Now the Aged person hath lived long, hath conversed both with Men and Books, hath the Rust of natural Ignorance well scoured offf; and if he have not more Riches than others, yet surely he hath more Knowledge, especially if he hath put on the New Man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him, Colos. 3. 10. And therefore tho it be a Brutish thing in any body, to be ignorant in those things that concern their Happiness, yet it is intolerably absurd ⟨p. 82⟩for one that is Old in Years, to be a Child in understanding: to be like the Old man, which Mr. Pemble tells of, who, tho by a probable computation, he had heard two or three thousand Sermons, being above sixty years old, yet being examined by a Minister on his Death-bed concerning his Knowledge of God, he thought he was a good Old man; concerning Christ, that he was a towardly young Youth; concerning his Soul, that it was a great Bone in his Body; and concerning his future Estate, he said, if he had done well, he should be put into a pleasant green Meadow: what a woeful thing is this, that a constant Hearer, and seeming Lover of the Word of God, as this man was, should live and dye in such gross Ignorance? No Trade how difficult soever, but seven or eight years will teach it; what a shameful thing then is it to be sent into the world, purposely to learn to be a true Christian, and after fifty or sixty years to remain ignorant in the mysteries of it? To be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth, 2 Tim. 3. 7. On the other side, Josephus tells us, speaking of the Jews, Every one of our Nation being demanded of our Laws, can answer as readily, as tell his own Name; learning it ⟨p. 83⟩as soon as we come to the use of Reason, it is imprinted in our minds. Certainly an ignorant Old person is the shame of Christianity, yea, of Humanity it self.
Now the Aged person hath lived long, hath conversed both with Men and Books, hath the Rust of natural Ignorance well scour'd offf; and if he have not more Riches than others, yet surely he hath more Knowledge, especially if he hath put on the New Man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him, Colos. 3. 10. And therefore tho it be a Brutish thing in any body, to be ignorant in those things that concern their Happiness, yet it is intolerably absurd ⟨p. 82⟩for one that is Old in Years, to be a Child in understanding: to be like the Old man, which Mr. Pemble tells of, who, tho by a probable computation, he had heard two or three thousand Sermons, being above sixty years old, yet being examined by a Minister on his Death-bed concerning his Knowledge of God, he thought he was a good Old man; concerning Christ, that he was a towardly young Youth; concerning his Soul, that it was a great Bone in his Body; and concerning his future Estate, he said, if he had done well, he should be put into a pleasant green Meadow: what a woful thing is this, that a constant Hearer, and seeming Lover of the Word of God, as this man was, should live and dye in such gross Ignorance? No Trade how difficult soever, but seven or eight years will teach it; what a shameful thing then is it to be sent into the world, purposely to learn to be a true Christian, and after fifty or sixty years to remain ignorant in the mysteries of it? To be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth, 2 Tim. 3. 7. On the other side, Iosephus tells us, speaking of the Iews, Every one of our Nation being demanded of our Laws, can answer as readily, as tell his own Name; learning it ⟨p. 83⟩as soon as we come to the use of Reason, it is imprinted in our minds. Certainly an ignorant Old person is the shame of Christianity, yea, of Humanity it self.
- fTum maximè mentis oculus acutè cernere incipit, cum primum diflorescit corporis oculus. Plato in conviv.
