſelf, and as hard to pleaſe others; a froward Spirit is eaſily diſpleaſed, (as we ſee in Babes at the Breaſt. &c.) yet are not ſo eaſily pleaſed again.

p. 280(4.) Another Moral Evil in the Aged is, to complain of preſent Times, but praiſing former Days of old, which the Old Men of thoſe Days did as much complain of, as he doth of theſe: Whereas indeed the fault lieth not in the Times, (either preſent, or former,) but in the Perſons that liveth in thoſe Times, for in every Age, better Hearts and Lives would make better Times.

Then (2dly) After theſe Moral Vices do follow Spiritual Sins, which are found in Old Age, ſuch as (1.) Ignorance, a meer Child for knowledge, no Fool like to an Old Fool; and therefore tho' this ſilly Child be an hundred Years old, he is denounced by a Divine Mouth to be accurſed, Iſai. 65.20. Thus the Old Age of that ſilly Child Shimei, (who childiſhly plaid away his own Life) could not exempt him from Juſtice; for it was David's charge to his Son Solomon, [let not his Hoary Head go down to the Grave in peace,] 1 Kings 2.6.

(2.) An indocible, untractable Frame attends Old Age to learn the great Myſteries of Godlineſs, as appeared in Old Nicodemus, tho' a Maſter in Iſrael, and could not but have read of a New Heart, which God promiſed to give, &c. in the Prophet Ezekiel, and in other places of the Old Teſtament; yet how aukward wasp. 281he in entertaining the Doctrine of Regeneration, objecting againſt it; Firſt, [How can a Man be born again?] And after Chriſt had told him, that the way of the Spirits working this work, was incomprehenſible, &c. yet comes he off again with his (How can theſe things be?] John 3.4,10. This Old Man, (nay an Old Maſter in teaching work) underſtood no more of the Myſtery of the New Birth, than a rude Ruſtick can comprehend the profoundeſt Points of the Mathematicks, which be no better than Gibberiſh to him when he hears them: NB. However it is no matter how dull the Scholar is, when Chriſt himſelf will become the Teacher, as here; for this Nicodemus, who had long been a Night-bird, during the Life of Chriſt, did at the laſt break forth as the Sun from under a Cloud, to manifeſt his Love to his Lord after his Death, John 19.39.

(3.) To illuſtrate this farther, Old Age is Self-conceited, and cannot eaſily be convinced, through Pride of Spirit rooted in it, he is too wiſe to learn, therefore was it that Solomon preferred [a poor and wiſe Child, before an Old and Fooliſh King, who abhors to be admoniſhed,] Eccleſ. 4.13,14. for the Young Child is apt to learn, and ready to receive Inſtruction, and will be as careful to follow it; and all this p. 282is true Wiſdom: Whereas an Old and Fooliſh King is not only weak, but alſo wilful, and his Pride is the ground of his Wilfulneſs; as he is ſhort-ſighted in his Mind, ſo he is ſtubborn and unconvincible in his Will: There have been ſuch Kings in the World, who in their Old Age, have ſhewed themſelves ſo ſelf-willed, and ſo wedded to their own vain Opinions, that they never endured to ask Advice, and if any were given them, what they fancied not, they aſſuredly rejected it; though they ſometimes, yea very ſeldom ask Counſel, yet never follow any but their own, until they ruin themſelves and their People.

(4.) As the Three former brings Ruine, &c. to the Bodies, not only of Old and Fooliſh Kings, but alſo of Old and Fooliſh Subjects, who do harden their Hearts againſt all good Counſel; yea, and that which is worſt of all, theſe Three afore-named, bring deſtruction to their Souls likewiſe, by their living and dying in that great ſin of Unbelief, and final Impenitency, which their cuſtom in ſin (taking away all conſcience of ſin) doth at laſt ſeal them up in, where the ſuperabounding Grace of God doth not interpoſe to diſappoint it. This refractory and untoward, untractable Temper of p. 283abhorring to be taught, hath been a long time obſerved, univerſally to accompany Old Age; inſomuch that this was the firſt ground of that Old Greek Adage, [ foreign,] Senum Doctor, a Teacher of Old Perſons; by which Phraſe the Wiſdom of the Ancients uſed to expreſs any labour in vain, like thoſe other Phraſes, [Aethiopem lavare] to waſh a Blackmore white, which Phraſe is uſed in Scripture, Jer. 13.23. And to the ſame purpoſe is that Adage uſed by Pagan Authors, [Syſiphi ſaxum voluere,] a Poetical Fiction, that this Syſiphus was doomed unto as a puniſhment for his former Faults, that he was to roll an heavy Stone up the Hill, which then did run down again of it ſelf with its own weight; and when it came to the bottom, his work was to roll it up again; yea, and that which was the Miſchief and Miſery of this Man in this Work, it muſt be his only and continual Task for all his time, &c. All theſe Adages do demonſtrate the unteachableneſs of Old Age, and that if we do not (through the Grace of God) remember our Creator in the days of our Youth, while that tractable Temper continueth with us, but ſtill drive it off until Old, then become we ſo ſlow, ſo oblivious, and ſo ſetled upon the Lees, &c. inſomuch that the p. 284Miniſtry of the Word (that they ſit under) is labour in vain to ſuch, and Chriſt's Miniſters may complain with the Prophet, (as to ſuch as hate to be reformed, and are incorrigible,) [I have laboured in vain, and I have ſpent my ſtrength for naught, and in vain,] Iſai. 49.4. NB. Note well, how beſotted, and even bewitched are ſuch Perſons, to make that the Task of their Old Age, which ought to be the Trade of our whole Life, and to ſettle their everlaſting, and ſureſt making or marring upon ſo ſandy and ſinking a Foundation, as Old Age is, well called an Evil Age, for Reaſons aforeſaid.

Now the next and Second Point to be diſcourſed upon is, How this Evil Old Age, may become a Good Old Age, as was Abrahams, Gen. 25.8. and Iſaac's, Gen. 35.29. and Davids, 1 Chron. 29.28. [hic labor, hoc opus eſt,] this is an high, and an hard undertaking; for the accompliſhment whereof, let this be the method. As,

(1ſt) The [foreign] that it may be ſo, ſeeing the Evil Old Age (which is ſo in it ſelf, and by decays of Nature,) hath been made a good Old Age by the power of Grace, as in thoſe three aforenamed.

p. 285(2dly) The [foreign] the Reaſons why it ought to be made ſo, becauſe our eternal Weal or Woe hangs upon it. And,

(3dly) The [foreign] the means whereby this marvelous change from Evil to good may be wrought.

Firſt, of the 1ſt, That it may be ſo, 'tis clear, not only from the many Examples of Holy Men and Women upon Record, in both the Old and New Teſtament, who all lived holily to a good Old Age, and died happily at the laſt; and the Scripture gives this honourable Character concerning Mnaſon, that he was an Old Diſciple of Chriſt, Acts 21.16. And the Ancient and Honourable are joined together, Iſai. 9.18. nor could Hoary Hairs be a Crown of Glory, as Soloman ſaith, Prov. 16.31. nor could a Gray Head be an Old Man's Beauty, Prov. 20.29. if not found in the way of Righteouſneſs: A gray headed experienced Chriſtian is called a Father 1 John 2.13. ſuch, as whoſe due, is the higheſt veneration, Levit. 19.32. eſpecially ſuch as are deſcribed in Pſal. 92.12,13,14. Such are of the higheſt Form in Chriſt's School; for, NB. Note well, a Chriſtian hath his degrees of Growth, diſtinctly deſcribed in the Word of God. As,

(1ſt) We have his Conception, Gal. 4.19.

(2dly) His Birth, 1 Pet. 1.23.

p. 286(3dly) His Childhood, 1 Cor. 3.1,2.

(4thly) His Youth, or well-grown Age, when he is paſt the Spoon, 1 John 2.13.

(5thly) His full-grown Age, Epheſ. 4.13. And,

(6thly) His Old Age, as 1 John 2.13. Acts 21.16, &c. Job 29.8. and 32.4,6,7. Rom. 16 5,7. and 1 Tim. 5.1,2. Unto all theſe Scriptures, ſhewing how a Good Old Age ought to be highly valued and reverenced, I may add the Teſtimony of a Pagan Poet, who extolls that Golden Age, wherein he lived, having only the Light and Law of Nature to conduct them in their Lives; yet thus he writes,

Credebant hoc grande Nefas & Morte piandum,

Si Juvenis Vetulo, non aſſurexerit, & ſi

Barbato cuicunque Puer, licet eſſe videret,

Plura Domi farra, & majores Glandis Acervos;

Tam venerabile erat praecedere quatuor Annis.

Theſe are the Verſes of Juvenal in his 13th Satyr, the ſenſe whereof, in ſhort, is this, That in this Pagan Poet's time; all Men looked upon it as a Capital Crime, and counted it puniſhable by the Judges, if Young People did not riſe up, and reverencep. 287ſuch as had Hoary Heads, tho' the Young were rich, & the Aged were poor, &c. which is a clear demonſtration, that the Law and Light of Nature did concur, and taught the ſame Truth with the Law and Light of Scripture, Levit. 19.32. and the reſt afore-named, eſpecially when this Evil Age in it ſelf becomes by Grace a Good Old Age, 'tis to be honoured, &c.

(2dly) The [foreign] why it muſt be ſo, the Reaſons be theſe over and above that before-mentioned, namely, that Old Age muſt be a good thing of it ſelf, and in its own Nature and Subſtance, (altho' it is made an evil thing, in too many, by accident, as before,) becauſe it is a Bleſſing which the Lord hath both graciouſly promiſed, and performed to many of his Servants, &c. And a ſhort Life is a Curſe, which the ſame God ſeverely threatneth unto the Wicked; yea, and long Life it ſelf is alſo a Curſe unto all Chriſtleſs ones, tho' they live untill they attain to the Age of an Hundred Years, Iſai. 65.20. Moreover, the Reaſons that demonſtrate this great Truth, [we muſt be careful and conſcientious in making our Old Age a Good Age,] are principally Three: The firſt is, becauſe this doing as it ought to be done, will be a bleſſed p. 288Remedy againſt thoſe three woful maladies of Old Age, to wit, the Natural, Moral and Spiritual Evils afore-mentioned; therefore Solomon preſcribeth, the Remembrance of God in the days of Youth, as a moſt comfortable preſervative againſt all thoſe Evils which commonly Old Age is attended with, and maketh it an unpleaſant time. As,

(1ſt) A Good Old Age is a Sovereign Antidote againſt the Natural Evils accompanying it. As,

(1.) Againſt the loſs of Bodily ſtrength, then the Grace of Faith, in the Good Old Age, doth put Strength, in Weakneſs, Health in Sickneſs, and Eaſe in Pain; this comes to paſs by the ſorce of Faith, Heb. 11.34. Joſhuah is one of thoſe that was ſtrengthned in the weakneſs of Old Age, which he acknowledgeth, ſaying, [and now behold the Lord hath kept me alive,] Joſh. 14.10,11. which mercy was the greater, becauſe he out-lived many Thouſands of other Iſraelites, whoſe Carcaſes did fall in the Wilderneſs: Yet then he ſaith of himſelf, [I am this day fourſcore and five years old, yet lo, I am as ſtrong this day as I was in the day that Moſes ſent me (to ſpie out the Land of Promiſe, Numb. 13. which was forty five years ago,) as my ſtrength was then (when p. 289I was but forty years old) even ſo is my ſtrength now (at fourſcore and five) for War, both to go out and to come in,] Viridis & Vegeta Senectus, ſingulare Dei Donum eſt; a freſh and vigorous Ability for Generation-work in Old Age, is a ſingular Gift of God. This Gift God gave to Moſes, Deut. 34.7. and to Paul the Aged, (as he calls himſelf, Phil. v. 9.) whoſe ſtrength was perfect in weakneſs; and when he was weak in Nature, then was he ſtrong in Grace, 2 Cor. 12.9,10. and thus that ſeeming Contradiction is reconciled. And this Gift God gave likewiſe to famous Mr. Dod, in our days, who, as he was another Moſes for meekneſs, (which is a great prolonger of Life,) ſo he was not unlike him and Joſhuah in Health and Strength of Body, when he arrived to an exſtream Old Age; this was a Mercy which that Good Man moſt highly valued: So that 'tis ſaid of him, [Deſicere potius quam Deſinere Viſus eſt,] that is, he ſeemed rather to decay, diſſolve and melt away by Inches, than to die by any Agony of Death. 'Tis my frequent and fervent prayer to God, that he would grant us an eaſie paſſage out of this World, and an open paſſage into the better World; and to die like a Lamb is univerſally eſteemed as a great Gift of God. p. 290An exemption from the Torturing Torments of the Stone, of the Strangury, of the Gripes and of the Gout, &c. is my Singular Mercy.

(2.) As to the loſs of their younger, near and dear Relations, this Good Old Age wants not ſufficient Cordials wherewith to ſweeten the Bitterneſs, and allay the Grief of this great Evil alſo; as good Old Abraham did comfort his own Spirit, ſaying, [let me bury my Dead out of my Sight, &c.] when he had loſt a pretious Rib out of his Side, in the death of his dear Wife Sarah; not only dear to him, but alſo very dear to God himſelf: Inſomuch that God gave this Honour unto her, above all other Women in Scripture Record, that the Age of her life is Recorded, and of Her only, &c. Gen. 23.1,2. Why the length of the Life of any other Woman (ſave only Sarah's) is not Recorded by God's Pen in Scripture, our Divines render this Reaſon, that it was to humble that Sex, which was firſt in bringing Sin and Death into the World, 1 Tim. 2.13,14,15. and therefore deſerved not to have the continuance of their Lives mentioned in Sacred Writ by the unſearchable Will and Wiſdom of God. 'Tis ſaid indeed, that Abraham mourned for her Death; and ſhe was the p. 291firſt alſo, (that we read of) who was mourned for, when ſhe died; as well as the only one of that Sex, whoſe term of Life is related by the Holy Ghoſt; and both theſe were done, for the greate… Honour of this Lady, (as Sarah, Hebrew, ſignifies) who was a Type of the Goſpel-Church, Gal. 4.22, to 31. and ſhe was the Wife of that greateſt of Patriarchs, who is called [the Father of the Faithful,] and whoſe Boſom is the Synonymon with Manſions of Glory, Rom. 4.16. Luke 16.22. Yet his mourning for her was moderate, and not as without Hope, 1 Theſ. 4.13. Her Death had not made any ſuch divorce from him, but there ſtill remained a bleſſed conjunction betwixt them; therefore he calls her [his Dead] eight ſeveral times over in Gen. 23.3, &c. to ſhew he had not loſt her, nor loſt his intereſt in her, and that he had only lent her to the Lord, he had only bid her [good night] in hope to ſee her Alive again in the Morning of the Reſurrection; ſhe was only faln [aſleep in Jeſus,] 1 Theſ. 4.13,14. the Union was not diſſolved by Death. As this conſideration was comfortable to this Good Old Abraham, ſo it was no leſs a comfort to that Good Prophet Ezekiel, when the Lord took from him [the Deſire of his Eyes,] Ezek.p. 29224.16. even that ſweet Companion of his Life: And this may likewiſe be the Comfort of all Godly Couples, and of Friends alſo, when God is pleaſed to make a ſeparation one from another; 'tis only for a time, and not for ever: Our preſent meetings together in this World, are joyned with ſome ſhort partings aſunder; but our Hope in the Lord is, we ſhall at laſt meet together again in a better World, ſo as never to part aſunder any more; for then we ſhall be with the Lord for ever and for ever, wherefore let us comfort one another with theſe words, 1 Theſ. 4.17,18. Oh bleſſed Hour, Oh thrice happy Union! There is but a Sleep for a Time, for a Night of Death only; as by Sleep the Body is refreſhed, ſo by Death the Body is refined: Let it be our care to cleave cloſe to Chriſt at the inſtant of Death, then ſhall we ſleep in Jeſus, and he will be our Gain both in Life and Death, Phil. 1.21,22,23. After this Night of Sleep, comes the Day-Break of Eternal Brightneſs; and after this Union here below, cometh an Everlaſting Communion in Heaven above. Thoſe Scripture Comforts ſhould come home to our Hearts; therefore ought we to comfort one another with them, by Chriſtian Communication, and then may they p. 293afford us more ſtrong Conſolation than all the Comforts of Phyloſophy, (of which Cicero ſaid on his Death-Bed,] Neſcio quo modo imbecillior Medicina quam Morbus eſt,] that is, I know not how it comes, that the Medicine is too weak for my Diſeaſe.] None can ſay ſo of thoſe Sripture Cordials, which the Lord doth ordinarily water with the Dews of his Divine Bleſſing The ſame Cordial did ſerve to ſatisfie Job likewiſe in the loſs of his Children, looking upon them not as loſt, but only lent to the Lord, who had before but lent them unto him, and had called his own only home to himſelf: He ſtill looked on them as his, Dead as well as Living, they were ſtill his, [his Dead] (as Abraham's phraſe was ſo oft of his Dead Wife) after they were Dead and Buried. How elſe could it be ſaid [that God gave to Job twice as much of every thing as he had before, ſeeing he had but the ſame number of Children afterwards, that he had before, to wit Seven Sons, and Three Daughters, Job 42.10,13. He reckoned there remained ſtill a bleſſed Union and Conjunction between him and them, which was founded upon his hope of an Happy Reſurrection. In a word, learn we to ſay, our Godly Relations are not loſt, they are only gone before us, p. 294and we are haſtning after them; they are only removed out of one Room into another, out of the Out-houſes and Kitchin of this World, into the Preſence-Chamber and Palace of Heaven: They have changed their Place, but not their Company, as Good Dr. Preſton ſaid upon his Death-bed. They are only gathered like Lillies, Cant. 6.2. by the Hand of Chriſt, who hath tranſplanted them into the Paradiſe of God. Our Lord ſaid to the penitent Thief, [this day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradice,] Luke 23.43. NB. Oh Matchleſs Love in our Dear Redeemer, to ſpeak thus lovingly to this poor Penitent, while he was in horrible Torture himſelf upon the Croſs, and paying ſo unſpeakably dear for Man's ſin! yet rejected he not this Malefactor's Petition, ver. 42. How much more may we now hope he will hear our Prayers, and anſwer them with good words and comfortable, Zech. 1.13. ſeeing the Debt is now all paid, and the whole work of Redemption is now finiſhed.

3dly Suppoſe the Third Natural Evil do come upon us, to be as Lamps deſpiſed, and a ſcorn to Young Scoundrils, &c. (as Job complained before) in our Old Age, yet is there a bleſſed Remedy to this wretched Malady, namely, that pretious Promiſe, [commit thy way unto the p. 295Lord, &c. and he ſhall bring forth thy Righteouſneſs (in which way thou muſt ſtill be found) as the Light, and thy Judgments as the Noon-day,] Pſal. 37.5,6. that is, we muſt in the firſt place mind the Condition of this Promiſe, to wit, of rolling our ſelves upon the Lord, (as the Hebrew word ſignifies) and depend wholly upon him, both for ſafety and for ſucceſs in all our undertakings: Kimchi reads it, Volue & exonera, unload thy ſelf by caſting thy Burden upon the Lord, (as David explains it, Pſal. 55.22.) that is, eaſe thy Mind to God by Prayer, and reſign up thy All by Faith unto his care and conduct, [Truſt alſo in him;] this is of the ſame import with Commit, but repeated to take better impreſſion, and to beget more incouragement; then whatſoever we commit to him, he will bring it to paſs in the general, ver. 5. Then follows the particular part of this Promiſe in the Second Place about Slanders, ver. 6. ſaying, God will ſo oyl thy good Name, (which is, as pretious Ointment, Eccleſ. 7.1. Prov. 15.30. and 22.1.) that no defaming Infamy ſhall ſtick to it; Dirt will ſtick upon a Mud-wall, but it cannot do ſo upon Marble: Suppoſe we be ſlandered without Cauſe, as God tells Satan he ſlandered Job without Cauſe,p. 296Job 2.3. with 1.9. and we lie under thoſe Blacknings for a time; but conſider how the Earth lieth under Darkneſs all the Night long; yet as the Morning by its ſudden ariſing driveth away that Darkneſs, ſo ſhall the Lord clear up our wronged Innocency; and as the Moon wadeth from under a Cloud, and from under an Eclipſe, by the interpoſition of the ſhadow of the Earth betwixt her and the Sun, ſo ſhall we in God's time get over all our Evils of this kind, or of any other, if we ſtill be found in the way of Righteouſneſs; God will clear up the innocency of his ſlandered Servants, and bring it to light like the Sun at Noon-day; but aſſuredly this will be done at the day of Judgment however, if not ſooner; for then there ſhall ſurely be a Reſurrection of Names, as well as of Bodies, &c. NB. Note well, we muſt often be pondering in our Minds that great Text aforenamed, Prov. 16.31. which runs thus in the Hebrew, [Gnetereth Sephereth Shebai bederek Tſedakah Timetſeh:] which in Latine is thus expreſſed, [Diadema Gloriae Canities, in Via Juſtitiae Invenietur:] this in Engliſh is read thus, [the Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory, if it be found in the way of Righteouſneſs,] which at …rge is treated on before. This greatp. 297Text, (I ſay again) all we Aged Ones ought to make the conſtant Rule of our whole Converſations unto the day of our Deaths, and then will come the Crown of Life, &c.

(2dly) As the Good Old Age hath its Comforts againſt theſe Natural Evils, ſo it wants not Cordials againſt Moral and Spiritual Evils; (let us put them both together;) for then,

(1.) Our Corruptions now are more mortified than ever th…y were before: Thus Paul the Aged, (as he calls himſelf, Philem. ver. 9.) could then ſay of himſelf, [I have fought the good fight, &c.] 2 Tim. 4.7. He found that Thorn in the Fleſh, which he had ſo ſorely complained of, 2 Cor. 12.7. to be now conquered, and his fighting againſt it (he found) was then as good as finiſhed, becauſe in a Good Old Age.

(2.) Grace is then fortified, as well as Luſt mortified; Grace is now more vigorous, more lively and more powerful than heretofore, while it was clogged and overloaded with many youthful Luſts; but [as the Outward Man decays, ſo the Inner Man ought to revive day by day,] 2 Cor. 4.16. This is the Godly Man's Motto, as that good old Miniſter Peter Martyr ſaid upon his Dying Bed, [Myp. 298Body is weak, but my Soul is well; 'tis well for the preſent, but it will be better hereafter; 'tis well in the Kingdom of Grace, having overcome the Fleſh, World and Devil, but it ſhall be beſt of all in the Kingdom of Glory:] The Inner Man in Old Age ought to be not only more brisk and powerful, but alſo more fruitful in the fruits of Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs, or Holineſs of Truth, as it is in Greek, [foreign,] oppoſite to formality, Epheſ. 4.24. this is God's Promiſe to the Good Old Man, [He ſhall bring forth fruit in his Old Age: He ſhall be fat and flouriſhing, being planted in the Courts of his God,] Pſal. 92.12,13,14. that is, he being rooted and grounded in Chriſt, and living under the droppings of the Sanctuary, ſhall flouriſh like the Palm, (which is noted to grow very Tall, (always Green, &c, tho' it hath many weights at the Top, and many Snakes at the Bottom, (tho' it be not known to grow in our cold Climate,) and like a Cedar, wherewith Lebanon flouriſhed, and whereon the Temple of Solomon was built; 'tis not ſaid, [he ſhall grow like the Graſs,] as it is ſaid, [the Wicked ſpring as the Graſs,] Pſal. 92.7. for if that proud Graſs grow never ſo great and lofty, they ſhall be mowed down with the Sithe ofp. 299God's wrath, ſeeing there is one higher than the higheſt of them, Eccleſ. 5.8. and in things wherein they deal proudly the Lord God is above them, Exod. 18.11. Now we Aged ones ought to make a ſerious ſearch, and an earneſt enquiry, whether we bring forth Fruit in our Old Age, whether we be fat and flouriſhing, eſpecially if we have been long planted in the Houſe of our God; 'tis a ſhame to us, that we ſhould be like the lean Kine of Egypt, which eat up the fat Kine, and ſtill remain as lean and as ill fa…ed as heretofore, Gen. 41.3,20. 'tis a ſad Judgment of God, when he gives us meat to the full, yet ſends leanneſs into our Souls, Pſal. 106.15. When God ſends among fat ones, leanneſs, Iſai. 10.16. wo to us, if yet we cry out [our Leanneſs, our Leanneſs,] Iſai. 24.16. We ſhould all be like Wine, which the older it is, the better it is; our Graces, like good Liquor, ſhould run freſh to the bottom, &c. our laſt works ſhould be our beſt works, Rev. 2.19. Tho' our beginning was but ſmall, yet our latter end ſhould greatly increaſe, Job 8.7. and we ſhould hold on in the way of Righteouſneſs, and grow ſtronger and ſtronger, Job 17.9. Veteres non veteraſcent, tho' we grow old and weak in Nature, yet ought we not only to retain p. 300our former vigour and verdure of Grace, but alſo to grow in Grace, 2 Pet. 3.16. from one degree of Grace to another, that is, to the higheſt degree, Epheſ. 4.13. We muſt grow above our Corruptions, eſpecially our Conſtitution-ſins, the ſins of our Nature, our darling ſins, our beſt beloved Luſt. Oh God forbid, that Eraſmus his Character be upon us, which he put upon the Bribanti or Flemmings, (of whom he ſaith,) [Quo magis Seneſcunt; eo magis Stulteſcunt,] the older they grow, the fooliſher they become,) Oh, God forbid (I ſay) that any of us ſhould do ſo; 'tis the ſign of an Hypocrite, who takes no deep Root, when planted ſeemingly in God's Courts, (as the ſincere Servants of Chriſt do, and grow into Fruit-bearing in its Seaſon, &c.) whereas the Hypocrite is only thruſt in like a Stake into the Earth, and never grows. How then ought we all Aged Perſons to fear and tremble, that we do not run out our Lives in Hypocriſie, and ſo die like Fools at the laſt: And therefore for the undeceiving of our own pretious Souls, and for the better ſetling, and comforting of our own immortal Spirits, concerning our ſincerity in the ſight of God, let us compare Time with Time; can we ſay in the witneſſing of the Holy Ghoſt, that time was, p. 301when the Aſſaults of Satan upon my Soul have been very violent, but through Grace, ſince that time, I have found them feebler than heretofore; yea, and through the abundant Grace of my dear Lord ſtrengthning me, theſe Aſſaults of Satan are become leſs daring, and more cowardly in my Old Age: As I hinted before, let me inlarge upon it here; if it be ſaid to the honour of Young Men, (in whom youthful paſſions are very pregnant, rapid, and oft precipitant and prepoſterous, &c.) that they had overcome the Wicked One, 1 John 2.13. Oh then what a ſhame and diſhonour it is for us, who are ranked and reckned among Fathers, to fall ſhort of the younger and lower Rank, and ſtill remain Slaves to our Luſts, in whom Nature is decayd, and ſo leſs grace is required to reſiſt the Tempter, and to bridle in the Temptation. May we not ſay, that now by the ſtrengthening Love of Chriſt upon us, we can more eaſily ſhake off that Viper (the Old Serpent) from off our Hearts, as Paul the Aged did eaſily ſhake off that venemous Viper from off his Hands into the Fire, Acts 28.3,4.5. and that without receiving any harm thereby, even ſo we ought to bleſs the Lord for that Miracle of Mercy, that no deadly …oiſon of Satan doth now harm us, as ourp. 302Lord did promiſe unto all Believers after his Reſurrection, Mark 16.17,18. Oh that all we Aged Ones could ſincerely praiſe the Lord for this high Favour, that … now find by ſweet experience, we can better reſiſt the Devil now, ſo as to make him flee from us, Jam. 4.7. We can now reſiſt him more ſtedfaſtly in the Faith, 1 Pet. 5.8,9. than we were able to do in our youthful days; and tho' we be able (through Grace) to ſay this, yet out of an Holy Jealouſie over our own Hearts, we muſt ſtill make a farther enquiry, what is the principal procuring Cauſe of ſuch an happy and eaſie Conqueſt over our own Corruptions, and Satan's Temptations, now in our Old Age, whether we be not more beholden herein unto the decays of our own Natures in us, than to any ſtrength of God's Grace freely given to us, becauſe we may die to ſin by the deficiency of our natural ſtrength of Body, when ſin doth not die to us, through thoſe powerful Operations of the mortifying Spirit of Grace, Rom. 8.13. but more of this after, &c.

Now come we to the Second Reaſon, why a Good Old Age is a great bleſſing, becauſe the goodneſs of it, is not only a bleſſed Antidote and Preſervative againſt thoſe threfold Evils before-named, butp. 303alſo it is a bleſſed Preparative for Death at the end of our Old Age, and of our Lives. This preparation for Death is not only an univerſal, but alſo an indiſpenſable Duty, for after death comes the Judgment, Heb. 9.27. then is the time of Reckoning, which our Lord Requires after his Returning, (however long or ſhort it be) wherein all Mankind (both the good and the bad Servants) muſt [Reddere Rationem,] or give an exact account of their Stewardſhip, whether they have waſted or improved their Lord and Maſter's Goods, Matth. 25.14,19. Luke 16.1,2. and 19.15, &c. as I ſhew at large in my Fourth Volume of the Hiſtory and Myſtery of that Parable, pag. 185, 186. Now every Man's Death-day is his particular Dooms-day, for then the Spirit returns to God who gave it, Eccleſ. 12.7. when the Body returns to Duſt, of which it was firſt made, Gen. 2.7. by rotting in the Grave, &c. Then the Soul goeth to God, not to dwell with him (for there the Speech is made of all Men, both bad and good, but to be diſpoſed of by him for his Final Eſtate; then is the Soul (or Spirit, as being there oppoſed to the Body,) to receive its Final Doom, either for Everlaſting Weal, or for Everlaſting Wo. Therefore to prepare for Death is ap. 304moſt neceſſary (tho' it be a much neglected) Duty. Now ſuch as be good in Old Age, their goodneſs conſiſts in being alway prepared for it, both Habitually and Actually; they learn to die daily, 1 Cor. 15.31. and makes Death familiar to them, both at Bed and Board. Their Converſation is in Heaven, while their Commoration is here on Earth, Phil. 3.20. They labour and learn to live with dying Though…s, becauſe they hope at laſt to die with more living comforts. They have Heaven (as an happy Harbour of Reſt) in the Eyes of their Hope, which ſerves to ſeaſon and ſweeten all Sorrows and Sufferings to them, as it was with bleſſed Paul, who had his Eye fixed upon that Crown of Glory which was laid up for him, and for all Believers, 2 Tim. 4.8. and therefore he was not at all diſcouraged at his light Afflictions, which were but for a moment, in compariſon of that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory,] 2 Cor. 4.17. where we have a moſt elegant Antitheſis or oppoſition, and a double Hyperbole, beyond the reach of our Engliſh Tranſlation. As thus, (1.) For Affliction, here is Glory. (2.) For light Affliction, here is a weight of Glory. And, (3.) For momentary Affliction, here is Eternal Glory; and the ſight of this by anp. 305Eye of Faith, put Paul upon his [Cupio Diſſolvi,] I deſire to be diſſolved, Phil. 1.21,22,23. [foreign,] there ſignifies, to looſe off from the ſhore of this Mortal Life, and to launch out into the Ocean of Immortality, which he accounted foreign, that is, far, far better, and beſt of all. Thus this preparation for Death had cauſed Old Simeon, (before this Apoſtle,) even to ſing his Soul out of his Body, as before. This likewiſe made that Good Old Man Job to ſay, [I would not live always,] Job 7.16. for he hoped to behold his Redeemer, &c. Job 19.25. Thus may we accordingly ſay, [we would not be Young always,] becauſe we have been ſo hampered and peſter'd with many youthful Luſts, which now through Grace] a Good Old Age hath weakened. An Hoary Head that is found in the way of Righteouſneſs, doth ripen faſt, (like good Fruit upon the Tree of Life in its Autumn,) and becomes day by day more mellow for Death, and hath nothing th…n to do, but to die, being able (through Mercy) to ſay with his ſweet Saviour, [Father, I have finiſhed my work, which the… gaveſt me to do in the World,] John 17.5. Oh, how ready was David, how willing, and how prepared to die, and to fall aſleep in Jeſus, 1 Theſ. 4.14. p. 306when he could ſay, (his Conſcience bearing witneſs with him in the Holy Ghoſt, as Rom. 9.1.) that he had ſerved out his Generation,) in his whole Generation-work) according to the will of God, Acts 13.36.

The Third Reaſon why a Good Old Age is a moſt rich Bleſſing, and Benefit to the Sons and Daughters of Mankind, is, becauſe it doth priviledge them with a true Title unto Manſions of Glory, prepared for them in a better World: Such as have continued in ways of Holineſs all their Life, and become faithful unto death, Rev. 2.10. they ſhall aſſuredly at the laſt arrive at the Haven of Heaven and Happineſs when they die; for God himſelf hath aſſured us, (and God Keeps the beſt and ſureſt Enſuring Office,) that having our Fruit unto Holineſs, then our end ſhall be Eternal Life, Rom. 6.22,23. for then comes firſt the Joy of Harveſt, as when fruitful Fields are white unto Harveſt, John 4.35. then comes the Huſbandman with his Sithe or Sickle, and cuts down his Corn, binds it up in Bundles, and carries it Home to his Barn, &c. even ſo, God the great Husbandman, (as Chriſt calls him, John 15.1.) when he ſees his old Servants, (as it were) white unto Harveſt with Hoary Heads, and fullyp. 307ripened in the way of Righteouſneſs; then doth he take them down by the hand of Death, and gathers them Home into his heavenly Garners. Our Lord doth certifie this great Truth to us, over and over again, ſaying, [that Heaven is ſurely ſecured for us, and we are likewiſe ſafely ſecured for Heaven by the mighty Power of God, the word there [foreign] ſignifieth we are kept as with a Guard, and in a Garriſon, and that at the laſt, [we ſhall receive the end of our Faith, even the ſalvation of our Souls, 1 Pet. 1.4,5,9. Inſomuch that Death, which is in it ſelf no other than Nature's Divorce, the Bodies Priſon, the Soul's Baniſhment, the Arreſt of Judgment, the Curſe of Sin, and the King of Terrors, (as well as the Terror of Kings,) Job 18.14. unto all Mankind in General; yet ſuch a change doth the power of Godlineſs (both in Young and Old, that are choſen and called,) make in their Changes from one World to another; that their Death's is only their (1.) Harveſt or Ingatherings into God's Garner, &c. (2). 'Tis the Joy of Marriage, which is called a Reſt in the Houſe of the Husband, Ruth 3.1. ſo Death is our Reſt, A Reſt from their Labours, Rev. 14.13. they ſhall Reſt,

p. 308(1ſt) From their Labours of Neceſſity, their Needs of Nature ſhall then ceaſe for ever, they ſhall Hunger no more, they ſhall Thirſt no more, &c. as they have done while in the Body.

(2dly) They ſhall Reſt from their Labours of Infirmity, they ſhall never complain of any more Aches and Pains in any one of the parts of the Body, as they have done frequently heretofore in the time of their Mortality.

(3dly) From the Labours of their Callings, &c. they ſhall toil no more in the Sweats of either their Brows or their Brains, &c.

And (4thly) Which is above all, they ſhall Reſt from their Labours of Iniquity, a Laboribus Peccati, as well as Officii; they ſhall never ſin any more, whereas heretofore, in the time of their ſojourning upon Earth, they had this weight upon them, which they could never lay aſide, nor caſt it off; and ſin did then eaſily beſet them, ſo that they could not run the Race that was ſet before them, Heb. 12.1. Becauſe of the Law of the Members, that did continually war againſt the Law of their Minds, and oft bringing them into Captivity; yea, and as oft making them to cry out, [Oh wretched Man that I am, who ſhall deliver me, &c.p. 309Rom. 7.23,24. But now Chriſt is come to them, and knock'd off all their Fetters, (which formerly clogg'd them, &c.) and ſetteth them at perfect liberty, Iſai. 61.1. and thoſe whom the Son of God doth free, they are free indeed, John. 8.36.

(3. Death, to thoſe that die in the Lord, and in a Good Old Age alſo, is not only the Chriſtians Harveſt, Marriage and Reſt, as before, but 'tis likewiſe their Conqueſt over all their Spiritual Enemies; ſo they have alſo the Joy of Victory as well as of Harveſt, of Marriage and of Reſt. They are become by their Holy Life and Happy Death more than Conquerors, Rom. 8.37. even Triumphers in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 2.14. and ſo as they have won the Crown of Glory, by their overcoming the Wicked one, through the ſtrengthning Love of Chriſt upon them, ſo they ſhall wear it, as Kings, Rev. 1.6. and as Conquerors, for evermore. 'Tis ſaid [the laſt Enemy to be deſtroyed is Death,] 1 Cor. 15.26. Now to all true Believers, Death is already ſwallowed up in Victory, ver. 55. as Fuel is ſwallowed up by the Fire, and as the Sorcerers Serpents were ſwallowed up by Moſes his Serpent; ſo that they can ſay to Death, when it comes to them, as Jacob ſaid to Eſau, [ſurely I have ſeen thy Face, asp. 310the Face of God] Gen. 33.4,10. Thus that Eſau (Death) doth meet a Member of Chriſt with Kiſſing, rather than with Killing, or ſo much as Frowns, yea and guards him home to his Father's Houſe, as Eſau guarded his Brother Jacob Home to Canaan after his long abſence from it; [he went before Jacob as his Life-guard,] ver. 12. Thus after a long Conflict by the Indwellings of Sin all our Life, comes the Conqueſt at the laſt in our Death: Alas, we cannot beat ſin out of Doors as Sarah did the Bond-woman Hagar; but this Fretting Leproſie, ſin, can never be either waſhed out, or ſcraped off from the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles, until the Houſe, that is infected with that Plague, be demoliſhed by Death, and the Stones and Timber thereof be altogether taken down: As it was thus in the Type under the Law concerning the Houſe of Leproſie, Levit. 14.43,44. So it is with our Houſes of Clay as the Antitype, which can no way be Amended, but muſt be Renewed; and this is only done in part while we are in the Kingdom of Grace: But this cleanſing Work is compleatly perfected, when Death gives us a diſmiſſion from hence into the Kingdom of Glory. The belief of this, made Old Simeon ſing his Soul out of his Body, and Paul p. 311the Aged, Phil. v. 9. was not only a Conqueror, but (which was more) even a Triumpher in Chriſt, as before, for he ſang a Triumphant Song over Death and the Grave, ſinging as well as ſaying, [Oh Death, where is thy Sing, and Oh Grave, where is thy Victory!] 1 Cor 15.55. This is the boldeſt, and the braveſt Challenge, that ever any Mortal Man did ring in the Ears of Death, in which words he (as it were) out-braved it, calling it Craven to its Face, as the Vulgar ſaying is, and bids it do its worſt to him that it could do, like the Philoſopher Anaxarchus, who with an undaunted Courage told the Tyrant, (who was beating his Body to pieces with a great Iron Peſtle in a large Mortar, made purpoſely for that Barbarous Butchery,) in the very Act of his Martyrdom, he moſt confidently cryed out to his Tormentor, Tunde, Tunde Tyranne, Vaſculum frangis, ſed Anaxarchum non Laedis,] Beat on, beat on thou Bruitiſh Tyrant, thou indeed doth break the Veſſel of the Man, but thou can never hurt Anaxarchus the Man himſelf. Much more might this bleſſed Apoſtle inſult over this greateſt of Tyrants, that univerſal Deſtroyer of Mankind, to wit, Death with his Javelin in his hand, ſeeing he was ſo able as to render ſuch weighty Reaſonsp. 312for his Triumphing Inſultation as he ſaith, [the Sting of Death is Sin, &c. ver. 56. ſignifying hereby, that our dear Redeemer had been the Death of Death by his Death. Mors Mortis, Morti, Mortem quoque Morte dediſſet. The Death of Chriſt gave Death its Death, as it was propheſied of him, [Oh Death, I will be thy Death, &c.] Hoſ. 13.14. thus our Saviour did diſarm Death, and took out the Sting from this Venemous Serpent; ſo that we may now as ſafely put Death into our Boſoms, (in a ſerious Meditation of dying Daily) as ſome men (whom I have ſeen) have (with enough of ſafety) put into their Boſoms a Snake, whoſe Sting was before pulled out. If Death do now ſhoot out any Sting at us, we may thank our ſelves, for our not being more conſtantly ſound in the way of Righteouſneſs: If at any time we turn aſide to cr…ked Paths, there will the old crooked Serpent meet us, and he will not only ſting us there, but alſo leave his Sting behind him in us, (as the Bee doth to thoſe that are ſtung by it,) and this may be the procuring Cauſe of many ſad effects, namely, of much ſmartings, burning pains and ſorrows, p. 313if that Sting be not timely d…awn out by the Gr…ce of true Repentance: The Lord himſel… p…ed that Stinging Sermon unto Cain, [I… thou doſt well, ſhalt thou not be accep…d? but if thou doſt evil, then ſin lies at thy … ] that is, like a mighty Maſtiff-D…g, wh…ch lies ſleeping at the Door, and if once awakened, he is there ready to pull out the Throat of the Soul, Gen. 4.7. And Moſes tells the People, (agreeable to this caution of the great God to Cain,) [and ſurely your ſin will find you out,] Numb. 32.23. that is, the Guilt of ſin will ha… you at your Heels like a Blood-Hound▪ and the puniſhment of it will ov…ke you, &c. Yet ſuch as do ſurely …nd …t their ſin by an unfeigned Repen…ce, before their ſin thus fearfully find … …hem, even all ſuch as c…nfeſſeth and …keth their ſin, ſhall fi…d …, Pro…. 28.13. Then if Death at … …orth …y Sting at us, 'ti… no m…re harm…ul than an enchan…d Sti…g… like thoſe Serpents which th… … raiſed up by their En…ments, Exod. ….12. they were … really Serpents▪ but in appearan… only, and …o th…ir Stings were like themſelves more Ph…ms, which could not … ſting any one true Iſraelite; and as … M…k-Serpents were ſwallowed p. 314up by Moſes his real one, even ſo Chriſt (who is Life Eſſential) hath ſwallowed up Death in Victory, as before. So that now, (through the Grace of Chriſt) tho' Death may buzz about our Ears, like a Drone-Bee that hath loſt its Sting, yet it cannot ſting us with any mortal Sting, for that is quite loſt in the death of Chriſt for all his Redeemed; as Chriſt hath taken away, not ſin it ſelf, but the Guilt of ſin: So nor hath he taken away Death it ſelf, but the Sting of it. Thus Auguſtine doth phraſe this double Purchaſe of Chriſt for us, both in reſpect of Sin, and in reſpect of Death, ſaying, [Chriſtus tollit, & Peccatum, & Mortem nonne ſint, ſed ne obſint,] our Lord indeed doth take away both Sin and Death from us, yet not that they ſhould not be at all, but that they ſhould not be hurtful to thoſe for whom he died: And 'tis for this glorious Priviledge that the Apoſtle Paul (as one of Chriſt's chief Heraulds) proclaimeth openly to the World, and that with a world of Solemnity and Triumph, his own Victory over Death by his dear Redeemer, 1 Cor. 15.57. and therefore exhorts us to be always ſtedfaſt and unmoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, well-knowing that our Labour ſhall not bep. 315in vain in the Lord, ver. 58. The ſame Apoſtle ſaith with ſuch a firm Faith, (which both took Root downward, and brought forth Fruit upward,) that for him to live was Chriſt, and to die was gain; and he longed to be diſſolved, Phil. 1.21,22,23.

(5thly) 'Tis his returning Home to his Father's Houſe, &c. becauſe death to a Good Man is the day-break of an eternal Brightneſs; 'tis as the Vally of Achor, as a Door of Hope into the celeſtial Canaan, Joſh. 7.24,27. and 15.7. Hoſ. 2.15. even into that Heavenly Country unto which the Holy Patriarchs ſo earneſtly preſſed to enter, Heb. 11.13,14,15. and (as it were) haſtened Home thither, where their Father was, and their All alſo. Hereupon for them to die, was no more but repateraſſe, (as Father Bernard phraſeth it) that is, to go Home again to their Father's Houſe, whither when they come, they are aſſured of a moſt hearty, and of a moſt happy welcome. The Parable of the penitent Prodigal, and his compaſſionate Father's meeting together at Home with Feaſting and exceeding great Joy, Luke 15.20,23,24. doth illuſtrate this. The Prodigal only came, but the Father ran and fell upon his Neck, and kiſſed him, and killed the fatted Calf for p. 316him, and put the beſt Robe upon him, &c. to make him welcome; yet all this was but a dim ſhadow of that exceeding, exceſſive and eternal meeting of our Heavenly Father with his dear Children, to whom Chriſt moſt lovingly ſpeaketh, [Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the World, Matth. 25.34. Oh the infinite Bowels of a Father yerning over his Adopted Sons and Daughters, as if he had thus ſaid, [Where have you been, my dear Darlings, all this time of my long abſence from you, and of yours from me, come n…w, and heartily welcome; come now into my Boſom, which is now wide open to receive you, as the welcomeſt Gueſts that o…er accoſted me; ye ſhall lie warm in my Boſom to all Eternity, &c. and with Crowns of Glory upon your Heads, ye ſhall ſing Hallelujahs unto the Lord for ever and ever.] NB. Note well, To know this upon a dying Bed, c…nnot but be a Rich Cordial, to know that death is only Perta Coeli, & Janua Vi… ▪ the Poſt…rn Gate to the Heavenly City, and the Narrow Door to Everlaſting Life; that it is our reſtoration into a better Paradiſe, than that was out of which the firſt Adam was baniſhed at firſt by his ſinning▪ but this Heavenly Paradiſe. The p. 317Second Adam purchaſed for us by his ſuffering that death doth now (by the purchaſe of Chriſt) bring to us both, [Malorum omium Ademptionem, & Bon…rum omnium Adentionem,] that is, the r…moving of all that is evil, and the receiving of all that is good. This conſideration brought Paul out of his S…r…it, (when he had been muſing and …hting) and knew not what he ſhould ch…oſe, …ether Life or Death: at laſt he … …orth into this reſolve, [ …,] I deſire to be diſſ…lved, and to return … to my Father's Houſe, from whom I expect to hear, [Well done th… good and faithful Servant, enter … into the Joy of thy Lord,] Matth. 24.21,23. which is a Joy ſo big, ſo great, that it cann… enter into us, [Quicquid Recipitur, recipitur ad Modum Recipientis,] ſaith the … loſopher, the Veſſel receiving m… … Meaſure congruous to, and c… … the Matter received. Now … ou… Veſſ…ls are not large en… … Joy to enter into us, th… … that we muſt enter int… … it is ſuch a Joy, as is more m… … Lord and Maſter, than for … yet ſuch a liberal Lord do w… … as will honour his Servants with … matchleſs Joy. We ſerve a moſt Hono… rable p. 318Maſter, who employs us in moſt Honourable Work, and will at laſt pay us with moſt Honourable Wages.

Unto all this aforeſaid, let me add the Chriſtian's Charter, as another pretious Cordial unto a dying Saint, namely, the large Inventory which the bleſſed Apoſtle diſtinctly deſcribeth, that belongeth to every true Believer, ſaying, [all things are yours, whether the World, (and ſo you loſe nothing when you leave the World) or Life, or Death; or things preſent, or things to come, all are yours; and ye are Chriſt's, and Chriſt is God's,] 1 Cor. 3.21,22,23. that is, the World is theirs, tho' not in poſſeſſion; yet by way of Reduction, ye ſhall have Food and Raiment convenient for you, Prov. 30.8. Heb. 13.5. and ye ſhall have the beſt things of a better World, in a way of Reverſion, ſeeing you are Chriſt's and Chriſt is God's. And 'tis no trifling part of this Inventory neither, that Death is theirs; for that is of great value with God himſelf, as 'tis ſaid, [pretious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints,] Pſal. 116.15. Nor is the Title, the Term and the Tenure that the Chriſtian holds this part of his Character and Inventory by, but (as the Apoſtle there obſerveth)p. 319the fulleſt, the longeſt, and the ſureſt of all others. For,

(1.) The Title is the fulleſt, as 'tis both by Purchaſe, and by Conqueſt. Alſo,

(2.) The Term is the laſtingeſt, as it includes both time preſent, and to come; not only Poſſeſſion, but Reverſion too. And,

(3.) The Tenure is the ſafeſt, as it is the higheſt; 'tis a Tenure in Capite, entailed for greater ſecurity upon the Crown; therefore is this Famous Clauſe added, all are yours, (ſafe enough) becauſe you are Chriſt's, and Chriſt is God's, &c.