A discourse concerning old-age tending to the instruction, caution and comfort of aged persons…

This bitter root spoils their Devotions, interrupts their prayers, renders the word of God tasteless, becramps them to all God Works; this disturbs their Rest, the thoughts and cares about these things do visit them last at night, and meet them first in the morning, and disquiet them the day throughout; for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. Oh the cares, the fears, the vexations that possess a covetous heart! but only that we can digest any thing that we delight in, though it be never so bitter, else no man could endure the life of a covetous miser. But it is the Old-mans recreation; the best of his time and the strength of his spirits are consumed, either about the keeping of what he hath, or about getting more: for as he hath no vent for his abundance, so he observes no limits for his desires. As the bladder, the more it is filled with wind, it stretches the more; so the more his riches increase, the more his heart is set upon them; so that he seeth more beauty in his Money, than in the Sun in ⟨p. 60⟩the firmament^u. No thoughts, no discourse, no design pleaseth them, except it end in gain: but when there is an opportunity of doing good, the heart is cold, and the hand is lame. Nay some of them will not afford conveniences, scarcely necessaries to their families or to themselves, but run in debt to their own backs and bellies, to their children and servants, and foolishly choose to live poor, that they may die rich.

This bitter root spoils their Devotions, interrupts their prayers, renders the word of God tastless, becramps them to all God Works; this disturbs their Rest, the thoughts and cares about these things do visit them last at night, and meet them first in the morning, and disquiet them the day throughout; for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. Oh the cares, the fears, the vexations that possess a covetous heart! but only that we can digest any thing that we delight in, though it be never so bitter, else no man could endure the life of a covetous miser. But it is the Old-mans recreation; the best of his time and the strength of his spirits are consumed, either about the keeping of what he hath, or about getting more: for as he hath no vent for his abundance, so he observes no limits for his desires. As the bladder, the more it is filled with wind, it stretches the more; so the more his riches increase, the more his heart is set upon them; so that he seeth more beauty in his Money, than in the Sun in