A29380:26
A word to the aged. By Mr. Will. Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College…A vvord to the aged. By Mr. Will. Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge…
A word to the aged. By Mr. Will. Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and late preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. I commend this to be reprinted as a profitable and serious discourse. James Allen.A vvord to the aged. By Mr. Will. Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and late preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. I commend this to be reprinted as a profitable and serious discourse. James Allen.
Boston: printed for John, 1679
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Though your infirmities be never so many and great, yet you have a peculiar honour that is twisted with your infirmity, for it is called the Crown of old age; In times of the old Testament, they were to rise up and to bow before the Ancient, yea, it is our duty to honour them▪ for this honour is joined and commanded with the fear of God, Lev. 19. 32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old Man, and fear thy God, saith the Lord. The fear of God, and honouring the old Man, is commanded with the same breath, & linked together in the same sentence.
2. Though your infirmities be never so many and great, yet you have a peculiar honour that is twisted with your infirmity, for it is called the Crown of old age; In times of the old Testament, they were to rise up and to bow before the Ancient, yea, it is our duty to honour them▪ for this honour is joyned and commanded with the fear of God, Lev. 19. 32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old Man, and fear thy God, saith the Lord. The fear of God, and honouring the old Man, is commanded with the same breath, & linked together in the same sentence.
3. Though you be very aged, yet you may be very good, was not Eli very good? Yet very aged: ⟨p. 6⟩was not David very good? yet he was very old when he said, Lord, now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace: was not Anna very good? Yet she was very aged: who doth not know what a good man Paul was? Yet saith he, Paul the aged, good John was aged John. Possibly, then you may be very good, though you be very aged, labouring under much infirmity.