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A61390 A discourse concerning old-age tending to the instruction, caution and comfort of aged persons / by Richard Steele ... Steele, Richard, 1629-1692. 1688 (1688) Wing S5386; ESTC R34600 148,176 338

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some of the Philosophers under pain or losses but could never do it under disgrace But that Patience which is directed by the Example of Christ and strengthened by the Grace and Spirit of Christ keepeth the Soul from secret repining or open murmuring at any event saves from distraction at present and from ruine hereafter And herein Old-age doth or should excel They have met with many troubles in their pilgrimage and the Scripture tells us that tribulation worketh patience Rom. 5. 3. consequently the more troubles the greater patience They have bin taught to wait for some Mercies which they have desired for many years and so have bin taught Patience which when they have well learned then the Mercy hath been conferr'd They have been tryed with many Afflictions from the hand of God either upon their Bodies as Sickness Pain c. sometimes by acute sometimes by chronical Distempers and these have exercised and taught them Patience or upon their Souls as Desertions or other Impressions of divine Displeasure and thereby have learned quietly to wait for the Salvation of God or by the Death of their dear Consorts or Children all which by the blessing of God concurring therewith have like continual burdens on the shoulder inur'd and strengthened them in this Excellent Grace The Aged Person hath also had many provocations losses and injuries from Men which have both tried and tamed his mettle He hath been either uncomfortably Match't whereby his Patience hath been put to it every day or cross'd in his Children or fix't near some unquiet Neighbour or harrass'd by a costly and tedious suit of Law any of which have forced him to exercise this Grace Or else he hath been smitten in his Reputation or maim'd by some great loss or disappointment in his Estate where he hath had no Remedy but Patience I know these things do too often work the wrong way that is they produce fretfulness rage melancholy and other dismal effects but in the upright man they sortifie his Spirits they break the pride security and stubbornness of his Soul and make him by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality and so fit him for Eternal Life And the Aged do or should exceed those that are young herein For the tender shoulders of these cannot well bear these burdens As Ephraim once so they are like bullocks unaccustomed to the yoke which fret and fume and are gall'd under the aforesaid tryals Thô the Holy Ghost hath told us that it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth But commonly it is some tract of time before this yoke is quietly and evenly carried Old age doth most perfectly teach this lesson He that in his youth would quickly have answered the Lye with his Sword will then answer it with a smile The tears which in our youth we spent upon any trivial occasion we then reserve for better purposes and we come to learn manners to wait Gods time for the mercies we desire Time and trials have taught the Old-man to digest hard words and hard things rather than to fight it out Good David could better bear Shimei's Curse when he was grown into years than Nabal's Uncharitableness when he was younger Now it was nothing but kill and slay at least every Male in Nabal's house but afterwards so let him Curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David Who shall then say Wherefore hast thou done this 2 Sam. 16. 10. And those Disciples of our Saviour who in their younger years would have had Fire sent from Heaven to revenge the incivility of the Samaritans they in their riper years had learned when reviled to bless when persecuted to suffer it and to bear all indignities not only with much patience 2 Cor. 6. 4. but with all patience 2 Cor. 12. 12. Such is the effect of years and experience by the blessing of God. And you that are in years must be inexcusable if you be defective in this Grace because you have been for a long time Scholars under a Patient Master who hath lest us an Example that we should follow his steps who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not 1 Pet. 2. 21 23. You have also read and heard many convincing Discourses upon this Subject you have seen the folly and madness of Impatience and of Revenge in others and you have had so many Crosses of your own that it is the absurdest thing imaginable for you to be destitute hereof No great wonder to see an unback't Colt to winch and curvet at the spur or whip but if the old tryed Beast do so he is better fed than taught No you should be Patterns of Patience to others We may well feel things as Mortal men saith Mr. Hooper yet overcome them as Christian men Outward Afflictions may prick us but yet they should not pierce us The Old Soldier will not fret at hard Marches hard Weather hard Usage for he hath been beaten to them The Old Mariner repines not at the boisterous Winds or the threatning Waves You are too Nice my Brother saith Hierom if you grudge to be Tried below yet expect to be Crown'd above Labour therefore to get and increase your stock of Patience Let Patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing Jam. 1. 4. This Grace you will daily need and daily use For we have need of Patience that after we have done the Will of God we may receive the Promise Heb. 10. 36. It will be like a Buckler to save you harmless from the evil of Affliction Though you have Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance yet ye must add unto these Patience that ye may never fall 2 Pet. 1. 6. This will not only bridle your Tongue but quiet your Mind and keep you when dispossest of all other things in possession of your own Souls For an impatient man whilst he is afflicted by another even then punishes himself and so is his own greatest tormenter Alas you must still expect a succession of troubles and unexpected crosses until your Course be finished and if you escape these from abroad yet you may find occasion enough for your Patience with your own Children and Servants and perhaps with nearer Relations and though you should miss of these yet your own Distempers will try your Patience when you can neither eat your meat nor live without it neither sleep with refreshment nor lye awake with ease neither endure company nor be contented alone when you will be weary of every place of every posture and without Patience weary of your self And therefore it greatly concerns you to store your selves with this needful this useful Grace And to that End Inure your selves unto it by degrees Strive to digest lesser wrongs provocations and losses which will prepare you to be quiet under greater Whilst others are endeavouring to out-wit or out-power their adversaries be you labouring to overcome
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING Old-Age TENDING TO The Instruction Caution and Comfort of Aged Persons Tit. 2. 2 3. That the Aged men be sober grave temperate sound in Faith in Charity in Patience The aged Women likewise c. Ben Syra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in Psal. 50. By RICHARD STEELE M. A. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by I. Astwood for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers-Chappel 1688. IMPRIMATUR R. M. Apr. 10. 1688. THE EPISTLE to the Readers Friendly Readers YOU have here a plain Discourse concerning Old-age The Design of it is to Instruct to Warn and to Comfort the Weaker sort of Ancient persons amongst whom I must place my self The Wiser and stronger may find divers things upon this Subject collected here together which they have met with asunder and which they know and practise better than I. But that which put me upon this Attempt was 1. Some years Experience of Old-age in my self 2. More Leisure by reason of my bodily Infirmities and other Restraints than I could have desired 3. An Observation that there was no full Treatise in our Tongue upon this Point 4. And lastly an unfained desire to be some way usefull in the World. These were the true Occasions of this Adventure Whatsoever in it tasts of the cask impute that to my weakness whatsoever is worthy ascribe it only to God●… Goodness I know it is full of imperfections but when the Principle Matter and End of an action are honest Candid persons will interpret the rest in the best sence Such Ancient and Modern Authors I could meet with as have written upon this Subject I have perused and digested their Observations in their places But the Scriptures here produced are my great Vouchers and which I do most earnestly recommend to the Readers for they are worthy the highest Regard That the Lord would enable me and you to frame our Old-age according to these Instructions is the earnest Prayer of Your Servant for Iesus sake May 10 1688. Richard Steele THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. The Description of Old-age Sect. 1. OF the Names for Old-age Page 2 2. Of the Nature of it Page 6 3. Of the Beginning of it Page 9 4. Of the long lives of many persons Page 12 CHAP. II. The Causes of Old-age and Preservatives Sect. 1. The Original Cause Mans Sin. Page 18 2. The Natural Cause Driness and Coldness Page 23 3. The Preternatural Causes 1. Unwholsome Air. Page 24 2. Diseases Page 25 3. Immoderate Care and Labour Page 26 4. Intemperance Page 28 5. Inordinate Passions Page 29 4. Preservatives 1. Piety Page 32 2. Sobriety Page 36 CHAP. III. The Sins and Vices of Old-age Sect. 1. Frowardness Page 41 2. Loquacity Page 45 3. Envy Page 50 4. Arrogance Page 54 5. Covetousness Page 57 6. Also 1. Craftiness Page 69 2. Unteachableness Page 70 3. Implacableness Page 72 4. Speculative Wickedness Page 74 CHAP. IV. The Graces and Vertues of Old-age Sect. 1. Knowledge Page 79 2. Faith. Page 85 3. Wisdom Page 91 4. Patience Page 98 5. Stedfastness Page 106 6. Temperance Page 113 7. Love. Page 120 CHAP. V. The Inconveniences or Miseries of Old-age Generally out of Eccles. 12. Page 129 Particularly Sect. 1. It is deprived of Pleasures Page 133 2. Strength and Beauty decreased Page 139 3. Faculties weakned Page 145 4. Senses decayed Page 151 5. Distemper and Pain Page 158 6. Broken with Crosses Page 164 7. Attended with Contempt Page 171 8. Disabled from Service Page 176 9. Unfit for Religious Exercises Page 181 10. Terrified with the Approach of Death Page 186 CHAP. VI. The Priviledges and Comforts of Old-age Sect. 1. It is greater in Authority Page 196 2. Richer in Experience Page 200 3. Freer from Sin. Page 206 4. Proner to Piety Page 211 5. Riper in its Fruits Page 217 6. Worthier of Respect Page 221 7. Further from the World. Page 226 8. Nearer to Heaven Page 232 CHAP. VII The Work and Business of Old-age Sect. 1. Repentance of their Sins Page 241 2. Obtaining Assurance Page 251 3. Prayer and Praises Page 259 4. Instruction of the younger Page 267 5. Watchfulness against the temptations 1. Of Discontentedness of Mind Page 274 2. Of Hardness and Security of Heart Page 276 3. Of Slothfulness of Spirit Page 278 4. Of Expectation of long life Page 283 6. Providence for Posterity Page 287 7. Mortification 1. To Sin. Page 292 2. To the World. Page 296 8. Laying up a treasure in Heaven Page 299 9. Meditation on Death and Eternity Page 307 10. Perseverance 1. In Doing Page 316 2. In Suffering the Will of God. Page 322 ERRATA PAge 41. line 4. read persons p. 76. l. 2. r. pleased p. 77. marg r. laniant p. 80. l. 27. r. as if for unless p. 81. marg r. cernere corporis p. 95. marg r. senum p. 110. l. 4. r. deprive p. 117. l. 1. r. in for to p. 140. l. 18. r. let him be useless for make away with him p. 194. l. 20. r. Prov. p. 195. marg r. honestissimum domicilium senectutis p. 196. l. 4. r. Authority p. 202. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 209. marg r. mole●…è p. 272. l. ult r. self-willed Other literal Mistakes are left to be rectified by the Candid Reader A DISCOURSE CONCERNING Old-Age INtending a Discourse concerning Old-Age I shall use that Method which I conceive will be most comprehensive and most commodious for my purpose which is 1. By making some Description thereof 2. By shewing the true Causes of it and the best Preservatives against it 3. The Sins or Vices which are most usual in it 4. The Graces and Vertues that are most proper for it 5. The Inconveniences and Miseries which attend it 6. The Priviledges and Comforts peculiar to it And Lastly the Work and Business that is most needful in it CHAP. I. The Description of Old-age SECT I. FOR the First we must come to a right Notion of Old-age partly by its Name The Words which are used for it in the Oriental Languages do only signifie Persons or Things ●…at are durable that have lasted long And some of them are us'd promiscuously for such as are dignified by Office as well as for such as have filled their Days And none of them do direct us in the Computation when it begins but do comprehend as well those Persons that are decrepit as those that are only decayed For in Gen. 18. 11. Abraham was an Old Man and in Gen. 24. 1. there he is called with the very same word but an Old Man tho he was then forty years older than before The Hebrew commonly calling an Old Man one full of days or stricken in Years tho sometimes they are distinguished the aged with him that is full of days Jerem. 6. 11. by which it should seem that Old-age comes somewhat short of fulness of days The Greek