Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world

USE. 2.

You that are old and ancient, seeing God hath put honour upon you, take heed you dishonour not your hoary hairs. God saith you are a Crown of Glory, dishonour not you this your Crown of Glory, for your white hairs will make your sins so much the blacker; and we read in Numb. 6.7. that the high priest might not defile himself because the consecration of God was upon his head. There is a Crown of Glory upon thy head, therefore defile not thy self. I have read of a Lacedaemonian that wore his beard very long, and it was white, and one asked him why he wore it so long, he gave this ⟨p. 429⟩answer; I wear it long that I seeing my white hairs may do nothing dishonourable to them, may do nothing unbeseeming those white hairs of mine. If thou shouldest do any thing unbeseeming thy Hoary head and Crown of Glory, thou takest the beauty away from thee, there is a Puerilis Senectus, an Old man may be a Child, as well as a young man may be Old. A young man may be Old in respect of his spirit, and demeanour, and carriage. And much vanity may appear in those that are Old, to make them be as Children. Titus. 2.2, 3. you have there the exhortation of the Holy Ghost to Old men, how they should carry themselves with all gravity, and with modesty. It is a notable place that we are to observe that Rehoboam though he were above forty years Old, yet the scripture (you shall find in 2. Chron. 13.7.) calls Rehoboam a Child, he was but a Child, one that had a very childish Effeminate heart, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them, young, a child, tender hearted, of a softly heart, a foolish Effeminate childish spirit, that is the meaning of it, and yet this Rehoboam was above forty years Old, whereas Joseph was a young man, and the scripture in