Sin Compared to Grey-Hairs

    SIN COMPARED TO GREY-HAIRS

    "Yea, Grey-Hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not," Ho 7:1.

    HE knoweth it not, that is, Israel, or Ephraim, viz. the ten tribes. Ephraim may be considered as a kingdom, "I am against the sinful kingdom," Ho 1:4; Am 4:8; or as a church: they were a people in covenant with God, or in a natural church-state, and once youthful and beautiful, but now they are become old and grey-headed, i.e. they had symptoms of decay and ruin upon them.

    Grey-Hairs: Some by Grey-Hairs understand heavy judgments; others, some prevailing evils of sins, which were signs of destruction, &c. There may be truth in both.

    Note, Symptoms of ruin oft-times appear upon a people, before their ruin comes.

    I. Grey Hairs are a sign that a man's best days, his youthful days are gone: so some Sins and judgment upon a people, are a sign that their best days are past away, that their youth and glory is departing.

    II. Grey-Hairs are a sign of old age: so some Sins and judgments upon a people, show forth that they are old in wickedness.

    III. GreyHairs come ofttimes by great grief. Scaliger tells us of a young man, who through the extreme trouble of his spirit, was turned Grey in one night: so the judgments and miseries of a people, because of their Sins, make them Grey-headed, and thereby look old and withered, &c.

    IV. When Grey-Hairs come upon a man, they bring oftentimes with them feeble knees, and stiffness of the limbs: so Sin makes feeble; the heat of zeal, and vigour of spirit is thereby abated.

    V. Grey-Hairs are symptoms and fore-runners of death and mortality: so some Sins and miseries upon a people, are the clear symptoms of spiritual death, or night of darkness.

    VI. Some men have Grey-Heirs here and there, and they know not of them: so a soul, nation, or church, may have sad symptoms of ruin upon them, and they be ignorant of them; he knows it not.

    Quest. What were those Grey-Hairs that were upon Ephraim?

    Answ. One was, "Strangers had devoured his strength." Their support and chief stay, that which should uphold, comfort, and succour them, was gone wicked men were let in upon them, and such who sought to spoil them of their rights, liberties, and estates; or spiritually, sin prevailed, strange lusts had devoured their strength, Ho 2:5. Ephraim was fallen in love with other lovers, his affection was set upon strangers. Saints should keep their hearts close to Christ, or else the love of the world will soon steal away their strength, and make them decay in godliness. The whoredom of Ephraim was doubtless one of those Grey-Hairs he had upon him.

    2. The pride of Epraim was another Gray-Hair: "The pride of Israel doth testify to his face; and therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity," Ho 5:5.

    3. Their goodness was "as the morning cloud, and as the early dew, it passed away," Ho 6:4, which might be another of his GreyHairs. By their goodness, doubtless is meant their goodness and kindness to God, and one towards another, They were falsehearted, inconstant, and fickle, like a morning cloud; their words were empty sounds, like clouds without water; they dealt treacherously with God, and deceitfully with their brethren.

    4. They were like a silly dove without a heart; they let their dearest enjoyment go, like as a silly dove parts with her young, and did not, like the hen, strive to preserve them: this might be another of his Grey-Hairs. A dove is easily caught with a net: so was Ephraim easily ensnared by his enemies. A dove will keep her nest, though you. take it away, and thereby take her captive: how unwilling are some men to part with their lusts! they will not leave their Sins, or company, though it prove their ruin! They are like the silly dove.

    5. The great things of God's law were accounted strange things to Ephraim; though God himself wrote them, yet he liked them not, but rather derided at them that owned, and subjected to them. This was another Grey-Hair.

    6. "Ephraim was as a cake not turned," Ho 7:8, he was not thorough for God; he stood halting between two opinious, did not know what religion to be of: or he was so perverse, that though he lay under heavy judgments, and was ready to be burned on the coals; yet he sought not to prevent the clanger, and escape the fire; he cried not to God in his affliction. And this was another of his Grey-Hairs, Ho 7:14.

    7. Ephraim was an empty vine; he brought forth fruit to himself: God received but little from Ephraim; all his labour and doing was for himself, to enrich himself, and lay up for himself; he cared not for the interest of God. An empty vine: he had juice and sap enough to bring forth fruit to himself, but was barren towards God. They cannot spare time, nor have they leisure to wait upon his service; they cannot spare money to further the interest of godliness, though they can give two, three, four, or five hundred, nay, a thousand pounds, to such a son, or such a daughter, and maintain them 'bravely, when some of Christ's ministers want bread: they love, alas! their sons and daughters more than Christ: they are empty vines, they bring forth fruit to themselves. O what a base spirit and principle are some professors of! they are like Ephraim. And this was another of his Grey Hairs.

    8. He was broken in judgment, "He fed on the wind, and followed after the east wind," Ho 12:1. He pursued after vanity and the empty things of this world. And that was another of his Grey-Hairs. Many more I might mention, they were indeed thick upon him, he was become very Grey in wickedness.

    INFERENCES.

    Let us take heed we have not Grey Hairs upon us, and know it not. Is not England, and the Church of God in England, grown here of late Grey-headed? what signs and symptoms of ruin are there upon us! I will leave you to find them out. Where is that love and zeal that was once? Is not the world got into the very hearts of professors? Do they not follow after the wind, and pursue the east wind? Are they not like an empty vine? Doth not every one mind his own carnal interest? Have not strangers devoured our strength? Are we not become like a silly dove without an heart? Is not whoredom and superstition amongst us? Doth not our pride testify against us? And is not our goodness like the morning cloud? Where is that love and bowels which should be in us towards one another? Are not some of the things, yea, the great things of God's law, accounted by us as strange things? Search further, and more Grey Hairs will appear. Are we not divided and broken in judgment? Can a nation divided against itself, long stand?---Are there not many faithful ministers snatched away in a short time? Is not this the forerunner of some dismal calamity? Have not we had many fearful signs in the heavens? And are not the evening wolves come out of their holes? Besides all this, let every soul search and see what Grey Hairs he hath upon himself.