Cxnr.2i t..l.Coninsentarie vpon the 1 35 2 theta as inconflant in the faith,& as fubie& towaucr and recle as them- q, felues,who in comparifon are but newly planted. q. Their bodies and outward mats waxeth weake,and beginneth to faite, and therefore they hadmore need labour for flrengthand foundnes in the inner nran;which is a reafonnot to be negleêied,as prefently we (hall fee. Yje.All thefe reafons are dire& again(( fuch asplead,that their yeares çomming on them,they cannot conceiue,nor learne,nor remember,nor profit in religion as they arevrged in the miniflerie ;their fences inward andoutward ferne them not , their vigour and quicknes is gone: but It is good for them to confider the hand of God vpon Zacharie, Luk. r. 18. for making his age a messes to weakenhis faith , though in a farce more difficult cafe. Dothnot our Apoftlehere urge it as a cheife argu- ment,that becaufe they arc old,therefore they mutt the rather be furni- fhedwith graceofknowledge, memory,zeale,faith,loue, and patience? and (hall it goe for a good plea,that becaufe they are old, therefore they (hall be excufed , ifthey cannot attainevoto thefe ,nor greatly force af- ter them ? what a fhame was it for Nicodemus beeing an auncient and Ruler in Ifrael, to be ignorant in the point ofregeneration, and there- fore Chritl reprooued him, Iob. 3. And that was the finne of the He- Htb.s.ar. brews,when asfor their time they ought tohaue bin teachers, they were to feeke in the principles of religion ; and were babes needing milke; fuch is the finne of babiihold men,olde inyeares,children in vnderflan- ding. Dear. The third point, is theleffon which hencewe are to ¡carne ; namely, Eucry man that euery manmull labour to recompence the decaie ofnature, with d muft ayofnarere increafe ofgrace ; the weaknes of the body, with foundneffeofminde; with foundncs the failingof the outward man, with the fortifying of the inward. The wife man wi(heth timely toprepare againfl the inconueniences of old age,with the remembrance ofGod in the youth :howmuch more fhould olde men in the midll of their ruines and decaies , by this meaner re- paire and fortifie themfelues ? And,the counfell is generall; that if the outward man perifh, care mull be had, that the inwardbee daily renew- ed. Reaf. I. It is made a note ofa true member of the Church , to bee morefrefh, flourishing, anctfruitfall in his age: when other men lan- guifh, decay, andare daily enfeebled , thefe trees of righteoufnefl'e re- cciue new vigour and ltrength, not to flourifh onely, but tobemore fruitfull then euer. And whereas amongfl men, chofe that fee olde and decrepiteage for want ofnaturall heate and moiflure fhriule and die a- way ; yet cuen thefe fame beeing true members ofthe Church, having once the life oftheSonne ofGodbreathed into their foules, are neuer ofgrace. Eccles ta.,. a.Cor 4.16. .1 Pfal.ga.rq.
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