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

Now when Old-age takes possession, the proud, the furious, and the wanton spirits are spent. As Wine at first is mixed with dregs, till by time it settles and is refined; so the Passions of youth, if they be not mortified by the Grace of God, yet they are weakened and deadened by the age of men. As Tully hath it, when Pleasures have almost depraved both body and mind, then age comes and cures that, which Wisdom could not; and it is an happiness to be rid of such unruly Guests any way.

Now when Old-age takes possession, the proud, the furious, and the wanton spirits are spent. As Wine at first is mixt with dregs, till by time it settles and is refined; so the Passions of youth, if they be not mortified by the Grace of God, yet they are weakned and deaded by the age of men. As Tully hath it, when Pleasures have almost depraved both body and mind, then age comes and cures that, which VVisdom could not; and it is an happiness to be rid of such unruly Guests any way.

But you will say, though one sort of sins are gone, yet others succeed in their ⟨p. 208⟩room: and it is too evident by what hath been said before, that Old-age hath it's sins, as well as Youth. The Objection must be answered with Tears: No age in this World without it's temptations; this Leprosy will not be fully cleansed, until the House be taken down: but yet as we find Children and Youth more apt to breed vermin, than aged persons; so there are fewer Enormities in this age, than in that ^qFor Transgressions do generally proceed either from Ignorance, which Old-age doth usually inform and heal; or from the strength of Passions, which are much rebated and repressed in Old-age; or from Malice, now the wiser a man is grown, the less likely he is to choose evil: the more divine Strokes and Judgments one hath seen upon evil doers, the more he should be afraid of tampering with it: the nearer a man is to his end, the more in all reason he will beware of clogging his Conscience; so that dying lusts are fittest for a dying Body, and an holy Heart for an hoary Head.