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1. That righteousness is conducive to old age. This is a fact sustained both by philosophy and history.

2. That piety is conducive to honour.

I. IT IS THE GLORY OF SPIRITUAL RIPENESS. There is something glorious in maturation. The seed ripened into an autumnal crop, the youth ripened into mature manhood, the student ripened into the accomplished scholar, are all objects of admiration. In an old saint there is a truly glorious ripeness. There you have all the seeds of truth and holiness as sown by holy teachers, cultured by experience, fostered by the sunbeam and the showers of God, tried and strengthened in their roots by the storms of adversity, hanging in rich clusters on the boughs ready to be gathered in. "Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season" (Job 5:26).

II. IT IS THE GLORY OF SPIRITUAL COMMAND. Even Egypt's proud despot bowed before it. "And Joseph brought in Jacob his father and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh" (Genesis 47:7-10). Samuel was an old saint when he died (1 Samuel 25:1; 2 Chronicles 24:15, 16).

III. IT IS THE GLORY OF SPIRITUAL PROSPECTS. "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace," etc. We conclude with the utterance of a modern author: "As ripe fruit is sweeter than green fruit, so is age sweeter than youth, provided the youth were grafted into Christ. As harvest-time is a brighter time than seed-time, so is age brighter than youth; that is, if youth were a seed-time for good. As the completion of a work is more glorious than the beginning, so is age more glorious than youth; that is, if the foundation of the work of God were laid in youth. As sailing into port is happier than the voyage, so is age happier than youth; that is, when the voyage from youth is made with Christ at the helm."

(D. Thomas, D.D.)

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KJV: The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

WEB: Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.