Sin compared to Gray-Hairs.
Hos. 7.9. — Yea, gray Hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not.
HE knoweth it not, that is, Israel, or Ephraim, viz. the ten Tribes.* 1.1 Ephraim may be considered as a Kingdom, I am against the sinful Kingdom; or as a Church: They were a People in Covenant with God, or in a National Church-State, and once youthful and beautiful, but now they are become old and gray∣headed, i. e. they had Symptoms of Decay and Ruine upon them.
Gray Hairs: Some by gray Hairs understand heavy Judgments; others, some prevailing Evils or Sins, which were Signs of Destruction, &c. There may be Truth in both.
Note. Symptoms of Ruine oft-times appear upon a People, before their Ruine comes.
GRay Hairs are a Sign that a Man's best Days, his youthful Days, are gone: So some Sins and Judgments upon a People, are a Sign that their best Days are past away, that their Youth and Glory is departing.
II. Gray Hairs are a Sign of old Age: So some Sins and Judgments upon a People, shew forth that they are old in Wickedness.
III. Gray Hairs come oft-times by great Grief. Scaliger tells us of a young Man,* 1.2 who through the extreme Trouble of his Spirit, was turned gray in one Night: So the Judg∣ments and Miseries of a People, because of their Sins, make them gray-headed, and there∣by look old and withered, &c.
IV. When gray 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. Gray 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 Dark∣ness.
VI. Some Men have gray Hairs here and there, and they know not of them: So a Soul, Nation, or Church, may have sad Symptoms of Ruine upon them, and they be ignorant of them: He knows it not.
Quest. What were those gray Hairs that were upon Ephraim?
Answ. 1. 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 prevail••d, strange Lusts had devoured their Strength.* 1.3 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 gray Hairs he had upon him.
2. The Pride of Ephraim was another gray Hair: The Pride of Israel doth testify to his Face; and therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity.* 1.4
3. Their Goodness was as the M••rning-Cloud, and as the early Dew, it passed away:* 1.5 Which might be another of his gray Hairs. By their Goodness, doubtless is meant their Good∣ness and Kindness to God, and one towards another. They were false-hearted, unconstant,