A29676:148
Apples of gold for young men and women, and a crown of glory for…Apples of gold for young men and vvomen, and a crown of glory for…
Apples of gold for young men and women, and a crown of glory for old men and women. Or, The happiness of being good betimes, and the honour of being an old disciple Clearly and fully discovered, and closely, and faithfully applied. Also the young mans objections answered, and the old mans doubts resolved. By Thomas Brooks preacher of the gospel at Margarets new Fishstreet-hill.Apples of gold for young men and vvomen, and a crown of glory for old men and women. Or, The happiness of being good betimes, and the honour of being an old disciple Clearly and fully discovered, and closely, and faithfully applyed. Also the young mans objections answered, and the old mans doubts resolved. By Thomas Brooks preacher of the gospel at Margarets new Fishstreet-hill.
London: printed by R.I. for John Hancock, 1657
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.
First, All men will honour an old Disciple, 1Prov. 16.31. The hoary head is a Crown of glory, if it be found in the way of Righteousness. God requires that the aged should be honoured, Levit. 19.32. 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) ⟨p. 57⟩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 uprightness; and the other is, an old man walking in ways of Righteousness; 'twas Abraham's honour, 2that he went to his grave in a good old age, or rather as the Hebrew hath it, with a good grey head; many there be that goes 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, 3and the soul as black as Hell, God usually gives up such to the greatest ⟨p. 58⟩scorn and contempt. Princes are hanged up by their hands, 4the faces of Elders were not honoured, and this God had threatened long before. 5The Lord shall bring against thee a Nation from far, a Nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young. 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, sed mentem non habet) who hath grey hairs indeed, but wants understanding and prudence worthy of them. 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.