fourscore and four years yet departed not from the Temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day Luk. 2. 37. So that all Aged persons are not precluded from spiritual exercises And though they should become unable to frequent the Publick Ordinances of God yet they may pray and sigh and meditate in their chambers and these proceeding from a sincere and sensible Soul are most acceptable unto God. As for the external Acts of Religion they avail nothing without faith and love which lodge in the heart The immanent Acts of the Soul which are to understand to meditate to will and to desire do most perfect the same And where the Deed cannot be done God doth accept the will for the Deed. The weakest and poorest Old man or woman may have high meditations under a low roof and a large heart within narrow walls No Aged person therefore should be discouraged by their Inability for Gods Service since He knoweth their frame he remembreth that they are but dust The Lord hath said When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys I will make the Wilderness a pool of water and the dry Land springs of water Isa. 41. 17 18. In the want of ordinary supplies I will provide them with extraordinary supports the wilderness shall produce a pool of water rather than any Child of God shall dy for thirst When they cannot wait upon God as before he will wait to be gracious to them he will come to them and teach and comfort them If indeed a man be inwardly pleased that his weakness excuseth him from his Devotions he hath cause to blame himself but if he hath the same desires and holy affections with others the old Law shall stand to wit he that stayes by the Stuffe shall part the Spoil with him that goes out to battel You have a trade going in every Ship an Interest in every holy Assembly in the World. SECT X. THE Tenth and last Inconvenience in Old-age is That they are Terrified with the approach of Death For Death is a word hard of digestion to any man. The Philosopher counted it of all dreadfull things the most Terrible And Mr. Latimer observes of Hezekiah that he was more afraid of Death than of all Senacheribs Army Now Old-age is a near neighbour to it and the aspect of it alwayes before them is not very pleasant Most men saith Seneca are miserably tost between the fear of Death and the miseries of Life are unwilling either to live or dy Especially they who have had their portion in this life and have made no provision for a better This made Lewis 11 th of France to charge all about him to forbear the mention of Death The strict Account which follows it and the long Eternity which follows that makes Death a most serious matter No wonder if the hand tremble when it is going to take that Cup which will mend or end them Now the Old man is at the door of this fatal place Though a Casualty may bring Death suddenly though a sickness may bring it probably yet Old-age brings it certainly Peradventure there are fifty weeks or dayes remaining in their life peradventure but forry five perhaps but forty but thirty yea but twenty as Abraham said of Sodom nay since it is dubious every moment and no mortal man knows at what Watâ—… of the Night he shall be called the 〈◊〉 person that is but a step from death must be through fear of Death in continual bondage But the Lyon is not so terrible as he is painted neither is Death so formidable as it is by many represented Though it be against the Desires of Nature yet it is not against the Series of Nature For if we consult this we find Autumn kindly after Summer and Winter after Autumn and Death is as natural after Old-age And the Light of Nature taught some of the Heathens to reckon the worthy men especially that are dead to be most truly alive in that while we live in this world the Soul is imprison'd in the body and is set at liberty by Death Thus Xenophon brings in Cyrus discoursing to his Children on his Death-bed Think not O my Sons that I leave you quite and am lost when I dye perhaps you will not see me neither do you now see the most Essential part of me nor never did only by my actions you believed it was in this body and that will live out of this body as well as in it And if Pagans set so light by Death what notion should we Christians have of it that can look more clearly beyond it It is styl'd a falling asleep and what 's more welcome to an Aged person than a sound sleep And from that Expression 1 Thess. 4. an Old Toletan Council ordained that the dead should be followed with Psalms of Praise to their Graves In short 1. All Aged People are not oppressed with the fear of Death Too few there are that think at all of it Men generally put far from them the evil day and it will be an evil day to such as put it far from them Most people can think of any place in the Parish rather than the Church-yard yea I doubt it be one of the Faults of the Aged to think seldom of Death and they who think little of it are in no danger of being frighted with its thoughts 2. The Young have the same reason to be concern'd about Dying as the Old. For Youth hath more wayes to Death than Age hath And far more dye in their Youth than that dye for Age. It 's true they hope to live longer but their hopes have no good ground at all They have neither Promise nor Experience to build their hopes upon And in Young Peoples Death they being in their strength Nature receives a more violent shock whereas the Aged are more quietly extinguished like a Candle in the Socket 3. No good man need be affrighted at the approach of Death For the power and sting of Death is utterly taken away by our Saviours Death and so it can do us no hurt A Child of God doth not so much as tast Death The true Believer now hath not to do with Death but with its shadow with a toothless Dog with a dead Lyon with a Wasp without a Sting with a conquer'd Enemy What man in his wits is afraid after a tempestuous Voyage that he is drawing nigh his Haven It was a sweet saying of S. Ambrose near his end I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live among you neither do I fear to dy going to so good a Master The unprepared and the ungodly may dread Death As Aristippus told the wicked Mariners trembling in a Storm You may well
God how can he imbrace Iesus Christ aright except he know him or build for Heaven without a Foundation Now the Aged person hath lived long hath conversed both with Men and Books hath the Rust of natural Ignorance well scour'd off and if he have not more Riches than others yet surely he hath more Knowledge especially if he hath put on the New Man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Colos. 3. 10. And therefore tho it be a Brutish thing in any body to be ignorant in those things that concern their Happiness yet it is intolerably absurd for one that is Old in Years to be a Child in understanding to be like the Old man which Mr. Pemble tells of who tho by a probable computation he had heard two or three thousand Sermons being above sixty years old yet being examined by a Minister on his Death-bed concerning his Knowledge of God he thought he was a good Old man concerning Christ that he was a towardly young Youth concerning his Soul that it was a great Bone in his Body and concerning his future Estate he said if he had done well he should be put into a pleasant green Meadow what a woful thing is this that a constant Hearer and seeming Lover of the Word of God as this man was should live and dye in such gross Ignorance No Trade how difficult soever but seven or eight years will teach it what a shameful thing then is it to be sent into the world purposely to learn to be a true Christian and after fifty or sixty years to remain ignorant in the mysteries of it To be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. On the other side Iosephus tells us speaking of the Iews Every one of our Nation being demanded of our Laws can answer as readily as tell his own Name learning it as soon as we come to the use of Reason it is imprinted in our minds Certainly an ignorant Old person is the shame of Christianity yea of Humanity it self Let it therefore be your Study that are ripe in years to be ripe in Iudgment to be well-grounded in the Knowledge of God and Godliness whilest others are heaping up Riches do you treasure up Knowledge The Knowledge of Natural things as also of Civil affairs will adorn you the least dram of this is more excellent than many Talents of Gold but the least grain of Spiritual and divine Knowledge is more valuable than all the Natural and Civil knowledge under Heaven Hence it is reported of Albertus Magnus that before his Death he prayed that he might obtain the oblivion of all former vain knowledge which might hinder his happiness in the knowledge of Christ. Hear also the Apostle Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord Philip. 3. 8. Be not discouraged with the seeming impossibility of attaining a sufficient measure hereof He that taught Old Nicodemus will teach you Industry and Resolution will facilitate your atchievement You must be convinced that Ignorance will never excuse those that have the means of Knowledge that tho God doth nor require the same degree of knowledge from all Christians but doth allow for mens Education Parts and Imployments yet he doth indispensably require so much as is necessary to the forming of the new Creature to the necessary Doctrines and Duties of Christian Religion that neither the spiritually dumb nor the blind can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Awake therefore ye that sleep out of your stupid negligence and Christ will give you light Redeem some time daily for Reading Meditation and Prayer If thou cryest after Knowledge and liftest up thy Voice for understanding If thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasure Then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Prov. 2. 3 4 5. Especially improve the Lords-day to this end There are variety of Books which handle the Grounds of Religion some more briefly some more largely Take not upon trust the Doctrines of your Salvation but endeavour to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in you You should be able to instruct others for shame be not you Children in Knowledge your selves And ye that are competently knowing should thirst for more and grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. This is the fittest Covetousness for an Old Man or Woman this will make you like unto God honoured of wise men and useful to all men SECT II. THE Second Grace proper for Old-age is Faith whereby the Soul doth embrace Iesus Christ as Mediator and also rely upon the Promises of God for all good things needful Now altho this Grace be needful for every Christian insomuch as he is said to live by Faith a life unknown to all unregenerate men yet it is or should be the particular Jewel of old-Old-age For as Gods Word and Ordinances are the usual means to work Faith and herein young and old stand upon the same level they have equal capacity for the attaining of it so still further Grounds and longer experience are proper helps for the strengthning and encreasing thereof So that as Reason is much improved by Learning so is Faith by use and experience hereby Recumbence is advanced into Plerophory Thus Abraham is represented Rom. 4. 19 20. Not weak in Faith when he was an hundred years old and so staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief Tho his years rendred the Promise very unlikely yet those years had taught him that the performance would be certain and so being strong in Faith he gave Glory to God. As they have heard so have they seen it in the City of God and what they have often seen they may well believe They have seen the wicked in great power flourishing like a green Bay-tree and yet suddenly they have passed away and therefore they are not so startled at the prosperity of ungodly men as younger people may be They have also seen the righteousness of the upright brought forth as the light and so are hir'd to believe that it shall be well with the righteous and it shall go ill with the wicked at length They themselves have been in outward straits and dangers and then wonderfully preserved and provided for and doth not this strengthen their Faith And then in case of spiritual wants and troubles when their Spirit is overwhelmed the Old-man can say with Asaph Psal. 77. 5. I have considered the days of old the years of ancient times and so prop up their Spirits in their greatest dejections If you that are Old want Faith it is an arrant shame for you For you have been so often told and assured of the Veracity the Power and the Goodness of God and then you
the throng of worldly business they are fitter to recollect these things and to reduce them into practice And this certainly is a great Priviledge to have a greater Aptitude to that which is good Alas young people are under a great disadvantage herein it 's true their Faculties are more nimble and their Memories more fresh but then they come into the World like raw Souldiers into the Field they are compassed and daily allured with divers Temptations and have boisterous lusts within themselves and so they are in a more remote distance from true Piety They are like an unruly Colt in a large and fat Pasture there 's no coming near them till they are driven into a Corner till their way be hedged up with Thorns and then you may catch them Such is the fate of young people they are born like a wild Asses Colt Job 11. 12. they care not for any thing that 's good they fear not any evil adding Iniquity unto Iniquity until it come to snow upon their Heads and that their Arms and Legs begin to fail them and then the Voice of God will be heard and his counsel shall be followed So that though Old-age will not bring a man to Heaven yet it will fit a man for it it removes the Obstacles of repentance and promotes the Exercises of Religion And it is high time it should be so their activity for this world is past if they do not grow active for another they will be good for nothing They cannot work O but they can fast and pray and that 's better The Aged person remembers that he is going into an holy world and labours to have on Earth some suitableness to the life of Heaven because men begin their Heaven or Hell upon Earth And this age fits his purpose being proper for Mortification and Meditation The more knowledge and holiness he arrives at here the riper and fitter he is for that place to which he is ready to goe Let every Aged person then endeavour to verify this Priviledge by their solid Piety in all the instances thereof Let there be a Principle of holiness within and the Practice of it without in all manner of Conversation for as you were told then is the hoary head a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousness Prov. 16. 31. SECT V. THE Fifth Priviledge of Old-age is That it is Riper in its Fruits than any other age That is their Iudgments are more refined their Passions more sedate their Devotions more strong their Actions more regular and uniform and their spiritual Stature taller This may be gathered à fortiori from the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 11. When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things The words and the thoughts then of an Aged experienced man must by a just inference be very solid and weighty Every man must needs observe the rawness of his younger conceptions and the lightness of his former assertions that Dies diem docet every day learns somewhat of that which went before it and so I may allude to that passage Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night addeth knowledge Yea the Psalmist exâ—…sly tells us that the righteous shall 〈◊〉 bring forth fruit in Old-age yea that they shall be fat and flourishing Psal. 92. 14. And to this do other Authors and Experience bear witness Trace some Aged good men from morning to night you shall still find them humane and unavoidable infirmities excepted so discreet in their Charity so grave in their Counsels so savoury in their Discourse so constant in their Devotion so considerate in their Resolutions so faithful in their Reproofs so poized in their Temper so charitable in their Censures and so uniform and useful in their Lives that their Practice may be a perpetual Sermon and Copy to teach others their duty to God and man So that it was no small Title of Honour which was given to Mnason Act. 21. 16. That he was an Old Disciple And there is a rational account to be given of this seeing the Aged person hath had Time and means to sift and weigh all vulgar Notions to observe the frailties both of himself and others to distinguish realities from appearances and to penetrate through the surface â—…nto the substance of spiritual things and of temporal They have past through all Relations and having been Children and Parents Husbands or Wives for a â—…ong time and many of them Servants and Masters they are hereby inabled both to speak and to act in all cases with the greater solidity and efficacy Add to this that their long acquaintance with God cannot but assimilate them unto him and make their fruits holy just and good Let observation be made and it will be commonly found that the Discourses the Sermons the Books that proceed from persons of years thô they may want the external ornaments and ardour which are usual with younger persons yet have that congruity weight and wisdom that raise their value and render them more truly useful So that we may well say in this Case that the best wine is reserved to the last Now this is a valuable Priviledge For who doth not rather chuse the fruit that is ripe than that which is raw if it be not to some palates more toothsome yet it is to all bodies more wholsome Summer fruit may be more luscious but Winter old-Old-age fruit is more solid and will keep longer The stony ground were they that received the Word with joy but having no root they soon withered But the good ground were they that kept the word and brought forth fruit with patience And that which puts a value upon these ripe and well-digested fruits is that they tend more eminently to the glory of God hereby they shew forth the vertues and so the praises of him that hath called them And they do more largely conduce to the good of all that have occasion to use them or are conversant with them To which purpose Plutarch observeth that as they who teach Musick do by their own singing direct their Scholars so they that would instruct young men in private or publick affairs must not only outwardly dictate good axioms and rules to them but by their own steady course in word and deed endeavour to frame their minds to vertue There is an incredible charm in Example and thereby a good man is a common blessing Let all you Aged persons then consider what fruits ye bring forth It doth not become you to be credulous in what ye hear nor rash in what ye speak nor precipitate in what ye do Whatsoever savours of youth is unseemly in you You must study to live as patterns you should do more than others They that have been long at a Trade should be accurate in it The Apostle puts much upon the Time Heb. 5. 12.
give of your Repentance for the Sins of your Youth is a watchful care against the Sins of your Old-age otherwise your Sins are not forsaken but changed Withal if your Repentance be sound it is attended with a will and endeavour to make Restitution wherein you have injur'd any in their Souls Bodies Names or Estates This will be as Letters Testimonial of the truth of your Repentance you must not nay you cannot be quiet if your Repentance be sound until you have seriously endeavour'd as far as in you lies to recover the Souls to restore the Bodies to heal the Reputations and to repair the Estates which you have injur'd without which there can be no true Repentance on Earth and without which there will be no Remission in Heaven SECT II. ANother work of Old-age is obtaining Assurance of Salvation I mean hereby not only a General Certainty that some good people shall be saved for the Devils believe this and rage at it which I think is the same with Objective Certainty nor that Assurance which may come by special and extraordinary Revelation sith we find few or no examples in Scripture of such a thing but rather that the Apostle Paul himself grounds his Assurance of the Crown upon the righteousness of God which he extends to all them that love Christs appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. Neither do I mean a Conjectural Hope of Salvation which admits both of anxiety and of slavish fear fith the Scripture represents it by Faith and full assurance and produceth Earnests and Seals for confirmation Nor lastly is this Assurance confin'd to Grace at present but extends to final Salvation Thus the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed there is Assurance of his present State but was he certain of his Perseverance Yes that follows and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day That such Assurance hath been attained is clear enough from the Instances of Iob 19. 25 26. of David Psal. 16. 9 10. of Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. and many others That it may be attained is as clear sith there is no intimation that these or the rest had any extraordinary Discovery thereof unto them but arriv'd thereat in the use of those means and by the consignation of that Spirit unto which we have access as well as they And the Apostle doth expresly comprehend the generality of Believers in this Priviledge 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God c. That it ought to be endeavoured by all true Christians is most evident from the plain commands to that purpose 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure c. That few do labour to attain it thinking it to be impossible or unnecessary is to be bewailed That many deceive themselves with a false perswasion of present Grace and future Glory is manifest by Scripture and daily Experience And that it is most proper and needful for Old people the thing it self speaks For you cannot deny but that you have Souls immortal Souls which being Spirits cannnot dye but must return to God that gave them and are these Souls of so small value to be left to a Hazard to an everlasting venture And it is as evident that this life is uncertain we may say as Isaac Gen. 27. 2. Behold now I am Old I know not the day of my Death and therefore it 's time for us to go about this work without delay Children desire the time of youth and youth longs to be at mans age and they then would live to be Old but old-Old-age hath no further Age to desire it hath none other to succeed it here and they are wholly uncertain how long it will last and therefore it is absolutely necessary that they should be on sure grounds for Eternity and then the day of death will be better than the day of their Birth You know how much of your life is already spent you can see the Sands that are run into the nether end of the Glass but the upper Part is covered with a Mantle you know not how few Sands are left there to run Nay you cannot but perceive that Death is approaching very near you You are filled with Wrinkles which is a Witness against you and your leanness rising up in you beareth witness to your Face as it is Job 16. 8. For as it is observed of All men that they are Mortales apt to dye and of all Good men that they are Mortificati dying to Sin so it is of all Old men that they are Morituri about to dye And for such to have Oyl to seek when they should have it to Use Evidences to procure when they should have them to produce is an unexcusable neglect Especially knowing that your last Breath wafts you into an unalterable Estate What Journeys and Presents were heretofore made to the Oracles to assure the Votaries concerning the Event of some temporal affairs and how many do now Hazard their Souls by seeking to Necromancers to know the success of their Marriages Voyages and such like and yet a miscarriage in these things is remediable there may be some alleviation in them there may be some end of them but you are lanching into the Ocean of Eternity and are at no certainty whether it be eternal Happiness or eternal Misery What an anxious and uncomfortable State must this be If you were not loose in your belief of future things you would be restless in this condition you owe your Ease to your Letâ—…argy if you were not half Infidels you would be more than half distracted Which brings to mind the course which some Eminent persons among the Heathens took they durst not dye sober but drank great Draughts oâ—… Wine saying That no voluptuous person can go in his Wits into an invisible Estate With what poor comfort must that man dye that must cry out with that Old Philosopher I dye in great doubt and know not whither I am going yet out the Soul must go ready or unready Then will the careless sinner gnash his Teeth for rage at his slothful and sinful life which he hath spent as a Tale that is told Then will he have time enough to curse all the worldly business or wicked Company that hath devoured his precious time and left his Soul to shift for it self for ever Do not we in all other cases strive to be at a point will May-be's and Peradventure's satisfie us in any material humane affairs The Tenant who is warned out of one House cannot enjoy himself until he be sure of another The Steward that was discharged of his Office Luk. 16. took present course to be provided of some other Subsistence The poorest man is uneasie when his old Suit of Cloaths is worn out till he have a