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

SECT. III.

A Third Inconvenience upon Old people; ¹is, That they are weakened in their Faculties. Their Apprehensions dull, their Fantasy barren, their Memories broken, and their Affections dry. Formerly they could have penetrated into things, they could have learned any thing; now they are so clouded, that they fumble at the plainest things. They could have soared by their Fancy, and coined variety of notions; which they found to be a great help to their devotion and otherwise, ⟨p. 146⟩but their Invention now is grown poor, and their Notions flat. But the most sensible loss is of their Memory, whereby formerly they could have produced things both new and old; but now their Memory is so woefully shattered, that this day forgets what yesterday said and did. O the excellent things that they have heard and read: and now they are like water spilt on the Ground, no notices left that ever such things had been within. Time was, their Love and Zeal for God, and their Hatred to Sin was strong as Death, and ardent as the Coals of Fire, which hath a most vehement flame: many waters could not quench it. Their holy Joys and Sorrows were transcendent; penitential Tears were frequent with them: But now their Hearts are cold, and their Eyes are dry. These Wheels of the Soul are gone, and thereby their motion is sadly interrupted.

A Third Inconvenience upon Old people; ¹is, That they are weakned in their Faculties. Their Apprehensions dull, their Phantasy barren, their Memories broken, and their Affections dry. Formerly they could have penetrated into things, they could have learn'd any thing; now they are so clouded, that they fumble at the plainest things. They could have soar'd by their Fancy, and coin'd variety of notions; which they found to be a great help to their devotion and otherwise, ⟨p. 146⟩