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

FOR the First, we must come to a¹ right Notion of Old-age, partly by its Name. The Words which are used for it in the Oriental ^aLanguages, do only signify Persons or Things •at are durable, that have lasted long; And some of them are used promiscuously for such as are dignified by Office, as well as for such as have filled their Days. And none of them do direct us in the Computation, when it begins; but do comprehend as well those Persons that are decrepit, as those that are only decayed. For in Gen. 18. 11. Abraham was an Old Man; and in Gen. 24. 1. there he is called with the very same word, but an Old Man, tho he was then forty years older than before. The Hebrew commonly calling an Old Man, one full of days, or stricken in Years, tho sometimes they are distinguished, ⟨p. 3⟩the aged with him that is full of days, Jerem. 6. 11. by which it should seem, that Old-age comes somewhat short of fullness of days^b.

FOR the First, we must come to a¹ right Notion of Old-age, partly by its Name. The Words which are used for it in the Oriental ^aLanguages, do only signifie Persons or Things •at are durable, that have lasted long; And some of them are us'd promiscuously for such as are dignified by Office, as well as for such as have filled their Days. And none of them do direct us in the Computation, when it begins; but do comprehend as well those Persons that are decrepit, as those that are only decayed. For in