Mercy that no deadly â—oison of Satan doth now harm us as our Lord did promise unto all Believers after his Resurrection Mark 16.17,18 Oh that all we Aged Ones could sincerely praise the Lord for this high Favour that 〈◊〉 now find by sweet experience we can better resist the Devil now so as to make him flee from us Jam. 4.7 We can now resist him more stedfastly in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.8,9 than we were able to do in our youthful days and tho' we be able through Grace to say this yet out of an Holy Jealousie over our own Hearts we must still make a farther enquiry what is the principal procuring Cause of such an happy and easie Conquest over our own Corruptions and Satan's Temptations now in our Old Age whether we be not more beholden herein unto the decays of our own Natures in us than to any strength of God's Grace freely given to us because we may die to sin by the deficiency of our natural strength of Body when sin doth not die to us through those powerful Operations of the mortifying Spirit of Grace Rom. 8.13 but more of this after c. Now come we to the Second Reason why a Good Old Age is a great blessing because the goodness of it is not only a blessed Antidote and Preservative against those threfold Evils before-named but also it is a blessed Preparative for Death at the end of our Old Age and of our Lives This preparation for Death is not only an universal but also an indispensable Duty for after death comes the Judgment Heb. 9.27 then is the time of Reckoning which our Lord Requires after his Returning however long or short it be wherein all Mankind both the good and the bad Servants must Reddere Rationem or give an exact account of their Stewardship whether they have wasted or improved their Lord and Master's Goods Matth. 25.14,19 Luke 16.1,2 and 19.15 c. as I shew at large in my Fourth Volume of the History and Mystery of that Parable pag. 185 186. Now every Man's Death-day is his particular Dooms-day for then the Spirit returns to God who gave it Eccles 12.7 when the Body returns to Dust of which it was first made Gen. 2.7 by rotting in the Grave c. Then the Soul goeth to God not to dwell with him for there the Speech is made of all Men both bad and good but to be disposed of by him for his Final Estate then is the Soul or Spirit as being there opposed to the Body to receive its Final Doom either for Everlasting Weal or for Everlasting Wo. Therefore to prepare for Death is a most necessary tho' it be a much neglected Duty Now such as be good in Old Age their goodness consists in being alway prepared for it both Habitually and Actually they learn to die daily 1 Cor. 15.31 and makes Death familiar to them both at Bed and Board Their Conversation is in Heaven while their Commoration is here on Earth Phil. 3.20 They labour and learn to live with dying Thoughâ—s because they hope at last to die with more living comforts They have Heaven as an happy Harbour of Rest in the Eyes of their Hope which serves to season and sweeten all Sorrows and Sufferings to them as it was with blessed Paul who had his Eye fixed upon that Crown of Glory which was laid up for him and for all Believers 2 Tim. 4.8 and therefore he was not at all discouraged at his light Afflictions which were but for a moment in comparison of that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 where we have a most elegant Antithesis or opposition and a double Hyperbole beyond the reach of our English Translation As thus 1. For Affliction here is Glory 2. For light Affliction here is a weight of Glory And 3. For momentary Affliction here is Eternal Glory and the sight of this by an Eye of Faith put Paul upon his Cupio Dissolvi I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1.21,22,23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies to loose off from the shore of this Mortal Life and to launch out into the Ocean of Immortality which he accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is far far better and best of all Thus this preparation for Death had caused Old Simeon before this Apostle even to sing his Soul out of his Body as before This likewise made that Good Old Man Job to say I would not live always Job 7.16 for he hoped to behold his Redeemer c. Job 19.25 Thus may we accordingly say we would not be Young always because we have been so hampered and pester'd with many youthful Lusts which now through Grace a Good Old Age hath weakened An Hoary Head that is found in the way of Righteousness doth ripen fast like good Fruit upon the Tree of Life in its Autumn and becomes day by day more mellow for Death and hath nothing thâ—n to do but to die being able through Mercy to say with his sweet Saviour Father I have finished my work which theâ—… gavest me to do in the World John 17.5 Oh how ready was David how willing and how prepared to die and to fall asleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 when he could say his Conscience bearing witness with him in the Holy Ghost as Rom. 9.1 that he had served out his Generation in his whole Generation-work according to the will of God Acts 13.36 The Third Reason why a Good Old Age is a most rich Blessing and Benefit to the Sons and Daughters of Mankind is because it doth priviledge them with a true Title unto Mansions of Glory prepared for them in a better World Such as have continued in ways of Holiness all their Life and become faithful unto death Rev. 2.10 they shall assuredly at the last arrive at the Haven of Heaven and Happiness when they die for God himself hath assured us and God Keeps the best and surest Ensuring Office that having our Fruit unto Holiness then our end shall be Eternal Life Rom. 6.22,23 for then comes first the Joy of Harvest as when fruitful Fields are white unto Harvest John 4.35 then comes the Husbandman with his Sithe or Sickle and cuts down his Corn binds it up in Bundles and carries it Home to his Barn c. even so God the great Husbandman as Christ calls him John 15.1 when he sees his old Servants as it were white unto Harvest with Hoary Heads and fully ripened in the way of Righteousness then doth he take them down by the hand of Death and gathers them Home into his heavenly Garners Our Lord doth certifie this great Truth to us over and over again saying that Heaven is surely secured for us and we are likewise safely secured for Heaven by the mighty Power of God the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth we are kept as with a Guard and in a Garrison and that at the last we shall receive the end of our Faith even the