A Christian Family Built by God, Section 5
SECT. 5.
BUt to the particulars. Theſe ſingle perſons who are Gods timber for a Family, are of foure ſorts,
1. Old men.
2. Old women.
3. Yong men.
4. Yong women.
Of all theſe I ſhall ſhew you how God frames them by his Word for his building.
1. Old, or aged men muſt be Sober, Grave, Temperate, ſound in the Faith, in Charitie, and Tit. 2. 2.in Patience.
Obiect: You will ſay, what need this for them who have one foot in the grave, they are too old to learn a framing now.
Sol. No, no; as Auguſtine learned Greeke when he was old, ſo muſt they their duties. John ſaith, I write unto you Fathers as well as yong men, and babes. This is certain, He 1 John 2. 13 14: Aetate major exemplo maximus. 1 Kings 13that is great in age, is greater in example. The path of hoary hair is more Imitable then that bemired with the mudd of youth. The old Prophet deceived the yong, and brought him to be torn to death by a Lion. This is true alſo, that virtue will make their age to be an honour and ornament unto them. An old miſer, is as lothſome as a dunghil; an old drunkard, Prov. 16. 31as rammiſh as a Bore; an old whoremonger, as noyſome as hell: but age is a crown of honour, when found in the wayes of righteouſneſs. This laſtly is moſt certain, that they have but a ſhort time to live in this world, yong men may die, old men muſt die; therefore old Alexis going ſoftly, and ſtooping, gave this reaſon of it, I dy by little and little; and old Hannah frequented the Temple, and old Simeon waited for the conſolation Paulatim morior. Luke 2.of Iſrael, that they might be fit for deaths ſtroke when it came.
If then old men are not too old to learn, let them hearken to Gods framing.
1. They muſt be Sober, that is, moderate in the uſe of meat and drink. That age is full of coldneſs, weakneſs, drineſs; and therefore doth more deſire to warm, and moyſten it ſelf with meat and drink. In this caſe, without godly care, it may miſcarry as we ſee in Lot, and Noah. Be Sober, therefore, ſaith Paul. What a ſhame is it for them that have lived ſo long and not to have learned to uſe the creatures aright? How ſhall they be accounted C…riſtians, who for Chriſts ſake cannot Jude.deny their luſts, but feed without fear? What an odious thing it is that old men, who ſhould direct others by example, ſhould, by laying their honour in the duſt, encourage to ſinne? How lamentable is it to ſee the Image of Gods eternitie (as the Antient of dayes) Dan. 7.to be wallowing in the mire of ſins? How would it break a mans ſpirit to think how little time they have to watch (becauſe the Judge is at the doore, their ſun is ſetting), and James 4.yet that they miſpend what they can ſpare in ſurfetting? Oh, be not fools in Iſrael, but be Sober.
2. They muſt be Grave, that is ſeemly, modeſt, and gracious in their carriages. Another age requires other manners. This may be Alia aetas alios mo…es poſtulat. Gen. 23: 6. Gen. 6. 9.preſſed by good patterns and by reaſons. The Patterns are Abraham, who for gravitie was accounted A Prince of God among the Hittites; and Henoch, and Noah, who walked with God. For this Elias was called My Father; and Maximine the perſecuting Emperour durſt not look upon Lucianus the Martyr, for fear he ſhould become a Chriſtian. Yea, Lacon, a grave Heathen, being asked, why he wore his Vt eam intuens virum me …ſſe ſciam: & canos intuens capillos nihil committam illis indignum. Levit. 19. 22beard ſo long? Anſwered, That I, looking upon it, may know my ſelf to be a man; and beholding my hoary haires may commit nothing unworthy of them. As to reaſons, God hath highly honoured them, and put upon them the Image of his own Paternitie; and hath therefore provided a Law for them, Thou ſhalt riſe up before the hoary head. Yea, out of long experience they are to teach others, and to be eyes to the blind, feet to the lame. If they Job 29. 15. 21.do thus, it will not be accepted except they be Grave. Yea let me tell you, old men are eaſily deſpiſed. We know the Proverb, I adore the Sun riſing, but contemn it ſetting; Job 29 8. & 30, 4, 5, 6, 7.and Solomon obſerved all the living with the ſecond child. To prevent this therefore ponder the pretious example of grave Job. Could old men deſire zealouſly to hold the crown of age to make their counſel acceptable, and to keep themſelves from contempt, they would be Grave.
2. They muſt be Temperate, that is, ſubdue all rebellious luſts of ſinne; as whoredome, drunkenneſs, luſt, carnal anger, Covetouſneſs, Pride, and the like, which moſtly are too properly incident to the vanitie of youth. To be thus is excellent in the Aged, becauſe theſe luſts are abominable in all, much more in the aged. To have eyes full of adulterie, mouthes full of rotten talk, throats the Devils tunnels, is damnable. Solon being asked what old age was? Anſwered, it was the Vitae hyems.winter of life; and ſhall they bring forth the curſed ſpring of the worſt youth? Beſides, old age ought to be ſet apart for heavenly imployments, being ready to forſake the earth. It is true that we find ſome old men whoſe bones are full of the ſinnes of their youth: Who Job 21.ſavour as little of this moderate temper, as they whoſe bloud is hotteſt; who, as dregs ſetled in the bottom of the barrel, are as vile as if they were to live over their lives again. But take heed, ſet old Job before you, he Job 1.would give more libertie, then he would take; for while his ſons were abroad in feaſting, he was at home in praying and ſacrificing, and forget not old Barzillai, who would have his ſon taſt of the pleaſures of the 2 Sam. 19. 34, 35, 36. 37.Court, while he would ſtay at home and die.
4. They muſt be ſound in the faith. The three former concerned them as old men, but all the next as they are Chriſtian men. This ſoundneſs of faith ſtands in the ſoundneſs of the
1. Knowledge of Chriſt.
2. Deſire after Chriſt.
3. Receiving of Chriſt as Lord and Saviour with confidence.
And in truth, this is required in old men, Becauſe they have had the uſe of the means longer, and more is required of them that have received much. Yea, they have had longer experience of Gods love in Jeſus Chriſt. Yea, they have the place and honour of ſpeech where they come; therefore they Job 32. 4. Matth. 11.muſt not be like reeds ſhaken with the winde, or like chaff carried with every puff. Yea, their bodies and outward man decayeth, therefore they had more need to be ſound in the ſtrength of the inner man. Oh that old men therefore would labour for this, and not be as Zacharie John Baptiſts father, or Sarah, whoſe ages were means to weaken their faith. Take heed of that (Chriſtians) for this is a ſure note of an heavenly man to be more flouriſhing, Eſ. 40, 30, 31.and fruitfull in age; yong men ſhall faint, and ſtumble, and fall, but they that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew as the Eagles. Yea, conſider ſadly that the comfort of old age depends upon the ſoundneſs of faith. Dayes are come wherein they have no pleaſure! but faith Eccleſ. 12.ſaith, Oh forſake me not in my old age.
5. They muſt be ſound in Charitie. As an Apple may be rotten two wayes; In outward appearance, and at the coare! ſo Charitie may be unſound two wayes alſo, when it is ſo to the outward eye, by envie, hatred, malice; when it is ſo to the Conſcience of a mans ſelf. Now the godly aged muſt have neither of theſe rotenneſſes, but muſt be ſound in loving God, good means and good men; in loving Pro. 17. 17.them from the heart root, in loving alwayes; For old men in likelyhood are nearer heaven 1 Cor. 13.then yonger, where all are governed by an eternal Law of Charitie. If then they would not be outed they muſt be ſound in love; for how ſhall God who is love receive them into heaven who love not?
6 They muſt be ſound in Patience. Oh that they could ſee God in all croſſes, that they could humbly ſubmit to him, that they could reſolve to have a ſhoulder to bear ſo long as God hath an hand to lay on; and that they could as thankfully carrie themſelves to God in the worſt times, as Iob did, and wait for Iob 1.the iſſue. Here were ſound patience indeed, and in truth old men have need of it. For age it ſelf is a ſickneſs, and more inclined to frowardneſs by their infirmities; yea, they muſt be willing to hear Chriſtian advice, when age is readie to ſlip aſide; in both which reſpects they have need to be ſound in patience. As therefore they poſſeſs God in Chriſt by faith, and men by love; ſo themſelves by patience: and thus are old men ſquared.