Epiftle ofS. Panul to Titws. to attaine the ende ; betides the extrearnefollieof fuch anvngodly pro- feffion: for would the oldeft man that can be,fent on a Tourney in a way both vnknowne to him, and not eatie to be found or held, fo lülüy rea- fonwith iiimíelfe;I wil right forward,I neuer carne this way before,nei- ther doe I knows it but I will neuer asks of it, for I am too olde now to learne it : and yet thus madde are oldmen in the matters of God, and his kingdome. Others would faine learnt', but not ofyoung men, this fl an- deal not with their grauitie. But howfoeuer macuritieof yeares is not tobe negleófcd in a Miniller, Peeing that in theordinarie courfe it carri- eth with it ripenes ofiudgment;yet Gods grace in youthmuff not be de- (piled: t.Ti n.4,t a. Let no mandefprfethyyouth: and who is commanded here to teach olde men, but Titus a young man ? As for that place, z. Timoth.3. ver.6. a minifier muff not be a young fcholler, it is not meant ofoneyoung in yeares, but young in faith; one lately converted to the Chriffian faith, and as it were a tender and young plant in Chriffi- anide. a. Let this mooucour elder fort to lay afide the worldly wifedome and experience , and takeout that point of wifedome to fit downe at Chriftsfeete, andberoadietobe taught in the waiesofGod. By which meanes howmight the younger be prouoked to take vp into their affte ¿lion andpraElife the loue of the truth and the feare of God? how ex- ceedingly might they helps forward the minifferic in all forts ? whereas it is the greateft (foppe it findeth, and the grearefl toylewe meetewith, tobring oldmen CO leaue their old courfes;who are like drawne vef%ls, in whom is nothing left, but ices and dregges ofignorance,loofenes,fe- curitie, in which with other oldcourfes,they arc determined turn tc rot away. What a number of olde men be there, who are but children , not inyeares,but in vnderflanding,inknowleclge,in experience of the things' of God;in refpe¿I ofwhich wecannot fay they are twice children, for in truth they were neuer other, they neuer came out of this their infancie and childifhneffe. The exhortation is more necefharie, then it is com- monly taken for: when as we may meete with ionic olle men and wo- men towards6o. yeares, ifnot aboue, of whom.one cannot tell that euer he heard ofChrtft ; an other cannot tell whether Cbrift be in heaven or in earth: a third cannot bee perfwaded that he is a (inner: all which I fpeake of my owne experience and triall; andyet there line in our Chri- ffian commonwealth, and perhaps vnder preachingMinillers, In whom is farre lef a fenteof Godand religion, then in the very heathen them - felues.Oh,but thefe you wil fay are outcaff people,and the vileii of men, and theyarcbut fewe. But what a great finne and shame is it, that any fhould be fo fuffered tohue out of all rankeof Chriffianitie, in dayesof Y 3 fuck CHAP.2. Z 343 P'ul faith not veov, but ree'u- 1or. 0. Worldly wit. dome.
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