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

Now to Mitigate these Pressures we must know, 1. That these Crosses are common to all. As they do not infallibly attend all Aged persons, for many have fair weather all their journey long; so they befall all mankind indifferently in every part of life. If these be Miseries, there's no mortal man without his Misery. We are in this World, as Israel was in the Wilderness, who had no day without a Cloud, but then they had no night without a glimpse of light. Where ⟨p. 167⟩dwells the man, or of what Cloth is his coat made, who hath not met with straits, and with vexations? that hath not buried many of his Relations and Friends? so that we must quarrel with every age, as well as Old-age, yea with the Providence of God by this argument.

Now to Mitigate these Pressures we must know, 1. That these Crosses are common to all. As they do not infallibly attend all Aged persons, for many have fair weather all their journey long; so they befall all mankind indifferently in every part of life. If these be Miseries, there's no mortal man without his Misery. We are in this World, as Israel was in the Wilderness, who had no day without a Cloud, but then they had no night without a glympse of light. Where ⟨p. 167⟩dwells the man, or of what Cloth is his coat made, who hath not met with straits, and with vexations? that hath not buried many of his Relations and Friends? so that we must quarrel with every age, as well as Old-age, yea with the Providence of God by this argument.

2. These Crosses and Losses are absolutely Hurtful to none. They are not properly and entirely Evils. Criminal evils are real Evils, penal Evils are not so. These fluunt a summo bono, are inflicted by Him that is eminently Good; ducunt ad summum bonum, they guide and help us towards the greatest Good; erant in summo Bono, they were upon him who was entirely Good. Prosperity hath, but Adversity hath never hurt a good man. Yea some of the Heathens ⁱ