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

1. One great work of Old-age is Dying to sin, to all sin. The time past of our life may suffice us to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of Wine, revellings, banquetings, &c. 1 Pet. 4. 3. We have sinned enough already, yea much more than enough; it is high time to undo that which hath almost undone us. We are dying, it is necessary that our sins die before us^b, and that by Faith in the death of Christ, and Repentance from dead works; for want of which course, our Evidences prove litigious, and snarled with inextricable doubts. It is not enough, that we want strength, or opportunity to sin, but our wills and desires towards it, must be dead also. Sin is only asleep, or benumbed in us, if we have not used Gods means to crucify it. It's not sufficient that we leave it, except we loath it. Go through-stitch therefore with this work; do it quickly, do it sincerely: it is, Kill or be Killed, and necessity makes the Coward resolute. Dread not any Scriptural severities necessary in Mortification. Some Devils are not cast out without Prayer and Fasting; and Hippocrates ^cobserves, that Old-age is the fittest for the use of Fasting. The wounds that sin hath made, must be searched to the bottom, and ⟨p. 294⟩doubtless it is never crucified, no more than Christ was, without pain.

1. One great work of Old-age is Dying to sin, to all sin. The time past of our life may suffice us to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of Wine, revellings, banquettings, &c. 1 Pet. 4. 3. We have sinn'd enough already, yea much more than enough; it is high time to undo that which hath almost undone us. We are dying, it is necessary that our sins dy before us^b, and that by Faith in the death of Christ, and Repentance from dead works; for want of which course, our Evidences prove litigious, and snarled with inextricable doubts. It is not enough, that we want strength, or opportunity to sin, but our wills and desires towards it, must be dead also. Sin is only asleep, or benumbed in us, if we have not used Gods means to crucify it. It's not sufficient that we leave it, except we loath it. Go through-stitch therefore with this work; do it quickly, do it sincerely: it is, Kill or be Kill'd, and necessity makes the Coward resolute. Dread not any Scriptural severities necessary in Mortification. Some Devils are not cast out without Prayer and Fasting; and Hippocrates