righteousnesse which is attended with a Crown of glory upon earth will undoubtedly bring that which is very much better in heaven Hearken what our Saviour promiseth The righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom Mat. 13. 43. of their Father And observe the expectation of David upon this account As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse Psa 17. 15. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Though I may not spend words in illustrating these passages yet I wish that the aged would seriously consider how much is comprehended in this glorification and this satisfaction assured upon the righteous at the generall resurrection 3. Who doth not upon such grounds as have been hinted desire to die the death of the righteous as that wretch Num. 23. 10. Balaam did therefore wisedom would work endeavours to attain righteousnesse in the time of life I remember a passage in the promise made by the Angel concerning the successe of John the Baptist his Ministry He shall turn the disobedient Luke 1. 17. to the wisedom of the Just There is singular wisedom amongst the righteous as in other regards so herein because as they intend the best good as their end so they seek to accomplish it not only by wishings and wouldings but by the reall use of the means sanctified for the obtaining thereof Let us therefore herein make imitation 4. The unrighteous shall not finde any favour with God because of their gray heads when he cometh to judgement Somewhat was before suggested to this purpose therefore now I will onely mention two Scriptures which may be awakening to aged persons sleeping in security Though a Eccl. 8. 12 13. sinner do evil an hundred times and his daies be prolonged yet it shall not be well with the wicked Forbearance is no acquittance but God will be sooner or later upon their bones with blows of vengeance And their shutting out of heaven is so certain that the Apostle taketh it for granted that none will question it Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit 1 Cor. 6. 9. the Kingdom of God How can you old people give credit to these expressions of divine severity without resolutions to look out after righteousnesse 5. You aged ones are the greatest monuments of divine patience which should leade you unto repentance and the Apostle giveth in two considerations to adde strength unto this argument viz. 1. Because otherwise your hearts will be more and more obdurate and your selves become lesse and lesse able to reform 2. Because through your abuse of Gods forbearance his wrath will be kindled and encreased against you Weigh I pray you his words Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse Rom. 2. 4 5. and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of Jer. 13. 23. God I have been the more earnest in pressing the reformation of the aged sinners because it is attained with difficulty through their accustomed continuance in wickednesse Secondly I shall bend my advice to the aged who are through Gods grace really righteous These persons are to be perswaded unto reall gratitude to the Lord who hath set a Crown of glory upon their gray-heads The Psalmist cals Psa 148. 12 13 Senes ad gratiarum actionem excitare upon old men to praise the Name of the Lord This is one of Mr Cartwright inferences from the Text. And doubtlesse such aged people have abundant cause to be thankfull unto the Almighty 1. For drawing forth the thred of their lives to so great a length 2. And especially for converting them unto the way of righteousnesse First You may be moved to praise God for your old age by these Meditations 1. Because his Highnesse is the maintainer of our lives and the lengthener of our daies Notwithstanding the means Deut. 30. 20. Act. 17. 28. used whether ordinary or extraordinary food Physick c. to continue our daies upon earth yet it must be acknowledged that the Lord holdeth our soul in life And here let it be Psal 66. 9. Deut. 8. 3. remembred that Gods blessing giveth strength to bread and efficacy unto all other means of health Consider also how much of Gods wisedom power goodnesse patience c. hath been daily yea hourly exercised for your preservation Minde likewise from how many thousands of dangers his hand of providence hath secured you both in the time of fool-hardy youth and unwieldy old age Upon such like thoughts the holy Psalmist thus expresseth himself to the Lord Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour Psal 71. 6 8. 9. all the day 2. Because by stroaks of death ten thousand have fallen on your sides on your right hands and yet it doth not come Psa 91. 7. nigh to you What multitudes of men and women and children more likely to have lived long then your selves are dead and gone but your selves still abide in the Land of the living The good young King Josiah is deadly wounded by an Arrow And old Eli the Priest of the Lord fell from his 2 Chro. 35. 23 24. 1 Sam. 4. 18. seat backward and his neck brake What great numbers have lost their lives some in war and others in times of peace yea very many much more fitted for the service of Church and Common-wealth then your selves In this regard you should look upon your selves as reserved to magnifie the God of your lives and mercies 3. It is threatned as a judgement upon a Family when there is not left one aged person belonging to it There shall not be an old man in thy House These words speak much displeasure 1 Sam. 2. 31. against Eli Whereas it is an honour to have old stakes standing to support a Family which issued out of an ancient stock Like as old Oaks are accounted an ornament to a Park though they bear neither fruit nor leaves This is one promise made to the man who feareth God Thou shalt Psa 128. 6. Pro. 17. 5. live to see thy childrens children And Solomon tels us The glory of children are their Fathers 4. Because your many years have enriched you with manifold Et senes magis experientiâ valent itaque major corum solet esse dignitar Mercer experiences and this is judged by some Expositors to add much unto the Crown of old age This I might enlarge by manifesting the advantages of old mens experiences both in reference unto their own comfort and the service of others The holy Psalmist relieveth his drooping spirit in an estate of desertion by improving of Gods ancient administrations I have considered the dayes of old the years of ancient Psa 77. 5 10 11. Plena est voluptatis senectus Si illâ scias
way of righteousnesse is a means to obtain the honour of an hoary head God ordinarily granteth long life unto good men This is most certain that God will either lengthen the lives of such upon earth or else crown them with life eternal in Heaven This lets in the second head of advice to be bestowed upon young persons Secondly To seek righteousnesse This was St Pauls counsel unto young Timothy Follow righteousnesse And the doctrine under hand is a strong argument to back it which David pressed upon his sonne Solomon when young and tender who speaking of sanctifying grace under the name of wisedom useth these words Exalt her and she shall promote Prov. 4. 3 4 with v. 8 9. thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou doest embrace her She shall give to thine head an ornament a Crown shall she deliver to thee Righteousnesse therefore will be a Crown of glory unto the green-headed as well as unto the gray-headed which should move the young to look out after it Now that my perswasion may be the more prevalent with young ones I shall commend these following particulars unto their serious consideration 1. Gods expresse command Remember now thy Creator Eccl. 12. 1. in the dayes of thy youth If you acknowledge his Soveraignty over you as your Maker is it not rationall that you should suddenly submit unto his government 2. The examples of such young ones who came in unto 2 Chron. 34. Dan. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 15. God graciously in the morning of their age Josiah Daniel Shadrack Meshach and Abednego as also Timothy but especially set Christ before your eyes who when he was Luk. 2. 42 51. twelve years old did famously expresse the power of grace Do you judg godlinesse commendable in them wherefore then do you not endeavour imitation 3. The advantages of seeking grace betimes early in the Heb. 3. 7 8 13. Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit 1 King 14. 3 with 13. Mark 10. 21. Discipulum minimum Christus amavit plurimum Joh. 21. 20. Pro. 22. 6. Quo semel est imbutae recens Joh. 15. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 58. morning of youth I shall name some of them without enlargement viz. The work will be to your selves the more easie as the bowing of the twig while tender and to God the more acceptable when the first fruits are consecrated unto his Majesty Christ is said to love the moral young man and it is conjectured that John had the more tender respect because he came unto Christ so soon The gracious seasonings in youth will also make the conversation more savoury afterwards And the sooner you undertake Gods service the more glory you shall bring unto his Name the larger recompence likewise your selves shall receive Finally this will be an encouragement unto your hopefull addresses unto the Lord as need may require Mark Davids manner of pleading in prayer O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works Now Psa 71. 17 18. also when I am old and gray headed O God forsake me not 4. The necessity of endeavouring to be godly in the time of youth This might be sundry wayes manifested Because then most subject to satisfie many sinfull corrruptions As the boyling pots cast up the most scum so in the heat of youth there are strongest inclinations to passions revenge lasciviousnesse intemperance c. In which respect the Apostle saw cause to give Timothy this counsel Fly youthfull lusts but follow righteousnesse faith charity peace c. And the 2 Tim. 2. 22. breaking forth of wickednesse in youth will breed bitter complaints in old age As the aged are wont to feel pain in those bones which were bruised or broken when they were young Thou writest bitter things against me saith Job and makest me Job 13. 26. to possesse the iniquities of my youth Ephraim also maketh pittifull moan bearing the reproach of youth Yea suppose you Jer. 31. 19. should be secured from all grosse evils while young yet if ever the Lord bring you home unto himself by the power of Nimis serò ad te veni Domine an effectual calling this will be a cut upon your hearts as it was to Augustine that you came in to God no sooner How will you bewail your folly and great ingratitude unto Mal. 1. 8 13 14 God that the devil hath been gratified by your first-fruits and that only the refuse dregs and withered stuff of old age is reserved for God And if the Lord should punish your obstinacy in youth with finall impenitence how sad would your reckoning be at the last day for this is most certain that when you have sowed your wild oats and satisfied the sinfull desires of youth for all these things God will bring you Eccl. 11. 9. to judgement The Lord give young ones to dwell upon these meditations and to lay them seriously unto their hearts Here I might justly take up a great lamentation considering that aversness unto the power of piety which is every where to be found amongst young people notwithstanding instructions convictions ministerial perswasions together with some motions of Gods Spirit upon their hearts with which their souls are assaulted for good from time to time They will acknowledge the reasonablenesse of our advice they will shed tears Impius foelix sic simul esse cupit being reproved for their regardlesnesse of God and of their own souls yea they will make fair promises of amendment for time to come But alas alas poor foolish creatures how carelesse in seeking to keep these spiritual sparks alive in their own bosomes How soon do these good motions die within Bonum quaris malum facis in contraria curris August Inter mortis metum vitae tormenta miscre fluctuant Seneca them They would have the Crown tendered but will not resolutely hold on in the use of Gods means to obtain it Fain they would save their souls and yet satisfie their sinfull lusts also And thus they fluctuate as a wave upon the sea carried hither and thither by contrary windes Whereas they should upon a serious consideration whether it be better to serve God or the devil to save the soul or to hazard the losse of it unto eternity work themselves unto an unmoveable determination to seek the Crown of glory in the way of righteousnesse Thirdly To yeeld due reverent respect unto aged persons especially to such in whom the power of grace doth most eminently appear Mr Cartwright upon my Text presseth this duty arguing from our honouring them whom men Crown unto such to whom God assigneth the Crown of glory As there should be testifications of high respect unto all such so especially 1. To our natural parents Honour thy Father Exod. 20. 12. 1 Tim. 5. 17. and thy Mother 2. And to those whose Office and faithfulnesse in discharging
bosome according to his own word that the liberal shall be made fat For he did not so exhaust himself in his life but that in his last Will he did also bequeath unto the poor of the Parish of Redrith 50lb to Ten of his Bretheren in the Ministery whose wants and distresses especially if occasioned by the iniquity of the times he did consider with compassion 50lb i. e. to each of them 5lb and to eight Widows of Ministers 5lb apeece in all 40lb to them Thus his good works both went before him and followed him also to Heaven whereby likewise he hath left behind him the lustre of a good Name for the imitation of them who survive Justice is presupposed to Charity for God hates robbery for Isa 6â— 8. sacrifice And Mr Gataker was exactly just in giving every man his due though he remitted of his own right very frequently so that he was according to the Hebrew phrase imitated by the writers of the N. T. a just man that is a kind equitable person of a mild disposition no severe exacter of his own and a free dispenser of Gods gifts so that his Righteousness endures for ever both to his honour upon earth and to his happiness in Heaven In and about his death to which the course of his declining days leads us eminent were his Patience and Faith the latter attended with a deep sense of his own sinnes which he acknowledged unto God and to him only was that confession needfull for as to men his conversation was as a Bishops ought to be irreprovable 1 Tim. 3. 2. The first stage to his decease for morhus est via ad mortem was a fainting fit that surprized him on Friday night July 7th or rather on Saturday morning July 8th This he made no great account of for he disturbed not the rest of a servant by calling for assistance because he had at sundry times such deliquia or faintings wherein he gave Nature leave to work out her victory over those vapours or viscous humours that oppressed her Yet thus far he made use of it that he compared his infirmity to that of Seneca which according to his relation the Physicians of that age called meditationem mortis and wished it might prove to him a preparation for his dissolution The indisposition not ceasing with that fit discovered it self within a short time to be a Tertian which how gentle soever yet falling upon a person of his age and crazy temper that had long supported a weak frame with a very regular course of diet made his condition doubtfull to his Phisician one of learning and worth that imployed his best care and skill about that Patient that he looked on as a considerable Person to the whole Church July 17. Having published his Will and taken such order as he thought fit for the settlement of his outward estate he composed himself to God His Tertian growing too strong for Nature and Art both resolved it self into an almost continued Feaver the extream heat whereof was very painfull Yet during those conflicts he shewed a sweet calmness of minde a heart weaned from the world to which he had no affection though he had a remembrance exactly serving for ordering his Charity even to the last and in one word he represented a soul wholly submitting to Gods good pleasure He profest more then once that no outward thing troubled him so much as the condition of that Reverend Minister Mr Sainthill who had but lately undertaken Mr Gatakers Charge upon the uncertain title of Life which now failing so early besides the expectation of his friends that Minister he foresaw was likely to be unsetled and to suffer some inconvenience Though friends and Physicians give him incouraging words at visits yet he sensible of his inward decayes could not be flattered into vain hopes of long continuance earnestly contending that he was not to expect miracles His expectation of Gods dismission was so fixed that being consulted whether he would appoint any one Person to perform the last office for him he not startled at the question appointed Mr Ashe to be intreated to undertake that work because he had done the same at his last Wives funerals And one opportunity casually offered it self to set forward that design for July 18. Mr Ashe out of a kinde respect to Mr Gataker sent him two Funerall Sermons preached by him one at Mr Whitakers the other at Dr Spurstows Childes interment This gave occasion to Mr Gataker in the return for that favour to request the last that he could be capable of Upon the receipt of a Letter to that purpose Mr. Ashe on the Saturday following visited his deer and dying friend who then told him That he found him conflicting with his last adversary He knew the sting was pulled out but nature would struggle These and other expressions Mr Ashe writ down and related at the end of his Sermon That day being 22th of July in the afternoon he called for some Papers of Mr Baxters sent to him by the Author with a desire of his judgment concerning them He wished some short Notes for the perusal of them had been his last work to be read over to him in which something he altered and having dictated a Letter to that his Learned and much Reverend Friend appointed that with the Animadversions inclosed to be sent unto him So vigorous was his minde in a body drooping and dropping into the dust He had now given over the use of Physick as to any prolongation of life for he said he would struggle no more because he found that what was prescribed for the refreshing of nature opprest it rather therefore he would wait the Lords leisure An ancient servant that attended on him desiring leave to rectifie the bedcloathes and saying withall Sr Your head doth not lye right he answered It will lye right in my Coffin July 25. at One in the morning death began to seize on his left foot from which the spirits retiring he felt the deadness of that part and a very sharp pain in the part of the leg adjoyning to it He called for his Sonne and told him he feared he should have a difficult death He then commanded two Surgeons to be sent for to look upon his leg whom he required to tell him whether or no his foot were any whit discoloured It seems he had conceived some fear of a Gangrene but being satisfied that there could not be any ground for such an apprehension he rested with patience In the evening of that day being visited by Mr Sainthil and lying in great anguish with violence of heat he prayed for pity and patience support here and a comfortable issue July 26. Early in the morning full of pain gasping and panting he cried out How long Lord how long come speedily But though death had made an incroachment upon his outward perishing part yet his inward man felt no decay for with a full use of reason he