ported by religion, are equal for the trying fituations which often occur in life. By the shock of temptation, how frequently have the most virtuous intentions been overthrown? Under the preffure of difafter, how often has the greatest conftancy funk? Every good and every perfect gift is from above. Wifdom and virtue, as well as riches and honour, come from God. Deftitute of his favour, you are in no better fituation, with all your boafted abilities, than orphans left to wander in a tracklefs defert, without any -guide to conduct them, or any shelter to cover them from the gathering ftorm. Correct, then, this illfounded arrogance. Expect not, that your happiness can be independent of him who made youth. By faith and repentance, apply to the Redeemer of the world. By piety and prayer, feek the protection of the God of heaven. I conclude with the folemn words, in which a great Prince delivered his dying charge to his fon.; words, which every young perfon ought to confider as addreffed to himself, and to engrave deeply on his heart. Thou Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy fathers; and ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. For the Lord fearcheth all hearts, and underflandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou for fake him, he will caft thee off for ever. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

SER.

SERMON

XII.

On the DUTIES and CONSOLATIONS of the AGED.

PROV. xvi. 31.

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

To fear God, and to keep bis commandments, is the rule of our duty, in every period of life.

But, as the light which guides our fteps, varies with the progrefs of the day, fo the rule of religious conduct is diverfified in its application, by the different ftages of our present existence. To every age, there belongs a diftinct propriety of behaviour. There arifes from it, a feries of duties peculiar to itself.

Of those which are incumbent on youth, I have treated in the preceding difcourfe. As we advance from youth to middle age, a new field of action opens, and a different character is required. The flow of gay and impetuous fpirits begins to fubfide. Life gradually affumes a graver caft; the mind, a more fedate and thoughtful turn. The attention is now transferred from pleafure to intereft; that is, to pleafure diffused over a wider extent, and measured by a larger fcale. Formerly, the enjoyment of the present moment occupied the whole attention. Now, noaction terminates ultimately in itself, but, refers to fome more distant aim. Wealth and power, the infruments

ftruments of lafting gratification, are now coveted more than any fingle pleasure. Prudence and forefight lay their plans. Industry carries on its patient efforts. Activity pushes forward; addrefs winds around. Here, an enemy is to be overcome; there a rival to be difplaced. Competitions warm; and the ftrife of the world thickens on every fide, to guide men through this bufy period, without lofs of integrity; to guard them against the temptations which arise from mistaken, or interfering, interefts; to call them from worldly pursuits, to ferious thoughts of their spiritual concerns, is the great office of religion.

But as this includes, in a great measure, the whole compafs of moral duty; as the general ftrain of religious exhortation is addreffed to thofe who are in this feafon of life; a delineation of the virtues, properly belonging to middle age, may appear unneceffary, and would lead us into too wide a field. Let us therefore turn our view to a bounded profpeft; and contemplate a period of life, the duties of which are circumfcribed within narrower limits. Old age is a ftage of the human courfe, which every one hopes to reach; and therefore the confideration of it, interefts us all. It is a period justly entitled to general refpect. Even its failings ought to be touched with a gentle hand; and though the petulant, and the vain, may defpife the hoary head, yet the wifeft of men has afferted in the Text, that when found in the way of righteousness, it is a crown of glory. I fhall, first, offer fome counfels, concerning the errors which are most incident to the aged. Secondly, I fhall fuggeft the peculiar duties they ought to pracVOL. I.

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tife; and, thirdly, point out the confolations they may enjoy.

1. As the follies and vices of youth, are chiefly derived from inexperience and prefumption; fo, almoft all the errors of age, may be traced up to the feebleness and diftrefs peculiar to that time of life. Though in every part of life, vexations occur, yet, in former years, either bufinefs, or pleafure, ferved to obliterate their impreffion, by fupplying occupation to the mind. Old age begins its advances, with difqualifying men for relishing the one, and for taking an active part in the other. While it withdraws their accustomed fupports, it impofes, at the fame time, the additional burden of growing infirmities. In the former ftages of their journey, hope continued to flatter them with many a fair and en• ticing profpect. But in proportion as old age increafes, thofe pleasing illufions vanish. Life is contracted within a narrow and barren circle. Year after year, feals fomewhat away from their ftore of comfort, deprives them of fome of their ancient friends, blunts fome of their powers of fenfation, or incapacitates them for fome function of life.

Though, in the plan of Providence, it is wifely ordered, that before we are called away from the world, our attachment to it fhould be gradually looined; though it be fit in itfelf, that as in the day of human life, there is a morning and a noon, fo there should be an evening alfo, when the lengthening fhadows shall admonish us of approaching night; yet we have no reafon to be furprifed, if they who are arrived at this dejecting feafon, feel and lament the change which they fuffer. The complaints, therefore, of the aged, should meet with tenderness, rather than cenfure. The burden under which they labour,

labour, ought to be viewed with fympathy, by thofe who must bear it in their turn, and who, perhaps, hereafter may complain of it as bitterly. At the fame time, the old fhould confider, that all the feafons of life have their feveral trials allotted to them; and that to bear the infirmities of age with becoming patience, is as much their duty, as it is that of the young to refift the temptations of youthful pleafure. By calmly enduring, for the fhort time that remains, what Providence is pleased to inflict, they both exprefs a refignation moft acceptable to God, and recommend themselves to the esteem and affiftance of all who are around them.

But though the querulous temper imputed to old age, is to be confidered as a natural infirmity, rather than as a vice; the fame apology cannot be made for that peevish disgust at the manners, and that malignant cenfure of the enjoyments, of the young, which is fometimes found to accompany declining years. Nothing can be more unjust, than to take offence at others, on account of their partaking of pleafures, which it is past your time to enjoy. By indulging this fretful temper, you both aggravate the uncafinefs of age, and you alienate thofe on whofe affection much of your comfort depends. In order to make the two extremes of life unite in amicable fociety, it is greatly to be wifhed, that the young would lock forward, and confider that they thall one day be old; and that the old would look back, and remembering that they once were young, make proper allowances for the temper and the manners of youth.

But instead of this, it is too common to find the aged at declared enmity with the whole fy item of prefent cuftoms and manners; perpetually complain. ing of the growing depravity of the world, and of

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