then in years that he was able to repeat Two thousand Names in Order so faithfully did his Memory stick to him in his Old-age And there are many Instances every day of fresh and lively parts in withered Bodies Yea for the most part we may observe that according to the Old saying Omnia quae curant Senes meminerunt What old people most regard they best remember They seldom as Tully observes forget their Bonds their Mortgages what they owe or what is owing unto them or where they have laid up their Treasure So that this charge lies not against all Old people nor in all cases 2. These Decays proceed not from Old-age only but many times from Sloth and Negligence Their Faculties would continue more intire to them if they did exercise them with Study and Industry but the best mettal will rust with disuse and the meanest by constant use will be kept bright and in good order 3. The blastingof Parts is not peculiar to Old-age For many Diseases and other Accidents do often Eclypse our Faculties as well as Old-age Witness Messala Corvinus who was so weakned in his Head that he forgot his own Name Yea many a mans bad Morals have spoiled his good Intellectuals before he hath made one step into Old-age And therefore this misery is not to be confin'd to Old-age which neither attends all old people nor only such nor meerly upon the account of their Age. 4. There is this Comfort that tho all these Decays be the fruit of Sin yet in themselves they are rather Afflictions than Faults and so are more ordinable to our good How much better is the Decay of our faculties than the perverâ—… use of them Nay how many thingâ—… may we afford to forget rather than chuse to remember Again as there may be quick Apprehension clear fancy and firm memory without one grain of Grace so there may be strong Graces where there are but lame Faculties You may have a warm Heart tho you have but a weak Head. The Favour of God is not determin'd by our natural parts but is disposed according to his everlasting Covenant according to which he will require no more than he gives He will welcome him that improveth his Two talents to Four with the same words as he was received that made Ten of his Five And finally It is a Mercy that the use of your Faculties is not wholly lost that you are able in some measure to expound the Book of Ecclesiastes concerning the Vanity of all things below though you cannot so clearly unfold the Book of Canticles that you are able to understand and chuse the best things that you can press others to the things that you cannot now perform your selves An Old man can direct though he cannot work When David was almost spent yet if you read 2 Sam. 22. 〈◊〉 23 Chapters you will find his Last words were not in vain In short in unavoidable Shipwracks as these are we must not vainly murmur at what we have lost but thankfully and diligently improve what we have left for it is certain that in this case habenti dabitur to him that hath and improveth what he hath it shall be given and he shall have abundance SECT IV. A Fourth Inconvenience incident to Old-age is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Senses and especially in â—…ose which are called Senses of Discipline Seeing and Hearing by which as through windows Light is derived into the Soul. For as in Natural things nothing is found in the Understanding which was not before in the senses so in Spiritual things the Mysteries of Religion are not invented by our Minds but conveyed to us by the sacred Oracles And therefore it is very probable that Satan beareth a particular spite to these as some have observed from the Persons possest by him whom he so frequently struck deaf and dumb and blind But it is evident that as by these Doors sin entred into the Soul so we find our Decayes sooner in them than in our other Senses The Eye it grows dim and the Ear it grows dull and both grow worse and worse and that without hopes of Cure. This was the case of the Patriarch Isaac Gen. 27. 1. And it came to pass that when Isaac was old and his Eyes were dim so that he could not see c. whereupon using his Hands for Eyes he was mistaken in his own Sons Indeed the Degrees of these Decayes are different in some less in some greater but as in Houses the Windows suffer first and most so in our houses of Clay the Organs of sight and hearing do more or less wax out of tune before the Fabrick fall Now the Decayes of the Eye and Ear are grievous Afflictions when one can scarce discern one thing or person or one letter from another to continue in a perpetual night or twilight how uncomfortable must it be Or to see people speak and yet scarce to hear what they say it is next to being buried alive For man is a sociable creature and the All-wise God saw that it was not good for Adam himself to be alone but the Privation of these senses leaves a man to himself alone He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him He is liable to be abused and injured both in word and deed and is uncapable to help himself He is also rendred useless hereupon T. Manlius Torquatus excused himself from the Consulship saying it was not fit he should be intrusted with the Lives and Fortunes of others that could not see or hear but with others eyes and ears yea which is worst of all such persons are precluded from the Means of Grace and Salvation There is no better company sometimes than a good Book but they cannot see a letter And then Faith comes by Hearing and it is preserved and increased by the same means but let them press never so near they can scarce hear a distinct word much less a whole sentence and what a dry and dead Soul must that be that lives out of the road of these ordinary helps It is some Question whether of these losses is the greater of the Eye-sight or of the Hearing And upon some accounts the latter seems to be the sadder loss of the two partly because God hath ordained Hearing to be the ordinary Means of Grace and Comfort partly because there are no such at least no such ready and commodious Helps yet found out for the Dulness of the Ear as there are for the Dimness of the Eye However the Decayes of either of them especially of Both these senses are a great Disadvantage and a heavy burden upon Old-age Notwithstanding all this allegation Old-age is not altogether so miserable as it is painted For there are many Aged People of whom it may be said as it was of Moses Deut. 34. 7. his Eye was not dim nor his natural force abated So it pleaseth the Lord to continue to many Aged persons very great
why should you grudge at those that do but come after you It is like as if the Southern Husbandman who hath inn'd his Harvest in Iuly should repine at them that live more Northerly whose Harvest is in September why the former had his Harvest as well as the Other and hath reason rather to be thankful to God than to envy them that follow him Besides would you have two Harvests What answer can you give to our Saviours questions Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own is thine eye evil because I am good He that grudges at Gods gifts would make a miserable distribution of them among men if they were at his disposal No no younger people have their proportion of comeliness strength estate honour and parts and you have yours and they are distributed by a wise Hand who is ever righteous in all his wayes and holy all in his works And therefore labour with all your might to extinguish this cursed flame Remember that wrath killeth the foolish man and that envy slayeth the silly one Iob 5. 2. You envy others but you hurt your selves Few sins have a more malignant influence upon Mind and Body than this Sin of Envy On the other side if you bless the Lord for other mercies you have the comfort of them if you repine at them you lose the comfort of your own I know that the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Jam. 4. 5. but to them that seek it God giveth more grace Be contented with such things as ye have 't is not said with such things as 1. you have had or such things as 2. others have or such things as 3. you would have but with such things as ye have because he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee If you have him you have enough if you have him not you have too much Let him who is infinitely wise have liberty to dispose his gifts as he pleaseth and instead of grudging at the excellencies of others labour you for something in your selves to ballance them Your Gravity will be as valuable as their Beauty your Wisdom as their Strength your Grace as their Wealth They do but surpass you in things that will fade as yours have done but you may excell them in things which are everlasting Besides you should consider that we are all fellow-members of the same body and so we should rejoyce in their welfare and in their comforts that 's the way to bring them to sympathize with us in our defects and they that pay respect to those above them shall most usually receive it from them below them whereas the Envious man takes pleasure only in punishing of himself SECT IV. THE Fourth Vice too common to Old-age is Arrogancy and Conceitedness An humour whereby they assume so much to themselves as if they had a Monopoly of Wisdom to themselves and that their word must be a law in all cases so that they can endure no contradiction It is likely enough that Iobs friends had a spice of this distemper for they were very aged Iob 32. 6. and we find them very wise in their own conceit And it is most true as before that Dayes should speak and that they are most likely to be in the right Happy had Rehoboam bin if he had acquiesced in the counsel of the Old men for which is abler to advise they who are only helped by some natural parts a working fancy and a fluent tongue or they who have read many men as well as many books and have weighed things as well as words and by experience are grown wise These persons may certainly expect that a great regard be given to their opinions But yet as Iob c. 32. 9. Great men are not alwayes wise neither do the aged understand Iudgment All aged people have not a Patent for Infallibility nor any at all times If old Nicodemus his notion of Regeneration must have pass'd for Orthodox what kind of Divinity should we have had he knew not what it was to be born again though he were a Teacher in Israel and I greatly fear he hath his fellows in all Ages and Places Sometimes Old men dream dreams and young men see visions as Ioel 2. 28. The Almighty will not confine his Gifts no more than he doth his Graces to any order of men and therefore no man should think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly as God hath dealt to every man Rom. 12. 3. And accordingly the Aged are exhorted Tit. 2. 2. in the first place to be Sober It becomes no man to abound alwayes in his own sence or to dictate in every company but rather according to that Levites method Iudg. 19. last Consider the matter take advice and then speak your minds The Spirit of God dwells not in a proud heart Pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth he hates Prov. 8. 13. Check therefore and mortifie this sinful Temper Mind the Apostles counsel Rom. 12. 16. Be not wise in your own conceits Let not your Determinations begg respect by the number of your years but command it by the weight of your Reasons so there will be more of God than of man in your Counsels Believe it neither great Age nor great Honour nor both together do infuse wisdom for Solomon hath said Better is a poor and a wise child than an Old and foolish King who will no more be admonished Eccl. 4. 13. Why should you therefore imagine that Wisdom must needs live and dye with you that your words must be alwayes Oracles O Labour for more Humility and be content with your proper measure Know for certain that all conceitedness comes from Pride which Sin cleaves to a man even to the grave Consider how the Scripture disgraces this humour of yours Prov. 26. 12. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Reflect sometimes how often you have bin mistaken even wherein you have been extreamly confident He must be omniscient that is alwayes infallible Let God be true but every man a lyar Young Elihu may sometimes out-strip Iob and his three friends and no meer man is wise at all times SECT V. THE Fifth and most Epidemick Sin of Old-age is Covetousness or Worldly-mindedness that is an inordinate love of Riches which is shown in an insatiable endeavour to procure them and in an unreasonable lothness to part with them Though this Vice be frequently found in young people as in that young man Matth. 19. 22. who was free from other gross Sins but infected with this yet it is a Disease more peculiar to Old-age They feel the decayes of Nature and think to support themselves by their abundance They must have some Recreation and are by reason of their Age incapable of other pleasures and so do place their delight in heaping
may excell in feats of activity but the Ancient do exceed in the skill of managery And upon this account that famous Fabius was called Maximus and was esteemed more useful to his Countrey by being the Buckler than Marcellus who was the Sword of the Common-wealth Young people indeed may sooner apprehend a business and may more strenuously execute it but the Old man by comparing and weighing all circumstances can make a better judgment of it and so give better directions for the execution of it As it is said of young Musicians that they may Sing tunes better but the Old Musician can set lessons better The Aged have not only read and heard but also seen such variety of Actions and Events that it renders them much more circumspect and wary in their courses This made that Roman soon answer the Consul that boasted he had many Arms by him Yes said he and I have many Years And the wisest of men concludes Eccl. 9. 18. that wisdom is better than weapons of war. And this is rarely found in Novices they are too young to look backward and too rash to look forward But the Aged person being taught by things past hath a clearer sight of things present and consequently doth more cautiously provide for things future Words and Shews and Appearances do more easily deceive the Young but the Old see through all such varnish and penetrate into the inside of men and things and so are strangely stupid if they be not much accomplished with this vertue Miserable is that Old-age saith Cicero that hath nothing grave besides gray hairs and wrinkles But any man that hath made but common Observations of what hath fallen out with their Causes and Effects during the space of forty or fifty years must needs understand better VVhat and How and VVhen a thing is to be done than those that have neither read seen or observed half so much Hence that Expression Psal. 119. 100. I understand more than the ancients which implies that the Ancients have ordinarily the greatest stock of understanding Hereupon Themistocles is said to be sorry to dye when he began to be wise being then an hundred and seven years of age which is the common fate of mankind to dye even just then when they begin to know how to live and therefore no man should deferr his careful endeavours to get wisdom since there is a price put into our hands for that end if we have but an heart to it Prov. 17. 16. Let it therefore be your study to get and increase in all wisdom chiefly for the attaining everlasting happiness For unto man God hath said Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding Job 28. 28. For as it would be curious folly to contrive a neat House and then set it upon a quick-sand so doubtless all the policy of worldly men to get riches and a name if they do not truly fear God is but like an house upon the sand or a spiders web in the cieling which will quickly vanish It 's true Wisdom for every man to chuse the Chiefest Good for his ultimate End and then to take Gods Counsel how to obtain it I have seen five Princes said Sir Io. Mason on his death-bed and bin Privy Counsellour to four I have seen the most remarkable Observables in forreign parts and bin present at most State-transactions for Thirty years together and I have learned this after so many years experience that Seriousness is the greatest VVisdom Temperance the best Physick and that a good Conscience is the best Estate yea I would change the whole life I have lived in the Palace for one hours enjoyment of God in the Chappel O that all young persons would believe and consider this sage Observation of a dying man For judge your own selves Is it wisdom to do that daily and wittingly which must be undone To pretend the End happiness and neglect the Means holiness To maintain strong hope and yet to have no ground for it To chuse the worst of Evils before the chief Good To live in Sin and yet expect to dy in Christ To defer the greatest business till we have the least fit time and strength to do it and yet this is the wisdom that passes currant in this world Endeavour also to store your minds with Prudence to order your affairs aright There is no time or place or business but there is use for this not such constant use for Iustice Fortitude or many other vertues This will render your gray hairs really comely I had rather saith Nazianzen have one drop of Prudence than a Sea of worldly riches Integrity and Wisdom are good Companions A Serpents Eye is a singular ornament in a doves head Hereby you will be useful to your selves helpful to others beneficial to all Happy is that City said Plutarch where the counsels of Old men and the arms of Young men concurr for the Common good Your time will be rightly divided your household affairs calmly and constantly managed and your mind freed from the hurry and perturbation which fills the lives of other men Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness Eccl. 2. 13. The first Direction which the Apostle gives to Old men is Tit. 2. 2. That the aged men be sober grave The infirmity of your bodies should promote the sobriety of your minds and folly is no where less excusable than in an aged person You should therefore pray incessantly unto God for this Blessing Jam. 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God and it shall be given him And improve your Thinking time for meditation inriches the mind and helps us to draw such Inferences from what we have read and heard and seen which will serve for Rules of practice in every case And especially Converse with the Scripture which will make you wise to Salvation Surely there is no book under heaven which affords such Rules of ture Prudence for the conduct of our lives as the Book of Proverbs And still remember this that the more wisdom the liker you will be to God and the more useful you will be to men And certainly Usefulness is next to the fruition of God the greatest happiness of man upon earth SECT IV. THE Fourth Grace that Old-age doth or should excell in is Patience Which is a quiet and chearful undergoing whatever Difficulties or Troubles are incident to us in this world It extends indeed in its largest sence to comprehend both VVaiting Gods time for the Blessings we want and Bearing what crosses he inflicts upon us either by his Own hand or by Others When we neither sink by Despondency nor rage by inordinate Passion either at the stone or at the hand that throws it And this not by vertue of a Stoical insensibleness or of some moral Arguments which might quiet