(8.) Eighthly, and lastly, Though aged sinners have given Christ many thousand denials, yet he hath not taken them, but after all, and in the face of all denials, he still re-enforces his suit, and continues to beseech them by his Spirit, by his word, by his wounds, by his blood, by his messengers, and by his rebukes, to turn home to him, to embrace him, to believe in him, and to watch witJo him, that they may be saved eternally by him. AH which bespeaks grey-headed sinners not to despair, nor to dispute, but to repent, return, and believe, that it may go well with them for ever. Consider seriously what hath been spoken, and the Lord make you wise for eternity I1
1 Ps. lxv. 1, 2 ; Rom. x. 21, and 1 John v. 2, 3.
1 Kings XIV. 13.] apples of gold. 279
Agreeably to Note prefixed to ' Apples of Gold,' there is here added,
1. The title-page of the original edition.
2. The original 'Epistle Dedicatory.' — G.
A Crown of Honour for Old Men :
The Young Mans Work, and the Old Mans Reward.
In a Sermon (with enlargements since) Preached at Clapham at the interment of the Corps of Mr. John Wood, Mercer ; and Citizen of London, the 13. oiNovemb. 1656.
By THOMAS BROOKS, Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-hitt.
But I thy Servant fear the Lord from my Youth. 1 King. 18. 12.
The hoary head is a crown of Glory, if it bee found in a way oj 'righteousness, Prov. 16. 31.
Printed by R. I. for John Hancock, to be sold
at the first Shop in Popeshead- Alley next
to Corn-hill neer the Exchange. 1657.
280 APPLES OF GOLD. [I KlNGS XIV. 13.
To his honoured and worthily esteemed friends, Mrs Susan Wood (dis- consolate widow to the late pious Mr John Wood, deceased), and Mr John Arthur (minister of the gospel at Clapham), and Mrs Dorothy, his wife ; and to Mr John Wood, Esq. and Mrs Mar- garet, his wife (parents to the late deceased gentleman) ; and to Mr John Humfreys, Esq., and Mrs Elizabeth, his wife : all grace and peace, all consolation and supportation from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Honoured and beloved in our dearest Lord,
It was your earnest desires and serious importunity that midwifed this little treatise into the world. If it do not in all things answer ex- pectation, you know who to thank. I look upon the following discourse as a comment upon his life and death, who is now entered upon a blessed state of eternity. I confess your loss is very very great ; yet to prevent the breaking in of an irresistible torrent of sorrow and sad- ness upon your drooping spirits, be pleased to consider these four things :
1. Though your loss be great, yet there are six greater losses than yours.
(J.) First, The loss of the soul is a greater loss than the loss of a hus- band, a child, a kinsman, &c. The loss of the soul is an incomparable loss, it is an irreparable loss, it is an eternal loss. Francis Xaverius, counselled John the Third, King of Portugal, to meditate every day a quarter of an hour upon that text, What shall it profit a man to gain the world, and lose his soul ? Mat. xvi. 26. Of the sadness and great- ness of this loss, you may read more in the following discourse.
(2.) Secondly, The loss of Christ is a loss infinitely beyond the loss of the nearest and dearest relations. This made Luther say, that he had rather live in hell with Christ, than in heaven without him. He is the greatest good, and therefore the loss of him must needs be the greatest evil, qui te now, habet Domive Deus, totum perdidit [Bernard]. He that hath not thee, and thy Christ, he hath lost all; for Christ is all in all, Col. iii. 11. John Ai'dley professed to Bonner, when he told him of burning, that if he had as many lives as he had hairs on his head, he would lose them all in the fire, before he would lose his Christ.1
(3.) Thirdly, The loss of the gospel is a greater loss than all worldly comforts. Eli bore up sweetly till the ark was taken, and that news broke both his heart and neck.
Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible ; nay, a gracious heart that hath experienced the sweetness of the word, will not take all the world for one line of the Bible.2 The tabernacle was covered over with red, — and the purple-feathers tell us, they take that habit for the same intent, — to note that we must defend the truth even
1 Clarke's ' Martyrologie,' as before, pages 452, 453. — G.
* Si Veritas est causa discordice, mori possum, tacere non possum, said Jerome to Hel- vetius.
1 Kings XIV. 13,] apples of gold. 281
to the effusion of blood, and rather lose our lives than lose the truth. We must say, as the Spartan mother said to her son, either live in reli- gion, or die for religion. When the gospel is lost, the glory of a nation is lost ; yea, the glory of souls is lost.
(4.) Fourthly, The loss of God's favour is a greater loss than any worldly loss. If his loving-kindness be better than life, yea, than lives, as the Hebrew hath it,1 then the loss of it is worse than death, yea, than deaths. Augustine, upon that answer of God to Moses, Thou canst not see my face and live, Exod. xxxiii. 20, makes this quick and sweet reply, 1 Then, Lord ! let me die, that I may see thy face.' It is divine favour that makes heaven to be heaven, and it is the want of that which makes hell to be hell. A Christian that hath been under the shinings of God's face, had rather suffer death, yea, any death, yea, all deaths, than to have the face of God clouded and covered.
(5.) Fifthly, The loss of peace of conscience is a greater loss than any worldly loss. If you ask souls that have experienced the sweetness of peace of conscience, but are now under terrors and horrors, what is the greatest loss? they will answer, loss of peace of conscience. If you ask them again what is the saddest loss? they will answer, loss of peace of conscience : no loss to this loss. Una guttula malm conscientice totum mare, mundum gaudii absorbet (Luther), One drop of an evil conscience swallows up the whole sea of worldly joy.2