thy God: I am the Lord." Hoariness is only honourable, when found in a way of righteousness, a white head accompanied with a holy heart, makes a man truly honourable. There are two glorious sights in the world, the one is a young man walking in his uprightness, and the other is an old man walking in the ways of righteousness; it was Abra❤ ham's honour that he went to the grave in a good old age, or rather, as the Hebrew hath it, with a good grey head: many there be that go to their graves with a grey head, but this was Abraham's crown, that he went to the grave with a good grey head; had Abraham's head been never so grey, if it had not been good, it would have been no honour to him; a hoary head, when coupled with an unsanctified heart, is rather a curse than a blessing, when the head is white as snow, and the soul as black as hell; God usually gives up such to the greatest scorn and contempt. "Princes are hanged up by the hands, the faces of elders are not ho noured," Lam. v. 12. and this God hath threatened long before. "The Lord shall bring against thee a nation from far, a nation of fierce counte. nance which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young." I have read of Cleanthes, who was wont sometimes to chide himself; Ariston wondering thereat, asked him, Whom chidest thou? Cleanthes laughed and answered, I chide an old fellow qui canos quidem habet, sed mentem non habet; who hath his grey hairs indeed, but wants understanding and prudence worthy of them. The application I will leave to the grey heads, and grey beards of our time, who have little else to commend them to the world, but their hoary heads and snowy beards.

II. God usually reveals himself most to old disciples, to old saints, Job xii. 12. "With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding." God usually manifests most of himself to aged saints; they usually pray most and pay most, they labour most, and long most after the choicest manifestations of himself, and of his grace; and therefore he opens his bosom most to them, and makes them of his cabinet council, Gen. xviii. 17, 19. "And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? for I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." Abraham was an old friend, and therefore God makes him both of his court and council: we usually open our hearts most freely, fully, and familiarly to old friends, so doth God to ancient friends. Ah! what a blessed sight and enjoyment of Christ had old Simeon, that made his very heart to dance in him! "Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation," &c. I have seen him who is my light, my life, my love, my joy, my crown, my heaven, my all; therefore now let thy servant depart in peace. So Anna, when she was fourscore and four years old, was so filled with the discoveries and enjoyments of Christ, that she could not but declare what she had tasted, felt, seen, heard, and received from the Lord; she was ripe, and ready to discover the fulness, sweetness, goodness, excellency, and glory of that Christ whom she had long loved, feared, and served. So

Paul lived in the light, sight, and sweet enjoyments of Christ, when aged in years, in grace. So when John had that glorious vision of Christ among the golden candlesticks, and those discoveries and ma. nifestations of the ruin of Rome, the fall of antichrist, the casting the beast and the false prophet into a lake of fire, the conquest of the kingdoms of the world by Christ's bow and sword, the bind. ing of Satan, and the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, but when he was old, when he was aged in years and in grace! The Lord speaks many a secret in the ears of aged saints, of old christians, which young christians are not acquainted with; as that phrase imports, 2 Sam. vii. 27. Thou, O Lord God of hosts, hast revealed to thy servant," so you read it in your books, but in the Hebrew it is, Lord, thou hast revealed this to the ear of thy servant. Some wonder how that word to the ear came to be left out in your books, in which indeed the emphasis lies; we will tell ma ny things in an old friend's ear, which we will not acquaint young ones with. So doth God many times whisper an old disciple in the ear, and acquaint him with such things that he hides from those that are of younger years; and by this you may see what an honour it is to be an old disciple.

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III. An old disciple, an old christian, he hath got the art of serving God, the art of religion, got the art of hearing, the art of praying, the art of meditating, the art of repenting, the art of believing, the art of denying his natural self, his sinful self, his religious self. All trades have their mystery and difficulty, so hath the trade of christianity; young christians usually bungle in religious works,

but old christians acquit themselves like workmen that need not be ashamed. A young carpenter gives more blows and makes more chips, but an old artist doth the most and best work; a. young christian may make most noise in religious duties, but an old christian makes the best work. A young musician may play more quick and nimble upon an instrument than an old, but an old musician hath more skill and judgment than a young. The application is easy, and by this you may also see, what an honour it is to be an old disciple.

IV. An old disciple, an old christian is rich in spiritual experiences. O the experiences that he hath of the ways of God, of the workings of God, of the word of God, of the love of God! O the divine stories that old christians can tell of the power of the word, of the sweetness of the word, of the usefulness of the word, as a light to lead the soul, as a staff to support the soul, as a spirit to quicken the soul, as an anchor to stay the soul, and as a cordial to comfort and strengthen the soul! O the stories that he can tell you concerning the love of Christ, the blood of Christ, the offices of Christ, the merits of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, the graces of Christ, and the influence of Christ. O the stories that an old disciple can tell you of the indwellings of the Spirit, of the operations of the Spirit, of the teachings of the Spirit, of the leadings of the Spirit, of the sealings of the Spirit, of the witnessings of the Spirit, and of the comforts and joys of the Spirit! O the stories that an old christian can tell you of the evil of sin, the bitterness of sin, the deceitfulness of sin, the prevalency of sin, and the happiness of the conquest

over sin! O the stories that he can tell you of the snares of Satan, the devices of Satan, the tempta. tions of Satan, the rage of Satan, the malice of Satan, the watchfulness of Satan, and the ways of triumphing over Satan! As an old soldier can tell you of many battles, many scars, many wounds, many losses, and many victories even to admiration; so an old saint is able to tell you many divine stories, even to admiration.

Pliny writes of the crocodile, That she grows to her last day so aged saints, they grow rich in spiritual experience to the last. An old christian being once asked, if he grew in goodness, answered, Yea doubtless I do, for God hath said, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; (now the palm-tree never looseth his leaf or fruit, saith Pliny) he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon. Those that he planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God; they shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing," Psal. xcii. 12, &c. A fellow to this promise Isaiah mentions: "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb, and even to your old age, I am he, to hoary hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will hear, even I will carry, and I will deliver you.”

There is nothing more commendable in fulness of age, than fulness of knowledge and experience, nor nothing more honourable than to see ancient christians very much acquainted with the Ancient of days.

It is a brave sight to see ancient christians like