Death is the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 and the Reign of Death is procured by the Reign of sin which hath reigned over all Mankind except Christ All are sinners infected with the guilt and filth of sin the Rot according to the Vulgar saying over-runneth the whole Flock Hence David reflects upon Original Sin as the Original cause of all his Actuals saying Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me Psal 51.5 Thus Man's Malady begins betimes even in our Conception this subtile Serpent sowed his Tares very early so that we are all born in our sin Joh. 9.34 Adam begat a Son in his own Image Gen. 5.3 and his Childrens Teeth are set on Edge after he had eaten the sour Fruit of the forbidden Tree Ezek. 18.2 The same Hand that was reached forth to that forbidden Fruit reached out both Sin and Death to the Fruit of his Loins wherein that Fruit was seminally as the Branches are in a Common Stock the actual Sin did not determine the bound of Misery in himself but it brought a second Misery with it even the Misery of the whole Nature of Mankind Adam was the Representative or publick Person representing the whole mass of Mankind as a Parliament-man represents the whole Country he is chosen for while Adam stood we all stood in him while he kept his Obedience in his state of Innocency he kept his whole Estate and Nature safe and entire but when he fell we all fell in him in Adam all die 1 Cor. 15.22 Tho' we did not choose him yet God did choose him for us as our Representative and his Sin was the greatest Sin next to that Sin against the Holy Ghost as it had many aggravations against the greatest Light and the greatest Love that ever was vouchsafed to any man and therefore it was just with God so to punish not only himself but his whole Nature also for that sinful Act. Hereby all the Sons and Daughters of Adam came to be deprived of Original Righteousness we are all alienated from the Life of God Eph. 4.18 born the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.3 and come short both of God's Glory and of our own Duty Rom. 3.23 Adam first defiled the Nature of Mankind and ever since the defiled Nature hath defiled the whole Off-spring thereof leaving them under the Curse of God and liable unto Death in the latitude of it even unto Death Temporal Spiritual and Eternal The Fall of Adam was the Death of himself and the Death of us yea and also it was the Death of our dear Redeemer to redeem us from Spiritual and Eternal Death Now as is the Root so are the Branches as is the Fountain so are the Waters that flow from it Generatum sequitur Naturam Generantis that which is begotten doth follow the Nature of that which begetteth who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh Joh. 3.6 Corruptus parit Corruptum one corrupt thing brings forth another yea the Sower soweth clean Grain yet even that brings forth Chaff as well as Wheat from which it was winnowed before it was Sown Father Augustin saith There is nothing more certain than Original Sin yet nothing more secret and hard to be understood how it is conveyed from Parents to Children Many Disputes there be about the manner how Sin is propagated from Adam to his Off-spring some of which deserve no better Character than that of Aristotle de Vacuo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such discourses upon the empty place are but empty things 'T is sufficient for us to know that God by a just imputation doth realize the Infection into the whole Race of Adam in whom we were as in a common lump and in his Leaven we are all sowred We know that leprous Parents do beget leprous Children and there be Diseases which are call'd hereditary and incurable by man we took this Infection from our Parents and we transmit it to our Children so come we to be called a Seed of Evil Doers Children that are Corrupters as well as corrupted Isai c. 1. v. 4. I have read the story of some foolish People who falling all together into a deep Pit fell a disputing one with another how they came there c. but one wiser than the rest advised them to lay aside those Niceties and rather consult about some proper means whereby they might all be delivered out of that danger without which they were in all probability like to perish Even such are those vain Ventilations about this abstruce point of Sins entrance into the World whether by that one person Adam's fall or by every ones fall in his own person the frothy Wits of the Arminians do fondly deny Original Sin But such as are wise to Salvation have learnt better Lessons in Christ's School and they feel otherwise in the School of their own smarting experience Therefore we ought all seriously to consider how the Greek Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seed-plot of all Actual Transgressions c. and the Latin Fathers call it Fomes Peccati the lasting Fewel that feeds the Fire of our burning Lusts but above all how the Holy Scriptures doth Charactarize it calling it the Body of Sin Rom. 6.6 and the Sin that dwells in us Rom. 7.17 and the Law of the Members ver 23. and that which so easily besets us Hebr. 12.1 and David calls it the Iniquity of the Heels which was ready to trip him up and to lay him all along upon the ground at every turn and return of the Tempter upon him Psal 49.5 And if we do as little Zacheus did namely climb up the Sycamore Tree to take a full prospect of his lovely Lord from top to toe Luk. 19.3,4 c. so if we get up into the Mount of the Old and New Testament and take a full view of the foulness of Original Sin The right Scriptural Account of Original Sin is this 1. That man who had been God's delight before Prov. 8.31 became both hated of God Psal 5.5 and an hater of God Rom. 1.30 the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to hate God as Hell 2. That faln man is become intensively evil protensively only evil and extensively always and continually evil in the thoughts and imaginations of his heart Gen. 6.5 3. That man's Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 4. His Thoughts are Thoughts of iniquity Isa 59.7 5. He walks in the vanity of his Mind Ephes 4.17 having his understanding darkned and his Heart blinded ver 18. 6. His Conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 7. His Eyes are full of Adultery and he cannot cease from Sin 2 Pet. 2.14 8. His Throat an open Sepulchre the poison of Asps upon his Tongue and Lips c. Rom. 3.13,14 9. In a word all mans Members and Faculties are marr'd and maim'd by the fall of Adam as might more largely
Metaphor is Tsaba warfare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Job 4.1 because man's life is exposed to Pirates as before Now if our life be a warfare 't is well known how Soldiers have their time of fighting and their time of resting according to the Commands of their Captain General They must obey his Order for both falling on and for falling back as he pleaseth stat pro Ratione Voluntas his Will is a Law to them And thus every good Soldier of Jesus Christ as Timothy is called 2 Tim. 2.3 must be willing either to Act or to Rest according to the Commands of the Captain of our Salvation as Christ is called Heb. 2.10 whether private Christian or publick Minister we must all resign up our Wills into his Will as we read in Ecclesiastick History of a famous Minister called Martinus who being by the Lord seized upon with Sickness 't is recorded how he prayed Decumbens dico Domine si adhuc populo tuo sim necessarius laborem tuum non recuso c. that is Lord serve thy self of me for thy Service is sweet to me if thou hast no more Service to command me then O Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit c. This was piously spoken yet Old Simeon as we read Luke 2.29,30 spake better saying Lord now let thou thy Servant depart in peace Now this good Old Man having laid in his Heart what he lapt in his Arms the most blessed Armful that he ever met with even the Beautiful Babe of Bethlehâ—m he then sung the nunc Dimittas so called even his Soul out of his Body saying I fear no Sin I dread no Death I have lived enough I have my Life I have long'd enough I have my Love I have seen enough I have my Light I have served enough I have my satisfaction I have sorrowed enough I have my consolation even the consolation of Israel whom I and other Believers have long waited for ver 25. even the Messiah that Menachem or Comforter mentioned Lam. 1 16. and yet singing farther Oh sweet Babe let this Psalm serve for a Lullaby to thee and for a Funeral for me Oh sleep in my Arms and let me sleep in thy Peace All this sweet Song Simeon concludes with the procuring cause of his Sacred Musick saying for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation This was his great satisfaction that he had accomplished his Service to his Most Honourable Lord and Master who had employ'd him all his Life in most Honourable Work and who he was assured was going to pay him most Honourable Wages seeing he had got his Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Heart as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Hand as 't is said of the Blessed Virgin who therefore is said to rejoice Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 danced a Gallyard and to magnifie the Lord her Saviour as well as ours Luke 1.47 But far above those two Instances aforesaid to wit Ancient Martinus and the good Old Man Simeon our sinless Saviour saith best of all concerning himself in his last Prayer before his Death saying Mine Hour is now come O Father Glorifie thy Son c. I have Glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do and now O Father Glorifie me with thy Self that is my Manhood with the same Glory which my Godhead had before the World was made John 17.1,4,5 c. Our Lord did not did not ask his Wages before his Work was done his Time was now come and he was now Ripe and Ready to be gone into his Fathers Kingdom This holy practice of our precious Redeemer is left upon Record on purpose for our instruction and comfort Rom. 15.4 that it may be a Pattern to avoid that precipitancy which prevailed over those two famous Prophets men of God Elijah and Jonah who both of them in a strong Pang of Passion desired to Die before their Hour of Dying was come and therefore are we told that these great Servants of God were subject to the like Passions as we are Acts 14.15 Jam. 5.17 It is a sinful desire for any who would be gone to Heaven before their Work be done on Earth we must rather say O Father if thou hast any further Service for me to do I am willing to live longer c. the Will of the Lord be done Acts 21.14 Having thus far discoursed upon the first Accident of Old Age after its Nature namely the Quantity or Measure of it which we have observed to be Uncertain and Various either long or short according to the Statute-law of the great Law-giver the Lord of Lords c. who hath appointed all men once to die c. Heb. 9.27 even Methusalem who was the longest liver upon Scripture-record and who came the nearest to be a Thousand Years Old which is reckoned a number of perfection never attained to by any mere man Tho' he lived many Hundred Years even near to a Thousand and begat Sons and Daughters yet he died at the last see my first Volume of the History and Mystery of the Holy Scriptures of Him at large Now I come to the Second Accident of Old Age to wit the Quality or Manner of it which is either Good or Evil. Concerning the first How it is a good Old Age in its own Nature and by God's blessing upon it I have already demonstrated in the foregoing Discourse and I do design to enlarge much more upon that Point when I arrive at the Third Part after its Nature and Accidents to declare the Dues to and the Duties of Aged Ones whereby Old Age may become good indeed Now as touching the latter of these two That Old Age is an Evil Age that Senium Malum convertuntur These two are convertible Terms Solomon the Wise doth sufficiently evince and evidence in his saying Oh Young Ones remember your Creator before Evil Days come and the Years draw nigh wherein you shall say I have no pleasure in them Eccles 12.1 Wherein he begins to describe First The wearisom evils of Old Age from the latter end of ver 1. to the last end of ver 6. Then Secondly Of the evils of Death ver 7. both which he brings in as two strong motives to urge Young ones to be mindful of their Duty For First in the General All Authors both those that be Civil as well as those that be Sacred do unanimously concur in this point That Old Age and Misery are very seldom found separated As 1. Plutarch saith Senectus ut Africa semper aliquid Novi adportat as Affrica is never without some Monster so Old Age is never without some Ailment 2 Cato saith Solet Senectus esse Deformis Infirma Obliviosa Edulenta Lucrosa Indocilis Molesta that is Old Age useth to be Deformed Feeble Forgetful Toothless Covetous Unteachable and Unquiet 3. Horace saith Multa Senem circumveniunt Incommoda Many are the Inconveniencies that do encompass Old Persons
c. 4. Seneca saith in his Epistle 58. and that out of his own Experience How are our last Days the very Dregs and Lees of our Lives when the clearer part is drawn out and spent then the worst part does sink down to the bottom To add no more of Pagan Authors save only Epictetus 5. calls Old Age Vita Mors Cadaver Spirans Mobile Cadaver that is Old Age is a Living Death 't is a Breathing Corps yea a moving Carcase Now hear what Sacred Authors say better than those aforesaid is too long to quote together in this place seeing so much hath been shewed hereof already The Book of our own smarting Experiences speak loud enough to convince us of the Evil of Old Age. How many Bodily Infirmities doth daily attend us that are Aged what Aches of the Bones what Pains in the Joints what Convulsions of the Sinews what Torments of the Bowels how dolorous are those Diseases of Collick Stone and Strangury in Old Persons what Hollow Coughs Distillations of Rhume what Debility of Nature incroaches daily upon all our Senses of Body and upon all the Faculties of the Mind our Appetites to Food our Digestions of Food both feeble so that in a word Old Age is like the Common-Sewer into which all Diseases do empty themselves and therefore Old Age may well be called an Evil Age. Secondly After this General more particularly the The Evils of Old Age may be reduced to Three Heads to wit Natural Moral and Spiritual 1 st The Evils that are Natural to it And 1. As to the Body Many Distempers do attend it as those even now named and many more beside whereof Barzillai complained as before 2 Sam. 19.34,35 All Aged Persons do smartly feel the Burden of it as that ancient Woman in Plautus who being wished by her Friends that were walking along with her to hasten and amend her pace smartly â—nswered that she could not do so for â—he carried a great Burden upon her Back and when no Burden did as they said appear to their Eyes she replied again that Threescore Years were passed over her Head and that was her Burden And the same may be said by those whose Spirits are much spent and whose Strength is much wasted even at that Age for then Age it self alone is a Burden much more in those that live up even to a Doteage and Uselesness This is made more manifest by Solomon Eccles 12. where he declares the Decays accompanying Old Age he saith according to our English Translation then the Grashopper shall be a Burden ver 5. but the original word Hebrew signifies the curvature or crookedness of the Back which in Old Persons stands bent like a Grashopper and this makes the motions of such as are crooked with Age to be the more burdensome or the Phrase there is Hyperbolical intimating that every light matter will oppress those with their Burden who are already become a Burden to themselves And beside this Natural Evil of Old Age as to the Body there is a second as to the Estate many Losses and Crosses do come upon them as the loss of some of their nearest and dearest Relations and such like complaining as Old Jacob did who mourned for his lost Son many days and refused to be Comforted Gen. 37.34,35 and again Joseph is not and Simeon is not and must I lose my dear Benjamin too as he had lost Rachel c Gen. 42.36 Tho' Jacob's mourning was only for supposed losses yet he had real ones also as of his beloved Rachel c. Many more instances may be mentioned as of David mourning for the real loss of his Son Absolom for whom he made so deep a lamentation c. This loss of Relations is the greater Natural Evil because it is against the course of Nature for Parents to bury Children whereas Children use to bury Parents for one Generation passeth away when another cometh so that a Generation of Children doth as it were thrust out of the World a Generation of Parents by Natures Law To all this let me add my own exercise with this Evil who have lived to bury eight Children out of nine c. And yet there is a third Natural Evil attending Old Age as to their respect and reverence from the Younger Sort alas how are they as Lamps despised as Old Job complains Job 12.4,5 and more fully Job 19.15,16,17,18 and 30.1 to 11 12 13. where he sighs out these sad words saying Upon my Right Hand rise the Young they push away my Feet c. which explaineth what he had said ver 1. that Younger than he was did not only deride him and laughed him to scorn tho' they were no better than Shagrag Dog-keepers as he calls them and most miserably poor ver 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Yet these Young Scoundrils dared to kick him with their Feet or trip up his Heels to lay him along Job was wont to have the chiefest Seats in the Temple and lowly Salutations in the Market-place He was now Ancient and had been Honourable as he had set forth at large in Chap. 29. but here he bewails his Misery that he cannot have a Room in any Place to stand in but every paltry Boy is ready to push him down c. Thus likewise those Ill-bred and Mistaught Children did petulantly deride that Old Prophet Elisha yelling out those impudent words go up thou Bald-pate c. 2 Kings 2.23 Having nothing worse to upbraid him with they taunt that Head with their Scorns which God had crowned with Honour Prov. 16.31 And the same God who had thus honoured his Servant Elisha doth likewise vindicate this dishonour cast upon him ordering two She Bears possibly robb'd of their Whelps to worry forty and two of those Ill-natur'd Children As their Childhood did not excuse them so their Idolatrous Parents were punished in being writ Childless for giving them no better Education see more of this in my Third Volume on this same History NB. Note well Suppose any of us Aged Ones be at any time derided by Younger ones this may allay our Grief that God doth not lead us into any untrodden Path for our Betters have gone before us therein c. The Second and Third Evils to wit Moral and Spiritual which do attend Old Age may be put together and briefly improved As 1 st The Moral Evils are 1. An over-eagerness in a greedy seeking of Wealth and yet a niggardly unwillingness to spend what is gotten no not sometimes to supply the Necessities of Nature c. 2. A dull slow and cold pace in all proceedings of Business yea with a timorous and fearful temper of Mind and yet fretting and chafing at the same dulness and backwardness that he beholds in others under him 3. The Old Man is of a morose Mind hard to be pleased himself and as hard to please others a froward Spirit is easily displeased as we see in Babes at the Breast c. yet are
Burden but entertain it chearfully with God-praising hearts 'T is true tho' Old Age be a rich Blessing of God in it self as is largely demonstrated before and yet is called an Evil Age for Reasons afore-named Notwithstanding God hath not left it comfortless as 't is said John 14.18 But the Spirit who is the Comforter hath left upon Scripture-Record so many Cordials as are truly Soveraign against all the Evils that attend it insomuch as Old Age may be an easie Age a calm and quiet Harbour if Youth hath done it no disservice in filling its bones with the sins of Youth before-hand and if Intemperance which is like the Thief in the Candle wasting it away hath not weakned its Head or Feet c. In this case Old Age hath cause to complain of the evil of the Man and not the Man to murmure at the Evils of Old Age. Thus Old Job oft complains of the Misery of his Old Age saying Lord thou changest our Countenances and sendest us away Job 14.20 and many myriads of such Sighs too long to relate do ever and anon issue out of his Mouth And he himself tells us the ground of all his grief was that God made him to possess the sins of his Youth Job 13.26 therefore says he thou writest bitter things against me c. Thus likewise Old David complained I am become like a Bottle in the Smoak Psal 119.83 and much more in many other Psalms c. which drove him to groan out that Petition Lord remember not against me the Transgressions of my Youth for thy tender Mercies have been of old c. Psal 25.6,7 Both those Instances were Holy Persons who after those and many more such Complaints were both of them comforted by the God of all Comforts 2 Cor. 1.3 and had their Old Age marvelously sweetned to them and had their best Wine at the last both those Good Men had remembred their Creator in the days of their Youth Eccles 12.1 and tho' their Youth-Time had been a very rough Voyage through a surging stormy Sea yet their last Years were their best Years as it was to Good Old Jacob who after a long Life of manifold Miseries did enjoy seventeen Years of sweet Tranquility and Comfort c. But alas this Mercy can never be expected by those who never had God neither in their Heads Psal 10.4 nor in their Hearts Psal 14.1 nor in their Words Psal 12.4 no nor in their Works Tit. 1.16 and such as drive a Through-Trade all their Lives in Weaving the Web of Wickedness having been twice dipped in the Devils Dye-Tub as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Scarlet Sins doth sigâ—ie namely in the Wool of their Youth and in the Web of their Elder Years those can never expect any comfort in Old Age. Pliny tells us Serpens Serpentem devorans fit Draco as that Serpent which commonly devoureth other Serpents becomes to be a Dragon at last So a long swallower of many Sins becomes at the length a most Monstrous Sinner c. that Old and true saying that if Persons prove not Fair at twenty Strong at thirty Wise at forto Rich at fifty and Religious at sixty Years of Age such will never prove either Fair or Strong or Wise or Wealthy or Holy Ones all the days of their Lives This ancient Adage holds a most apt congruity with that saying of Solomon such as seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Whereas the Habitual Sinner to whom God hath given the Space of Repentance many times but never the Grace of it Rev. 2.21,23 leads the Life of sin Thoughts beget Delight Delight begets Consent Consent begets Action Action begets Custom and lastly Custom begets Necessity so that he brings himself under a Law of an unavoidable Sinning against his maker and as David tells Saul wickedness proceedeth from the wicked as naturally as Water from the Fountain 1 Sam. 24.13 Satan is not satisfied to have Men Sinners only but he will have them also to abound in sin and to be like the Crocodile that grows while it lives in growing greater and grosser Sinners to the end of their Lives Alas this is but the laying of a bad and not a good foundation for the time to come As we are commanded to lay up a better store against Old Age and Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.19 NB. Note well Our Lord tells Peter what Miseries he should meet withal when he came to be Old John 21.18 He had the manner of his Death foretold him that he should glorifie God by Martyrdom ver 19. and observe what an holy Improvement he made of this Precaution he had made his Solemn Appeal to an All-knowing Lord saying thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee ver 17. and to testifie his Love to his Lord in feeding his Lambs he wrote those two famous Epistles General to the Churches of Christ and in the latter of them he saith I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance c. Yea I think it meet while I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up c. knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.12,13,14,15 He knew that his Tent or Tabernacle must soon be taken down his Earthly House as Paul who was a Tent-maker calls the Body a Tent 2 Cor. 5.1 So both these two great Apostles did truly and duly endeavour to magnifie and to glorifie Christ both in Life and at Death John 21.19 and Phil. 1.20 Thus both Peter the Elder and Paul the Aged as they stile themselves 1 Pet. 5.1 and Phil. ver 9. were well in-laid and fortified before-hand to undergo the Evils that attended them both in their Old Age c. May we but get Hearts to own God while we are Young then God will not forget us but own us when Old and as our days are so shall our strength be Deut. 33.25 Now more particularly the Comforts against the Evils of Old Age are First That then the Law of our Members cannot so easily lead us into captivity unto sin Rom. 7.23 as formerly in the Heat and Vanity of our Youth Indeed the Witty Fable runs thus Cupid that Pagan God of Love and Mors that is Death happened to meet together and to lodge all Night both of them in one and the same Inn but in the Morning they chanced to mistake each others Quivers filled with Darts Hereupon Cupid after this shot the frozen Darts of Death at many Young People in their briskest time of their Loving and Lusting whereby many Young Gallants and Tempting Ladies were brought unto an untimely Death c. But on the contrary Mors did shoot the Fiery Darts of Cupid at the Aged Persons who in the Course of Nature were hastening to the Grave and hereby arose that wantonness of Old People for Marriage c. by which means it may be said as