A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Let not the young Minister despise the old: when one said to his friend, while he was looking on an old man; You see not Hominem sed umbram, not a man, but the shadow of a man: it was answered, that an old mans shadow was oftentimes better than a young mans whole body. Athanasius was very old: yet upon his shoulder, our Mother the Church leaned, in her sharpest persecutions, to take her rest. Nor yet let the old despise the young. The Spirit of God is not bound to age, nor is wisdom tied to years. It is not with senses, as it is with wines, the older the better. There may be a young man of sixty, and an old man of twenty years. Young David may excel his teachers: Daniel was a young Prophet, Solomon a young King, Samuel a young Priest, John a young Evangelist, Aquilinus Discipulus; Timothy a young Bishop, Timothy was so young, that Paul calls him Son: yet Timothy was acquainted with Christ, before Paul was acquainted with Timothy. 2 Tim. 3 15. He knew the Scriptures from a child, which made him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Yet Paul is called his Father; first, because he did instruct him more perfectly: so they were called the Sons of the Prophets, whom the Prophets taught. And because he did minister to Paul, as to a father. Now though he was Aetate filius, tamen dignitate Episcopus; For age a son, yet for dignity a Bishop. Some say he was chosen to such a place, Ob penuriam temporis; but they manifest penuriam ingenii. No, saith Ambrose; Juvenis ille nil juvenile habuit; That youth retained no youthful humours. A young man with his undowned chin, whose face hath not yet discovered to the world of what sex he is; may be old in the gifts of the Spirit. It is an old proverbe; Cucullus non facit ⟨p. 270⟩Monachum; A well shooted beard striving for length with the cassock, makes not a Priest. Ministers must be young before they be old: Ordinatè ad ordinem, non saltando, sed ascendendo; proceeding orderly, not by jumps, but by degrees. First, they are tried with a less charge: For, Qui non benè regit naviculam in fluvio, non reg•• navem in oceano; He that rules not well a small vessel in the river, trust him not with a ship in the sea. A young man may often say, My youthful affections are dead, and I live; when an old man shall have passed many years in the world, and yet is scarce a day old in Christ.