THE HOARY HEAD CROWNED.  
A Sermon Preached at BRACKLEY at the Funeral of FRAN: WALBANK, A Very Aged and Religious MATRON.  
BY Thomas Hodges B. D. Rector of Souldern, and lately one of the Sen: Fellows of St john's Coll. Cambridge.  
OXFORD, Printed by LEON. LICHFIELD Printer to the University, for THO. ROBINSON. Anno Dom. 1652.   

TO HIS VERY AGED AND MUCH HONOURED Grandfather JOHN MORLEY.  
Sir,  
GOD having multiplied your days to Fourscore years and upwards, and your Seed to above an hundred, and in both respects honoured you; Give me leave I pray you, (who under God, had my being from you at first, and many blessings since) according to my bounden duty; to Endeavour (so far as I am able) to honour You before the people. The truth is this Text I designed to have preached upon to your ears; but that purpose miscarrying, I am bold to present it here into your hands. And because, through distance of place and other Impediments, I cannot hope to Preach often to you, or speak with you face to face; I shall not content myself with the bare tender of one single Sermon to your eyes; But shall take upon me, with your favour, to direct you how to Preach to yourself daily, when other preachers are absent, or silent, or cannot through your age be heard; And how to Commune with your own heart, and speak to yourself, when you have none else with whom you may converse, or when yourself may be speechless. To this purpose, that the Preacher in your bosom (your own conscience) may never want a seasonable Text, and matter for a soulsaving Sermon, let me Commend to your most serious study and daily meditation especially three Scripture-Dialogues, or Conferences, & two precious promises. The Conferences are these.  
1. That which you read in the 2. of Samuel: 19: 34, 35, 36. which was betwixt King David and Barzillai; wherein you may see the vanity of all earthly delights, especially in old age.  
2. That of Christ, & Nicodemus a master in Israel john: 3.4, 5, 6, 7. verse: Wherein is taught the necessity of regeneration to all, old and young, before they can enter into the Kingdom of heaven; and where is made good that other saying, which is written 2. Corinth: 5.17. If any man (whether young or old) be in Christ he is a new creature.  
3. That betwixt our Saviour and Martha concerning her brother Lazarus: john 11: 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. where we find, that believing in the Lord jesus (which in Ioh: 7: 37, 38. is expounded to be a coming unto him) is the only way to attain to life in and after death, even to attain to the resurrection of the dead.  
The Promises are First, that which is recorded Esaiah: 46: 4, 5. which although it be propounded to the house of jacob in general, yet it truly and particularly belongs to every one that is an Israelite indeed: Harken unto me, O house of jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb, and even to your old age I am he, and even to hoary hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear, even I will carry, and I will deliver you.  
The other is written Hos: 13.14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave: I will redeem them from death: O death I will be thy plagues: O grave I will be thy destruction. I know 'tis true, that it is appointed to men once to die, Heb. 9.27. Notwithstanding this promise. Yet the blessed Apostle Paul assures us that at last, This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, and that the time will come when shall be brought to pass, the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. 
1 Cor. 15.53, 54.  These two promises, laid hold on by faith, may serve as two staves, and both of them staves of beauty, wherewith to support your old age, and to stay you when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and near the mouth of the pit, that you fall not. I shall no further preach to you, but leave the application to the Preacher within you above mentioned. Yet I shall not let you go till I pray for you, and bless you. 'Tis more usual for Parents to lay up prayers and blessings for their Children, than Children for their Parents: Yet I remember that Melchizedech, the Priest of the High-God, blessed Abraham the father of the faithful: And consider that it is one part of the Priests office to bless the people; And therefore I hope, that (being a preacher descended from your own loins, and having in this Epistle and Sermon thus taken upon me to preach to you) I shall not be offensive, if herein I come unto you too, as a minister, in the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of Christ, if I bless you also, O my father. The Lord convince you more and more of the need of a Saviour, of the worth of Jesus: The Lord help you to roll yourself living and dying upon the mercies of God & the merits of Christ: You have a double Crown already, that of a hoary head, and that of a Grandfather, (for children's Children are the Crown of old men: Prov: 17: 6. But both these are Corruptible: Oh that you may have a Crown of righteousness, that Crown of Glory which fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you: May your Grey hairs never come with sorrow to the grave: but that after God hath added to your days (if it be his will) many more years, your good old age (in which, Solomon saith, we shall say, we have no pleasure) may be swallowed up in a happy and blessed Eternity: And that you may for ever there in joy God our and your first and last father, and live with him; In whose presence is fullness, of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore.  
So prayeth, Your most Dutiful and Affectionate Son Thomas Hodges. Novemb. 23: 1652.   
Prov. 16.31. 
The Hoary Head is a crown of Glory, if it be found in the way of Righteousness.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
THE Text is the old man's Patent of Honour. The hoary head, that is old age, or the old man, is a crown of glory, that is, is honourable and glorious, is to be reverenced and honoured by us: As we reverence those upon whose heads men set crowns and Diadems of silver and gold; so especially ought we to honour those men, whom the God of heaven (the first fountain of all Honour) doth crown with a Hoary head, or white hairs, by reason of age. The latter part of the verse is diversely translated; some have it thus, it is found, or shall be found in the way of righteousness: and then the sense is this, honourable old age is to be attained in the way of righteousness, or to live well is the way to live long. Our last translators have put in the word if which is not in the Original, to note that then old men are most to be honoured when they are religious, when they walk in the way of righteousness. according as the Geneva translation hath it. Age is a Crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousness. Both these translations hold forth a truth, viz: that God doth give long life to godly & Religious men: & that we ought to give more especial honour to holy and religious old men. Those men, who besides the silver crown of old age, have upon their heads the golden crown of religion, are most honoured by God, and aught so to be by men. The sum of all may amount to thus much. viz. That a good old age which God usually, or ordinarily, bestows upon good men, is honourable, and glorious; or aught to render them very honourable in our eyes.  
I shall take occasion from this Text to treat of the honour of old age, and to that purpose I shall endeavour to show, 

1. That old age is honourable and glorious.  
2. Why old age is so honourable.  
3. How we are to honour old age.  
4. By what means we may attain to the honour of old age.  
5. What is that old age upon which God and good men, bestow the most abundant honour.    
1. Of the first. Old age is truly honourable, Whether we consult the law of Scripture, or the law of anture; either God's or man's Heraldry.  
1. God hath commanded us to honour the hoary head; thus shall it be done to the man whom the King of heaven delighteth to honour. Levit. 19.32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God; as ever thou fearest the Lord thy God, see that thou reverence age; yea 'tis the first commandment with promise. Eph: 6: 7. That which requires us to honour old age under the name of father and mother, 'tis the first commandment which hath any special promise annexed unto it; old men are comprehended within this commandment as fathers, and old women, as mothers. 1. Timoth: 5.1, 2. rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father and the younger men as brethren: the elder women as mothers etc. And, because the mother is usually most despised, therefore 'tis thought that in Levit: 19: 3. God commands the fear of the mother, in the first place, saying, Ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father. Again, because the devil will teach us to break over the hedge where 'tis lowest, namely to slight our mother in her old age, because of the weakness of her sex, and of the infirmites' of old age concurring together: therefore hath God not left himself without witness, nor us without warning against this sin; But hath made especial provision to stop this gap and to make up, and make strong this fence, with that saying Proverbs 23: 22. Harken unto thy father that begat thee and despise not thy mother when she is old:  
2. The Scripture makes this an argument of the dissolution of all polity and good government in a Kingdom or State, when the aged are not duly honoured. So much is intimated: Esa: 3: 5. the child shall behave him self proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. And indeed when once it comes to this, that every boy, or young stripling, dares demean himself insolently towards the ancient, whom he ought to reverence & honour; then behold confusion in every state according as is threatened Esa. 24: 2, 3. Then farewell all good order and distinction and regard of persons in Church and State, It was a sad presage of the mine of the Jews, that they respected not the persons of the Priests, and that they favoured not, or accepted not, the elders, or ancients. Lament: 4: 16: If we understand the place of the Jews, as some: Or else it is accounted barbarousness even in an enemy, not to respect calling, or age, not to respect the Priests, not to favour the Elders, if we understand the place of the Chaldeans, as others. Agreeable hereunto we read in 2: Chron: 37: 17: that the King of the Chaldees had no compassion on young man or maiden, old man or him that stooped for age.  
3. We find in 1: Sam: 2: 30: that when God threatened Eli's house to degrade them from their honour; he presently addeth v: 31, 32, 33: (once and again) there shall not be an old man in thy house: and a third time: all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age: But on the contrary, to die in a good old age, is spoken of as a blessing, Job 5: 26: thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season: that is, as the corn stands against all storms of wind and rain until it be fully ripe, and then is gathered into barn, (being first made up in shocks,) so shalt thou stand upon the earth, and not be ruined, or reaped whilst thou art green, till thou art ripe and full of days; and then, and not till then, shalt thou come to thy grave as ripe corn into barn. Yea 'tis promised to Jerusalem, after the return from the Captivity, Zachar: 8: 4: that there should yet old men and old women dwell in her streets, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. Let me add that Romans 9: 4. 'tis reckoned amongst the honourable privileges of the Israelites (as that Jesus Christ was their brother according to the flesh, so) that theirs were the Fathers. And thus much may suffice for the Blazoning of this ancient Coat of Honour according to Scripture Heraldry.  
I might also show, how the Gentiles, who had only the light of nature, yet did reverence and honour old age. Plato in his Commonwealth, ordered, that the Elders should be honoured. Ovid tells us how of old time they were reverenced amongst the Romans. Lib: 5. Fast.  
Magna fuit quondam capitis reverentia cani,  
Inque suo precio ruga senilis erat.  
Juvenal saith, that in the golden age, they counted it a capital crime if a young man, (though a rich man, did not rise up to an old man, though a poor man,) Juve: Sat. 13. 
Credebant hoc grande nefas & morte piandum,  
Si Juvenis vetulo non assurexerit. etc.  And this may suffice to have been spoken for the proof of the first thing propounded, namely, that old age is honourable and glorious  
II. Of the second. viz: Why old men are so honourable.  
1. Because they are an honour to the place where they live: living monuments of Honour. They honour us, and therefore 'tis but reason we should honour them. Antiquity is very attractive; that side old men go on usually bears the greatest sway and authority: Old men are loadstons to draw younger ones their way. And truly there was not so great a contest about the young child before Solomon whose it was; as there is to this day betwixt us Protestants and the Papists, about the ancient fathers of the Primitive Church: The Romanists say, the fathers are theirs; and We say; Nay, but the fathers are ours: nor without marvel for non sum melior patribus (I am not better than the fathers,) is a Motto well becoming the best man, and greatest Scholar.  
2. Because they are an help to the societies, whereof they are members, in respect of their wisdom and prudence, much increased by their long experience in humane affairs. As they are the Crown of a people, so they are their council. The great court of the Jews was called the council of the seventy Elders: and the great court of Rome the Senate, & their Counselors Senators (from senes old men,) and Fathers, Patres conscripti; and in the New Testament, the Church consistory is called the Eldership; and the Church-officers, Presbyters or Elders. From all which, we may gather, that the Judgement of old men, is usually better than of younger men: according to that Job Ch: 12: 12. with the ancient is wisdom and in length of days is understanding. This is likewise intimated Levit: 11: 32. where instead of thou shalt rise up before the hoary head: the Chaldee Paraphrase hath it, thou shalt rise up before the wise. And Esa: 3.2. God threatens to take away from Judah & Jerusalem, as the mighty man and the man of war, so the prudent and the Ancient: The prudent and ancient are equivalent terms. 'Tis very remarkable that when Rehoboam forsook the advice of the old Counsellors, he soon lost ten tribes at a clap.  
3. Because old men are, in a sort, God's deputies and vice-roys here in the world. They seem nearer to approach to the ancient of days, than the young generation do. I know indeed that, properly and strictly, God is not old: for vetus Deus aliquando non erit: as novus Deus aliquando non fuit: for that which waxeth old, saith the Scripture, is near unto vanishing away, yet he is styled in Scripture the Ancient of days; the Everlasting Father; the God of Eternity. And it is an argument, that the religion of the Gentiles was not the most ancient, because their Gods were but younglings: their genealogy and pedigree was known. It was objected by Arnobius to the heathen, that not only recens nata erat eorum religio, sed et dii ipsi erant infants & parvuli and such as had need of milk, and not of strong meat, such as were their sacrifices of sheep, etc.  
III. Of the third, How we are to honour old men.  
1. We must rise up before the hoary head. Levit. 19: 32. God proclaims before them, as Pharaoh caused to be proclaimed before Joseph, Abrech i.e. Bow the knee: Or not much unlike to that which was proclaimed before Mordecai, by the commandment of Ahasuerosh; Lo thus shall it be done to the good old man, whom the King of heaven delights to honour. God who is himself no accepter of Persons, or faces, yet commands us to respect the Person, or face of the old man.  
2 We must speak honourably of them, and reverently to them. 1 Timoth: 5.1, 2. rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father. etc. In the 2 of Kings: 13.14. We find even wicked King Joash, King of Israel, coming to visit the old Prophet Elisha when he was sick; weeping over his face, Oh my father, my father; the Charets of Israel and the horsemen thereof: bewailing Elisha, with the same words, wherewith he had, above 50 years before bewailed his master Elija: Changed: 2: v. 12. of the same Book.  
3: Give old men the honour of speaking first, and the honour of due attention. Job 32.7: I said, days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. Let old men in civils be your Oracles: the Poets fain young Phaeton, to have set the world on fire: You will find it, for the most part, no fiction, that young men are the hotspurs the Incendiaries, which set Church & state on a flame:  
IV Of the fourth, How we may attain to the honour of old age.  
I answer, We may find it in the way of righteousness; Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Get part in the righteousness of Christ; and, as he is righteous so be ye righteous in all manner of Conversation; & this is indeed Via recta ad vitam longam, the right way to long life, yea to everlasting life; for godliness hath the promises of this life, and of that which is to come. 1 Tim: 4: 8. And again, the fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened, Prov: 10: 27. add to this, that of the Psalmist Ps: 55: 23. the bloody and deceitful man shall not live out half his days: His Sun shall go down before 'tis noon: But more particularly: I Get spiritual saving wisdom, that is, get Christ, and he will give thee long life, Prov: 16: 3. and 4.20, 21, 22. And truly Christ the wisdom of the father, he hath life, to bestow, and to whomsoever he will he giveth it. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (saith Christ) that is, I am the true way unto life. With Christ is the wellspring, the fountain of life, of natural, spiritual, and eternal life: Ask of him, and he will give thee living water. He hath living water and living bread, and a tree of life to give thee: and he that eats or drinks of these, shall live for ever. David saith, This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and for what did he ask, and did God hear him? He asked life of him, and he gave him life, even length of days for ever and ever. Psalm 21: 4: verse.  
2 Long life is to be attained by our honouring of & obedience to our parents and elders. Exod: 20. Honour thy father & thy mother, that they may lengthen thy days: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prolongabunt dies tuos. Obedient children are children of many prayers, and the parents prayers, are the means under God, whereby is procured to them long life. Hence Parents prayers are called blessings. Besides 'tis equal, (saith one) that such as honour those by whom they receive life next under God, should have their life continued and prolonged.  
3 If thou desirest life and lovest many days, that thou mayest see good, keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile, Ps: 34: 12, 13. 1 Peter 3, 10. Again, the wise man speaks expressly, Prov: 18, 21. death and life are in the power of the tongue, and he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life, Prov: 13.3. Many men's tongues are such sharp swords and razors, as to cut their own throats.  
4. Live much in heaven, if thou wouldst live long upon the earth. Ps: 91.14, 15, 16. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high because he hath known my name: He shall call upon me and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour him: with long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. When God sees men earthly minded, 'tis just with him to bring them speedily to the earth, to say unto them Earth Earth Earth hear the word of the Lord: Earth thou art and unto Earth shalt thou return; I see thou art an Earthworm, and to the worms of the Earth shalt thou go: Thy flesh shall be for meat unto the worms of the Earth. Oh get more and more, nearer & nearer acquaintance, with God; who is our life and the length of our days: In his favour is life; the sense & assurance of his love is a Cordial will renew our strength and renew our youth, like the Eagles. Moses who talked with God as a man with his friend, Oh how vigorous fresh and lively was he how green and flourishing was he to, and in, old age. Deut: 34.7. 'tis said his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated: Enoch walked with God, and was translated and saw no Corruption.  
The beloved disciple John, who lay most in the bosom of Christ, and had afterwards the greatest revelations of the mind of Christ concerning his Church; He it was who survived all the rest of the Apostles upon earth. Paul likewise, who whilst he lived upon earth was rapt up into the third heaven, He was such an one as Paul the aged (so he styles himself) before he died: he had the Crown of old age before the Crown of Martyrdom.  
But you'll say, many times the best and towardliest children, & most righteous young men, die soon, & never attain to old age: are cropped either in the bud or blossom, or whilst they are green & flourishing, whilst their breasts are full of milk, and their bones of marrow. We usually say, of those who are remarkably forward in Religion and goodness above their fellows, they are not like to live long, they are too good for this world. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, whom God loves best he takes first. How is it then, you teach us, that Religion and righteousness, holiness, and heavenly-mindedness, are the way to attain to a good old age? especially, when 'tis sometimes notoriously known that wicked men have the largest portion, as of the things of this life, so of life itself.  
Ans. As concerning religious children which die soon: I answer, It may be their Parents dote too much upon them; It may be, they Idolise them: As the wicked Israelites sometimes offered their children unto Idols, unto devils; So too often 'tis seen, that good Parents are too too apt to make little gods, that is indeed Idols of their children. And hence God is provoked to take from such Parents the desire and delight of their eyes, and the dearly beloved of their souls. Parents, you may kill your children with overmuch kindness: You may kill the child with overloving it, as the Nurse doth sometimes with overlaying it. If you lay or hang too great a weight, or lean too hard, (that is trust too much) upon one of these young and tender branches, you will soon break it off the Tree of life. Children are flowers; if you carry them too much in your bosom, they will whither and die. Oh then forsake not the living God; If you would have right to the living child, lest God call this sin to remembrance, and slay your child even the choicest of them.  
Or, 2. I say it may be, God takes away such children from the evil to come; either from temptations which they are likely to be exposed unto, and in danger to be overcome by; or from the evil day coming upon the place where they lived. God says in such cases, oh my son, or oh my daughter, enter into thy chamber, shut the door, till these calamities be overpast. When there's danger abroad, than Parents look out and fetch home their little ones; and so doth God.  
Or, 3. I affirm, that these children live much in a little time; that these children are young in years as Josias was, 2 Chron: 34.3. but old in grace; that these are the children which die an hundred years old, as 'tis Es: 65.20. these are like nimble Racers, who run as far in an hour as some heavy heeled horses will go in a day: these are apt scholars, who having betimes learned their lesson, may have leave to go home the sooner: their work is soon done, and the Lord of heaven and earth call them home to receive their reward.  
Or 4. It may be said, that these child's loss of temporal life is abundantly recompensed with eternal life. God promised long life, and he gives them everlasting life, doth he do them any wrong? he promised them a penny in silver, and pays them a pound in Gold, yea a talon of gold, and is he not as good, and better than his word? he promised such the silver crown of old age, that corruptible crown, and he gives them the crown of glory, of everlasting life, a crown which is incorruptible, and fadeth not away.  
As for good men who die young, those who are the glory of their time, and yet die in the flower of their age; I say, 'tis either because of some disobedience, or unrighteousness before grace, or after grace received, for which God pleaseth thus temporally to correct them; of this latter sort were the unworthy Communicants at Corinth. 1. Cor. 11. to whom the bread of life became, through their default, the bread of death. Or because men do at too much upon these men, and begin to give the glory of God unto these, upon whom they see his image and superscription. Or, where 'tis otherwise, the cases and examples are very rare; a few exceptions from the general rule; and such as have, although a short life, yet a sweet; such as have the life of life, that is, the comforts and blessings of life in abundance, whilst they live, such as have enough of the things of this life, and of life itself as much as is good for them, and of the favour of God very much, which is better than life itself: and when they die, they are paid with usury in heaven for the loss of a temporary life here. Of whom I may say, in a sense, as it was said of Enoch, they are not, because God hath taken them; they walked with God, & they are translated to him.  
As for wicked men, who sometimes attain to a long life, it may be said that they are a great while, rather than that they live a great while, as it was said of one, diu fuit, non diu vixit: and, as we say of a ship, which hath been a long time tossed too and fro by storms and tempests, but hath not all that while tended towards the harbour, that she hath been thus long driven to and fro, but hath not thus long sailed: So we may say of wicked men, they have been a great while tossed to and fro in the sea of this world, but they have not sailed long, because they have come never the nearer to the haven of rest, after all their toil and labour. Whilst wicked men live they are far from God, in whose presence is life, from whose favour is the comfort and crown of life, they have bitterness in their greatest sweets, and death in their life. The longest life of the wicked is but a moment, compared to eternity; the sinner of an hundred years old lives not so long, but he may be truly and properly said to die eternally.  
To dismiss the objection briefly, know that this is a general rule of Gods own making, that godliness hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come. With long life will God reward and satisfy the righteous man; and at last show him his salvation in heaven in the life everlasting. When it falls out otherwise, as to temporals, 'tis either rare, and that loss abundantly repaid in eternal life; or else 'tis a Chastisement for some irregular and exorbitant demeanour of ourselves, or others in relation to us. 'Tis true as the Preacher saith, that all things fall alike to all; that is, frequently 'tis so, and that sometimes 'tis worst in outward & worldly respects with the best of men, of whom the world is not worthy; Yet when it is so, the fault is in good men themselves, God is as it were constrained, for the love he bears their precious souls, to make exceptions from his general rule, which is do well and have well both here and hereafter. Say ye to the righteous, It shall be well with him: and here the hoary head is a crown of glory, and it is found in the way of righteousness.  
V And thus are we come to our fifth head, to show, what is that old age which is most honourable. Although all old men (as old men) are in that respect honourable, yet they are not all Peers of the Kingdom of heaven. Some Translations render the Text, When 'tis found in the way of righteousness.  
Surely the Elders that live well are worthy of double honour; honour these Elders for they are honourable indeed. 'Tis recorded Act: 21.16. to the honour of Mnason, that he was an old Disciple. Seniority in the society of Saints, as Saints, should have honour. The Apostle Paul makes honourable mention of the Elder Converts, Rom: 16.7. Salute Andronicus, and Junia my kinsmen, and my fellow Prisoners, who are of note among the Apostles, who also were in Christ before me. But on the other side, the sinner of an hundred years old is accursed, Esa: 65.20. Or as the Wiseman saith, Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged: yet surely I know, that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God, Ecclesiastes 8.12.13. Sinners may say, though never so hoary headed, the crown is fallen from our head, woe unto us that we have sinned.  
If you ask why Religious old men are worthy of the greatest honour: I answer,  
1. Because these fathers are all, the sons of the most high, every one the Son of a King, of the great King of heaven and earth: and they resemble their heavenly Father, they who are holy as he is holy. And although God's children are an assembly of first borne; yet the elder any one is in grace, the greater portion of honour ought he to have from, and above his brethren. If the elder by natural generation and birth be to have double honour, surely the elder by regeneration and a spiritual new birth much more. We find that good Shem & Isaak and Jacob, though younger ones, got the birth-right-blessing and honour, before their elder brethren.  
2. Because religious men are the truly wise men, and the longer and greater experience any one hath had in religion, he is the more wise, and therefore more honourable. We read Mat: 2.1. that there were wise men came to seek Jesus, to worship him, truly they are deservedly called wise men, who ever seek Jesus, and when they find him, worship him. They say the Turks account all fools, Saints; and many amongst us Christians, account all Saints fools. But the holy Scriptures, which alone are able to make us wise unto Salvation, teach otherwise. Hear the word of the Lord, Job 28.28. And unto man he said, Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to departed from evil, is understanding. And if we will believe the wisest of men (Solomon) the Godly man is the wise man, but the Sinner is the fool; as appears by his opposing the sinner, & the wiseman Eccles: 9.18. One such wise man may be a means to deliver a City. Eccl. 9.16. and upon that account ought to be honoured. Yea 2 Sam: 20.16. &c: 'Tis recorded that a wise woman saved the City Abel, that it perished not in the Rebellion of Sheba the son of Bichri.  
3. Because these religious old men are most beneficial, are the greatest blessings, to the persons with whom, and to the places where they live; they are the Walls and Bulwarks of a City, they are the foundations and pillars of a Nation, they are the Shields of the earth.  
Q. But what is the special honour, which we must do religious old men?  
A. We must reverence them inwardly, in our hearts, and outwardly, not in word and in tongue only, but in deed and in truth. Whilst these precious Sons of Zion, our Fathers, and Elders, go on in heaven-way before us, Let us stand by them, and stand for them, and in nothing be wanting to them: and when any of them goes up to heaven before us, let that be the language of our hearts, which was spoken by Elisha at the taking up of Elijah, my father, my father, the Chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.  
2. We must obey these men's Counsels, and directions. Let's make them, under God, and the Scripture, our Oracles: Let the counsel of the Elders, be our great and supreme Council: Let's honour these as good Job was honoured. Ch: 29.21. &c: Let's give ear to these, let their speech drop upon us, let us wait for them 〈…〉 man better than his mother, (viz: his wife) but he must honour still his mother before his wife. Consider her grìevous pangs in bringing us forth at first, & her great pains in bringing us up: and she that bore with the thousand infirmities, weaknesses and follies of our infancy and childhood; Let her be borne withal for some weaknesses of her sex, in her old age: according as it is written Prov: 22.22. despise not thy mother, when she is old. And now to conclude this Use, Oh that the great peacemaker, after that our families have been divided, Father against Son, and Son against Father, the Daughter against the Mother, and the Mother against the Daughter, would (according to his promise once made to the Jews, Mal: 4.) Convert or turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and of the children to their fathers, left he come and smite our land with a curse.  
3. Then honour old men, especially religious old men. It was Idolatry, to fall down and worship the golden Image, that Nabuchadnezzar had set up; but 'tis Religion, to fall down and worship, with Civil worship or reverence, the religious old man, whom God hath set up. Go forth, O ye sons and daughters of Jerusalem, and behold the good old man, with the Crown wherewith his heavenly father hath crowned him, in the day of his hoary head.  
4. Is a good old age to be found in the way of religion and righteousness? Oh then let the young generation, who desire to live long, and to see good days, let them hence be exhorted to piety and holiness. Come ye children, harken unto me, and I will teach you the way to live to be honoured old men; live well if you would live long, The more you live to God, the longer you'll live in the world. the Papists have a saying, that Nemo senescit dum interest Missae, that is, that no man is never the older for the time he spends in hearing Mass. Truly the time we spend in religion, and religious exercises, is time well saved, is time redeemed. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, their youth shall be renewed like the Eagles. Ps: 103. But as for evil doers, the Lord shall wound the hairy scalp, and the hoary head too, of him that goes on in his wickedness if he live to age. Well therefore doth the wise man advise, Ecclesiastes 7.17. Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish, why shouldest thou die before thy time? Men naturally desire to prolong their days: To this end, what diet will they not keep? what exercises will they not use? what Medicines will not they take? skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life. The Princes and Potentates of the earth have their Physicians to counsel them always what course to take, that they may live long upon the earth: But behold I show unto you all this day a more excellent way; and that is the way of the text, the way of righteousness. Get the Crown of religion, if you would have that other crown of a hoary head. The same way that leads to Eternal life, leads to a long life.  
More particularly; as ever you would live to a good old age, Beware of those special sins, which ordinarily cut the thread of men's lives before the time; which either as thiefs do waste, or as winds blow out the candle of life before it is burnt half to the socket.  
1. As first, If thou desirest to live to be old, take heed of cain's sin, the sin of blood-guiltiness: he that is guilty of of blood, may Justly fear, lest every one that meets him should slay him. The Hue and Cry, the bloodhound, the Avenger of blood, doth ordinarily overtake such before old age. Justice saith, Give him blood to drink for he is worthy.  
2. The sin of uncleanness, whether natural, or unnatural. For Onan's sin the Lord slew him. God reigned down fire from heaven upon the unclean Sodomites and destroyed them speedily; the Lord made a short work with them: and Prov: 7.22. 'tis said, He that follows an harlot, goes as an Ox to the slaughter. Shechems' sin of uncleanness with Dinah, cost him, his father and the Shechemites their lives. So Amnon's incest with his sister Tamar cost him his life.  
3. Disobedience to Parents. When Hophni and Phinehas harkened not to the voice of their father, it was a sign and presage that the Lord would slay them. Absolom's rebellion, against his father David, caused his sun to set at noon. When the children of Bethel mocked the Prophet Elisha, saying, go up thou bald head &c, (that is, why dost not thou go up to heaven after thy master) two she Bears tore 42 of them. 2 King: 2.24.  
4. Covetousness, especially if died in oppression, and injustice. Immoderate cares, fears, and excessive turmoiling, the usual concomitants of them that will be rich, do naturally shorten the life of man: but besides an untimely death seems to be the penalty denounced against this sin, according to the Statute Law of the great Lawgiver, Jerem: 17.11. As the Partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth goods, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. As the Partridge gathereth eggs together to sit on, and to hatch, but hatcheth them not, her eggs either proving windy and addle, as they say it oft falleth out with those eggs which she hath produced (as she doth frequently) without the company of the male, or otherwise miscarrying, (the male many times breaking them that he may have the company of his mate.) Or else (as some others think) the Partridge, or Heb: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kore, having got together the eggs of other Fowls; and sitting on them as her own, until they be hatched, they then leave her, and keep with, and follow those of their own kind. So Covetous men desirous to enrich themselves by oppression, and taking from others that which is not their own, and sitting brooding upon the eggs, or bags, which they have thus gathered together, at last these their riches take themselves wings and fly away. Prov: 23.5. or they are taken from them. Luk. 12.20.  
5. Is the hoary head a crown of glory, if it be found, or when it is found, in the way of righteousness? then hence we learn, that want of religion in an old man is a great abatement of honour in his Coat. The best flower in his garland, the choicest pearl of his crown, is wanting, The old sinner, together with his crown, hath a curse upon his head; the sinner of a hundred years old is accursed. As God and man love an old Friend, so they hate and abhor an old Enemy. Old sinners are like old toads, and old serpents, the fullest of poison, and therefore most abominable. He is an old Thief, (saith the Judge) away with him, Away with him, 'tis not fit such an one should live. So saith God, he is an old Idolater, drunkard, unclean person, swearer, &c: I have borne with him these forty, fifty, or sixty years and upwards, I crowned every one of those years with my goodness, but (ungrateful, unworthy, wretch!) he hath gone on to rebel against me, and goes on to this day and will not turn; Now therefore, oh ye evil angels, this night, or this week, or this year, see ye that ye require his soul of him; or else, oh death let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace, (as David charged Solomon concerning Joab, 1 King: 2.6.) or, oh thou sword of the Lord, his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood (as David charged Solomon concerning Shimei. 1 King: 2.9.)  
Oh consider this, ye old men, that have forgotten God, days without number, even to this day and hour, consider this your cursed latter end, if you will not turn your feet into the way of righteousness; lest God tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you. For know it for a truth, that the wicked and unrighteous, be they old or young, shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God.  
Again, Is old age then honourable when found in the way of righteousness? Then hence young men may learn how fare they may honour their Fathers and Elders with the honour of imitation, how fare they may follow their steps, viz: no farther than they walk in the way of righteousness, than they follow Christ. The old Prophet at Bethel deceived the young Prophet, the Devil, in the habit of an old man, in Samuel's mantle, deceived Saul: the Gibeonites deceived Josuah, and the Princes of Israel, with their old mouldy bread, old shoes, & old garments. And alas, how many thousands amongst us have been seduced, even to oppose and fight against reformation, upon no other account but this, these men will change our old customs, & our old conversations, or manner of conversation received by tradition from our Fathers. And here let me freely speak unto you old men of this generation: God would have had off your bark of unprofitable Ceremonies, and have made you white and strait staves, even staves of beauty in his hand, and this would not be done without putting you in the flames of a Civil War a while.  
And now be wise ye old men, and as you love yourselves see that you oppose not reformation; if you stand in God's way, now that he comes as a Refiners fire to purify his Churches from all their tin, and all their dross, he'll burn up the old oaks of Bashan, as very briers and thorns.  
6. And therefore let me, in the next place, entreat all you old men, to suffer a word or two of exhortation from this Text. Be hence persuaded, oh all ye Elders of the congregation, to be righteous, to be holy. Take unto you the Crown of Religion, better than a crown of stars, all you that have the crown of a hoary head. To persuade you hereunto, let me commend to you these ensuing Considerations.  
1. That the case of a wicked old man is very dangerous and dreadful; if he die in his sins, he shall receive greater damnation: the Furnace of Hell shall be seven times hotter for these, then for young sinners. Oh these bundles of Tares fully ripe, these old rotten Faggots of Briers and Thorns, (so wicked men are called) how suddenly, how terribly, will they burn? Certainly it shall be more tolerable for Er and Onan, (who were cut off betimes in their sins) in the day of Judgement then for the sinners of a hundred years old.  
2. The case of a wicked old man, although it be very dangerous, yet it is not desperate: Some old festered sores have been healed; some old Chronic diseases have been cured; 'tis not impossible to bow an old oak, yea to bend the very heart of oak; art can do that God is a Chirurgeon can heal old sores, a Physician can cure old Diseases; he hath an Arm can bow the heart of Oak; he that can of stones raise Children to Abraham, can if he please, and when he please, of old sons of Belial, make Children of God. He that raised up Lazarus, after he had been dead four days, can raise up sinners, who have been dead in sins and trespasses, to the life of grace, to the life of faith, after they have been spiritually dead fourscore years. The hour cometh and now is, saith Christ, Joh: 5.25. When the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Note, 'tis said, the dead without any limitation or restriction to any number of days, months, or years, how long they have been dead: The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live. Again the possibility of the conversion of an old man seems to be granted, or supposed, by our Saviour, in his conference with Nicodemus, Joh: 3.4, 5, 6, 7. where our Saviour denies not the Regeneration of an old man, but taxeth Nicodemus his gross ignorance, in thinking an old man, if he be borne again, must needs enter into his mother's Womb, when he is old.  
3. Although the conversion of an old sinner is not absolutely impossible, yet 'tis a hard work; 'tis a rare and marvellous work: If a Bone be many years out of joint, it is exceeding difficult to set again, now sinners are Members out of joint, as is intimated Galath: 6.1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set such an one in joint again. When our Saviour Christ raised Lazarus, Joh: 11. we find that it cost him more than to raise Jairus Daughter newly dead, or the Widow of Naims' son carried forth towards burial, he wept, he groaned in spirit, he prayed, he called upon Lazarus with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth, and he troubled himself, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to teach us how hard a matter it is to raise an old sinner from the death of sin to the life of grace. I have read that about three hundred and sixty years after Christ, there was an old man, who had been a Pagan all his days before, who in his old age harkened after Christ, and said he would be a Christian. Simplicianus hearing him say so, would not believe him; but when the Church saw him a Christian indeed, there was shouting for gladness, and singing in every Church, Caius Marius Victorinus is become a Christian! An old sinner to become a young Saint is a great wonder. But yet because the Conversion and Salvation of old sinners is not impossible, let me persuade and direct the oldest sinners of all, that hear me this day, to turn their feet into the way of righteousness, to accept of Salvation inter pontem & fontem, (betwixt the bridge and the water, as we say,) to accept of a pardon when they are just turning off the ladder; to accept of life now they are at the point of death; hear all ye old men and your souls shall live: Our Lord Jesus Christ is able and willing and ready to save old sinners; if you will accept of him for your Saviour upon his own (that is upon very honourable) terms.  
Beloved, there is yet hope concerning your souls: God is willing to pluck you yet as firebrands out of the burning; to rescue you out of the mouth of the Lion, the roaring lion; to save you out of the belly of hell, that is, out of the belly of that great Leviathan, who in his thoughts hath already swallowed you up. Oh therefore, now God calls to you, saying, How long! How long! When will it once be? Return, return, why will you die? Let every soul of you Echo back again, surely this is a faithful saying & worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am Chief, and again, How shall I escape, If I neglect such great salvation? God forbidden but that this goodness of God should lead me to repentance. Thus reason or commune with thy own soul, before it be too late. Lo I have given the devil (God's and my soul's enemy) the most generous refined wine, my young and sprightly days; and will God now accept, can God find in his heart to accept of dregs? of my old age? The devil has had the the finest flower, and will God be contented with the bran? the devil and my sins have had a full harvest, and will God to whom first fruits and all is due, be satisfied with glean the devil has had the first-lings the best and fattest of the flock, and will God accept of the halt, the lame and the blind in sacrifice? Oh the height, and depth, and breadth of the mercy of God Oh my soul, my soul thou Shulamite, return, return. I beseech thee by these mercies of God, that henceforth thou give up thyself a holy and living sacrifice unto God, which is but reasonable service, that thou redeem the time; and do much for God in a little time: And now oh that my age might he renewed like the Eagles, that God would add unto my days many years! that the Sun of my life might stand still, and not haste to go down for many years! till I might be avenged on my lusts, the Enemies of my God, and of my soul! till I that have done God a great deal of disservice and dishonour, might do him a great deal of service and honour! Till I have been as Eminent for holiness, as ever I have been notorious for profaneness! And now, oh all ye that pass by, tell me, tell me, what such an old sinner as I should do to be saved?  
To this question I answer, that old men must be saved the same way that young men are saved, and that is, by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord our righteousness. Whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, although he be never so old a sinner, shall certainly be saved, shall in no wise perish but have everlasting life. Dost thou see thyself lost in old Adam? dost see thyself, as thou art growing up out of that old stock, out of that root of bitterness, fit fuel for Hell-fire? dost see a necessity of being born again now thou art old, or else thou must die eternally? Art weary of the body of sin and death, that old man of original sin which thou carriest about with thee? Wouldst with all thy heart have this old man with his deeds crucified together with Christ? doth it repent thee withal thy heart that thou hast lived so long to so little purpose? that thou art ready to go out of the world before thou hast done almost any thing of the work for which thou camest hither? Canst find in thy heart to come to Christ for salvation, from the hell that is in sin, as well as from the hell that sin deserves, before thou goest out of the world? Darest venture thy soul upon this crucified Jesus, and know it is no venture? Is there none in heaven or earth, no other Saviour, none that thy soul desires in comparison of him? Art resolved in the strength of Christ, to live in him whilst thou livest, and to die in Christ, or for Christ when thou diest? Dost desire in the matter of Justification, to be found not having on thy own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ, and thereby to appear righteous before God; and for the glory of God, and to the Justification of thy Faith before men, dost resolve to endeavour that thy hoary head may be found in the way of holiness and righteousness? If these things and such holy motions, resolutions and qualifications as these be in thee and abound; Blessed art thou that ever thou was't borne; thou shalt not die, but live; this day I assure thee salvation is come unto thy soul: Jesus Christ hath given thee life, a new life in thy old age. Men it may be, think it almost impossible, that a valley of dry bones should live; and say as 'tis Ezek: 37. can these dry bones live? who would ever have said, that such an old sinner should ever have proved a young convert? But God that quickeneth the dead, he saith to his Prophets, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, oh ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord; and who knows but that some of these dry bones may live? Truly my prayer for these old men shall be, to the God of my life and theirs, that they might all live in his sight, that they might all live for ever: And for you all that hear me this day, oh that God would bind up all your souls in the bundle of life! oh that ye might have part in the first resurrection, that on you the second death might have no power! oh that ye might be changed from nature to grace, before your change by death come, that your change may be for the better, and not for the worse! But least any from the possibility of the salvation of the oldest and chiefest sinners take heart to put off their repentance to old age, lest any suck poison from so sweet a flower, take by way of Caution or Antidote these two or three Observations.  
1. That old sinners, who have all their time enjoyed the means of grace, have rarely been known to return and repent in their age, when there is but a step betwixt them and death, & so betwixt them and hell.  
2. That those labourers in the Parable who came into the vineyard to work at the eleventh hour, were not called until the eleventh hour. Math: 20. The Question was put by an old Indian Sagamore, or governor in New England, to one of the English Ministers; Whether our God and Saviour would receive an old sinner, such as he was? The Minister answered, doubtless he would, considering this old man had never heard of Christ 'til his old age, and came in when called.  
3. That there was a time, when wisdom stopped her ears at their cry, who refused to hear when she called. Prov: 1.24. Let not young sinners go on in their sins, thinking to return when they are old, for that is the way never to live to be old, or if they do, they rarely repent in age. Yet let not old sinner's despair, whoever comes unto Christ, he will in no wise cast out. And as for you old men, whose hoary heads are found in the way of righteousness, Go on and prosper, and the Lord be with you; Be, as Noah was, Preachers of righteousness in your generation; See that ye shine as lights in the midst of a crooked generation. Be examples of holiness to younger ones; call upon them: to remember their Creator betimes, in the days of their youth; teach them the way they should go, that they may not forsake it when they are old. And especially ye who are fathers and mothers, let the souls of your children be precious in your eyes: do not offer your sons and daughters unto devils, and bring them forth and up to the great Abaddon, or murderer of souls for want of religious education, Be earnest with God, night and day with tears and Prayers, and with your children by instruction, reprehension, correction, exhortation, that so your children may rise up and call you blessed, may bless God for you, and with you. Oh what a joy and rejoicing, ye pious fathers and mothers, will it be to you, to meet Jesus Christ at the great day with such like words as he used to his father, Lo here are we and the children thou hast given us; of all thou hast given us, have we lost none; there's never a son or daughter of perdition amongst them; thine they were, thou gavest them us, and they have kept thy word.  
To conclude all, men, brethren, and fathers, I beseech you to suffer the word of exhortation, I speak unto you Young men, and exhort, saying, Be ye righteous, that ye may be old; this will be your crown, and the length of your days. I speak unto you old men, and exhort saying, Oh be ye righteous and religious, this will be your crown, and glory, better than that of a hoary head; be holy, and ye shall be happy; live well, and live for ever. And ye that have been young, and religious, and old & religious too, young Saints & old Saints, Oh be not weary, faint not, hold out, ye are not far from the kingdom of heaven, you are near the Goal, your labour and travail is almost at an end, you shall have crown for crown, for this corruptible crown of glory of old age, you shall have a crown of glory, which is reserved in heaven for you, which is incorruptible: your old bodies shall be new cast in the grave, as in a new mould, and all the wrinkles, cracks, and flaws, shall be mended: and whereas you have now a crown of glory upon your head in your old age, you shall then have a body all glorified, and all glorious, you shall be made like unto the glorious body of Christ, that is, you shall shine as the Sun in the kingdom of your Father. Instead of long life on earth, you shall have eternal life in heaven: You shall sit down with the holy Patriarcks, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Yea thus blessed and glorious shall ye all be, both young and old, who are found, living and dying, in the way of righteousness.  
FINIS.