cowardice and folly. Inftead of " poflefling the iniquities of your youth, having your bones full of them, and mourning at the laft, when the flesh and body are confumed," you will have unfpeakable pleafure in being able to appeal to God, with Hezekiah," that you have walked before him in truth, and with an upright heart, and have done that which was good in his fight." In confequence of this, you will find him gracious and faithful in affifting, fupporting and rewarding you. "Remember therefore thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt fay, I have no pleasure in them”-none but what religion affords, and hope infpires. -I only add,

3. The example of Caleb is worthy the imitation of aged chriftians.

To you, my honoured fathers, I would refpectfully addrefs. Hath God kept you alive fourfcore or threefcore years? Take this good old man for your model, and endeavour to be like-minded.

Let your

fpeech, like his, be ferious and devout, the remainder

remainder of your days be devoted to God's fervice, and continue to hope and truft in him. Let your fpeech be ferious and devout. When, like Caleb, you are mentioning your age, your cotemporaries, or what happened in the former part of your lives, let it be done with seriousness; with an humble and thankful acknowledgment of God. Say not, I have lived fo long,. or am fo old,' but, "the Lord hath kept. me alive." Bear teftimony to his goodnefs and faithfulness. Speak of his care in preferving you hitherto, with admiration and thankfulness. Thus the patriarch Jacob faid, "God who hath fed me all my life long to this day, and redeemed me from all evil."Further: Let the remainder of your lives be faithfully devoted to God's fervice. One important branch of this is, humbly to relate your own experience, for the inftruction and confolation of others. So Caleb did" When my brethren were disobedient and rebellious, I wholly followed the Lord my God." Let your relations and friends, efpecially your defcendants, know what God hath done for you, and what he hath enabled you to

do

do for him. Affure them, as from long obfervation and experience you can, that fin is bitterness in the end; that God's commandments are not grievous; that an intereft in Chrift is the good part; and that a life spent in communion with Godis the pleasanteft life any man can lead. Such declarations will come with peculiar gracefulness and force from perfons of your age, when attended with that modefty and humility which your long acquaintance with your own imperfections and the conftitution of the gofpel will be likely to promote for you must be ftrangely ignorant of both, if you speak of your experiences with vain-glory and boafting. All will be afcribed by you to the riches of divine grace in Chrift Jefus, and you will boast only in the Lord. Thus David in his old age refolved, My tongue fhall show forth thy falvation, and talk of thy righteousness all the day long; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will fhow thy ftrength to this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." Again : You are to serve God, your preserver, by being active in all the duties of life, which

you

You may

you have ability to difcharge. not perhaps be able to fay as Caleb (in the verfe following the text) "As yet I am as ftrong this day as I was forty years ago " nevertheless, what natural ftrength remaineth-should be employed for God. But I hope your fpiritual ftrength is much greater than it was forty years ago; that you are more able to carry on the chriftian combat, to drive out remaining corrup tions, and will be faithful unto death. You are also to serve God by humbly waiting all the intimations of his will; by bearing up contentedly and cheerfully under the infirmities of age, and ftriving and watching that your tempers may not be foured by your own afflictions, or the vices and follies of the rifing generation.Finally Your paft experience should be an incentive to you to encourage yourselves in the Lord your God. Hope in him, that he will yet fulfil his promises, and particularly that he will never forfake you. The laft words of the aged and pious Dr. Guyfe were, "O my God, thou haft always been with me, and wilt not leave me now." God may prolong your wanderings in the wil

derness,

dernefs, and add many days yet to your wearifome pilgrimage: but remember, Canaan is before you; an inheritance which will abundantly repay all the labours and fatigues of the wilderness. Thither God hath promised to bring you." Hold fast, therefore, the profeffion of your faith, and the confidence of your hope, without wavering, firm unto the end: for he is faithful who hath promifed."

DISCOURSE