The more piously and virtuously Men have lived, the lefs Neceffity they will have in their old Age, for fo minute a Review of their Ways but then they will receive the greatest, the most seasonable Comfort from it. And however good they have been ; upon ftrict Inquiry, they will be very likely to find a much larger Number of Blemishes and Spots, than they thought of, that have stuck to them in fome Part or other of their Journey through this dirty World; which it may afford their Hearts inexpreffible Eafe, in their dying Hours, to have cleared their Confciences and their Characters from, by judging themselves, before they go to be judged of the Lord.

A Mind, thus humbled and purified, will naturally turn itself to the next Duty, which peculiarly belongs to the Aged, that of religious Exercises and Contemplations. Thefe Things, in the active Part of Life, are much lefs practifed than the Obligations we are under, and the Direction and Confolation wẹ might receive from them, require. And falfe Excufes of Want of Leifure are pleaded, whilft, Leifure enough can be found for Trifles without Number; and for too many Sins, which confume no fmall Part of the Time of those,

who imagine, or pretend, they have none for Religion. Indeed the Pretences they make for neglecting the Worship of Him who made. them are fo wretchedly poor, that in that in any other Cafe, of the leaft Serioufnefs, they would be quite afhamed to mention them. But this, it seems, is a Subject, which they fcarce conceive it worth while to talk or think seriously upon. The Time will come, here or hereafter, when they will be of another Opinion: and the fooner it comes, the happier for them. The Cares and Pleasures of Life, when they are at the Heighth, are far from being any Reason to forget God: but the Decline of Life brings new Reasons with it for remembering Him. That calmer Seafon at least hath many vacant Hours; and what can fill them fo properly and beneficially as Acts of Devotion and pious Meditation, adapted to the State in which we then are? The Aged have had longer Experience of God's Mercies than others, to furnish Matter for Thanksgivings: and it may be feared have been guilty of more Tranfgreffions or Omiffions, that will give them Cause for Confeffion, Self-abafement, Deprecation of Punishment. Then besides, they must surely,

by

by this Time, have fully feen and felt the Vanity of the World in every Shape. Hitherto deceitful Hopes have amused them on, and kept them in Pursuit of one Thing or another, that hath never anfwered their Expectations; or if any did for a while, it is gone, and nothing new remains to promise themselves. Now then, at fartheft, the utter Delusion of aiming at Happiness, otherwise than by Religion and Virtue, is vifible to the weakeft Eye: and nothing appears of real Value but the Consciousness of acting right, and the Profpect of being rewarded for it.

These then are the Thoughts which alone can fupport and enliven old Age. And how uncomfortable foever a Stranger to fuch Thoughts may imagine this Condition to be; yet in Truth it is a great Bleffing to perceive the Neceffity of making that our last Refuge, which would have been at all Times our wifeft Choice. Not that, in fuch a Situation, Men are to weary themselves with tedious and unprofitable Tasks of Piety, or four their Minds with a scrupulous Attention to serious Things, and no others; but only, in Proportion as they are able, to attend confcientiously on every Office of public Worship, with fin

cere Endeavours of profiting by it; to excite and nourish good Difpofitions, by the Use of fuch Books as are fitteft for that End, especially the holy Scriptures; to lift up their Souls, from Time to Time, to the greatest and best of Beings, place themselves before him, and exercise towards him the various Affections which are his Due: detaching their Hearts, by thefe Means, from the World they are going to leave; and forming them more perfectly to the Temper and Employment of that State, of which they are now upon the Borders not difquieting themselves, if they do not fucceed in this as well as they could wish, but going on to do it as well as they can.

The remaining Duty of aged Perfons is to imprint on others, whenever they have Opportunity, the fame right Sentiments of Life and Conduct which they have acquired themfelves. For it is St. Parl's exprefs Injunction, that they be Teachers of good Things. Too commonly they take juft the contrary Course ; first, live immorally; then seek for Arguments to make their own Minds easy in Wickedness; and lastly, set up the Business of bringing over

b Tit. ii. 3.

Converts

Converts to it. And when the Authority of old Age is employed thus in ferving Vice or Profaneness, especially if it be adorned with Rank, or Wit, or the Reputation of Knowledge, it is capable of doing incredible Mifchief. But furely it might in all Reason suffice them that they have been bad themselves: and there is no Manner of Need that they should add to it the Guilt (which one should think there were not any violent Temptation to) of corrupting others to no Purpose. It cannot be fo evidently and fo highly for the Intereft of Mankind, to live without Principle and die without Hope, as to make it worth their while to become Preachers and Miffionaries of Infidelity and Profligacy: a fhocking Employment, by which some have chofen to make their grey Hairs deteftable; and done many Times more Harm, by thus patronizing Sin, than before by committing

it.

But another Sort, who mislead the Young less visibly, but very fatally, and in much greater Numbers, are they; who, having learnt, in their earlier Days, neither Notions of Religion nor Irreligion, nor of any Thing in the World but Profit or Pleasures or Ho