Avith convictions, wooing and entreating me by his messengers for many years, which made me think that my day of grace was past. But since, ' praised be the Lord, who hath comforted me,' and now I see that there is yet a door of hope open for me, which hath brought me to such a great change in the very thoughts of my heart, that I would not ex- change for the whole world. Brother ! let your prayers and the prayers of God's people be, that the Lord would increase and strengthen his grace in me, for I am as a new-born babe, ' desiring the sincere milk of the word, that I may grow thereby/ 1 Peter ii. 2. And I would gladly have more acquaintance with the Lord's people. Brother ! my prayer shall be to the Lord for you, that you may grow more and more in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; and so I rest, yours in all brotherly love and affections till death,
W. L. Tiverton, March 1655.
' Apples of Gold' wag originally preached as a ' funeral sermon,' and published in 1657. See Appendix to our reprint, where will be found, (1.) Copy of the first title-page, as it states the circumstances ; (2.) The original ' Epistle Dedicatory,' afterwards withdrawn and another substituted ; but reprinted thus as being very characteristic and pungent.
Our text is taken from the ' third edition, corrected.' Its title-page will be found below.* The ' 17th' edition appeared in 1693, and ' Apples of Gold' has always ranked with ' Precious Remedies' and the ' Mute Christian,' in acceptance. — G.
A CROWN of GLORY for Old Men and Women.
The Happiness of being Good betimes.
And the Honour of being an Old Disciple.
Clearly and fully discovered, and closely
and faithfully applied.
The Young Mans Objections answered. And the Old Mans Doubts resolved.
By THOMAS BROOKS Preacher of the Gospel
at Margarets New Fishstreet-hill.
The Third Edition corrected.
But I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth, 1 Kings
18. 12. The hoary head is a Crovm of Glory, if it bee found in a
way of Righteousness, Prov. 16. 31.
London, Printed by R. T. for John Hancock, to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-head- Alley, next to Corn- hill, near the Exchange. 1660.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY,
TO ALL YOUNG PERSONS THROUGHOUT THE NATIONS,
especially those, of both sexes, who begin to turn their faces towards Zion.
Dear Hearts, — 'A word spoken in due season, how good is it I',1 Pro v. xv. 23. ' It is' often ' like apples of gold in pictures of silver/ Prov, xxv. 11. Many times such a word is sweet, precious, pleasing, delectable, and strong in its operation. A company of near friends dining together one Sabbath day, one that was at table, to prevent impertinent2 discourse, said ' that it was a question whether they should all go to heaven or no,' which struck them all into a dump, and caused every one to enter into a serious consideration with themselves. One thought, if any of this company go to hell, it must be I ; and so thought another and another, and indeed so thought almost every one then present, as well servants that waited as those that sat at table, as it was afterwards acknowledged ; and through the mercy and blessing of God this speech so wrought upon the spirits of most of them, that it proved the first instrumental means of their conversion.
I have my hopes, through grace, that this treatise, though it be sown in weakness, yet by the blessing of the Most High upon it, it may rise in power, and be an instrumental means of the winning of souls to Christ, which is my highest ambition in this world ; and therefore I have broke through all difficulties and carnal reasonings that might otherwise have stifled this babe in the womb, and kept it from ever seeing of the light.
I have read of an emperor that delighted in no undertakings so much as those which in the esteem of his counsellors and captains were deemed most difficult and impossible. If they said such or such an enterprise would never be accomplished, it was argument enough to him to make the adventure ; and he usually prospered, he seldom miscarried.
I have never found greater and choicer blessings to attend any of my poor weak labours than those that have been brought forth into the world through the greatest straits and difficulties.
1 ' A word spoken [gnal ophnah) upon his wheels,' that is, with a due concurrence and observation of all circumstances of time, place, person, all which are as the wheels upon which our words and speeches should run, such a word is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 2 ' Not pertinent,' = irrelevant or frivolous.— G.
1 70 EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
Valerius Maximus reports,1 that one telling a soldier going to war against the Persians, that they would hide the sun with their arrows, he answered, We shall fight best in the shade. Nothing should dis- courage nor dishearten a soldier of Christ, 2 Tim. ii. 3, 4. Christ saith to all his soldiers (as the Black Prince his father said to him, fighting as it were in blood to the knees, and in great distress), Either vanquish or die.2 Men of no resolution, or of weak resolution, will be but little serviceable to the good of souls. Such watchmen as will be free from the blood of souls, and be serviceable to the interest of Christ in turning sinners from darkness to light, must be men of spirit and resolution.
I remember Austin beginneth one of his sermons thus : Ad vos mihi aervno, 0 j avenes flos cetatis, periculum mentis, To you is my speech, O young men, the flower of age, the danger of the mind.'3
So say I, To you, O young men ! do I dedicate the ensuing treatise, and that, first, Because the matter contained therein doth primarily and eminently concern you.
And secondly, Because of an earnest desire that I have of your internal and eternal welfare.
And thirdly, Because of some late impulses that have been upon my spirit to leave this treatise in your hands as a legacy of my love, and as a testimony and witness of my great ambition to help forward your everlasting salvation.
And fourthly, Because there is most hope of doing good amongst you, as I evidence more at large in the following treatise.
And fifthly, To countermine the great undermmer of your souls, whose great design is to poison you, and to possess you, in the morning of your days.
Sixthly, To provoke others that are more able and worthy to be more serviceable to you in declaring themselves fully on this very subject, which none yet have done that I know of, though it be a point of as great concernment to young persons especially, as any I know in all the Scriptures, Eph. iv. 14*.
Seventhly, and lastly, Because there are very many that do lie in wait to deceive, corrupt, and poison your persons with God-dishonouring, Christ-denying, conscience-wasting, and soul-damning opinions, prin- ciples, and blasphemies.4