CHAPa2 cí4Compnentsrievpon the ;42 man is ¡fill to preffe forward,and to waxe old daily lea- rning fometh- ing, o,d men met And there is great reafonthat as old men muff firff be inflru6led by Ti_', edtbe taught tus fo the fhould be the firff in learning their duty. Seein Fir¡f,in re- theirauq,,vhy. > Y b Y g> I gard ofexample, for their prefidence preuailethmuch , and would be a great inducement to the younger, who neede all incouragements in the wayes of God : which example not beeing generali giuen byour elder men, betides that they entangle chemfelues in the finnes of theyounger, 2 we cannot maruaile at the licencioufnes of our youth. Secondly, the Pron.li.3r, honour of their age,yea the ornament and crowneof their years is, tobe found in the waies of righteoufneffe : that is, in a life lead holily, and iuffly , which two canneuer be found, but in a heart fubntitted to the word ofGod the rule of both. The want of this crowne maketh much olde age burdenfotne, difhonourable,and olde men to line euen vndefr- red, becaufe they are not onely euerie wayvnprofitable, but hurtful) and graccleffe; not oncly old flockes fruitcffe in their age, but withered 3 and keeping the ground barren silo. Thirdly, whereas old men are de- lighted with relations of idle antiquities,and things formerly paffed as long as they can recall,rhe holy Ghoi+recalleth them from filch vnfruit- full (pending their time: and fheweth them that Chrift and his doarioe t.toh.xa4 both of thembering from the begisoing, are moffauncient, and confe- quently the knowledge and remembrance ofhim, is a matter bell befee- ming them: to haue their fenfes and tongues exercifed herein fhould be thedelight oftheir age,tobe conuerfant in the holy exercifes which wit- Loos-3r. :s. neffe of him, fhould be their cheife butineffe: as old flnnah went not out 4 of the Temple, and olde Simeon waited there to fee his faluation. Fourth- ly , their time by the courte of nature cannot be long to fit them_ fettlesto heauen, & therefore they had not needflacke any opportttnitie which might hail them thither: they by teafon of their time fhould fee faluation nearer then when they fir(¡ beleeued; and imitating natural; motion ingrace,become more violent towards the center:they ought re haue experience of the fweetneffe of the Lords yoke , and fhewe all chearefulnefi in well-doing while they abide in the Real : they fhould forecalf to legue a fweete font behind themof a religious carriage to- wardGod in all the duties ofpicric, and ofa louing carriage towards all men. Old men mun vfe. a. This condemneth the frowardneffe of manyof elder fort, Ian slide tiro- who although they neuer learned to knowe Chriff , and the wayof life wzcdncs. when they were yong;yet are neither afraid nor-afhamed to fay that they are now too vide tolearnehim; the which (}.each bewraieth that as yet they neuer learned himaright, as alto that they.are verse forte from fad= nation: for whofoeuer is too oldc to learne the rrteanes, is too olde alto
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