ComaOfthehonour due to thofe that excel ingifts,&c.Chap.9. X87 contempt plume. There is a laudable defire of Honour, when one doth nothing a- gainft it male agendo, when he commits not that evil which (honk] bar him from it ; and there is a laudable contempt, when one doth nothing that is evil for attaining ofit. But to prefer one becaufehe is of Kin, or near by Education, ora Friend, or rn lacer, out ofhope ofgain, or to defpight one that is good and fit ; and that becaufe though he begood, yet hewill not be good for our turn. This is to fhoulder out the gifts whichfhould only be regarded in Ele&ion. 2. Being in place, he muf( not think he is fallen into the Pot, that he is in aplace Ezék, t r, 3 of tell ; but he is to ufe that place fo,that a greater prefermentmay befal him, to the end that he may do the more good, than hecould do in a lower place. 3. The third Duty is, utendum fe prebere, to offer bimfelf that men may make.ufe of his gifts i for memo accipit donum proper fe, no man bath a gift for hú own ufe a- lone ,_but hemull fay as the Philofopher to the AntiJfhenes, !7d xis's° Ca, I live 'CO pr.iv. 9. 4 5: thisend to besled by others. The Wife -man faith of Wifdom, that fhe finds out her John t:3ó. maids [ the under -Arts¡ and crieth ber felt to the Pimple, Come. And our Saviour (when two Difeiples asked him where hedwelt,) bade them come andfie: and they went with him home. The Duty of theInferiour jn this is, to make ufe of the gifts of him that-bath more or better than himfelf. Eo fe confrere ubi Deus elf, to refrt to theplace where God it : and where is that ? Thepeople are Paid to enquire ofGod, when they enquire Exod. r8. is. OfMfrs. So inanother place,when they enquired of the Prophets. There are things too hard for force, therefore they are to be refolved by them that have better gifts. Deut. c. 17. Thus much for the excellency of the Mind. 2. We come now tobonum corporie, the excellencyofthe Body. Oldage. Canitiesve- Levit. 19. 32. turabilis eft,gray-bairr are to bebad in reverence. There is anexprefs law for it. Thou Pakrife upbefore the hoary head, and honour the faceof the old man. And the Pro- Efay 9. 15, phet joyneth ancient and honourable in one verfe. And wemay fee,that it was ever accounted for a biding to that City that did enjoy the aged. The Prophet reciting Zach. 8.4. thebenefits thatJerufolem fhould enjoy at the reftauration, hath this for one. Old metandold women (hall dwellin thyareas. And it made Job at a frand, he knew.not Job 21..9. what to think, when he faw the wicked grow old. Sure it is, that among thecurfes, which the manofGod denounced againfl Eli, this was one, There fha!not be an old 1 Sam. 2. 31. than in thybottle. The Apofile therefore willeth, that Elders fhould be honoured and intteated as Fathers; which honour confifis in feveral Duties that the younger fort 1 Tim, 5. 4, muff perform towards them, viz. r. When ancient men are in place to be filent, and lay their hands upon their Ecdus 32. 9. mouth, and give them leave to£peak ; the reafon is given by holy Job, becaufe there Job 12. 12. fs wifdomwith the ancient, and in multitude ofyears is underffanding. Elib:t being a youngman, waited till yobfpake : and gave his reafon, I am youngandye are old, I 32.4 muafraid anddurfi not (hew my opinion : Ifaid, Days lhould (peak, &e. The Phi- 8. lofophers rule was,that when we have madeour own demonflrations, we mull give wayco indemonftrabilia, the portions of old men without demonftration , becaufe they are grounded upon long experience. The negled of this was the ruine of 1 Kings 02.8. Reboboam, who regarded not the counfel of the Ancients., but took counfel ofthe young men. t. Anfwerable to this is the Duty of the Aged. Firfl, they are not to be pueri centum annorum, childrenof an hundredyears old. Saint Jerome tranflates it Elemen- Efay d5. 2b. tarios fines, Oldmen that were to learn their ABC : as they have cantors Caput, a gray-bead, fo they mull have eenum intelleíloem, an underfianding anfwerable. And therefore it is Paid, that honourable age is not that which ffandeth in length oftime, nor Wifd.4.8, 9. that is meafuredwith numberofyears; butWifdom it the gray hair untomen : and ina- nother place, 0 bowcomely a thing is judgment for gray-hairs, andfor ancient min to Ecclus know counfel 1 2. The fecond is afurgere, to rifeupbefore them, in fign of reverence. Thou Levit. t9. 32. Jhalt rife upbefore the hoary head, faith the Law; becaufe theyare in a fpecial manner the Image of God, who is called Antiques dierum, the ancient ofdays ; their hoary Dan. y. 9. head is a Crown to them, even a crown ofGlory, as theWife-man fpeaks, and fo they have a refemblance of Eternity. Senelluc eft veffigium eterniiatis, old age if a Prey. 16.31. print ofEternity. 29.29. C e e 2 'there
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