Book IV. s I N COMPARED TO G R E Y-H A I R s. !I. Grey-Hairs are a Sign of old Age: So fame Sins and Judgments upon a People, !hew forth that thev are old in Wickednefs. 111. Grey-Hairs come oft-times by great Grief. &aliger tells us of a young Man, who through the extreme Trouble of his Spirit, was turned grey in one Night: So the Judgments and Mileries of a People, becaufe of their Sins, make them grey-headed, and tbneby look old and wltheroed, & c. IV. When Grey-Hairs come upon a Man, they bring oftentimes with them feeble Knees, and f\ilfnefs of the Limbs: So Sin makes feeble; the Heat of Zeal, and Vigor of Spirit is thereby abated. V. Grey-Hairs are Symptoms and Fore-runners of Death and Mortality: So fome Sins and Miferies upon a People, are the clear Symptoms of fpiritual Death, or Night of Darknefs. VI. Some Men have Grey-Hairs here and there, and they know not of them: So a Soul, Nation, or Church, may have fad Symptoms of H uin upon them, and they be ignorant of them: He knows it not. Q!,tefl. \ Vhat were thofe Grey-Hairs that were upon Ephraim? .dnfw. One was, Strangers bad devoured bis Strength: Their Support and chief St>y, that which fhou!d uphold, comfort, and fuccor them, was gone-\~1 icked Men were let in upon them, and fuch who fought ro fpoil them of•their Rights, Liberties, and .Eflates ; or lpiritually, Si.n prevailed, !\range Lufts had devoured their Strength, Hof. 1i. 5· Ephraimwas fallen in love with other Lovers, his Affc:C1ion was ttt upon Strangers. Saints fhould keep their Hearrs clofe to Chrift, or elfe the Love of the World will -loon -Heal away their Strength, and make them decay in Godlinefs. The \"'horedom of .Epbraimwas doubtlefs one of thofe Grey-Hairs he had upon him. 2 . The Pride of Ephraimwas another Grey-Hair: 'The Pride of l frael dotb tejlify to his Face; and therefore jhall!lrael and Ephraim fall in tbeir Iniquity, Ilof v. 5· 3. Their Goodnefs was IfS the Morning Cloud, and as the early De·w, it pajjed away, Hof vi. 4· which might be another of his Grey-Hairs. By their Goodnefs, doubtlefs is meant their Goodnefs and Kindnefs to God, and one rowards another. They were falfc-hearted, inconl\ant, and fickle, like a Morning Cloud; their Words were empty Sounds, like Clouds without Water; they dealt treocheroufly with God, and deceit– fully with their Brethren. 4· They were like a filly Dove without a Heart; they let their dearef\ Enjoyments go, like as a fi lly Dove parts with her Young, and did not, like tl1e Hen, f\rive to preferve them: This might be.another of hts Grey-Hairs. A Dove is eafily caught with a Net; fo was .Ephraim eafily enfnared by his Enemies. A Dove will keep ha Nef\, though you take it away, and thereby take her captive: 0 how unwilling are fame Men to part with their Lofts·! They will no: leave their Sms, or Company, though it prove their Ruin: They are like the filly.Oove. :, . The great Things of God's Law were accounted ftrange Things to Ephraim; though God himfelf wrote them, yet he liked them not, but rather derided at them that owned, and fubjected to them. This was another Grey-Hair:. 6. EphroJm was as a Cake uot turned, llof vii. 8. he was not thorough for God ; he flood halting between two Opinions, did not know what Religion to be of: Or he was fo perverfe, that though he lay under heavy J udgments, and was r.eady to be burned on the Coals; yet he fought not to pre:vent the Danger, and efcape the Fire; he cried not to .God in his AflliB:ion. And this was another of his Grey-Hairs, Hof vii. 14. 7· Epbraimwas as an empty Vine; he brought forth Fruit to himfelf: God received ·but little from l:."phraim; all his Labor and Doing was for himfelf, to enrich himfelf, and lay up for himlelf; be cared not for the lnreref\ of God. .dn empty Jl'ine: He had Juice and Sap enough to bring forth Fruir to himfelf, bm was barren towards God. They cannot fpare i'ime, nor have they l.rifu rc to wait upon .his Service: They can– ·not fpare Money to further the Intercf\ of Godlinefs, though ~hey can give two, three, four, or five hundred, nay, a thoufand Pounds, to fuch a Son, or fuch a Daughter, .and maintain them bravely, when fame of Chrif\'s Minifters want Bread: They love, alas! their Sons and Daughters more than Chrif\: They are empty Vines, they bring forth Fruit to themfelves. 0 what a bafe Spirit and Principle are fame Profefiors of! They are like Ephrai.m. And this was another of his Grey-Hairs. 8. He
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=