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

A Sixth Inconvenience in Old-age, is,¹ that it is broken with Crosses and outward Troubles. These, though they meet us in every stage of our life, yet a whole troop of them commonly fall upon us in Old-age. Then doth Poverty often come as an armed man: His getting days are gone, now his spending time is come: And if he have need of much, and yet hath little in store, he seems to be in a miserable Condition. ⟨p. 165⟩The Cynic Philosopher, when he was asked, what was the most calamitous Creature in the world, confidently answered, It was an indigent Old person. Likewise every body is ready to injure and run down the Aged, reckoning that they are least able to defend themselves. For as to the weakest part of the body, there is a confluence of all humours, which settle there, so very often it falls out, that a combination of troubles seize upon Aged people, Joh. 21. 18. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young thou girdedst thy self, and walkedst whither thou wouldst: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not.

A Sixth Inconvenience in Old-age, is,¹ that it is broken with Crosses and outward Troubles. These, though they meet us in every stage of our life, yet a whole troop of them commonly fall upon us in Old-age. Then doth Poverty often come as an armed man: His getting dayes are gone, now his spending time is come: And if he have need of much, and yet hath little in store, he seems to be in a miserable Condition. ⟨p. 165⟩The Cynick Philosopher, when he was asked, what was the most calamitous Creature in the world, confidently answered, It was an indigent Old person. Likewise every body is ready to injure and run down the Aged, reckoning that they are least able to defend themselves. For as to the weakest part of the body, there is a confluence of all humours, which settle there, so very often it falls out, that a combination of troubles seize upon Aged people,