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

And in this Grace doth every good Old Man and Woman excel. This was the eminent Grace of the Evangelist John in his Old-age, for he lived longer than any of the Apostles; and his Swanlike Song still was Love, as is evident in all his Epistles: yea, some Church Historians affirm, that when he could go no longer by reason of his Age into the Christian Assemblies; yet he was instant to be led or carried there, where the substance of what he was able to say, was, little Children, love one another. And you may find, how pathetical was Paul the Aged in his tender charity to Onesimus, Philem. 9. Being such a one as Paul the Aged, for loves sake I beseech thee for my Son ⟨p. 122⟩Onesimus. And this Spirit did continue in the Ancient Christians in the Primitive times^g, who loved, as Tertullian tells us, as Brethren, and were ready to dye for one another. We that did hate one another, saith Justin Martyr, now do live familiarly together, and do pray for our Enemies. In all Ages, as men have increased in Piety, they have increased in Charity, and come to relent of their rigour and keenness. It was Age, Experience and Consideration, as well as a Prison that melted Bishop Ridley to accost his Brother Hooper in this manner: However in some bymatters and circumstances of Religion, your wisdom and my Simplicity hath a little jarred, yet now I sincerely love and embrace you. You know Rehoboams Old Counsellors were for lenity, when the young were stern and furious. It's true, the natural tempers or painful distempers, may incline some Old people to too much Acrimony; yet all Aged people that are considerate, have taken more degrees in Charity, than young people have. It was an Old man in Gibeah that had more of this Grace, than all the City besides, Judg. 19. 16.

And in this Grace doth every good Old Man and Woman excell. This was the eminent Grace of the Evangelist Iohn in his Old-age, for he lived longer than any of the Apostles; and his Swanlike Song still was Love, as is evident in all his Epistles: yea, some Church Historians affirm, that when he could go no longer by reason of his Age into the Christian Assemblies; yet he was instant to be led or carried there, where the substance of what he was able to say, was, little Children, love one another. And you may find, how pathetical was Paul the Aged in his tender charity to Onesimus,