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feveral, which may commonly be thought not to amount to fins: yet whoever hath a just concern for those, who are setting out upon the journey of life, will think they need every useful admonition for the way. And it is highly requifite, that all perfons, especially all young perfons, should cherish, even in smaller instances, that soberness and rightness of mind, which elfe will foon be neglected in more important matters: following confcientiously that injunction of the apostle, with which I conclude. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatfoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report: These things do: and the God of peace fhall be with you*.

Phil. iv. 8, 9.

SER

SERMON XV.

THE DUTIES OF THE AGED.

PROV. xvi. 31.

The boary bead is a crown of glory, if it be found in the wuj of righteoufnefs.

LONG life is what all men naturally defire: and yet to most

no part of life feems to have much happiness in it; and that part least of all, to which living long brings them. In their younger and middle years, between bufinefs and pleafure, they amuse themselves with tolerable fuccefs. But old age difqualifies them by degrees from relishing either: and at the fame time, that it takes away their fupports, adds to their burthen too; by many infirmities of body and mind, which often make them difagreeable or contemptible to others, and uneasy to themselves. Befides, in the former ftages of their journey, expectation of fomewhat better to follow, bears men up; but in the concluding one, this world hath no new hopes. to present, and many new fears arife from the approaching neighbourhood of another: both becaufe dying gives terror, when living gives little elfe but pain; and because the confequences of dying muft of neceffity be viewed with most concern, when we have least room left to fecure their being fuch as we could wish.

And yet, fince, if God be good, life must be a bleffing; long life, it is reasonable to conclude, muft, in its own nature, be proportionably a greater bleffing. For we cannot think he, would plant in us the defire of what could only make us miferable: or when he hath ordered every thing else with fuch gracious forefight, would leave any portion of man's being, efpecially that which is the maturity of it here, deftitute of pro

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per enjoyments. Old age then, how much foever men complain of it, furely may be both honourable and happy: nay indeed we have plain proofs, that in fact it fometimes is fo, as well as too often otherwife.

as

It is therefore a very ufeful inquiry, fince the thing is poffible, how we shall fet about it; what way we fhall take to render that part of our lives reputable and comfortable, which we are fome of us in, most of us hoping for, and all of us travelling towards. Now to this question the text gives a full anfwer, The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteouffs. Where undoubtedly fuch glory is meant comes attended with fatisfaction and delight. It is very true, much of our happinefs here arifes from things not in our power; a good conftitution of body, a compofed and chearful turn of mind, an advantageous fituation in the world at firft, and favourable occurrences afterwards. But ftill the far greatcft part depends on our own prudence. And fince virtue and · piety comprehend the chief parts of prudence, and without them there can be no prudence to any purpofe; the wife man hath named the principal thing, righteoufnefs, as if it were the only one, that crowns the hoary head with glory. To illuftrate and confirm his judgment in this point, I fhall endeavour to fhew,

I. What affiftances virtue and piety contribute towards making old age honourable and happy.

II. That they must be effectual.

I. Now they contribute to this end by two means: laying the proper foundations for it in the former part of life, and leading to the proper behaviour for it in the latter.

1. Laying proper foundations in the former part.

Neglect of right conduct in our early years is the main reason, that our advanced ones are despicable and miferable. The irregularities of youth make old age infirm and painful, when otherwife we might have been vigorous and gay, and enjoyed an autumn, not at all upon the whole inferior to the fpring. The idle expences of youth load our declining days with perplexities and diftreffes, when a little timely care might have fecured us ever after from anxiety, and furnished with plenty of all things against the time when we need it moft. Neglect of application to proper knowledge in the beginning

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of our courfe leaves us deftitute, through all the conclufion of it, both of the entertainment and the refpect, which we then peculiarly want, and knowledge is peculiarly fitted to give. For as the Son of Sirach obferves, If thou haft gathered nothing in thy youth, how canft thou find any thing in thine age? Again: early indulgence of ill temper muft fix a habit, that will fill our life, efpecially the close of it, with perpetual vexation and difquiet: Default of cultivating in time valuable friendships, excludes us from the benefit of them, when they would be more valuable than ever: Default of educating well those who belong to us, makes them grow up to be curses, inftead of bleflings, to our grey hairs. But, above all, forgetting our Creator in the days of our youth, deprives us of thofe joyful hopes that revive and warm the decaying frame, and finks us down under the heaviest and jufteft apprehenfions and terrors. All these evils virtue and religion would prevent: perhaps entirely; at least in a great meafure. And it is a dreadful thing, that men will not be brought to confider this foon enough. They will not only flight the motives of another life, though it be very near us all, but will scarce look a fingle step before them in this. For furely did they see what they are doing, and believe in earneft, that they are employing their youth to make their riper age unhappy, they would change their conduct. But all they think of is, to croud into a small space as much felf-indulgence as they poffibly can; till they almoft deftroy the relish of that by excess in it; and abfolutely all regard to any thing better. And then, after the gay madness of a few years, what remains of life grows infipid and wearifome; and the reliefs they commonly fly to only increafe their fḥame and wretchednefs. But right behaviour will fecure us that regard, even in the first part of our days, which we must not in any part expect without it. For bonourable age is not that which ftandeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wifdom is the grey hair unto men, and an unfpotted life is old age ‡.

Thefe confiderations, though much more ufeful, when they are thought of foon, yet are never too late to be highly beneficial. Indeed our condition can at no time be either fo bad

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* Ecclus. xxv. 3•

† Ecclef. xii, I.

Wifd. iv. 8, 9.

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or fo good, but we may still make it worse or better, as we please. They who have lived ever fo ill, may by undoing, as far as they can, what they have done amifs, prevent the worft confequences of it; and obtain, in a small time, no fmall degree of favour from God, honour from men, and comfort in themselves while on the other hand, they who began ever fo well, may by deviating from their duty in the finishing period, overturn all. To prevent this, it is needful we fhould inquire into the

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2d Method, that religion and virtue take to crown old age with glory which is, directing to proper behaviour when that age comes. And fuch behaviour confifts again in two things avoiding the faults, to which we are then peculiarly subject; and practifing the duties, to which we are peculiarly bound.

1. Avoiding the faults, to which we are then peculiarly subject. And here,

The most common faults which perfons in years are charged with, often unjustly and inconfiderately, but fometimes alfo with too much reason, are, artfulness and infenfibility, selfishnefs and avarice. As they become, by length of time, more knowing and more practifed in the ways of men, they contract a difinclination to frank and open dealing, and are apt to carry prudence fo far, that it dègenerates into craft. Their tempers alfo growing lefs tender, and gradually callous, by feeing and going through the various evils of life, they have not always a fufficient fenfibility of heart remaining, to enfure to others kind and compaffionate ufage from them. And these are fins of great infamy and great guilt: which religion and virtue ftrictly prohibit; and both enjoin and cncourage the most honourable fairness and friendlieft humanity, as ordinarily conducive to our intereft as well as credit in this world, and certainly the way to endless felicity in the next.

With the errors juft mentioned, is ufually connected one, of very bad repute, yet very frequent in old age, a mean and penurious behaviour. They who are fparing in their younger days feldom fail to be much more thrifty in their decline: and fometimes the profufe, when they leave off that folly, endeavour to make amends for it by running into the oppofite. Yet, one fhould think, the aged, as of all perfons they are in

the