Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 10 · Part 11
Sin compared to Gray-Hairs.
Hoſ. 7.9. — Yea, gray Hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not.
HE knoweth it not, that is, Iſrael, or Ephraim, viz. the ten Tribes.Hoſ. 1.4. Amos 9.8. Ephraim may be conſidered as a Kingdom, I am againſt the ſinful Kingdom; or as a Church: They were a People in Covenant with God, or in a National Church-State, and once youthful and beautiful, but now they are become old and grayheaded, i. e. they had Symptoms of Decay and Ruine upon them.
Gray Hairs: Some by gray Hairs underſtand heavy Judgments; others, ſome prevailing Evils or Sins, which were Signs of Deſtruction, &c. There may be Truth in both.
Note. Symptoms of Ruine oft-times appear upon a People, before their Ruine comes.
Parallels.
GRay Hairs are a Sign that a Man's beſt Days, his youthful Days, are gone: So ſome Sins and Judgments upon a People, are a Sign that their beſt Days are paſt away, that their Youth and Glory is departing.
II. Gray Hairs are a Sign of old Age: So ſome Sins and Judgments upon a People, ſhew forth that they are old in Wickedneſs.
III. Gray Hairs come oft-times by great Grief. Scaliger tells us of a young Man,Burroughs. who through the extreme Trouble of his Spirit, was turned gray in one Night: So the Judgments and Miſeries of a People, becauſe of their Sins, make them gray-headed, and thereby look old and withered, &c.
IV. When gray Hairs come upon a Man, they bring oftentimes with them feeble Knees, and Stiffneſs of the Limbs: So Sin makes feeble; the Heat of Zeal, and Vigour of Spirit is thereby abated.
V. Gray Hairs are Symptoms and Fore-runners of Death and Mortality: So ſome Sins and Miſeries upon a People, are the clear Symptoms of ſpiritual Death, or Night of Darkneſs.
VI. Some Men have gray Hairs here and there, and they know not of them: So a Soul, Nation, or Church, may have ſad Symptoms of Ruine upon them, and they be ignorant of them: He knows it not.
Queſt. What were thoſe gray Hairs that were upon Ephraim?
Anſw. 1. One was, Strangers had devoured his Strength: Their Support and chief Stay, that which ſhould uphold, comfort, and ſuccour them, was gone. — Wicked Men were let in upon them, and ſuch who ſought to ſpoil them of their Rights, Liberties, and Eſtates; or ſpiritually, Sin prevail…d, ſtrange Luſts had devoured their Strength.Hoſ. 2.5. Ephraim was fallen in love with other Lovers, his Affection was ſet upon Strangers. Saints ſhould keep their Hearts cloſe to Chriſt, or elſe the Love of the World will ſoon ſteal away their Strength▪ and make them decay in Godlineſs. The Whoredom of Ephraim was doubtleſs one of thoſe gray Hairs he had upon him.
2. The Pride of Ephraim was another gray Hair: The Pride of Iſrael doth teſtify to his Face; and therefore ſhall Iſrael and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity.Hoſ. 5.5.
3. Their Goodneſs was as the M…rning-Cloud, and as the early Dew, it paſſed away: Hoſ. 6.4.Which might be another of his gray Hairs. By their Goodneſs, doubtleſs is meant their Goodneſs and Kindneſs to God, and one towards another. They were falſe-hearted, unconſtant, and fickle, like a Morning-Cloud; their Words were empty Sounds, like Clouds withou… Water; they dealt treacherouſly with God, and deceitfully with their Brethren.
4. They were like a ſilly Dove without a Heart; they let their deareſt Enjoiments go, like as a ſilly Dove parts with her Young, and did not, like the Hen, ſtrive to preſerve them: This might be another of his gray Hairs. A Dove is eaſily caught with a Net; ſo was Ephraim eaſily enſnared by his Enemies. A Dove will keep her Neſt, tho you take it away, and thereby take her captive: O how unwilling are ſome Men to part with their Luſts! They will not leave their Sins, or Company, tho it prove their Ruine: They are like the ſilly Dove.
5. The great Things of God's Law were accounted ſtrange Things to Ephraim; tho God himſelf wrote them, yet he liked them not, but rather derided at them that owned, and ſubjected to them. This was another gray Hair.
Hoſ. 7.8.6. Ephraim was as a Cake not turned, he was not through for God; he ſtood halting between two Opinions, did not know what Religion to be of: Or he was ſo perverſe, that tho he lay under heavy Judgments, and was ready to be burned on the Coals; yet he ſought not to prevent the Danger,H…ſ. 7.14. and eſcape the Fire; he cried not to God in his Affliction. And this was another of his gray Hairs.
7. Ephraim was as an empty Vine; he brought forth Fruit to himſelf: God received but little from Ephraim; all his Labor and Doing was for himſelf, to enrich himſelf, and lay up for himſelf; he cared not for the Intereſt of God. An empty Vine: He had Juyce and Sap enough to bring forth Fruit to himſelf, but was barren towards God. They cannot ſpare Time, nor have they leiſure to wait upon his Service: They can't ſpare Money to further the Intereſt of Godlineſs, tho they can give two, three, four, or five hundred, nay, a thouſand Pounds, to ſuch a Son, or ſuch a Daughter, and maintain them bravely, when ſome of Chriſt's Miniſters want Bread: They love (alas!) their Sons and Daughters more than Chriſt: They are empty Vines, they bring forth Fruit to themſelves. O what a baſe Spirit and Principle are ſome Profeſſors of! They are like Ephraim. And this was another of his gray Hairs.
Hoſ. 12.1.8. He was broken in Judgment, he fed on the Wind, and followed after the Eaſt Wind: He purſued after Vanity, and the empty Things of this World. And that was another of his gray Hairs. Many more I might mention, they were indeed thick upon him, he was become very gray in Wickedneſs.
Inference.
LEt us take heed we have not gray Hairs upon us, and know it not. Is not England, and the Church of God in England, grown here of late gray-headed? O what Signs and Symptoms of Ruine are there upon us! I will leave you to find them out. Where is that Love and Zeal that was once? Is not the World got into the very Hearts of Profeſſors? Do they not follow after the Wind, and purſue the Eaſt Wind? Are they not like an empty Vine? Doth not every one mind his own carnal Intereſt? Have not Strangers devoured our Strength? Are we not become like a ſilly Dove without an Heart? Is not Whoredom and Superſtition amongſt us? Doth not our Pride teſtify againſt us? And is not our Goodneſs like the Morning-Cloud? Where is that Love and Bowels which ſhould be in us towards one another? Are not ſome of the Things, yea, the great Things of God's Law, accounted by us as ſtrange Things? Search further, and more gray Hairs will appear. Are we not divided and broken in Judgment? Can a Nation divided againſt it ſelf, long ſtand? — Are there not many faithful Miniſters ſnatch'd away in a ſhort time? Is not this the Fore-runner of ſome diſmal Calamity? Have not we had many fearful Signs in the Heavens? And are not the Evening-Wolves come out of their Holes? Beſides all this, let every Soul ſearch and ſee what gray Hairs he hath upon himſelf.