Direl1.r. In Allgu(Jim fpeech to th'e people of Hipp11,for Eradi.tM his fucceffion he f2ith, [In Jnf;.ntii fp:r2tur pue· riria, & in pueritil fpe– rator ;adolc– fcemia,in :zdokftentii In.ftruElions for tlJe Aged. CHAP. XXIX. :DireEliom for tf,e .Aged (and 1veak ). HAviAg before opened the Duties of Children to God and to their Parents I !hall give no th particular J?irections to the Young; but !hall next open the fpecial Duties 1 of the Aged, 0 er . ?· I•. J?ll-t&. J, 1be old _and weal(_ have _a low~er c~U from God than othtrr, to bt accurate tn exam.,tnJ11~ tbe jiate 9[ thur foul!, and makjng tbetr caUmg and eletlion Jure. wh"ether the are yet Regenerate and Sanctified or not? is a mofi important que£\ion for every man tO get refolved~ but efpecially for thtm that are ncarefl to their end. Ask counfel therefore, of fome able faithful Mi: nifier or friend, and fet your felves d1hgently to try your Title to eternal life, and to call up your ac– counts, and fee how all things fla~d between God and you: And if you lhould find your (elves in an unrenewed !late, as you love your fouls, delay no longer, hut prefently he humbled, for your fo long and fottJ!h negleCt, of fo neceffary and great a work. Go, open your cafe to fome able miniller and lament your fin, and Ay to Chrifi, and fet your hearts on God as your felicity, and change your 'com– pany andcourfe, and rdl not any'longer in fo dangerous and miferable a cafe : The more full Di– redions for your Converfion I have given before, in the beginning of the Book, and in divers others and therefore !hall fay no more to fuch, it being others that I am here cfpecially to Direct. ' ~~:~~: ~:juventure fper:.tur graVit~u, & in ~tnitltC fp;r:uu~ ~en~Ctu~: ·utru~ continglt inceltUm en: oft tamtn qu~d fperetur. Sen~ltus autem aliam xta_tem(juam fptret>non habet.] Vid. Paptr. Mt~.ffot1, m 'VIta Crcliflt. {of. 58. • l Direll. 3• •' ~.',. Dirdt >· Caft back,_ your eyFJ upon tiJe fins of aV yo•r life, that you may pereeill:! how hrtmble thofi fo•lt jhould be, t/,.1 h.ve finmd p; lvng aJ you hatie done l and may fit! what need you have of Chrijf, to pardon fo long a life of fin. Though you ·have repented and been juflified long ago, yer you have daily finned fince you were Jufiificd: And though all he forgiven that is repented of, yet mufl it he lli!l before your eyes, both to ~erp you humble, and continue the exercife of that Repentance, and drive you to Chrift, and make' yoti thankful! Ye~ your forgiveneji and Juftification are yet fl1ort of perfe&ion (whatever fome may tell you to the ccmtrary) as well as your fanctification : For, z. Your Jufiification i& yet given you b.ut cond~tion~1Jy as tq· its c?ntin~tance, even upon,..condition of ybur per{tvtrance. >: And the temporal chafttfcment, and the pams of death, and the long ahfence of the body fromHeaVen; and the preferlt, ~inrs of grace and comfort and communion ~ith God, are punilhments which are not yet fort,iven ex!cutivery. ; 3• And the final fdntence of Jufiittcation at the day of Judgement, (which is the perfecteft fort) ii yet to come : And therefore you have ftill reafon enough to review, and Repentof·'all ihat is pall, and (lill pray for the pardon, of all the fins that ever you committed, which were forgiven ·you before. ·So many years .f!nning lhould have a very ferious Repentance, and lay you low hefor~ tHe Lord• . , ' 9. 3. DireCt•3. Cleave clo[<r ttow to Cbrijf than ever ; Remembering that you have a life of fin, for him to anfwc:r for and fave you froin : And that the time. is near, when you.fhall have more fenfible need of him, than ever you have had. You mutt Chortly be cafi upon hirp as your SavioUr, Advocate and Judge, to determine rhe queftion, what !hall become of you unto all eternity, and to perfect all that ever he hath done for you, and accomplilh all that you havefought and hoped for. And now your natural life decayeth, it is time to retire to him that is your Root, and eo look to 'the life that i4 bid with Chrijl in G•d, Col. 3· 4· and to him that is preparing you a manfion with himfelf; and whofe office it is to receive the departing foulsof true believers. Live therefore in the daily thoughts ofChrifi, and comfort your fouls in the beliefof that full fupply and fafety which you have in him. ~· 4· DireCt. 4· Let theancient mercies and experiences of Gods Love throttgb aU your livn, be JHU before you, and frePJ upon your mind!, that they may k.jndle yortr Love and 1hankfu1Ht[s to God, and m11y'[t'ed your onm delight atrd comfort) a~td helpyou the e-.Jjier to fobmit 111 future wea~neffu atrd death. Eaten bread mufi not be forgotten. A thankful fer:iicffibrance prefervcth all your f9rmer mercies llill fre01 and green : The fwcetncfs and benefit may remain, though the thing it fclf be pall and gone. This is the great priviledge of an aged Chriflian; that he.hath many years mercy more W thmk ~n, than others have: Every one of thofe mercies was fweet to you by it felf, at the time of your receiV– ing it (except afflictions, and mifunderfiood and unobferved mercies :) And then how fwc:et fhould all togethc::r1bc? If unthankfulnefs bave buried any of them, let thankfulncfs give them now a Refur– reCl:ion. Wh•t delightful work is it for your thoughts, to look back te your Childhood, and re– member how mercy brought you up, and conduC\:ed you to every place that you have hved m; and provided for you, and prcfCJved you, and heard your prayers, and difpofed of all things foryour good: How it brought you under the means of guce; and hleft them to you ; and how the fputt of God beg;tn
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