IN this verse, we have an assertion and a supposition. (1) An As­sertion in the former part of it, viz. That an hoary head is a crown of glory, h. e. a crown that does adorn and honour the Person on whom it is. By the hoary head Old Age is meant, that being an usual sign & symptom accompanying Old Age. The words are a Metaphor alluding to Kings, or great Personages that have Crowns and Diadems set on their heads, on the account whereof respect and honour [Page 50] is given to them. The great Men be­longing to Niniveh are called, Their Crowned, Nah. 3.17. They that have an hoary head, God has set a Crown on their heads which calls for respect. (2) There is a supposition in the lat­ter part of the verse, If ('tis said) it is found in the way of righteousness. There is indeed no If in the Hebrew Original, whence some Interpreters take the meaning of the words to be, that they who walk in the way of righteousness, shall be honoured with living to Old Age, when the wicked shall have their days shortned, which indeed many times happen to be so yet not always. But if we take the if in our translation as Explanatory, they import that it is most honourable when there is a Conjunction of Age and Righteousness together in the same Person. Not that there is no honour due to Age if righteousness is wanting, but that then especially it is [Page 51] a crown and glory; accordingly the Doctrine to be insisted on from the words, is,

DOCT. That there is an honour due to Old Age, especially when found in a way of Righteousness.

The Doctrine may be opened and confirmed in Two Propositions, both which are contained in it.

PROP. 1. That Old Age is honoura­ble. It ought to be revered and honoured. The Scripture declares it to be honourable. Isai. 9.15. The An­cient & the honourable he is the head. If he is Ancient he is on that account honourable. As a Man that has a Crown or Diadem set on his head is therefore regarded. The hoary head is a crown of glory. Prov.20.29. The beauty of Old Men is the gray head. Several things may be mentioned [Page 52] which will confirm & clear the Truth before us.

1. GOD is the Author of this Crown. It is to be respected considering from whom it comes. Indeed the Infirmi­ties of Old Age are the effect of Sin, but Age it self comes from none but God. Deut. 30.20. He is thy Life and the length of thy dayes. God said to Solomon, If thou wilt keep my Com­mandments, I will lengthen thy days, 1 King.3.14. If any Man is favour­ed with long life, it is God that has lengthened his days. As life is ori­ginally from Him, so is the continu­ance of it to Old Age. Considering the many dangers which attend Men, not only by diseases, but by innume­rable accidents, it is a marvellous Pro­vidence that upholds a frail life to Old Age. Psal. 66.9. O bless our God, which holds our Soul in Life. Our Souls and Life had been taken from us, if God had not held it. The Apostle [Page 53] ascribes the continuance of his Life to the Power & Providence of God. Act. 26 22. Having obtained help from God, I continue to this day. Altho' life may be lengthened by the use of natural means, in special great Temperance has a natural tendency to prolong Life, and to preserve from diseases, nevertheless Men cannot by all the art they can use keep themselves a­live for a few dayes. If then any Man shall attain unto Old Age, it is because God has redeemed his Life from destruction, and has Crowned him with loving Kindness and tender Mercy.

2. GOD has put honour upon Age. He has so by requiring others to shew respect to it. The Word of God has said, Rebuke not an Elder, but entreat him as a Father, 1 Tim 5.1. It is evi­dent from the next verse, that the A­postle by an Elder in that Place does not mean an Elder in respect of Office, [Page 54] but an Ancient Man. If there is cause to reprove him, you must consider that he is a Father, and therefore not to use harsh language, but to treat him with that decency that becomes his Senio­rity, and in respect of Age Superiority. The Commandment of God is very solemn & awful, in Levit. 19.32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the Old Man, & fear thy God, I am the Lord. Rising up is a sign of honour. Therefore Solomon when he saw his Mother coming to him rose up and bowed himself in to­ken of a reverential respect always due to a Parent, especially to an A­ged Parent. The Hebrew Writers say, that among them, if an hoary headed Man, came within four Cubits of him that was sitting, he was to rise up and not to sit down again until the Old Man was past him, such reve­rence had they for the face of the Old Man. And where do we find a more [Page 55] solemn charge in all the Scripture, than this of honouring the Old Man? God sayes as ever you would mani­fest the fear of My Name to be in your hearts, honour the face of the Old Man. If you do it not, you do not fear Me, you do not acknowledge Me to be the Lord, if you make no Conscience of this Commandment. Moreover, God has put honour upon Old Age by Promising it as a great favour & blessing. Psal. 91.16. With long life will I satisfy him. It is pro­mised as a reward of Obedience to the Commandment of God. He said to His People Israel, You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath Commanded you, that you may live and that you may prolong your dayes, Deut. 5 33. How often in the Scripture, & especially in the Proverbs of Solomon, are such Promises inculcated thereby to Encourage Obedience. Prov. 3.1, 2. Keep my Commandments, for length of [Page 56] days & long life shall they add unto thee. And Chap. 4.10. Receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many. In special, long life is promised as a reward for Obedience to the Fifth Commandment Eph. 1.2, 3. Children obey your Parents in the Lord, for this is right; honour thy Father & Mother, which is the first Commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayst live long on the Earth. Long life is spoken of as a greater blessing than the Riches and Honours of the World. It is said of Wisdom, That length of dayes are in her right hand, & in her left handriches & honour, Prov. 3.16. The preference is given to long life, that's the right-hand blessing. And this is promised as a blessing that shall attend the hap­py times on the Earth yet to come. Isai 65.20. There shall be no more thence an Infant of dayes, nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the Child shall [Page 57] dye on hundred years old. Yea, it is promised as a blessing to a Town that there shall be Old Men, and Old Wo­men in it. Zech. 8.4. There shall be Old Men & Old Women dwell in the Streets of Jerusalem, & every man with his staff in his hand for very age. He shall need a staff to support him, not be­cause of Sickness, but because of his great Age. And the removal of Aged Persons out of the World, is mentio­ned as a Judgment, and a sad Omen to the Places where they had lived and saved God. The Lord threatned His People that he would take from them the Prudent & the Ancient, Isai 3.2. And it is spoken of as an heavy Judg­ment on a Family, that none of that family should live to Old Age. So was it said to Eli, There shall not be an Old man in thy house, 1 Sam. 2 31. Now God by promising long life as a blessing, and threatning shortness of days as a Judgment, has put honour upon Old Age.

[Page 58]3. Aged Men have more Experience & many times more Knowledge & Wis­dom than others have attained unto. It is presumed that Old Men know more than Younger ones who have not had their experience and advanta­ges. Wherefore the Apostle said, I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the be­ginning, 1 Joh. 2.14. Job wondred [...] the rash and weak Judgment of his three friends, considering they were Old Men, and therefore should have been wiser: He said, Job 12.12. With the Ancient is wisdom, & in length of days understanding. In verse 20. He takes away the understanding of the Aged. Which is not to be understood as if it were impossible for a Young Man to have wisdom. Elihu a Young Man discovered more Wisdom in his discourses than three Old Men. It was said to Solomon when he was Young, Thou art a wise Man & knowest what [Page 59] thou oughtest to do, 1 King 2.9. Some by singular advantage of Education have gained a great deal of wisdom in a little time. Nor have gray hairs engrossed this commodity of Wisdom, Great men are not always wise, as was said. So neither are Old Men always wise, Job 32.9. Neither do the aged un­derstand Judgment. Wisdom (sayes [...]) Does not always lean on a Staff, [...] look through Spectacles. It does not alwayes go on three legs, or see through your Eyes. Nevertheless, two things [...] to be asserted. (1.) That Aged Persons have had greater advantages than others to gain Knowledge and Wisdom. And it is a great shame to whom, if they have not done so. Senex Elementaris, an A, B, C, Old Man is a despicable Creature. (2.) It must be asserted, that many times Old Men excel in Wisdom. That expression of Davids: Psal. 119.100. I understand more than the Ancients, because I keep [Page 60] thy Precepts, imports that Ancient Men use to understand more than o­thers. This Elibu was sensible of. Therefore he said to some Ancient Men, I am young, & you are very old, wherefore I durst not shew you mine opi­nion, I said days should speak, & multi­tude of Years should teach wisdom, Job 32.6, 7. His words are Elegant and Rhetorical, that which belongs to Per­sons is ascribed to Time. If Men have improved a Multitude of dayes and years well, they must needs be fitter to teach wisdom than they were before they had the experience of ma­ny years. Aged Persons are fittest to give counsil. It was the saying of a wise Man, That that City will be happy, that makes use of Young Mens Arms, & follows the counsil of Old Men. What ruine did Rehoboam bring upon his Kingdom, he lost Ten Tribes of Twelve by forsaking the counsil of the Old Men, and counselling with the [Page 61] Young Men. That came of his hear­tening to the counsel of green Heads, & declining the counsil of gray Heads: Now if Old Age has wisdom accom­panying of it, then it is Venerable. It commands reverence. People fear­ed Solomon when they saw that the wisdom of God was in him. It is a crown of glory, it is an Ornament to who­ever has it. Prov. 14.18. The prudent are crowned with knowledge. Ecclesi­astes says, that Wisdom makes a mans face to shine, Eccl. 8.1. It makes a Man Venerable & Amiable. Where­fore it is also said, Wisdom is the prin­cipal thing when thou dost embrace her, she shall give to thine head an Or­nament of Grace, & a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee, Prov. 4.9.

4. The light of Nature teacheth Men to honour Age. I remember Mr Bur­roughs in one of his Sermons, relates a Passage worthy of Commemoration, concerning several Lacedemonian Am­bassadors, [Page 62] who being in a Theater at Athens, when they saw an Aged grave Man coming altho' they knew him not, only because of his hoary head, they knew him to be Aged, they rose up & bowed to him, the whole Theater admired & applauded those Ambassa­dors as Men worthy to be honoured themselves, for their shewing such Ve­neration to an Aged Man, purely on the account of his great Age. It has been shewed that the People of God who had His Word to direct them, have given a preference to Age. When Moses needed some to be Coadjutors & Assistants to him in Rule & Govern­ment, God said to him, Gather Seventy men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be the Elders of the People, Numb. 11.16. Of such Elders their Sa­nedrim or great Council did consist. Their Priests were Ecclesiastical Ru­lers, besides them, there were of other Tribes Civil Rulers; these are called [Page 63] the Elders of the People. And in the Gospel, Pastors of Churches are called Elders. Act. 14.23. They Ordained El­ders in every Church. Such were to be either in respect of their Years El­ders, or to be endowed with the Knowledge, and Wisdom of Old Men. In which respect there may possibly be an Old Young Man. A Young Man that has the Seriousness, Piety, and Gravity of an Old Man, is a Young Old Man. The Rabbi said true, Sa­piens appellatur Senex, etiam si diebus sit exignis. But moreover, they that have not had the Scriptures, yet the Law written in their hearts by Na­ture, has directed them to give a pe­culiar respect and deference to Aged Men. In most Civilized Nations they have done so: They have thought such fittest to be trusted with the greatest and most honourable Offices, inasmuch as Age has given the de­nomination to their Publick Councils. [Page 64] Among the Romans their Rulers had the Name of Senators as being Senes Old Men, and their Magistrates were called their Senate. So among the Spartans in Greece, their Publick Councils had the Name of Gerousia, which signifies a Senate. Such was their honour for Age as that it became a proverbial saying, It is good living to be an Old Man in Sparta, because the People in the City, did exceedingly respect and revere Old Men. In our Nation Magistrates have had the Name of Aldermen given to them, which word has respect to Age, impor­ting Elder-men. By all this it appears that they who honour not the hoary head, Sin against the light of Nature as well as against the light of Scripture.

5. Not to honour Age is a sign of great inhumanity & barbarousness. It was predicted that the Apostate Children of Israel should for their Sins fall into the hands of a Nation with a fierce [Page 65] Countenance which would not regard the person of the Old, Deut. 28.50. Which was fulfilled when the inhumane Chal­deans came upon them, who were bru­tish Men & skilful to destroy. Their brutality and barbarity appeared in that they had no Compassion on the Old man, nor on him that was so old as to stoop for Age, 2 Chron. 36.17. This is twice mentioned in the Prophet Je­remiahs Lamentations, Chapter 4.16. They respected not the persons of the Priests, they favoured not the Elders. And 5.12. The faces of the Elders were not honoured. So inhumane were those Heathen.

6. There is something of the Image of God in Age. The greater Seniority there is in any, the more does he in that respect approach to the Eternal God. It is said of Him, Neither can the number of his years be searched out, Job 36.26. In respect of their Age there is a stamp of God upon Old [Page 66] Men, more than upon others. He is called the Ancient of Days, Dan. 7.9. And Christ in respect of His Eternity is represented as having his head & his hair white like wooll, as white as snow, Rev. 1.14. Altho' all Ages put them all together are not a Moment to Eter­nity, nevertheless, as to our Computa­tion, Old Age bears the fairest Image of Eternity. Therefore is the hoary head a Crown of glory.

PROP. II. It is especially true, that Old Age is honourable, when found in a way of Righteousness. If the hoary head is an honour, this is the honour of that honour. It is a Crown, righ­teousness is the Crown of that Crown. It has been well said by some, that Life is not to be measured by the length of it, but by the righteousness of it. When the Silver Crown of Old Age is adorned with the Golden Crown of Religion, as one expresses it, that is the [Page 67] honour of it. The proposition before us may be opened and confirmed in two Assertions.

1. He that is in the Way of righte­ousness is a righteous Man. He is one that not only does actions which as to the matter of them are according to the rule or law of righteousness, for so may an unrighteous man, but one that as to his spiritual State is, a righ­teous, or a godly Man. One whose way and course is righteous. Men while in this World are Viatores, they are travelling in one of two ways. Ei­ther in the broad way which leads to destruction, which the most of Men are going in, that's the way of Unrigh­teousness: Or in the narrow way which leads to life; that's the way of Righ­teousness. Prov. 12.28. In the way of righteousness is Life, & in the path way thereof is no death. This is that which is called the good way: 1 Sam. 12.23. I will teach you the good & the right [Page 68] way, which men should be very solli­citous about their getting into that way. Jer. 6.16. Ask where is the good way & walk therein. And the way of good men, Prov. 2.20. And the way which is called holy, Isai. 35.8. So the way John Baptist walked and taught others by his example as well as by his doctrine to walk in it. Matt. 21.32. John came in the way of righteous­ness. This way of righteousness is the way of Gods Commandments, and of His Precepts, Psal. 119.27. Men do not naturally choose or walk in that way. Wherefore going in the way of righteousness implys, Conversion. For Unconverted Sinners are not in that way. Among all the Unconverted Sinners in the World, there is not one righteous Man to be found. Rom. 3.10. It is written, there is none righteous, no not one.

2. It is to be asserted, That being found in the way of righteousness, does [Page 69] imply having been therein for some time. How should hoary heads be found in the way of righteousness, if they were not in that way afore they were adorned with hoary heads, and then their gray hairs will be a great glory to them. The Expression im­plies not only a Conversion to God, but an early Conversion. A Man that from his Youth to his Old Age has gone on in a course of righteousness and holiness, is honourable indeed. It is mentioned to the honour of a Disciple whose Name was Mnason that he was an Old Disciple, Act. 21.16. He had been a Disciple for many years. The Apostle Paul mentions it to the honour of some kinsmen of his, they were (says he) in Christ before me, Rom. 16.7. And that which is recor­ded concerning Obadiah is a great ho­nour to his Name & Memory, that he said to the Prophet Elijah, 1 King 18.12. I fear the Lord from my youth. That [Page 70] Expression intimates that he was not then in his Youth, but that Age had overtaken him, and found him fearing God, and that for many Years he had done so. Such an one was Samuel He therefore said, I am old & gray headed and I have walked before you from my Childhood unto this day, 1 Sam. 12.2. He began to fear and serve God in his Childhood, and continued to do so, until he had an hoary head. Such Persons be they Men or Women that have for many Years walked in the ways of righteousness, have an honour due to them. Such as Zechary & Eliza­beth, of whom it is said, Luk. 1.6. They were both righteous before God, & walk­ing in all the Commandments & Ordi­nances of the Lord blameless. It is re­ported concerning Polycarp (once a famous Pastor of the Church in Smyr­na) that when he came to dye he said to his Persecutors, I have served Christ fourscore & six years. It is supposed [Page 71] that he was Converted about the Six­teenth Year of his Age, & that he was an hundred Years Old at his Death and Martyrdom. Surely that was a Venerable Old Servant of the Lord. None of us in this Congregation can say, that we have served Christ Eighty & six Years, but I trust there are some among us that can say that they have these fifty, nay sixty Years and more been His Servants in the way of righteousness. Why should not such be honoured? That a crown of glory does in a singular manner be­long to such Servants of the Lord as have not only lived but continued faithfully Serving of Christ for many Years, will appear in several parti­culars.

1. Grace in the Soul makes Men to be Excellent & Glorious. For Grace is a glorious thing. It is an internal glo­ry. Psal 45.13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within: viz. in respect of [Page 72] the Grace wherewith her Soul is ador­ned. Grace is called Glory. Belie­vers beholding Christ as represented in the glass of the Gospel are changed from glory to glory, i.e. from one de­gree of Grace to another, which is their Glory, 2 Cor 3.18. Grace is an ornament to whoever has it. No Gold, nor Jewels, nor costly Apparel does adorn the body, so as Grace does the Soul that is invested with it. Where­fore the Apostle speaks, as 1 Pet. 3.3, 4. Whose adorning let it not be that out­ward adorning of plaiting the hair, or of wearing of gold, or of putting on of Ap­parel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, even the ornament of a meek & quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Who are the most excellent Persons on the Earth! It is they that are in the way of righteous­ness. Prov. 12.26. The righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour. Men that excel their Neighbour in Riches, [Page 73] or in Wordly greatness or grandieur, are not the more excellent in the sight of Heaven on that account, but they that have godly Souls within them are excellent in the Lords esteem. Psal. 16 3. The Saints on the Earth, the ex­cellent in whom is all my delight. They are so because they are Saints. Their Sanctity makes them excellent. One sayes well, That a Saint in rags out­shines the greatest man on earth, if he is a wicked man. And it is a Celebra­ted saying of Luther, That a poor Ser­vant doing the meanest work, if they do it from a principle of Grace & in obedi­ence to God, is a more glorious sight than Caesar in all his triumphs. For Holi­ness makes Men like Angels. What is the difference between the Angels of Heaven, and the Devils of Hell? It is Holiness that makes the diffe­rence. Angels are holy, but Devils are spiritual wickednesses. A very holy Man is an Angel Incarnate. One of [Page 74] our English Martyrs blessed God for his being cast into Prison, because there (said he) I became acquainted with that Angel of God Mr John Brad­ford. Nay, Holiness makes Men like God. A Godly Man is a Godlike Man. The Image of God does especially consist in Holiness. Eph 4.24. Put on the new man, which after God, i. e. after the Image of God, is created in righ­teousness & true holiness. The blessed Angels resemble God more than any other Creatures, because they are of all Creatures the most holy ones. These Watchers over the World are called the holy Ones, Dan. 4.17. What Men on Earth are they, that do most of all resemble the blessed holy God? They are the holiest Men. His holi­ness is in a singular manner his glory. Exod. 15.11. Thou art glorious in Holi­ness. Then this must needs be the greatest Crown of glory that any Man on Earth has or can have. There­fore [Page 75] holiness is venerable. It com­mands respect and reverence. Some­times ungodly men and great men too, will revere a very holy Man. It is said of Herod that notwithstanding his being a King, He feared John Bap­tist knowing that he was a just man & an holy. There was no perswading him out of the way of righteousness, Mark 4 20. Now if being in a State of Grace, or in the way of righteous­ness, calls for respect & honour, then certainly, they that have been in that State a long time, and have walked in that way for many Years are on that account honourable.

2. Aged Servants of the Lord have had a long acquaintance & communion with God. They are to be honoured, since God has vouchsafed to honour them with His Presence, and that there have been Mutual Communica­tion between them for a long time. 1 Joh. 1.3. Truely our Fellowship is with [Page 76] the Father & with his Son Jesus Christ. They have had the honour of being admitted into the Presence of the King of Glory, and that every day, and for many Years. God has bid them come to Him with their requests, and that they should open their hearts & speak freely to Him; and this of matters which they cannot speak to any one else of, and this have they done many a time & often. Psal. 142.2, 3. I poured out my complaint before him, I shewed before him my trouble, when my spirit was overwhelmed within me. God puts honour on His Servants when He will permit them to be thus free with Him. They have come to God in the Name of Christ many a time, and He has through Christ come to them. He said to His People, I will meet with them & I will commune with them from above the Mercy-seat, Exod. 25.20. Christ is the Mercy-seat, and it is a blessed com­munion which through Him, Believers [Page 77] have with God. And this is what Christ has promised to such as abide in the way of righteousness. Joh. 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my Commandments, & my Father will love him, & we will come unto him, & make our abode with him. It is among Men counted an honour to have a free con­versation with an Earthly King, but the Servants of God can say, our Con­versation is in Heaven, Phil. 3.20. And when there has been for many years an holy blessed conversation be­tween the Lord and them, a blessed Familiarity proceeds from thence. It has been related concerning an Emi­nent Christian, that when he was on his death bed he could say to those a­bout him, If the walls of this Chamber could speak they would say that I have met with God here many a time, & that He has been Familiar with my Soul. When Moses had been conversing with God forty days, his face did shine. [Page 78] Then aged Christians who have been Conversing with God for more than Forty years, do they not shine? Surely there is a Crown of Glory be­longing to them.

3. Aged Servants of the Lord have done a great deal of good in the World. The Generation in which they have lived has fared the better for them, and it may be after Generations too. David lived to a good old Age, and he has left this Character behind him, That he served his own Generation ac­cording to the will of God, Act. 13.35. Sometimes Young Men have been very useful and serviceable having done a great deal of good in a little time: had they lived to Old Age they would have done a great deal more. But more especially such Servants of God as His Providence has set in a Publick Station, if they walk in the way of righteousness, many will fare the better for them. Rulers in the [Page 79] Civil State, if they set themselves to promote righteousness, they are bles­sings to the Land in which they live. One such Man in Jerusalem would have saved the whole City from ruine, Jer. 5.1. But if they continue many Years to do thus, how much Evil will they prevent, and how much good will they obtain, in the place where Providence has cast their lot. Such a King as David that continued ser­ving the Publick Forty years together, until Old Age, and in his Old Age to the last a whole Nation fared the bet­ter for him. So for such a Governour as Nehemiah who never took a bribe all the time of his Government, which was twelve years, nay, considering the People were poor, he would rather deny himself of the Salary which was due to him as Governour, than the poor People should be burdened, Neh. 5.14, 15. He was one that the whole Province had cause to bless, and to [Page 80] bless God for him. And a Minister in the house of God, if he has been so a long time, and has been faithful, must needs have been an instrument of much good. It may be many Sin­ners have been Converted, and thou­sands Edified by his holy labours. It is said concerning that faithful & emi­nent Minister of God Old Jehojadah, that he had done good in Israel both towards God, and towards His House, 2 Chron. 24 16. But others also, altho' but in a private Capacity, if they have walked in the way of righteousness, and continued to do so for many years, they have done much good. They have been blessings to their Families, & blessings to their Neighbours. They have done good by their Example, by which they have shined as lights in the world, they have been like Stars which are common blessings. They have done good by their Prayers. So have they been a means to keep off [Page 81] destroying Judgments from the places where they have liv'd. The Jews have a saying, Sinc stationibus non staret Mundus, If it were not for Prayer the World would not stand. And whose Prayers? The Prayers of such as walk in the way of righteousness. The righteous is an everlasting foundation. It is eminently true concerning such as have been a long time in that way. Men will regard the Requests of an Old Friend, or of an Old faithful Ser­vant. So will God regard the Pray­ers of His Old Friends that have been serving him faithfully for these many years. Surely they will obtain no little good for those they Pray very much for. Now a great respect is due to such as have been useful and serviceable. The more serviceable the more honourable. For Men in be­ing beneficial to many resemble the blessed God. How Extensive is His goodness who is good to all, and His [Page 82] tender Mercies over all His works. The more universally beneficial we are, the more do we approve our selves the Children of our Father which is in Heaven, Matt. 5.45. And Men that do a great deal of good in the World are in that respect like Christ. How many did He do good unto both as to Body and Soul? Act. 10.38. He went about doing good & healing all that were op­pressed of the Devil. The whole World has fared the better for Him, since He is the Light of the World. God has made the Sun to be a Mercy to the World. Christ the Sun of Righteousness has been an infinitely greater Mercy. Man-kind has fared the better for His Mediation. That tree had been cut down, if the Son of God had not said, spare it. But especially the Elect of God in all Ages and Places of the World have been blessed by Him On which account it was said to Abraham, in thy Seed, by which Christ is intend­ed [Page 83] all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed, Gen. 22.18. Now Aged Christians having had longer oppor­tunities of doing good in the World than others have had, if they have done accordingly, they do in that respect the more resemble God and Christ, & then their Old Age becomes a Crown of glory to them. Hence,

4. Aged Christians being found in the way of righteousness have brought more glory to the Name of God, than they could have done, if they had not been favoured with Time & Age to glorify Him in. Christians are in the Scripture compa­red to Trees. The fruit which grows upon such Trees, if they are Christi­ans indeed, is righteousness. Isai 61 3. Trees of righteousness of the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified. The more of that fruit any Christian bears, the more is God glorified in them and by them. Wherefore Christ said to the disciples, Joh. 15.8. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. And [Page 84] the Apostle shews that if Christians be filled with the fruits of righteousness that will be to the glory of God, Phil. 1.11. Now a Tree that has been bringing forth fruit many years one after ano­ther until it is grown Old brings forth much fruit. An Aged Saint is such a Tree. If Christians live to Old Age, it will be a great shame for them, if they have not brought forth much fruit in all that time, but if they have done so, God has been glorified by them. Nay, such Christians do not only glorify God themselves, but they cause others to glorify Him. They that see their good works will glo­rify their Father which is in Heaven, Matth 5.16. They that are about them may well say, if the Servants of God are thus good and thus holy, than how good is their Father who has made them to be such! And what respects is due to such Persons who have for so many years been glorify­ing God.

[Page 85]5. Aged Servants of the Lord are near their Crown. Their Salvation is nearer than when they first believed, Rom. 13.11. It was a comfortable word which was spoken to Jerusalem, Isai. 40.2. Speak you comfortably to Je­rusalem, cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Thus may it be said to Aged Saints, be of good comfort, your warfare is well nigh accomplish­ed: you are not far from the Kingdom of God. A Man that is like to have a rich Inheritance speedily fall to him, is respected. This will be the Porti­on of the Aged Saint. An Inheritance incomparably better than any in this World will soon be his. One that is like to have a Kingdom in a little time, is on that account highly respected. An Aged Christian is a sincere Christi­an, will speedily be in the Possession of a Kingdom infinitely better than any in this World. An Aged Saint, like old Peter knows he must Shortly [Page 86] put off his Earthly Tabernacle, and so shortly be in Heaven. It is reported of a singularly Pious Lady in England, (the Lady Falkland) that when She went to her rest at Night, She would ly down with those words, Now I am one day nearer Heaven than ever I was before. Old corn is not kept long out of the barn. No more will it be long before the Old Servant of God will be gathered into the heavenly barn. It was said to Job, Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full Age, like as a shock of corn comes in; it comes into the barn, in its season, when it is fully ripe, Joh 5 26. They that are so near their crown in Heaven ought to have the more respect from Men whilst yet on Earth.

6. If Men continue long in the way of righteousness, their Crown of Glory in Heaven will be the weightier for that. The longer thy Crown is in preparing (sayes an excellent Writer) the more [Page 87] full of Diamonds & Pearls will it be when it comes. There are righteous Men who if they had dyed Fifty Years ago, they had gone to Heaven, but they would not then have had so great a Crown there, as now they shall. All those years of Service will be an aug­mentation of their Glory. The more Glory Men by being active Instru­ments in His Service, shall bring to the Name of God here on Earth, the greater shall their own glory be in Heaven. Will not degrees of glory there be according to degrees of grace and serviceableness in this World? Does not the Scripture say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, & he that soweth plentifully shall reap plen­tifully, 2 Cor. 9.6. And if Men are di­ligent in improving and exercising the Grace which they have received, will they not have more? The righteous shall hold on his way & he that hath clean hands shall be stronger & stronger, [Page 88] Job 17.9. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more & more unto the perfect day, Prov. 4.18. The Christian that has been many years improving the Grace bestowed on him, must needs have attained to a great measure. In is said in the Parable of Talents, To every one that has shall be given, & he shall have abundance, Matt▪. 25.29. It is to be presumed concer­ning Aged Christians, that they have been laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come. Store of good works, store of works of Piety; none but God knows how many thousands and ten thousands of Prayers, and store of works of Chari­ty. And then how great will their Crown of Glory be in the life to come? For all their works will be rewarded in a future State and World. Their works, that is the reward of their works, do follow them; Whither will they follow them? They will follow [Page 89] them to Heaven, Rev. 14.13. Not the least good work but what shall be re­warded. He that shall give a cup of cold water only, to a Disciple, in the name of a Disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise loose his re­ward, Mat. 10.42. What a blessed re­ward then shall that Man have, that has done great Services for Christ, and it may be has endured Persecutions for his Fidelity to the Truth & Interest of Jesus Christ. O the glorious Crown that is reserved for him! How great will it be? Psal. 31.19. How great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee! Where is it laid up? It is laid up in Heaven. That Servant of the Lord, who for many years, from his Youth until Old Age has been faithfully Serving God in Jesus Christ, how great is that Crown which is laid up for him in Heaven?

SERMON. II.

WE proceed to APPLY the Doctrine which has been thus Opened and Confirmed. Let it be Applied, (1.) By way of In­struction, in several Particulars.

Inst. 1. They that walk in the way of Righteousness, many times live to Old Age, & it is a Mercy when they do so. We cannot say that all righteous Men shall be Crowned with this Mercy, for some of them dye before they have hoary heads. Promises made concer­ning Temporal blessings are to be un­derstood not absolutely, but with li­mitations. If God shall see, that it will be most for His glory, that some who are in the way of righteousness, should dy whilest they are Young, they shall not live to Old Age. It may be God will have them Crowned [Page 91] with Martyrdom, which is a far more glorious Crown than that of an hoary head. It is said of many who lived in the Primitive Ages of Christianity, that they loved not their lives to the death, Rev. 12.11. According to the ordinary course of Nature they might have lived many years longer, but they laid down their lives for Christ, and by that they brought more glory to Christ in one day, than they could have done by many years active O­bedience. Sometimes God in singu­lar love and compassion to righteous Ones takes them out of this evil World whilest they are yet Young in Years. It may be sad Calamities and Desola­ [...]ons are coming on the Places where they live, & the Lord would not have them grieved with beholding such sad Spectacles. Isai. 57.1. The righteous is taken away from the evil to come. We have an Instance for this in Josiah, who was one of the most Pious Princes in [Page 92] the World, and yet he dyed before he was full Forty Years Old. To him it was said, Thou shalt be gathered to thy Grave in peace, neither shall thine Eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this Place, and upon the inhabitants of the same, 2 Chron. 34 28. Or it may be, there is a righteous Man that dole­ful misery is coming on his Family and nearest Relations, which if he should live to gray hairs, he must be a sorrow­ful Spectator of: Therefore he must dy before that. Thus concerning Je­roboams godly Young Son. The Pro­phet having predicted the lamentable ruine that was to come on his Fathers family, said. He only of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave, because in him there is found some good thing, toward the Lord God of Israel, 1 King. 14.13. But altho' it is sometimes otherwise, ne­vertheless very often they that are in the way of righteousness, have their lives lengthned out to Old Age. Where­fore [Page 93] it is said, The fear of the Lord pro­longeth days, Prov. 10.27. God blessed the holy Patriarchs with long life. It is said of Abraham that when he died, he was an Old Man & full of years, Gen. 25.8. Some have observed that Abra­ham is the first Person who is in the Scriptures called an Old Man, notwith­standing there were many older Men than he that dyed before him. His Old Age was a reward of his singular Obedience to God. His Son Isaac al­so lived to be an Old Man: Gen. 27.2. He said, behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death; and yet he li­ved Forty Years after he spoke those words, that is, after he began to be an Old Man. And Jacob lived to be an Old Man. Before Joseph made him­self known to his Brethren, he enqui­red with a real concern about his A­ged Fathers welfare: Gen. 43.27. He asked them, is your Father well? The Old Man of whom you spake, is he yet a­live. [Page 94] Samuel lived to Old Age. And then the People unworthily slighted him after all the many Years Service he had done for them. They said to him, behold thou art Old, make us a King to Judge us, 1 Sam. 8.5. The Prophet Elisha was an Aged Servant of the Lord. For King Joash bewailed his death with the same words that he bewailed the departure of Elijah Fifty Years before that. Several of the Apostles notwithstanding their in­defatigable Labours, & that the Devil & his instruments sought to take their lives from them, yet lived to Old Age. So did Peter: He was an Old Man when he suffered Martyrdom, as Christ did many years before signify to him. Joh. 21.18. When thou art old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, h.e. thou shalt be Crucified and thy hands nailed to the Cross. The Apostle Paul was an Aged Servant of the Lord before he dyed, Philem. 9. Paul the aged. But [Page 95] especially the Apostle John, who was the only one of all the Apostles that dyed a Natural Death, all the rest were Persecuted to death; Writers inform us that he lived to be an hundred Years old. It is reported concerning Simeon who was the Son of Cleophas, and therefore the Lords kinsman, that he was an hundred and twenty Years old when he was Crucified. Some E­minent Servants of God in these latter Ages have lived to a great Old Age. Robert Constantine who was Beza's great friend lived till he was an hun­dred and three Years old; his Senses of Body and Mind being perfect and his Memory strong. Now it is a Mercy when they that are in the way of righteousness live to Old Age. When 'tis said, The hoary head is a Crown of glory, that implies that there is the Mercy and Favour of God in it. The Lord promised Abraham that he should be Buried in a good Old Age, [Page 96] Gen. 15.15. If righteous Men live to Old Age, it is a Mercy to the World, especially if they are in a Publick Sta­tion: for many fare the better for them. They do a great deal of good in the World. If their Intellectual Abilities hold they do a great deal of good by their Wisdom and Counsil which the Authority of their Age makes to be the more regarded. So was aged Jehojada a blessing to the whole Land in his Old Age, since by his Wisdom he kept the People from a great Apostasy all his days, which as soon as ever that Old Minister of God was laid in his Grave they were subject unto, 2 Chron. 24.17, 18. So by their holy Example, and by their Prayers to God they are blessings to the Places where they live; for thereby they keep off Judgments, as Moses & Samu­el, and the Prophet Amos did more than once; and obtain Mercies, as Elijah did, when there was a sore drought, [Page 97] [...]he Prayed earnestly and the Heavens gave rain, Jam. 5.18. And if a Man that is in the way of righteousness shall live to Old Age, it will be a Mercy to himself as well as others. For that (as before was intimated) it is to be hoped that in many years he will gain a large stock of Grace, so as to become strong in the Grace which is in Christ Je­sus. Old Abraham was strong in the Faith. So was Old Jacob: He had a strong Faith not only for himself, but for his Posterity; for his Children & Childrens Children that God would bless them after he was gone out of the World. He that is in the way of righteousness, if he continues grow­ing in Grace all his days, the longer [...]he lives, and the more good he does, the greater will his happiness be in the Eternal World, as also before was intimated.

Inst. 2. If Old Age when found in the way of righteousness is honoura­ble, [Page 98] then they that despise Aged Ser­vants of the Lord, are guilty of a great Sin. Has God set a Crown of glory on their heads, & shall Men despise them for it? If Men are Aged there is a reverence due to their Age, supposing that to be all their honour, but much more if they are adorned with godli­ness. Not to shew an Aged Man the respect which his Age calls for, is a great Sin. An heathen had so much of Natural Religion in him as to say, That if a Young Man did not rise up to show respect to an Old Man, it was a crime Morte piandum, which deserved to be punished with nothing less than death. But then to treat Aged Per­sons with disrespectful and disdainful Language only because of their Age, is a very criminal offence in the sight of God: yet how common is it to call this or the other Person, Old such an One, in a way of contempt on the account of their Age? Do they not [Page 99] offend God, who is styled, the Ancient of days? Thus did the Children of Be­thel to Elisha, 2 King. 2.23. They Mocked him, and said, Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head. After this manner did they treat that Aged Pro­phet, Thou Old bald head, it is preten­ded that thy Instructor Elijah is gone up to Heaven, Lets see thee go up after him: Go up if thou canst. Bears came out of the woods & tare above Forty of those Children. The Judgment was extraordinary, and that was a sign that the Sin was more than ordinary. To deride Aged Persons because of those Natural Infirmities which Age has brought upon them, is a great Sin. It may be they are become weak and childish, as the Proverb sayes, Once a Man & twice a Child. They that laugh at them on that account, per­haps if they should live to their Age will be as childish as they. And would they be willing then to be made a [Page 100] laughing stock, by those that are Yonger than they? Or, if there are Moral Infirmities which their Old Age is attended with, they ought to be covered with a Mantle of Charity. It may be they are pettish and hard to be pleased. To expose Fathers for such Infirmities is to be like Cham, who dis­covered his Fathers Nakedness. But it is in a most peculiar manner true concerning Children with respect to their Aged Parents, Any way to des­pise them in their Old Age, is a wicked thing. To disregard the Advice of an Old and a Godly Father, is great Im­piety. Children are apt to do so, and especially to despise an Aged Mother. Wherefore the word of God, gives a special caution to Children to beware of that Sin. Prov. 23.22. Hearken to thy Father that begat thee, & despise not thy Mother when she is old. When In­firmities of Age are added to that of her Sex, it does often occasion con­tempt, [Page 101] but it ought not to be so. For still she is thy Mother who endured much sorrow in bringing thee into the World, and in thy Education when thou wast a Child, and therefore it will be vile ingratitude to despise her. And there is another Scripture in which the Mother is mentioned before the Fa­ther, when Children are Commanded to reverence them both: Luk. 19.3. You shall fear every one his Mother and his Father. Children cannot do bet­ter for themselves than to honour and cherish their Aged Parents. They should study to require them for all the care and cost & sorrow which for their sakes they have endured. And in that they will shew something of Piety. 1 Tim. 5.4. Let them shew piety at home, & to requite their Parents. The Stork useth to be called Avis Pia, a Pious bird, because when the old ones are decayed and not able to pro­vide for themselves, their young ones [Page 102] provide for them, and feed them. The Stork will rise up in Judgment against those unnatural Children that have no regard for their Aged Parents. We have the greatest Example that ever was in the World, to instruct Children that they should take care for the wel­fare of their Aged Parents. For our Saviour Christ when He was dying on the Cross, seeing His poor Widow Mother standing by, He said to His beloved Disciple, Behold thy Mother, & from that hour that disciple took her to his own home, Joh. 19 27. Those Chil­dren that will suffer their Aged Pa­rents to want, if they are able to sup­ply them, do not deserve the Name of Christians: They are worse than some Infidels have been. The most famous of all the Greek Poets, speaks of one whose life was short. Why! sayes he, He gave not food & nourishment to his Parents. On the other hand, there have been some dutiful Children, who when their Aged Parents have been [Page 103] decayed, they have maintained them honourably, and by that means have brought a signal blessing from God up­on themselves & upon their Posterity.

Inst. 3. Aged Servants of the Lord may have Comfort against the Tempta­tions & Afflictions which their Old age [...] attended with. The World useth to slight them. Men will not worship the setting Sun. Suppose a Lamp to have shined never brightly, when it is going out, 'tis Lamp despised, Job 12.5. That's often the case of Aged Servants of the Lord. And sometimes they think themselves more despised than they are; that's a natural Infirmity of Age: but suppose they are so, if God does not despise them, it is no matter tho' the World does. God despiseth no Servant of His for his being Old, but respects him the more for his having been many Years in the way of righteousness. One of the greatest discouragements [Page 104] of Old Age, is, that then a Christian cannot do that Service for God and Man which in his Younger Years he was capable of. Yet sometimes God is so gracious to His Aged Servants, as to continue their Abilities for Ser­vice, which is a signal and more than ordinary favour. There are some whose Old Age is like Abrahams, a good Old Age, Gen. 25 8. If a Man is capable of doing good in his Old Age, God has blessed him with a good Old Age. Some Aged Servants of the Lord have done singular Service for the Church of God just as they have been going out of the World. Some of their last words and works were of great use after they were dead & gone. Thus concerning the last words of Da­vid the Man of God, 2 Sam. 23.1. The Apostle Paul, wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy in his Old Age, a little be­fore his death, which has been of sin­gular use to the Church of God. The [Page 105] like is to be said concerning the Se­cond Epistle of Peter. But suppose Age has debilitated him, and rendred him unserviceable, if when he had youth and vigour he laid himself out for God, he may comfort himself with this thought, the Lord remembers it. Jer. 2 2 I remember the kindness of thy youth. Moreover, Aged Servants of the Lord may comfort themselves with this consideration, God will never forsake them. They may live to be a burden to themselves and others: their near­est Relatives may grow weary of them; but then the everlasting Arm will not be weary in supporting them. It was Davids Prayer, Cast me not off in old Age, forsake me not when my strength faileth, Psal. 71.9. Sometimes God is pleased to comfort His Aged Servants, who have walked with Him, and been Eminent workers of righte­ousness with sensible manifestations of His favour. It is related concer­ning [Page 106] an Eminent Minister in Scotland, who in his younger Years had been diligent at his Study, and laborious in Preaching, when he was through Age and Weakness confined to his Cham­ber, One asking him about the State of his Soul, the return he made, was, When I was Young I was diligent, & I lived by Faith in the Son of God, now I am Old, He condescends to feed me with lumps of Sense. The remembrance of many years past spent in Serving God, and endeavouring to promote the Sal­vation of Souls will be a comfort on a death-bed.

Inst. 4. Aged Persons who are Stran­gers to the way of righteousness are very Miserable. The hoary head which Providence has favoured them with, for want of righteousness to adorn it, will prove an aggravation of their Sin and Misery. Would you know who is the most Miserable Creature on the face of the Earth? It is an ungodly [Page 107] Old Man. Isai. 65.20. The sinner of an hundred years old shall be cursed. O how cursed! yet there are such Mise­rable Creatures in the World. There are Old Atheists. Ezek. 8.12. Hast thou seen what the Ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark. They say, the Lord seeth us not. Such Atheists are they. And there are Old Liars, Old Drunk­ards, Old Lascivious Wretches: Such [...] are Old in Adulteries, Ezek. 23.43. Whoever escape destruction from God, such Sinners shall not. There was a destroying Angel sent to Jerusa­lem with a slaughter weapon in his hand, and a positive order to destroy utterly: but who did he slay in the first place? Ezek. 9.6. He began at the Ancient men. They because of their long continuance in Sin best deserved the destruction. For the longer Men live in their Unregenerate Estate, the more Sin they will have to answer for at the Day of Judgment. All the Sins [Page 108] of their Youth, and of their Middle Age, and of their Old Age, will lye down in the Grave with them, and go to Hell with them, and rise up in Judg­ment against them at the dreadful day. Of an Old Sinner it is said, His bones are full of the sins of his youth, which shall lye down with him in the dust, Job 20.11. Wo to the Old Impenitent Sinner, for he has only done evil before the Lord from his youth, Jer. 32.30. His gray hairs would have been a crown to him, if he had Served God, but the crown is fallen from his head, wo un­to him that he has sinned. How much Sin is a wicked man guilty of in one Year? But then if he shall live Sixty or Seventy Years, & all that time con­tinue Sinning against God, what a Pro­digious heap of guilt, will he have con­tracted on his woful Soul! God has given an Old Sinner a large space to Repent in, and that will aggravate his Impenitency and Condemnation, as it [Page 109] did Jezabels, of whom the Lord says, I gave her space to repent, & she repen­ted not, I will cast her into great tribu­lation, Rev. 2.21, 22. Not only tribu­lation, but great tribulation, not only damnation, but great damnation will be the portion of such Sinners except they repent. And it may amaze them to think how near they are to that damnation, having already one foot in the Grave and so in Hell. An Old Man cannot but know that death will be upon him quickly. It may be so on a Young Man, but to be sure on an Old Man. And when death comes and finds him in his Sins, what will come along with it! What will imme­diately follow it? That you see in, Rev. 6.8. where you read of a pale horse, & his name that sat on him was death, & hell followed with him. What an Old Sinner! O be awakened, for you have reason to expect death and hell every Day, every Moment of thy [Page 110] life? How dost thou know but that an Apoplexy or a Palsey, or some other sudden accident may put an end to thy space of repentance! And there is one thing more to be thought on. It is a truth, and an awful one, That if Men have lived under the light of the Gospel all their days until gray hairs are upon them, & yet remain in their Natural Unconverted estate, it is not usual for such obdurate Sinners ever to be Converted. They have slighted so many offers of Grace; they have continued so long in their rebellion, grieving the holy Spirit of God, Sin and Satan has got such a fast hold on their Souls, that nothing less than a Miracle can cast him out. And yet I would not have you despair neither. For with God nothing shall be unpos­sible. Is there any thing too hard for the Lord? Nicodemus said, Can a man when he is old be born again? As impro­bable as this may seem, with God [Page 111] it is possible. The Arm of God is a­ble to bow & bend an old oak, which no arm of a Man can do. He that was able of the Stones which were taken out of Jordan, (for I suppose John Baptist spoke of them, Mat. 3.9.) to raise up Children to Abraham, can of Old Sons of Belial, make Children of God. Can Old dry bones live? Can Old Sinners be converted? If the Almigh­ty Spirit of God will enter into them they shall. He that raised Lazarus af­ter he had been dead Four days, can as easily cause a Man that has been dead in trespasses and sins fourscore Years to live. If Christ shall say, Thou Old Sinner come out of thy Grave, he that was dead shall come forth & live. There have been some wonderful instances of it, in our days. I have formerly put you in mind of an Old Man who although living under the light of the Gospel was not saving­ly Converted before a great Old Age [Page 112] had overtaken him, and then he would often say, If I had dyed before I was Seventy & six years Old I had not gone to Heaven. I was a poor Unregene­rate Creature until then. But what must such Old Sinners do to be saved? The Answer is that Old Men must be saved in the same way that Young Men are, namely in the way of Re­pentance towards God, and of Faith in Jesus Christ. Let the Oldest Sin­ner turn from all his Sins, and believe on Jesus Christ, and all his Sins shall be forgiven: He shall not then perish but shall have everlasting life.

USE. II. Let it be for Exhorta­tion. (1) To Young Persons. (2) To Aged Servants of the Lord.

1. To Young Persons. Make sure that you get into, & that you keep in the way of Righteousness I know (and I bless God) that there are some Young Men belonging to this Congregation who are in that way: Oh that there were more such! Oh that all Young [Page 113] Men were in that way. It is a way which few there be that find it. Ne­vertheless, it is the good way; You cannot turn into it, too soon, but if you keep long out of it, a thousand to one you will never find it.

Consider 1. That if you would live long on the Earth, in this way you are most likely to find length of days. Psal. 34 12. What man is there that desireth life, & loveth many dayes? Where is there a Young Person that does not? The 14 v. tells them what they must do, Depart from evil, & do good; for­sake the ways of Sin, and walk in the way of Righteousness. He that is in the way of righteousness, will abstain from those things by which life is shortned. An intemperate course of life shortens days. Excess in drink­ing or in eating does so. Righteous­ness will make Men careful to beware of such excesses. Fleshly Lusts war against the Body, as well as the Soul, [Page 114] and destroys both. They whose life has been among the Unclean frequent­ly dye in Youth. As for the Young De­bauch, a dart strikes through his liver, as a bird when hasteth to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life. He is smitten with a Consumption of his Liver, and that in a little time puts an end to his life, Prov. 7.13. Had he been in the way of righteousness, he had lived longer. Oh then, Let Young Persons make it appear that they are in the way of righteousness, by their Obedience, as in a special manner to the Fifth which is the Commandment to which a promise of long life is an­nexed, so to all the Commandments of God. And being in that way hold on in it, as they that are really therein will do. Job 17.9. [...] [...]hteous shall hold on in his way. There have been many Young Persons that have had hopeful beginnings they have associ­ated themselves with such as fear God, and have begun to seek the Lord, but [Page 115] their goodness has been like the Mor­ning cloud, and as the early dew it is gone away. What will such seeming vanishing righteousness stand them in stead? No life is promised to them, but the contrary. Ezek. 18.24. When the righteous turn away from his righte­ousness, and committeth iniquity, & does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? all his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned. Oh be not like Ur­ziah, who for some time did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, he sought the Lord, and as long as he did so, God made him to prosper, 2 Chron. 26.5. but after a while his heart was lifted up to his destruction. He provoked God to make him a re­markable example of His holy indig­nation. For in the very act of Sinning he was smitten with a Leprosy, & lived and dyed a Leper. Be not like Joash, who seemed to be a Pious Young Man, [Page 116] was a zealous encourager of the Wor­ship of God, but he fell in with wicked companions after the death of his Un­cle Jehojada under whom he had a Religious Education, he became a fla­grant Apostate, he left the house of God, and served Idols, and was a pro­digy of ingraditude, Murdering the Godly Son of the Man to whom he had been beholden both for his Life and Crown: And his end was woful.

Consider 2. That if you abide in the way of righteousness from Youth to Old Age, great will be your reward in the Life & World which is to come. Those hoary heads, which God has set a crown of glory upon, shall then have another kind of crown & glory given to them. The longer you have continued faith­fully Serving God, the more Diamonds will your crown of glory shine with in the Eternal World. All the number­less Prayers which you have poured out before God, for your selves or [Page 117] others, all your other deeds of Piety, all your works of Charity, will be re­membred. The Lord whom you Serve will not forget one of them. If when you were Children, you did from a principle of the fear of God in your hearts, behave your selves dutifully to­wards your Parents, God will reward you for that Obedience which was your duty. If you have been Ser­vants, and then were diligent & faith­ful to your Masters, not with eye Ser­vice as Men pleasers, but as Servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, He will reward you for the Service you did for your Masters. Whatever good thing any man does the same shall he receive of the Lord whe­ther he be bond or free, Eph. 6.8. In the space of many years, you must ex­pect to meet with manifold Afflictions and Temptations. If you bear the Cross as becomes the Servants of Christ, He will reward you for all your [Page 118] Patient sufferings. Thus shall it go well with the righteous. Therefore let Young Persons make sure of their being such: And the sooner you do it, the happier are you both for Time and for Eternity. Oh! that Young Men would do now as probably they will wish they had done when they shall see Death and Eternity ready to take hold on them. They will then wish that they had lived a Life of serious Godliness: that they had spent more Time in Communion with God. I have often thought of the dying words of a great Man, when he was go­ing out of the World, he expressed himself after this manner, I (said he) have been Privy Counseller to four Prin­ces, have been present at State-transacti­ons for thirty Years together, & I have learned this after so many Years expe­rience; that Seriousness is the greatest Wisdom, Temperance the best Physick, & a good Conscience the best Estate; yea, I [Page 119] would change the whole Life I have lived in the Palace, for one hours Communion with God in the Chappel.

Exhor. 2. Let Aged Servants of the Lord suffer the word of Exhorta­tion; To approve themselves as becomes their Age. It is not unbecoming for me to Exhort such who am my self Aged, and so far as I can learn, the Oldest Man in all this Large Congre­gation. Wherefore as the Apostle speaks to those that were on another account Elders: 1 Pet. 5.1. The Elders which are among you I Exhort, who am also an Elder. So the Ancient Men in the Assembly, I Exhort, who am also my self Ancient. Why may not I, who have been (altho' the most Un­worthy in the whole World that ever could say so) a Publick Preacher of the Gospel Nine & Fifty Years, (for this Month & this Week Nine & Fifty Years are past since I began to speak [Page 120] in the Name of the Lord,) why should not I esteem it my duty to speak a few words to my Aged Friends? There are a considerable number of A­ged Persons (tho' short of my Age) here before the Lord. For there are many who have attained to Three­score, & such are every where accoun­ted Old Men. It has a long time been a Proverbial saying, Sexagenarius de ponte, a Man that is Sixty is to be dis­missed from those Employments which are proper for Youth and Strength. Let me then confirm the Exhortation, with some Directions, and none but what I would my self (Christ helping me) be willing to joyn with you in the practise of.

1. Aged Servants of the Lord should be humbled for the many Sins of their Life past. A Man that has lived long in this sinful World, how many Sins has he been guilty of? Innumerable evils, more than the hairs on his head. [Page 121] How many Sins of Commission in Words, Thoughts, and Deeds. And much Sin also in respect of Omissions. Alas! how little good have we done in the World! Our famous Dr. Usher had been a great blessing in his day, not only by the Sermons he Preached, which were instrumental in the Con­version of many, and among others of several Young Scholars when he resi­ded for some time in Oxford, but also by the Books he wrote, by which ma­ny thousands have been Edified, yet when he drew near to his End, his Prayer was, The Lord forgive my Sins of Omission. Moreover, The vanities of Childhood and Youth, should be matter of Humiliation in Old Age. They were so to David, whose Prayer was, Remember not the Sins of my Youth, nor my transgressions, Psal. 25.7. Nor has our Elder Age been without Sin. It was an humble Expression of one of the Ancients, Diu vixi [...]. diu paccavi. I [Page 122] have lived a long time, & I have been a Sinner a long time. It is not enough for us once to have confessed our past transgressions, but the remembrance of them, should cause us to go softly in the bitterness of our Souls all the dayes of our life. We should go Mourning for them to our Graves. It is reported of Old Austin that he dy­ed reading the Penitential Psalms.

2. Let Aged Servants of the Lord be watchful against what ever will be a blemish to that Old Age which God has crowned them with. Nothing will re­ally blemish our Age, but only Sin, and that will do it. It is not the natural decays & infirmities of Age, but Mo­ral and Sinful Infirmities that will prove a blemish and dishonour, which we ought to watch against. And the rather because some Eminent Servants of God have miscarried very scanda­lously after they have been Old. So, did Solomon, notwithstanding he was [Page 123] beloved of God, and therefore had the Name of Jedidiah, which signifies be­loved of the Lord, given to him, yet 'tis said that when he was old his Wives turned away his heart, 1 King. 11.4. So Asa in the time of his Old Age, when a sore disease was upon him, sought to the Physitians, but he sought not to the Lord, 2 Chron 16.22. He Persecuted an holy Prophet, and op­pressed some of the People at the same time: by these things he greatly ble­mished his Old Age, which has caused some to question whether he was a sincere godly Man. Aged Persons should be far from those Sins which are directly contrary to the Vertues which ought to be the Characters of Persons who are stricken in Years. Aged Men and Women may do well to read the Second, and Third, and Fourth Verses of the Second Chapter of the Epistle to Titus, and there they will see what Qualifications and Ver­tues [Page 124] become their Age; I shall not mention them all, but Gravity is one of them. The whole deportment of such as are in Years should be attend­ed with a becoming Gravity. Levity in Words, and much more in Actions is unsuitable and a shame to them, considering their Age, and stains their glory. For Old Men to be gay and youthful in their Apparel, or if Aged Women dress themselves like young Girls, it exposeth them to reproach and contempt. Again, The Apostle sayeth of Aged Persons that they should be Temperate. For such to be overcome with Wine or any other Strong Drink is very lamentable. There have been some Old Men, and Old Professors of Religion also, who supposing their Age required it, have indulged themselves in drinking of Drams to a sinful Excess, whereby their hoary heads, have been dishonou­red, & a blemish has been left on their [Page 125] Names. Again, It becomes Aged Christians to be Sound in the Faith, and to be stedfast therein, and this not on­ly as to fundamentals in the doctrine of Godliness, but in Truths relating to Worship and Discipline, and that or­der of the Gospel which is of Divine Institution. Our Fathers came into this Land when it was a Wilderness, that so they might Worship God ac­cording to Scripture Pattern without any humane Inventions therein; but there have been some of late who in their Old Age have Apostatised to a­nother Way of Worship differing from that which their Fathers walked in, so have they corrupted themselves, and blemished their Old Age, when just going out of the World. All Men, but especially Old Men ought rather to dye than to forsake the way of righ­teousness. There was a famous Jew whose Name was Eleazar, some of his Enemies had a reverence for him [Page 126] on the account of his great Age. They would have perswaded him to trans­gress the Law of God only in a Cere­monial Precept, promising him his life if he would do so: but he with a noble courage chose a cruel Death rather than to Sin against his Conscience in a Ceremony. The Jewish Historian sayes of him, He considered his Ancient Years, and the honour of his gray head. I (said he) am above fourscore and shall I get a stain to my Old Age. I will rather [...]e & shew my self as my Age requires, [...] [...]nt to the torment, & was tortu­red to Death. I believe this Eleazar was one of those Hebrew Martyrs the Apostle speaks of, who were tortured not accepting deliverance, Heb. 11.35.

3. Aged Servants of the Lord should be very careful to redeem the Time. For it is certain that they have but a very little time to be in this World. Death and Old Age are not far asun­der. Hence Old Barzillai said, How long [Page 127] have I to live? 2 Sam. 19.34. There are Young Persons who if they did really believe they should dye very shortly, they would be careful to re­deem their time. They that are Aged cannot but know that they must dye shortly. Time is a precious Commo­dity, and they have but a very little of it left, and shall they Squander away any of that little. Let us rather en­deavour to live much and do a great deal of Good in a little time. It is true, they that are Aged cannot do as in their Youthful dayes they could, nor does God Expect it from them, consi­dering the infirmities that attend their Age. In Old Age a Grashopper is a burden, as Solomon speaks. That which was a Recreation in Youth, will be an insupportable burden in Old Age. Yet may they do a great deal of Good. They may do so by being shining Ex­amples of Piety: and by their wise and godly Counsels to Younger ones, [Page 128] and by Communicating their holy Ex­periences to others. They have had great Experiences of the Lords carry­ing them through many Temptations, and of wonderful answers of Prayer, by declaring to them that fear God, what he has done for their Souls, ma­ny may be Edified. They may also before they go out of the World be in­strumental of a great deal of Good by being much in Prayer to God. In that respect not only Aged Men, but Aged Women may be great blessings to the World, as Anna was, of whom it is said, That she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the Temple but served God with fasting & prayers night & day, Luk. 2, 37. That Aged Woman was a blessing to the whole Town. Oh! Let us Pray that our last dayes may be our best dayes. There was an Eminency in Davids Last Words, 2 Sam. 23.1. And it is mentioned to the lasting ho­nour [Page 129] of the Pastor in the Church in Thyatira, That his last works were be­yond the first, Rev. 2 19. So shall we live desired, and dye lamented.

4. Aged Servants of the Lord should be always ready and very willing to dye. Alwayes ready: For many times A­ged Persons are taken away by a sud­den Death. It may be by the Palsey, or Apoplexy; or it may be they will dye in their Sleep. Some Eminent Servants of God, have gone well to bed at Night, and have been in Heaven before the Morning. O blessed Night! An Aged Man in a special manner should live by that rule, Never to do any thing that he would be afraid to do if he knew he should dye the next day. And make haste to do every thing, he would have to be done before his death. He should alwayes keep a Will or Testament by him, as they that think they are dying use to do. And let them be very willing to dye & leave [Page 130] this World. It is strange if they be [...]. Men that are at Sea desire to get into a safe Harbour as soon as may be. And shall not Christians who are tossed in a tempestuous World long to be in their blessed Haven. Travellers long to be at Home. While in this World we are Travellers and Pilgrims. Not Earth but Heaven is our Home, and shall we not think the time long until we are there! A Souldier longs for a Victory, and is not easy until he has obtained it. And shall not Christi­ans, especially such as have been long ingaged in a difficult and dangerous Warfare, desire the day when they shall have a perfect Victory over all their Spiritual Enemies! Some Mo­ralists among the Gentiles have thought that Aged Persons should be willing to leave the World. It is re­ported of the Emperor Adrian, that he said, He wondred that a Man who was above threescore would send for a Physi­tian: [Page 131] He thought that a Man of that Age must needs have had so much Ex­perience of the undesirableness of this Evil World as to be weary of it, and willing to be gone out of it. But Christians have higher & more noble reasons to induce them to bid Death welcome, e. g. That so they may be perfectly and for ever delivered from Indwelling Sin, which is like the Le­prosy in the house of the Israelite, which must be pulled down or it could not be cleansed. So must the house of his body be dissolved that he may become pure from Sin: Rom. 6.7. He that is dead is free from sin. When the blessed day of his death comes, the Be­liever on Christ will never Sin more in Word, Thought, or Deed. Who would not be willing to dye on that condition? Then do Believers go to be with Christ, who said to Peter, Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards, [Page 132] Joh. 13.36. He did so, and is with Christ at this day. Well may those Christians be willing to leave the World, who when they are gone hence shall be with Christ. The thought of this made the Apostle Paul not only willing but desirous to be gone out of this World. Phil. 1.23. Having a desire to depart & to be with Christ. They that are with Him behold His Glory, which is the Heaven of Heaven it self. Wherefore He has said, Father I will that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may be­hold my glory, Joh. 17.24. When the Immortal Souls of Believers are sepa­rated from their Bodies, they go to God. The Spirits of just men made perfect, are with God the Judge of all, Heb. 12.23. There they have such divine Commu­nications as are ineffable, and to us in this Mortal State unconceivable. God said of Moses, With him will I speak mouth to mouth & the similitude of the [Page 133] Lord shall he behold, Numb. 12.3. Much more does God do so with the Saints in Heaven. If dying Stephen could say, I see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, most certainly glorified Souls do so. They see God and are therefore blessed. Their hap­piness consists in that Beatificai Vision, which they shall enjoy in the fulness and perfection of it after the Resur­rection. Moreover, Aged Servants of the Lord may well be very willing to dye, considering that decrepit Old Age renders them uncapable of that which is the chief reason why life in this World is desirable, viz. That so we may do Service for Christ and for His People. In this respect there is a difference between Young Men and Old Men. Young Men altho' they also should be willing to dy if that be the will of God concerning them. Nevertheless, with submission to the Divine Will, Let them Pray for the [Page 134] continuance of their life, that so they may do Service for the Name of the Lord. Thus the Psalmist, I said, O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes, Psal. 102.24. Thus also Hezekiah, when he was dangerously sick, he Prayed unto the Lord, who sent the Prophet Isaiah to say to him, I have heard thy Prayer, I will add to thy dayes fifteen years, Isai. 38.5. And David in his younger years, Prayed. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, & be no more at all, Psal 39.13. He did not Pray so, when he was arrived to Seventy Years. No: It is said that then he was full of dayes. He was satiated, having had enough of the World, and was willing to go out of it. It is a very undesirable thing for a Man to out-live his work. Although if God will have it to be so, His holy will must be humbly & pa­tiently submitted unto. When a Mans work is done he may well desire a dis­mission. [Page 135] When through decay of Age, he can do little or no Service for Christ and for His Church, then to be called out of this, and removed to the better Country, that is an heavenly, is a very desirable Mercy. Why then are some Aged Servants of the Lord, fond of living here still! There is not an Old Man that hears me this day, but let him do two things, which I will menti­on, and he will be very willing to leave this World as soon as the Lord shall please. One is, Let him think much of Heaven. Let Heaven come into your Minds every day, and often in a day. The more you Meditate on the heavenly World, the more you will long to be there. When Monica (the Pious Praying Mother of the fa­mous Austin) heard Ambrose Preach a Sermon concerning the glory of Heaven, the Meditation of it was rap­turous to her. Is there (said she) such glory in Heaven! why then do I [Page 136] stay here any longer! And the other thing to be done, is, Get a well ground­ed Assurance that your Names are written in Heaven. Let us do so, and I am certain of it that we shall not be afraid to say with good Old Simeon, Lord, NOW lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace.

5. Let Aged Servants of the Lord be content to live longer if God will have it so. There are but few that need this Exhortation. Too many are like that great Man among the Romans, who said he would be content to live in any Misery, provided he might be assured that he should never dye; so terribly was he afraid of Death. So lothe are the most of Men to leave the Earth, that it would be very superflu­ous to perswade them to be willing to stay here. There was (sayes one) a Parliament, concerning which it was Enacted that they should not be Dissolved [Page 137] until they themselves pleased. If God should say so to Men, Heaven (sayes he) would be very Empty, and there would be more Men here below than the Earth could contain. Nevertheless, there are some that are too impatient of their continuance here. Was not the Pro­phet Elijah so, when he was feign to fly his Country, and hide in a Wil­derness: 1 King. 19.4 He requested for himself that he might die, and said it is enough. I am like to do no more Service for God, on which account I have lived long enough, and therefore Now O Lord take away my life. And Jonah in too much pet and passion Prayed, Now O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me, for it is better for me to dye than to live, Jon. 4 3. Nay, and the Meek Moses discovered hu­mane frailty when he said to God, Kill me I pray thee out of hand, if I have found savour in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness, Numb. 11, [...] [Page 138] How much good did Moses do in the World after that, which if God had granted that request would not have been done. The truth is, that if a Man is subject to some very exercising Affliction, and Meditates much on Heaven, and is assured of his Interest there, he is apt to be too earnest and impatient to be gone. But we must leave as the way and manner, so the time of our departure out of this World, with the wise and faithful Pro­vidence of God, waiting all the days of our appointed time until our change shall come. It becomes a Christian both to endeavour that his last dayes may be his best dayes, and to desire to dye, yet to be content to live, espe­cially if he is not so decayed, but that he is capable of doing some Service for Christ among His People. Thus it was with the holy Apostle: Phil. 1.21, 23, 24. For me to live is Christ, and to dye is gain. I am in a great strait [Page 139] betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far bet­ter, nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

6. Let Aged Servants of the Lord be much in Prayer. An Old Man should be a Man of Prayer, oft on his knees before the Lord. Why not e­very day and why not often in a day? Blessed Mr. Chauncey the Learned Pre­sident of Harvard College, seldom saw a day in which he was not with God at least Six Times. Surely such a Praying Man will be a blessing to the World as long as he lives in it, and will obtain good for his own Soul and for his Family, and Posterity by laying up a stock of Prayers for them. And in Prayer, Let us who are Aged, plead the Promises that are made to Old Age. There is a promise that they shall be fruitful. Psal. 92.14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old [Page 140] age, they shall be [...] & flourishing. Let us plead that promise. There's a promise that they shall have the gra­cious presence of God with them in their Old Age. Isai. 46.4. Even to old age, & to hear hairs I will carry you. That promise may encourage Aged Servants of the Lord, to Pray as, David did when Old Age had over­taken him: Psal. 71.17, 18. Thou hast taught me from my youth, & hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old & gray head­ed, O God forsake me not. It is re­ported concerning that very Learned and Holy Man Dr. Rivet, that he used in his Old Age to repeat those words every day. They are words very suitable for Old Christians to remember. Let us live and dye Pray­ing. And how will all our Prayers end? They will end in Praises, not only whilst we are living on the Earth, but in Heaven to all ETERNITY. [Page 141] The sweet Singer of Israel, he said, Psal. 146.2. While I live I will Praise the Lord: But is that all? You will soon be dead, but you have an Im­morral Soul which shall never dye, the Being of it will abide throughout the dayes of ETERNITY. So long shall I continue Praising Him. I will sing Praises unto my God while I [...] any being. AMEN!

BOSTON, June 17th. 1716.