I have read of a certain great man that was admonished in his sick- ness to repent, who answered, that he would not repent yet, for if he should recover, his companions would laugh at him ; but growing sicker and sicker, his friends pressed him again to repent, but then he told them that it was too late, Quia jam judicatus sum, et condemnatus for now, said he, I am judged and condemned.2
Reason 13. Because else they will never attain to the honour of being old disciples.
It is a very great honour to be an old disciple.
Now this honour none reach to, but such as are converted betimes but such as turn to the Lord in the spring and morning of their youth. It is no honour for an old man to be in coats, nor for an old man to be a babe in grace. An ABC old man is a sad and shameful sight. Oh ! but it is a mighty honour to be a man, when he is old, that he can date his conversion from the morning of his youth. Now that it is an honour to be an old disciple, I shall prove by an induction of parti- culars.3 As,
Particular 1. All men will honour an old disciple : Pro v. xvi. 31, ' The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of right- eousness.'4 God requires that the aged should be honoured : Lev. xix. 32, 'Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man' (the old man here is by some expounded the wise man), ' and fear thy God. I am the Lord.' Hoariness is only honourable when found in a way of righteousness. A white head, accompanied with a holy heart, makes a man truly honourable. There are two glorious sights in the world : the one is, a young man walking in his upright- ness ; and the other is, an old man walking in ways of righteousness. It was Abraham's honour that he went to his grave in a good old age, or rather, as the Hebrew hath it, with a good grey head, Gen. xxv. 8. Many there be that go to their graves with a grey head, but this was Abraham's crown, that he went to his grave with a good grey head. Had Abraham's head been never so grey, if it had not been good, it would have been no honour to him. A hoary head, when coupled with an unsanctified heart, is rather a curse than a blessing. When the head is as white as snow, and the soul as black as hell, God usually gives up such to the greatest scorn and contempt. 'Princes are hanged up by their hands, the faces of elders were not honoured,' Lam. v. 12, and this God had threatened long before. 'The Lord shall bring against thee a nation from far, a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young,' Deut. xxviii. 49, 50.
1 Breerw. Enqui. [This is Edward Brerewood's c Enquiries touching the diversity of languages,' &c. 1614. — G.] a Bede hath this story.
8 What more ridiculous than piter centum annorum, a child of an hundred years old ? * A crown is a very glorious thing, but there are but few of them.
192 APPLES OF GOLD. [1 KlNGS XIV. 13.
I have read of Cleanthes, who was wont sometimes to chide himself. Ariston wondering thereat, asked him, Whom chidest thou? Cleanthes laughed, and answered, I chide an old fellow, Qui canos quidem habet, sad mentem non habet, who hath grey hairs indeed, but wants under- standing, and prudence worthy of them.1 The application I will leave to the grey heads and grey beards of our time, who have little else to commend them to the world but their hoary heads and snowy beards.
Particular 2. God usually reveals himself most to old disciples, to old saints : Job xii. 12, 'With the ancient is wisdom ; and in length of days understanding.'3 God usually manifests most of himself to aged saints. They usually pray most and pay most, they labour most and long most after the choicest manifestations of himself and of his grace; and therefore he opens his bosom most to them, and makes them of his cabinet council. Gen. xviii. 17-19, ' And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do ; for I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment ; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him/ Abraham was an old friend, and therefore God makes him both of his court and council. We usually open our hearts most freely, fully, and familiarly, to old friends. So doth God to his ancient friends. Ah, what a blessed sight and enjoyment of Christ had old Simeon, that made his very heart to dance in him ! ' Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,' &c, Luke ii. 25-28. I have seen him, who is my light, my life, my love, my joy, my crown, my heaven, my all ; therefore now ' Let thy servant depart in peace/ verses 36-38. So Anna, when she was fourscore and four years old, was so filled with the discoveries and enjoyments of Christ, that she could not but declare what she had tasted, felt, seen, heard, and received from the Lord. She was ripe and ready to discover the fulness, sweetness, goodness, excellency, and glory of that Christ whom she had long loved, feared, and served. So Paul lived in the light, sight, and sweet enjoyments of Christ, when he was aged in years and in grace, Philip, iv. 5, 7, 9. So, when had John that glorious vision of Christ among the golden candlesticks, and those discoveries and mani- festations of the ruin of Rome, the fall of antichrist, the casting the beast and false prophet into a lake of fire, the conquest of the kingdoms of the world by Christ's bow and sword, the binding up of Satan, and the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, Rev. i. 7, seq., but when he was old, when he was aged in years and in grace? The Lord speaks many a secret in the ears of saints, of old Christians, which young Christians are not acquainted with, as that phrase imports, 2 Sam. vii. 27, ' Thou, 0 Lord Gcd of hosts, hast revealed to thy ser- vant ;' so you read it in your books, but in the Hebrew it is, ' Lord, thou hast revealed this to the ear of thy servant.'3 Some wonder how that word 'to the ear' comes to be left out in your books, in which indeed the emphasis lies. We will tell many things in an old friend's
1 The 'quaint penitence' of above saying, as it has been described, belongs to the Stoic of the name. Cf. Bp. Cotton's Memoirs in Smith's ' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology." — G.
•-■ □,>t>>i!£">3 In the ancient is wisdom. Valentianins the emperor's motto was, Amicus veterimus optmut, an old friend is best. 3 Jt^-nx FlWJ' ^alillia ethozen.
1 Kings XIV. 13.] apples of gold. 193
ear, which we will not acquaint young ones with. So doth God many- times whisper an old disciple in the ear, and acquaints him with such things that he hides from those that are of younger years. And by this you may see what an honour it is to be an old disciple.