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several, 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 persons, should cherish, even in smaller instances, that soberness and rightness of mind, which elfe will soon be neglected in more important matters : following confcientioufly that injunction of the apostle, with which I conclude. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: These things do : and the God of peace shall be with you *.

SERMON XV.

THE DUTIES OF THE AGED.

PROV. XVI. 31.

The hoary bead is a crown of glory, if it be found in the woj of righteousness.

LONG life is what all men naturally defire: and yet to most no part of life seems 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 business and pleafure, they amuse themselves with tolerable success. But old age disqualifies them by degrees from relishing either: and at the fame time, that it takes away their supports, 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. Besides, in the former stages of their journey, expectation of somewhat better to follow, bears men up; but in the concluding one, this world hath no new hopes to present, and many new fears arise from the approaching neighbourhood of another: both because dying gives terror, when living gives little else but pain; and because the confequences of dying must of necesslity be viewed with most concern, when we have least room left to secure 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, must, in its own nature, be proportionably a greater blessing. 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, espe cially that which is the maturity of it here, destitute of pro VOL. I.

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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 sometimes is so, as well as too often otherwife.

It is therefore a very useful inquiry, fince the thing is poffible, how we shall fet about it; what way we shall 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 bead is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. Where undoubtedly such glory is meant as comes attended with fatisfaction and delight. It is very true, much of our happiness here arifes from things not in our power; a good conftitution of body, a composed and chearful turn of mind, an advantageous situation in the world at first, and favourable occurrences afterwards. But ftill the far greatest 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 purpose; the wife man hath named the principal thing, righteousness, as if it were the only one, that crowns the hoary head with glory. To illustrate and confirm his judgment in this point, I shall endeavour to shew,

I. What assistances 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 reafon, that our advanced ones are defpicable and miferable. The irregularities of youth make old age infirın and painful, when otherwise we might have been vigorous and gay, and enjoyed an autumn, not at all upon the whole inferior to the spring. The idle expences of youth load our declining days with perplexities and distresses, when a little timely care might have fecured us ever after from anxiety, and furnished us with plenty of all things against the time when we need it most. Neglect of application to proper knowledge in the beginning

of

of our course leaves us destitute, through all the conclufion of it, both of the entertainment and the respect, which we then peculiarly want, and knowledge is peculiarly fitted to give. For as the Son of Sirach observes, If thou baft gathered nothing in thy youth, how canst thou find any thing in thine age*? Again: early indulgence of ill temper must fix a habit, that will fill our life, especially the close of it, with perpetual vexation and disquiet: 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 blessings, to our grey hairs. But, above all, forgetting our Creator in the days of our youtht, deprives us of those joyful hopes that revive and warm the decaying frame, and finks us down under the heaviest and justest apprehenfions and terrors. All these evils virtue and religion would prevent: perhaps entirely; at least in a great measure. 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 ano ther life, though it be very near us all, but will scarce look a fingle step before them in this. For furely did they fee what they are doing, and believe in earnest, 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 almost destroy the relish of that by excess in it; and absolutely 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 com- monly fly to only increase their shame and wretchedness. 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 honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the grey hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age †.

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

* Ecclus. xxv. 3.
Wifd. iv. 8, 9.

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† Ecclef. xii, 1.

or

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

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 practising the duties, to which we are peculiarly bound.

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

The most common faults which perfons in years are charged with, often unjustly and inconfiderately, but sometimes also with too much reason, are, artfulness and insensibility, selfishness 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 so far, that it degenerates into craft. Their tempers also growing less tender, and gradually callous, by seeing and going through the various evils of life, they have not always a sufficient sensibility 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 strictly prohibit; and both enjoin and encourage the most honourable fairness and friendliest humanity, as ordinarily conducive to our interest as well as credit in this world, and certainly the way to endless felicity in the next.

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