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

That is the Diamond that is a top of the Crown, if the hoary head be an honour, this is the honour of that honour, if it be a Crown, righteousness it is the Crown, of that ⟨p. 432⟩Crown Mensura vitae non est longitudo sed honestum, The measure of life is not the length of it, but Godliness is the great honour we are to measure our life by. I suppose you have heard the speech of him that said, I have been long, but I have not lived long. Old men except they be righteous, they are long, but they can scarce be said to live long. If it be found in the way of righteousness, that is, supposing that you have been Godly from your youth, and so grow up to be Godly while you are, then that honours indeed: for though it be good for men to begin to come into the ways of Godliness at any time, and it is never to late to come in, yet to be Elementarius Senex, that is rather a dishonour to be a beginner when you are Old, in the great work, you should be treading in all your days, rather a dishonour (I mean) that you do but then begin, therefore surely the text means this: If it be found, that is if you have gone on in the course of your life in righteousness, and so your Old Age doth not begin righteousness in you, but findeth you in the way of righteousness, you are in the way of righteousness, then it honours. It is spoken to the honour of that disciple Manason, in Acts, 21.16. There went with us also certain of the Disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Manason of Cyprus an Old Disciple, with whom we should lodge; An Old Disciple, it is a mark of honour unto him that he was an Old Disciple; and so Obadiah. 1 Kings, 18.12. I have feared God from my youth, (saith Obadiah) and he speaketh of it, and the Holy Ghost records it as a great honour unto him, I have feared God from my youth. If any of you (for at that time Obadiah was grown ancient, if any of you) can say so, with Obadiah, The Lord hath now given me length of days, and I bless his name that (though in weakness yet) I have feared God from my youth; Oh! this is honourable. As it is reported of Policarpus, Policarpus when he was about to die by Martyrdom, they would have him to renounce the truth, ⟨p. 433⟩Oh! (saith he) these eighty six years I have served Christ, and found him a good master, shall I leave him now?